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25 Sep 2023
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Description
Experience life in a remote little Peruvian town in the highlands: the challenges, the impressive scenery, flora and fauna and the fascinating culture. Enjoy the hotsprings 30 minutes drive from town, or hike to the glacial lakes, or visit pre incan archaelogical sites, or camp at high altitude and wake up to a stunning sunrise over the snowcaps, or dance in the local fiestas, or do yoga in the middle of nature, or all of the above and more.
Make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and youth. Share your skills and knowledge.
There are two working areas: with library/cultural center project, and with our family.
*Little library/cultural center project: work with local children and teenagers in a legally recognized cultural project working to empower and inspire local children and youth through its little communal library. Its diverse activities include: literacy mediation, workshops, art projects, story time, game library, movie proyection, itinerant library to other villages and surrounding hamlets. We also aim to facilitate their access to cultural manifestations and resources otherwise not available in this remote Andean location. You will help organizing and during activities, itinerant and in situ, and help with lending books, book inventory, classification, maintenance and repair, cleaning and maintaining library. Currently, we open the library to the public twice a week, and there is a lot to do behind the scenes. Depending on your skills, you could also conduct workshops (STEAM subjects, english teaching, sports, etc.)
*Family: working with two teenagers, teaching them skills, sports, and/or STEAM subjects according to your abilities, or teaching and practising languages, going on nature hikes, helping with homework, etc. Help around the house when necessary (cooking, tidying, maintenance). Next year, help starting a vegetable garden in our land just outside town.
Tasks will be distributed along the days, with about half the time dedicated to each working area. Twenty-two hours a week (about eleven with library/cultural center and eleven with family).
Corongo is a remote, traditional Andean town, about 13 hours from Lima. It is located at about 5-6 hours from Chimbote (coastal city), or 6 hours from Huaraz (andean city). Altitude in town is 3150 masl, and the neighbouring villages and towns spread over a wide range of altitudes, one hour drive will take you to a valley at 1800masl, or to a 4000masl lake.
Library headquarters are in Corongo town, and most of the activities take place here. Exceptions are itinerant library (about twice a month), and nature walks/hikes (use to be just outside town, but could be further about twice a month).
We are a multicultural family, my partner is norwegian and runs an organic farm near the hot springs, at a lower altitude. You are welcome to visit or camp there in your free days. We speak english, spanish, and some norwegian.
Local people don't speak english at all, so you will have ample opportunity to practice spanish.
*IMPORTANT: Please read carefully the full profile (descriptions of place and help, what is included, etc.) If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
ONE MONTH MINIMUM STAY.
NO FEES.
NO SMOKING, NO VAPING, NO DRUGS.
[Note 2023 : Would be great if you are from Norway, or a native norwegian speaker, so you can help us with a family project.]
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You get to experience life in a traditional Andean town, sharing with local people, and getting to know their culture, food, music, fiestas, challenges, way of life, and natural surroundings.
Get to know local children and teens, how they live, their dreams and hopes, and be sure you are making a positive difference in their lives.
Can practice spanish to your heart's content, as local people don't speak english at all.
Also, you get to share with our multicultural family, and can easily communicate in english so you feel safe and in community. We can cook together, make bread, and we will listen spellbound to your travels stories and interesting things about your country.
You will experience nature in its purest form, if you decide to go hiking or camping. There are many places to hike and camp, and practice yoga or meditation, surrounded only by mountains, plants, and birds. Can even meditate in the hot springs, or near the river or lakes.
Can go horse or donkey riding. Can participate in communal work. Traditional community work is alive and well here, and people cut trees and make firewood, or build houses, or harvest, together with the neighbours, to the rythm of traditional local musicians that play a drum and flute simultaneously.
You can enjoy Corongo fiestas, that are described further in the profile.
You can make friends and share with other volunteers, as we accept from one up to three people for this projects.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We have described above the two areas of work. This is a list of desirable skills/knowledge you could choose from to share with us in Corongo (of course, we don't expect all of them from a single person):
Music: guitar, piano/keyboard, flute, rap, urban dance, k-pop dance, other dances
Martial arts: taekwondo, karate
Languages: NORWEGIAN, German, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Mandarin, English.
Sports: Basketball, Physical Education, Gymnastics, skating, cycling, running
Science: botany, biology, basic chemistry, astronomy, physics
Technology: programming/coding, comunity managment, stop motion, photo, video, edition
Engineering: building fence, garden design and layout, floorplan
Arts: comic, manga, drawing, etc.
Math
Other relevant STEAM subjects
Feel free to offer other skills/knowledge
[Note 2023 : Would be great if you are from Norway, or a native norwegian speaker, so you can help us with a family project.]
Mandatory: Good attitude, patience with children, nice character, work oriented, self motivated, independent, respectful.
Desirable but not a must: knowledge and/or experience working in libraries, literacy, game libraries, board games.
For the family work area, you will be interacting in english. For the library work area, it is highly desirable you speak spanish, but not absolutely essential.
Please state your experience working with children and teenagers (tutoring, teaching, coaching, camping, counseling, babysitting, etc.).
Please state you degree and/or relevant education or experience in the subject(s) you can offer expertise or knowledge about.
It would be a huge plus if you can help us laying out the floorplan for our future house.
