Organizing Volunteers for the Land of the Incas
Anne Spencer Olivo, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 1997, met her husband, Juan Carlos, in Peru in 2003. Together, they began volunteering with various Peruvian organizations — an orphanage, a women’s homeless shelter, a hospital. Eventually they would move from Peru to the States, working at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, where they organized some volunteer trips back to Peru. But now they’ve built an interesting business around anyone who’s interested in participating in volunteer programs to Peru through their organization Peru 109. Their organization is based in Barrington, Vermont, where the Olivos live, but they spend a good bit of time organizing and leading volunteer programs for college students, families and independent travelers, focusing on interactive community projects. Anne and Juan Carlos make all the arrangements, including placing the volunteers with host families. There is a series of different projects, including the ability to set up your own two-week stay in one of three host cites — Chimbote, Trujillo or Cusco.
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