Read all the latest articles and volunteer perspectives about volunteering with Proyecto Peru
Volunteering abroad can be a meaningful experience. It can broaden your perspective, strengthen your skills, and allow you to contribute to a community in a practical way. However, good intentions are not enough. Poorly designed volunteer programs can unintentionally cause harm, create dependency, or prioritise profit over impact.
If you are considering volunteering in Peru or elsewhere, here are four principles to help you approach the experience responsibly.
There are many decisions to make when it comes to volunteering abroad. The most important decisions you will have to make are where to volunteer and for how long. No matter the country, you have to find a place and project that suits your interests, goals and skills, this way you will be making an genuine impact both in the project and on your self.
Peru is one of the most popular, and in our opinion best, places to volunteer abroad. You can help educate children in one of its cities, work in a local hospital in the Andes or even help with Amazon protection efforts. Peru is a very diverse and multicultural country that offers a variety of unique experiences to visitors and volunteers.
Update for 2026
Volunteering abroad can be a meaningful and life changing experience, both for volunteers and for the communities they support. However, not all volunteer programmes are created equal. Poorly run or unethical organisations can do more harm than good, even when intentions are positive.
Every year, thousands of students, gap year travellers, and career changers look for opportunities to volunteer abroad. Before committing your time, money, and energy, it is essential to choose a responsible organisation that genuinely benefits the local community.
Below are ten practical tips to help you find an ethical and well run volunteer organisation, based on real issues volunteers often face and common mistakes we have seen over the years.
I have always considered myself lucky for the different places I have lived and the different people I have met along the way. I was born in the hustling bustling city of Seoul, South Korea, lived among the endless green pastures of Wisconsin for a year, lived in an apartment in Toronto, Canada for three years, and finally settled with the cows and trees in a small Connecticut town called Mansfield by the grand age of nine.