We strive for equal rights, non discrimination (racism, sexism, clasism), and respect. We are non religious.
IMPORTANT: Children and teenagers deserve the utmost respect. We promote body autonomy and respectful interactions at all times. If it is necessary to physically contact a minor, like to guide his/her hand to write, or correct his/her body position during sports, for example, always ask for his/her permission first: "may I guide your hand?", "may I move your shoulder"? If they want to hold your hand, or hug you, you could correspond if you feel comfortable doing so. Do not ever tickle.
Ask for their parents permission if you want to take photos.
NO SMOKING, NO VAPING, NO DRUGS.
ONE MONTH MINIMUM STAY.
NO FEES.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Norwegian: Beginner
Accommodation
ACOMMODATION:
We provide acommodation at a small separate renovated traditional two story house. It has independent entrance (door to the street). First floor: small living room; kitchenette corner with electric kettle, sink (there are cups, plates, and cutlery, no stove); and complete bathroom. Second floor: bedroom with a window to the street, a double bed, a single bed, and place to hang up clothes. You will share the place with your partner/friend, or another volunteer(s). There will be usually two volunteers, except during overlapping days (one or three). There is space to put an extra matress if necessary, in the first or second floor. We provide sheets and blanket, but you are welcome to use your sleeping bag on the bed. You are in charge of washing your own bedclothes, and keeping the small house clean and tidy. There is no wifi in the house, you can use your smartphone data, or go to the internet cafe at the plaza (4 blocks). The house is about 3 blocks from the library, and 7 from our home. Corongo is a small town, everything is very nearby.
FOOD:
Helping days (five days a week): we provide two daily meals (breakfast and lunch). Can acommodate vegetarian. Vegan is difficult, as vegetables availability can be somehow limited, and things like almond milk, nuts, tofu are impossible to obtain in town.
For free days: there are little restaurants in town, lunch menu costs about 2-3 USD, and usually includes soup, main course, and beverage. Beakfast or dinner cost is about 1-3 USD.
NO SMOKING, NO VAPING, NO DRUGS.
ONE MONTH MINIMUM STAY.
NO FEES.
What else ...
There are two hotsprings places:
Baños de Aticara: 30 minutes drive (one hour hike) from town, is a natural hot waterfall. Hot (a couple of grades over body temperature) water runs continually from the rocks, filling a pool that is partly natural rock and partly cement. It is possible to swim, and water is always clean. There is a smaller, shallower pool nearby. Free entrance, as it is in the middle of nature.
Baños de Pacatqui: one hour drive from town. 1-2 dollars entrance fee. There is a swimming pool, and private rooms with little pools that fit two people comfortably. Sulphurous very hot water. There is a restaurant (trout, pork, guinea pig, chicken, etc. prices about 5-10 USD), and also rooms to stay overnight (hostel, prices about 8-15 USD per night).
There are plenty of places to hike and camp. Pre inca ruins, mountains, glacial lakes.
It is possible to see birds, and also alpacas in a indigenous community about 15 minutes drive (35 minutes hike) above town. Also, you can see beautiful wild vicuñas about one hour above Corongo, close to the glacial lakes. Sheep, horses, donkeys, cows, are common and possible to see everyday in town. Also, a lot of people keep guinea pigs at home.
From town, it is possible to see a snowcap mountain named Champará. Also, during the rainy season, other mountaintops are covered with snow.
There is electricity, running water, and sewage. There is a police station, a very basic health station (doctor, nurse, dentist), 3-4 internet cafes (somewhat slow, specially in the evenings), a bank office **WITHOUT ATM** (there is NO automatic cashier).
There are several little shops to buy sweeties, toiletries, fruits, and the like. Very limited variety, though, as we are rather far from the city.
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There is catholic temple, and a couple of chapels. There is an old stone bridge over the river.
This is a traditional, rather conservative Andean town. Gender roles are traditional (yes, we are trying to create more equality, but it is slooow work). Most people are religious (catholic).
Main fiesta in Corongo is from June 27th to July 4th. Other fiestas are 6 to 8 of January, carnivals in february, easter week. There are smaller celebrations in may, september, and october as well. You can also join community work with live traditional music and local food.
Climate: Corongo town is at 3150 masl, so temperature varies during the day and the year. Rainy season is november to april, with heavier rains january to march, and dry season may to october. During the rainy season, thermal sensation is cold most of the day, as it use to be foggy, or rainy. During dry season, it is very sunny during the day, very hot in the sun but very cool in the shadow, and can be down to 0 °C in the night. Houses do not have heating system.
You can check the current weather in Corongo in a forecast web page, or google.
Clothes recommended are long sleeves layers. One layer for time in the sun, a second and even third layer and/or light jacket for long periods in the shadow. A thick jacket for evenings, specially during the dry season. Warm inner pants/leggings and undershirt if going out in the night or camping at higher altitudes. Rainjacket is recommendable during the rainy season.
It is possible to use short sleeves in the sun, with sunblock. Sun is very bright, bring your sunblock and a hat for hiking. No mosquitoes at this altitude, but there are sunflies in the fields, and definitely both in lower altitudes. So bring long sleeves, pants, and repellent if you are going to lower altitudes. No malaria nor yellow fever at all.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
22 hours a week (about 4 hours a day, 5 days a week)
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