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Peru

"In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it." - Hiram Bingham, Lost City of the Incas.

Peru's great attraction is its people. Although European behaviour has curved modern Peru, the Indigenous character has not changed greatly. The Indian is by nature without greed, humble, deliberate in all he does and liking to order. They remain conservative, loyal to family and community, and highly spiritual.

Peru itself is blessed with a rich and ancient past and a vibrant present, making it one of South America's most sort after travel destinations. With nearly all the major Inca ruins including Machu Picchu, two of the world finest white-water rafting rivers, Lake Titicaca, and the Amazon - the most pristine rainforest in the America's and home to the highest geological diversity on the planet, it can safely be said that this area is unparalleled on earth.

All of these experiences and more are awaiting your discovery. Take the adventure of a lifetime and volunteer now with Peru's Challenge.

Highlights

Cuzco and surrounds

Cuzco is one of the world's most beautiful cities. Meaning literally 'the navel' to its founders, Cusco is today acknowledged as the archaeological capital of South America and a World Heritage Site. There are so many ruins, museums, and amazing sites to see that everyone who visits always wish they could stay longer to explore.

Peru's Challenge can organise additional tours inyou spare time, through Ultimate Adventure Tours, Peru. Volunteers can pick from white-water rafting down the Urubamba River and mountain-biking adventures, to dancing festivals in traditional dress or taking two-five day hikes visiting untouched villages in the Andes and other hidden Inca ruins.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu meaning 'old peak' is located 130km from the city of Cuzco. Undoubtedly, one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world, the 'Lost City of the Incas' is an absolute must see for all visitors to Peru.

A four-day tour is included in the Volunteer Travel Package. You will trek along well-preserved stretches of the original Inca Trail, cross over high mountain passes and traverse through lush jungle before reaching the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu.

If trekking is not your style, you can travel on the luxury Hiram Bingham train and enjoy a guided tour of the Machu Picchu ruins.

Lake Titicaca

Famous for being one of the highest navigable lakes, Lake Titicaca is a pristine deep blue colour. Explore Sun Island, where it is said the Inca Empire was born, bounce around on the floating reed islands, and stay overnight on Amantani to experience how the Inca's lived thousands of years ago.

If you volunteer for eight weeks or more with Peru's Challenge, this three-day tour is included in your package.

Sacred Valley of the Incas

All volunteers will enjoy a two-day tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. During the trip we will explore numerous Inca ruins including the fortress of Ollantaytambo and the religious and agricultural ruins of Pisaq. Then volunteers can shop and practice the skills of bargaining at the famous Pisaq markets.

We also visit the Chincero community where volunteers can see locals weaving their magic through rugs, tapestries and other crafts. And finish off by learning how to make Chica (home-brew beer) and playing 'Sapo' a great game that we won't explain until you get to Peru!

Arequipa

This beautiful southern city is a showcase of fine architecture, with its colonial buildings, mansions and churches.

Close to Arequipa is the canyon area which it is said has the deepest canyon in the world. Near by is the Colca Canyon.

Volunteers on the 12-week program will enjoy a four-day tour to this region to visit all the sites and watch the majestic condor fly.

Nazca Lines

Some 300km south of Lima lies Ica, the wine capital of Peru. Here you will encounter the mysterious Nazca Lines, huge designs of birds, animals, and geometric lines, etched into the ground with great precision; the origins of which are unknown to this day.

Amazon

The Amazon Riber is one of the longest rivers in the world. What makes it the greatest river in the world is the sheer volume of water that it carries, as well as its length. The Amazon River basin is a vast expanse, covering parts of eight countries in South America. There are varied types of environments that are home to thousands of species.

It is an easy trip to the Jungle in Peru from Cusco. Any volunteer wanting to go can organise a trip with Ultimate Adventure Tours Peru.

South America

South America shows an astonishing vitality and diversity. The passage of the Andes separates many of the South American countries into four distinct regions: the coast, the mountains, the valleys and the Amazon basin.

Some of its highlights include the salt lake in Bolivia, the cosmopolitan capital of Argentina - Buenos Aires, Carnivale in Rio, Iguazu Falls - the largest and most impressive waterfalls in the world, and the Galapagos Islands - one of the world's most precious ecosystems and home to an extraordinary array of flora and fauna that exists nowhere else in the world.

