Amantani help bridge the gap between home and school for children living in Ccorca, a handful of Quechua communities nestled high in the Andes of southern Peru.
These children endure a four hour walk between home and school, and when at school are often taught a curriculum which is irrelevant to the world in which they live in, and often in a language they don’t understand.
Amantani provide boarding houses and a relevant education, which means that the children don’t lose touch with their communities, their families and ultimately themselves.
Andean Trails recently supported Amantani in the Grafham Water Marathon, helping to raise more than USD 33,000.
Volunteering
Volunteers are always needed in the boarding houses in Peru.
Naturally, Spanish is essential in order to work in the boarding houses, and you can Learn Spanish with us – preferably to an advanced level – before you volunteer.
This facilitates communication with the children, their parents as well as the team in Peru.
Volunteers should also be able to commit to at least two months. This gives the children in the boarding houses continuity and means that you have time to really get to know the work, the team and the children and you can really make a difference.
If you feel you are well-suited to volunteer in the boarding houses, please contact us.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get in Touch
+44 (0)131 378 5593
+44 (0)131 554 6025
info@andeantrails.co.uk
Pam and Paul, Australia, Paine W self-guided, Chile. March 2025 As an older non Spanish speaking couple hailing from Australia, booking our 5 day solo Torres del Paine W trek with Andean Trails was the perfect start to realise our adventure. Having all our accommodation, transfers, inclusive meals and comprehensive pack list sorted to suit our itinerary by such knowledgeable, professional and amenable travel experts meant we could focus our efforts entirely on the trek. We were blessed by great weather - a considerable bonus given we took a few hours longer to complete each daily walk as some of the trails were challenging too but the stunning views that unfolded along the trails provided impetus for us to persevere. We also found our walking poles were essential for ascents and descents on steeper slopes. Our last night was a fixed tent camping spot - comfortable enough and allowed for unreal Milky Way stargazing in the wee small hours. Our 3 nights in Refugios were good - took a bit of getting used to sharing space with 4 other bunk bed mates and it helped being organised the night before when setting off for a pre-dawn start with head torches. The food provided was fine and portions adequate to needs and the Chilean staff were all friendly and helpful. In summary whilst we have physically come down from the mountain tops we are still on an emotional high! Our entire Patagonian trip was nourishment for the heart and soul and a truly awesome experience to be immersed in such an incredible, diverse and unique natural environment - the sound of roaring rivers, the thunder of shifting glaciers , the winds through the forest and high peaks further complimented our sensory experience. There are many options for trekkers to explore in terms of walks and destinations within this mighty National Park to suit fitness and/or time constraints. Our advice would be take your time considering what you feel comfortable with challenging yourself (I was certainly apprehensive about my ability to complete the full 70km circuit and we ended up doing less kms towards the end which felt just fine and meant we we could have more time sitting on a rock admiring Grey glacier from a greater distance) and then make it happen, one beautiful step at a time - you might even glimpse a Puma along the way!
Pam Christmas » Self-Guided Paine W Trek
C. Cooper, UK. Photography Tour, Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
