Like many developing countries, Peru has a wide range of volunteering options. Always look into the details of any volunteer organization to be sure that they are transparent in how funds are spent and who benefits from the volunteers’ work. This NPR article suggests more considerations to take when evaluating a volunteer organization.

One way to look for legitimate organizations, is to check for their certifications. Companies like International Volunteer HQ are certified as B Corporations, meaning that they have been externally audited for social and environmental impact.

Though WWOOFing is very popular in other parts of the world, it has not taken off in Peru. There are many reasons for this, the main one being that most small farms, organic or not, can easily find Peruvian workers and don’t need foreigners for farm labor.

WWOOF Latin America has only two farms in Peru. You must have a paid membership to access their information.

I spent all of 2020 in Peru and co-founded a relief project with a Peruvian friend. We visited 16 rural mountain communities to take food, clothes and school supplies. I learned a lot about how charity organizations function in Peru. If you have doubts about an organization, feel free to contact me.