Why not travel down to the end of the world and explore Patagonia. You can take a boat ride so you almost touch the glaciers or walk in front of Grey Glacier - one of the only glaciers in the world that is still advancing - and listen to the awe-inspiring cracks that the ice makes as it tumbles off.

More information

www.ultimatetoursperu.com	www.geckosadventures.com
www.lonelyplanet.com	www.footprintguides.com
www.roughguides.com	www.letsgo.com

WHY WE NEED TO HELP PERU?

Population:

28,674,757 (2007 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.39% (2006 est.)

Fertility:

2001 - 2.7 children
1990 - 3.7 children
1960 - 6.9 children

Life expectancy at birth:

69 years (2006 est.)
- Male: 67.48 years
- Female: 71.03 years
40.9 years in Cusco

Infant mortality 0-5 years:

35 per 1000 live births (2006 est.)
UK: 7 per 1000.
India: 108 per 1000
Rural Cusco: 50 per 1000.

Malnutrition:

From 1985 to 1995 there was an average of 1.66 million malnourished children under 5 years old.
In 2001, the Economy Ministry reported that 20% of children suffered from chronic malnutrition (down from 26% in 1997) although there are very pronounced regional variations. The level in Cusco is 43%.

Population per doctor:

1370. However, the majority of doctors are located in the cities and access to them for people living in rural areas is often very restricted.

Education:

"Public education standards are amongst the lowest in Latin America." Economist Intelligence Unit Country Report 98/99.

Although education is legally free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old, more than a quarter of Peru's children never attend school. This figure increases to more than 85% in the Cusco department.
Drop out rates are as high as 40%, with few children going on into secondary education.
In 1995, 4.2 million children were enrolled in primary school, but only 1.8 million children were enrolled at the secondary level.
The state spends less than $80 per schoolchild per year.

Literacy rate:

Over the last 50 years, child literacy rate in Peru has increased from 42% to 89%.
This is a major achievement for the country as a whole but it does not reflect the situation in the Cusco department which is 18%.
Adult literacy rate is only 11%.

Wealth and poverty:

In 2006, 54% of the population were living below the national extreme poverty line, 63% of which are children and adolescents.
Of these 4.7 million were unable to meet basic nutritional needs.
Within the Cuzco department, 75.3% of the population were living below the national extreme poverty line.
56% of the population live on less than US$1 a day.
Children as young as 10 often work until the early hours of the morning selling postcards or shinning shoes to help support the family.
The richest tenth of the population receive 34.3% of national income, while the poorest tenth of the population receive only 1.9%.

Unemployment:

Underemployment was recorded as 41.8% of which 17.7% was termed "visible" (those who work less than 35 hours but are willing to work more) and 24.1% was termed "invisible" (those who work more than 35 hours but earn less than needed to acquire the minimum consumer basket).
The underemployment level in Cusco is 74%.

Political system:

Peru is a presidential representative democratic republic with a pluriform multi-party system.
According to the current constitution, the President is the head of state and government, elected for five years with no immediate re-election. He designates the Prime Minister and, with his advice, the rest of the Council of Ministers.
There is a unicameral Congress with 120 members, also elected for a five-year period.
Both powers, Executive and Legislature, have the power to propose legislation which needs Congress approval and promulgation by the President in order to be enacted.
The Judiciary is an independent branch of government according to law, however, political intervention into judicial matters has been common throughout history and is still perceived to be so.
Elections are held by direct universal suffrage, voting is compulsory for citizens age eighteen through seventy.
General elections held in 2006 ended in a second round victory for presidential candidate Alan García of the Peruvian Aprista Party against Ollanta Humala of Union for Peru with 52.6% versus 47.4% of the valid votes.

Human rights:

Amnesty International summarised the human rights situation for 2002 as follows:

"There were reports of torture and ill-treatment. Those responsible were not brought to justice. Detainees falsely charged with "terrorism-related" offences in previous years remained held. "Anti-terrorism" legislation which had resulted in unfair trials since its introduction in 1992 remained in force. Members of the security forces accused of human rights violations continued to have their cases transferred to military courts."

Click here to read the full text of the AI 2003 report.

Statistics taken from Peru's Challenge and Wikipedia.

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