At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Gain practical experience working alongside nurses and continuing our research to improve health in disadvantaged communities.
- Help people with problems such as malnutrition, for which children remain the most common victims.
- You will visit families during home-to-home visits and raise awareness by delivering presentations to vulnerable groups.
Details
- Improve maternal and infant health through educational courses with mothers
- Conduct home visits for health checks
- Empower communities to live healthier lives
- Further reasearch in nutrition
- Build eco-gardens
Includes/Excludes
Food and accommodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
If you would like to gain first-hand nutritional experience in a developing country while making a difference to local communities, this Nutrition Internship in Peru is for you. You will be able to work with professionals and learn from their years of experience in nutrition, adding relevant experience to your CV.
This internship also lets you reach out to vulnerable groups who suffer from consequences of malnourishment. Share knowledge that will inspire people to change their habits for improved living for many years
You need to be 18 years old or over to take part on this internship. You must also be able to communicate in Spanish on an intermediate level, because you give presentations in Spanish as part of your work.
You can join a nutrition placement in Peru at any time of year, but please note that some of the organisations we work with are closed between January and March.
Volunteering for professionals
This project is also perfect for qualified professionals. With your skills backing up our ongoing efforts, we can make an even bigger difference together. We’ll match you to the placement where your skills are needed most.
This means you can share your training and and knowledge with others. You can work hand-in-hand with our partner organisations and local communities to support sustainable development.
If you have relevant skills or qualifications, read more about how you can make use of them with Projects Abroad.
You will gain nutrition work experience in Peru, by working with nutrition experts to raise awareness in local communities of the importance of healthy diets. Your project work can include the following activities:
- Improve maternal and infant health through educational courses with mothers
- Conduct home visits for health checks in local communities
- Develop nutritional educational materials to improve knowledge and awareness
- Empower local people to live healthier lives
- Do research into improving nutrition in Peru
Improve maternal and infant health through educational courses with mothers
Build relationships with mothers and their children through conversations and home visits, so that young children develop with healthy diets and lifestyles.
Conduct home visits for health checks
During home visits, you’ll distribute educational materials to help people improve nutrition. You’ll explain why healthy diets are important and what they can do to eat better. You’ll also share how to identify signs of malnourishment.
In the communities you visit, you‘ll also give presentations and run workshops. The goal of these sessions is to share knowledge of healthy meals, anaemia prevention, effective teeth cleaning and hand-washing.
Empower communities to live healthier lives
You will get to spend time with more focused groups, like high risk youth and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers. Share, for example, tips on correct micronutrient intake, healthy hygiene practices, and dietary guidelines for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Further reasearch in nutrition
Depending on your level of experience or interest, you can play a key role in expanding on the nutrition research we do. This research focuses on identifying disorders in children. You’ll develop materials to address these disorders, and measure the progress of the ongoing programme. Some of these programmes were implemented by the Peruvian Ministry of Health.
Build eco-gardens
You can be involved in building and maintaining eco-gardens in the communities you visit and reach out to.
You will travel to communities around Cusco, reaching out to people where they live. Many mornings are spent going house-to-house, sharing important nutritional information with mothers, children, and other members of local communities. Spend time in conversation with people to discover the realities causing malnourishment, and provide valuable information to help people adjust their lives.
You can dedicate afternoons to preparing workshop presentations. Put together materials that you will hand out during your house-to-house visits or use in presentations, such as posters. Show local people what healthy meals look like, tell them how to prevent anaemia, how to properly clean teeth, and wash hands.
As part of your research into malnourishment, you will perform tasks like measuring and weighing babies to assess the level of health in the communities you visit.
During your evenings, spend time with your fellow volunteers, learning about each other’s home countries and cultures, and exchange stories about your days of work and adventure.
Peru is an adventurer’s heaven. During your weekends, you can explore some of the best hiking trails in the world, enjoy water rafting in the Urubamba River, or visit the enigmatic Nazca Lines.
Cusco
You’ll work in rural communities in and around the city of Cusco. The city is surrounded by lush green mountainous landscapes where llamas roam freely. You’ll also spend time in farming villages and other outlying communities during home visits.
Cusco was once the capital of the ancient Incan Empire, and is a World Heritage Site today. The city is lined with cobblestoned roads and beautiful architecture. Try out delicious soups for lunch and sharpen your Spanish skills with street vendors.
Food and accommodation
You’ll stay with a host family in Cusco. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Peru and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Free Time and Leisure Activities
Peru is a vibrant country with a mix of activities for every kind of volunteer. Whether you’re into arts, culture, history, or nature, there’s sure to be something for you!
One of the biggest attractions of Peru is the Inca history. There are awe-inspiring archaeological sites like Coricancha, Tambomachay, and of course, Machu Picchu.
Over a weekend, you can take a trip to the village of Pisac, where you can browse bright, eye-catching textile markets. Don’t miss out on seeing the llamas and alpacas too!
There are also lively restaurants, the perfect place to spend an evening relaxing and enjoying local cuisine, like ceviche.
We run a variety of projects in Peru so you’ll likely meet many other volunteers on your trip. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect and travel as a group. However, you’re welcome to travel independently if you prefer.
