Discover a life-changing opportunity with our surfing-inspired sustainable development non-profit organization driving change in impoverished Peruvian coastal communities. We’re forging a path towards sustainability through environmental, educational, infrastructure, and socio-economic initiatives, working hand-in-hand with local communities and passionate international interns like you.
Across Peru, rural communities either lack energy access or have an unreliable grid connection that leads to frequent blackouts, impacting their ability to thrive. We are revolutionizing the way people access energy, by engaging with communities from day one, truly understanding their energy needs and working with them to arrive at a sustainable solution.
Some of our accomplishments so far:
- Installation of a 13.04 kWp Microgrid in Justo Pastor, Nazca, giving this isolated community access to energy for the first time, establishing an energy committee and empowering them to maintain and grow their system.
- Installation of a 11.28 kWp system for a Medical Center in Talara, Piura. This is the second of a series of Resilient Medical Centers we will be implementing in the coming years. These systems safeguard vaccines, other vital medication and also help power key operation areas of the Medical Centers.
- Design and implementation of several improved cookstoves for clean cooking access and respiratory health with local families using bioconstruction techniques.
Currently, we are working on the implementation of several clean energy projects in the region like Resilient Medical Centers, Household PV installations, Free energy consultations and several others. We are a leading NGO in the renewable energy space and have big ambitions to help communities in Peru not be left behind during the global Just Energy Transition.
We’re seeking driven and committed interns with a passion for renewables or relevant background knowledge and experience to join us in Lobitos and help drive these projects forward. Here’s what you stand to gain:
- Enhance your CV with hands-on professional experience managing sustainable projects for an international development NGO, making a tangible impact in vulnerable communities.
- Collaborate with experienced and passionate people from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, fostering valuable connections and broadening your horizons.
- Immerse yourself in a surfing paradise in northern Peru, embracing the unique culture and endless summer vibes as you contribute to meaningful change.
If you’re ready to challenge the status quo and reimagine the way energy is accessed in impoverished communities, join us in rethinking sustainability and empowering the people of our community to forge a brighter, more resilient future.
The Experience
As a Professional Volunteer, you’ll play a pivotal role in co-managing our groundbreaking clean energy initiatives. Daily tasks will vary depending on the progress and stage of each project, offering diverse experiences and growth opportunities:
- Design innovative renewable energy solutions and implement enhancements to existing systems, leveraging your creativity and technical skills.
- Spearhead research efforts and devise relevant mechanical and electrical solutions for the construction of solar distillers, improved cookstoves and other potential renewable energy devices.
- Collaborate directly with our Director of Renewable Energy and Renewable Energy Supervisor to manage project budgets, honing your financial planning and resource management abilities.
- Contribute to the hands-on installation work and maintenance of projects, ensuring their long-term success and sustainability.
- Drive crowdfunding campaigns to secure essential funding for new energy projects, sharpening your marketing and outreach expertise.
- Participate in educational seminars led by our experienced directors, exploring diverse topics such as international development, NGO/social enterprise management, marketing, research techniques, and more, expanding your knowledge base.
This immersive, hands-on experience will empower you to take charge of your professional growth while directly impacting vulnerable communities and reimagining the renewable energy landscape in Peru.
Logistics
Getting to us is a breeze! With daily flights from Lima to Talara, you’ll be warmly greeted at the airport and whisked away directly to Lobitos, ensuring a seamless journey to your home-away-from-home.
During your stay with us, you’ll be provided with airport transportation and private accommodation at one of Lobitos’ best hotels. All meals will be provided, and once per week you will be treated to a restaurant of your choice (gastronomic tour of the locality).
You will also have access to one extracurricular-activity per week for free: surfing, yoga, capullas caves visit, fishing with local fishermen, jiu jitsu class, kayaking out to sea, etc. —all included in your financial contribution.
The cost of the programme is £2150 for the first 2 weeks, enquire with us for longer stays.
This includes;
- Private Accommodation All meals + weekly restaurant experience A weekly extracurricular activity
- Airport Pickup & transfer to project All project-related activities
- Premium Support Package with 24/7 Support
This does not include;
- Flights Visas (if applicable)
- Vaccinations
- Travel Insurance
- Personal spending and any extra activities
Testimonials
The people at the project and Lobitos touched my heart and I felt like the entire house was a big family. I didn’t feel lonely at all in Lobitos, the people were very warm and everyone waved at each other on the street. Even though I came only knowing a few Spanish phrases, people taught me Spanish words along the way and were very patient about it. The language barrier didn’t stop us from finding things to laugh about, and google translate was a great help.
After my first week I told Ellie that I felt I could be doing more work and she was responsive and gave me more responsibility at the next weekly meeting. This gave Daniella more time to create a report on Ecobricks for the next volunteers as well. I felt honored to be trusted with irrigating and looking after the dry forest by myself. I did more transplanting on my second week as well. Something that upset me was seeing the young algarrobo trees being affecting by a plague and not being able to really help them. We made homemade neem pesticide for better understood pests and started some trials on it.
I feel that the project is doing impactful and altruistic environmental work that Lobitos is proud of. I wish I could have stayed longer and done more to help the project, but I know the plants I looked after and transplanted will have grown one day if I come back and that I made a small but real difference. The project exceeded all of my expectations and I highly recommend volunteering for them. On the weekends we went out to Talara, explored, went on a boat to see the oil rigs covered in seals and I even tried surfing. Naiana, the VP coordinator, held Yoga classes in the evenings during sunset which were very peaceful.
Overall, volunteering here was one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of my life. Thank you to the Global Nomadic team for leading me to this opportunity.
One of my best experiences abroad! Peru has definitely left a mark on me.
As a volunteer for the NGO I participated in many projects in such a short time! Time flew! These are some of the projects that my team and I were involved in:
- Planting day🌱! Although we had to wake up every week at 6:00 it was very fun!
- Reforestation to protect the Peruvian “Cortarramas” bird and restore its habitat
- Website translation (Spanish and English)
- Facebook and Steemit marketing
- Buying groceries, etc in Talara for all the ecoFamily
- Writing a letter to the Mayor to obtain permission to install our sign
- Designing and building a solar distiller to produce drinking water from seawater
- Trialling different materials in the dry toilet to reduce water and form compost
- Designing a renewable energy system for the rural health clinic to avoid disposing the vaccines after a blackout
- Checking the performance of a PV system
Apart from this, Lobitos is a great place to learn to surf, go fishing, eat ceviche, watch the sunset, learn spanish, see wild animals in front of your house, and even swim with turtles!
It was sad to say goodbye so soon, I would’ve loved to see my major project finished. Thanks for everything! I wish you the best and that you are very successful with your future endeavours. I will recommend this experience to everyone who asks me!
A Word from the Founder
Book a Call
Schedule a free call with us to discuss your exact interests and requirements to help us match you with the perfect project for you.