In the morning volunteers make sandwiches for the children before eating their own breakfast. Volunteers then start teaching with their Peruvian teacher. In some cities children come into the centres for lessons, in other cities the schools are located both in the city centre and further away in the barrios (the poorest parts of town). The morning is spent teaching literacy and maths to the children. Some volunteers help generally with all the children in the class, others will have a specific group or child of their own to teach, depending upon the needs of the class. The Peruvian teachers decide what the volunteer needs to do within the classroom but often volunteers are left to teach the children for whom they are responsible as they see fit. At least one day a week the children also play sport. At the end of the morning the children have lunch. In some centres volunteers eat lunch with their children, in others they return to the centre to eat with the other volunteers.

During the afternoon, depending on the centre

...· volunteers will do the following
...· More teaching of the children
...· Participating in a Serendipity Organisation Club for children already in state school
...· Spanish lessons · Free time

Evening meals are usually ready around 5 or 6pm, after which most volunteers teach English language classes (mostly to young adults and people of low income). Classes last for one hour and run during the evening from 6pm - 9pm. The students of these classes pay a small tuition fee for their lessons which helps to fund our programmes with the children.

Volunteer days will vary slightly according to the centre in which you are volunteering. To read a description of a typical day at each of the centres, go to the ´Centres in Peru´ box at the top of the page and click on the relevant centre from the drop-down menu.

...· Can I choose the centre I work at?
If you have one of our locations in mind, do let us know about your preference in your application. We do our best to accommodate everyone, however some centres may already be booked for the time you wish to come. Also, each volunteer has particular skills and experience which we learn about through the application, and apply to what we know about the needs and opportunities of particular centres. When an applicant is accepted we normally let you know in our first message if you can get into the centre of your choice; or make alternative suggestions in it is already booked. If you are a couple and would like a double room (no extra cost) full payment must be made upon notification that a double room is available in the centre you have applied to, for the dates you have requested. Double rooms are available on a first come first serve basis

...· Is there a minimum length of stay?
Usually 1 month. [There is no maximum stay - the recod stay so far is 6 yrs. 6 months]

...· What type of accommodation is provided/how many people share a room?
Accommodation ranges from dormitory style (for a maximum of 4 people) to individual rooms for long-term volunteers and couples. Photos of accommodation can be seen by viewing the relevant Serendipity Organisation Centre pages.

...· What hours do people work including evening teaching?
Volunteers work on average a 6-7 hour day excluding preparation time for the lessons with the children and for their English classes in the evening.

...· Are there breaks allowed for longer term volunteers?
Breaks are allowed for longer term volunteers but we would ask volunteers to give as much notice as possible so that we can plan in advance how to cover your work while you are away.

...· How do you renew your visa if you stay longer than 3 months?
After 3 months you have 2 options. You can either leave the country and re-enter (sometimes in the same day) to gain a visa for a further 3 months. Alternatively you can extend your visa for 1 month at a cost of $20 plus 26 soles administration fee. You can pay to extend your visa twice but after that you must leave the country and re-enter to renew your visa.

...· Is there an Information Pack available to volunteers before they arrive to help prepare them for their work with Serendipity Organisation?
Yes. When an applicant has been sellectd we give you a web address where you can read or download the Welcome Pack for the centre where you will be serving.