Help improve the standard of living for local families by maintaining, renovating or building their eco-homes and community facilities. All you need to do is this internship in an NGO in Peru!
Even if you’ve never built anything before, you can learn by participating in our program, which will use “Tapial” or rammed earth green building methods. This green building project is beneficial to the environment and to the people who will use it. Moreover, you will immerse yourself in Peruvian culture in a unique way!
Life for women and children in Peru is hard; often they can barely afford daily expenses. As a result, they often accept rudimentary and/or unsanitary living conditions such as open cooking fires, cold water showers, garbage, and housing left in disrepair for long periods of time. To do an internship in an NGO in this region is to contribute to the improvement of living conditions.
This is also reflected in public spaces such as schools, churches, clinics and common facilities.
Although 60% of the houses are built using the traditional rammed earth method, maintenance budgets for these structures are rarely considered a priority. That's where we saw a way to help!
By providing materials and assisting them in repairing, renovating or building their traditional rammed earth houses or communal facilities, and by using the labour donated by our participants, we are able to help the community achieve this goal.
With renovated mud brick houses and training, they will be able to offer accommodation to rural tourists, thus generating income.
At the same time, we give you the opportunity to engage with the community and learn more about their way of life while doing these construction tasks. It is a mutually beneficial exchange!
In addition, our program aims to revive the tradition of cob houses and to tell of its benefits.
In addition to its unique look and feel, earthen houses preserve heat and cold much better than most of their modern counterparts (concrete buildings). Earthen houses are much better adapted to the Peruvian climate. The mud brick structures are usually built by the inhabitants themselves, using simple construction methods that do not require as much work.
Qualified technicians (such as engineers or architects) are not required, which is why they are described as "non-technical constructions". Your efforts will improve family homes, community halls and help create the first English as a Second Language school for children in the community.
As with all of our environmental internship programs, the eco-building project provides an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the region and the community while gaining university credits.
To do an internship with an NGO is to be involved in segments or in the entire earthen house construction process, depending on the length of the program.
Under the supervision of the "maestro de obra" and the local workers, you will put your hands to work.
You will participate in activities such as:
This is the rainy season, which means you will likely be involved in activities to assist this program through lighting restoration and interior construction in communal areas, such as schools, churches, health care facilities and community centres.
Sunday
If this is your first day, an orientation will take place in Cajamarca before you join the program.
Monday to Friday
Breakfast
Briefing
Performing daily construction tasks as assigned
Lunch break
Performing daily construction tasks
Dinner
Free evening
This schedule is subject to change and/or amendment based on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.
So doing an internship in an NGO, with this eco-construction program in Peru allows you to both develop yourself and have a positive and sustainable impact on the local community.
Since 1998, they have been offering the opportunity to participate in solidarity programs ranging from education to support and development of local communities, as well as wildlife and environmental conservation.
Their values: we are not passive spectators, but we encourage a practical approach, "we get our hands dirty". The placements require active participation of the interns and real commitment. The feedback from our participants is unanimous: "an enrichment beyond my expectations", "a project that changed my life".
