Volunteer with children in Cusco, Peru, on an after-school programme run by Globalteer, a registered UK and Peruvian charity. You'll spend weekday afternoons (1pm to 5pm) supporting local teachers at Picaflor House and our mobile library, with your mornings free to explore. Spanish and salsa classes, weekly trips, accommodation, food and airport pickup are all included.

The project

Picaflor House is an after-school centre in the village of Oropesa, near Cusco. Globalteer opened it in November 2010 after seeing children left alone on the streets once state school finished. Today up to 80 children attend, receiving free classes, homework help, arts, sport, traditional music and dance, a safe place to play and a nutritious lunch. It is not an orphanage: children go home to their families each evening. Many families have moved from remote mountain areas in search of work, and Quechua is often the first language at home, which makes helping with homework difficult. The project receives no state funding, so it depends on volunteers and donations.

Our mobile library

Our mobile library takes books and reading support to children in rural villages around Cusco, many of whom have very little access to either. Volunteers can join it to read with the children.

Your role

You'll work alongside our permanent Peruvian and international staff, helping where you're needed most: supporting teachers with English, maths and reading, helping children with homework, arts and crafts, games and sport, helping with the daily lunch, preparing class materials, supervising local outings, reading with children on the mobile library and keeping classrooms and play areas tidy. No teaching qualification is needed. You'll receive an orientation and basic training, and you're never left to run activities alone.

Why volunteer with Globalteer

Globalteer is a registered charity (England & Wales no. 1119706, Peru no. 11159055), founded in 2006. Picaflor House and the mobile library are run by our own team based in Cusco, and we publish independently examined accounts every year. All staff and volunteers are background checked, and we have a child protection policy and a volunteer code of conduct. Our founder, Jim Elliott, lives in Cusco and answers volunteers' questions personally.

Culture, Spanish and travel, all included

Your mornings are free for Spanish class, San Pedro Market or a café. Evenings bring salsa, cooking and dinners with your housemates. Every week includes a trip or activity with a Globalteer team member: typically a Pachamama ceremony (week 1), a Peruvian cooking class (week 2), a Rainbow Mountain day trip (week 3), a Cusco city tour (week 4) and a Sacred Valley day (week 5). Weekends are free to travel.

Location and hours

You'll be based in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Cusco in Peru's Andes Mountains. Volunteers work Monday to Friday, 1pm to 5pm, with mornings free for sightseeing or Spanish classes and weekends off. Programmes run Monday to Monday, so please plan to arrive on a Monday.

Quick answers

Is this ethical? Yes. Picaflor House is an after-school centre run by local staff, and volunteers support the teachers rather than replace them.

Do I need Spanish or teaching experience? No. English is the common language, and weekly Spanish classes start in week 2.

Is Machu Picchu included? No. It's an optional extra that our team can help you plan.