I was fortunate enough to spend almost a month volunteering with Awamaki in the health clinic, or la posta, as it is called there.  My first week was spent translating for my dad, a Dermatologist who spent a week working with me.  For that reason, I was able to establish a very positive relationship with the doctors in the clinic as well as some of the other staff people.  I also spent a week taking vital signs and pulling charts, but most of my experience came from outside the clinic.  Ollanta is a beautiful community, from the people to the Incan streets, it never ceased to amaze me.  I loved my host family and highly recommend staying with a family and getting to know them.  Now, back the the US, I am longing to be back in Peru with my new friends and family. -Jackie M., April 2010

Volunteering with Awamaki, to date, has been one of the more rewarding decisions I’ve made. The months I spent in Ollantaytambo have been among my happiest. As someone who is interested in pursuing humanitarian work as a profession, volunteering for this NGO provided an opportunity to observe and engage in how a non-profit operates. Also, to be able to interact directly with our Quechua weavers was an invaluable cultural experience. In addition to the benefits that came from working with the NGO, living in Ollanta was incredible. The strong sense of community I witnessed, and in very little time became apart of, has fostered an effort to be more outgoing, meet new people, and develop my own sense of community since I’ve been back in the US.  I miss Ollanta and all the people I met along the way immensely, and would recommend to anyone to take advantage of this experience to become involved with Awamaki. -Taylor L., February 2010

I had the pleasure of working with Awamaki in the summer of 2009 as a weaving project volunteer and as an English teacher at the local elementary school. As I search for words to describe my experience, I find it difficult to limit my choices to a select few. For one, working in Ollantaytambo was probably the most rewarding and gratifying experience I have ever had. Because of Awamaki's small size and local presence, the results of everyone's work are immediately apparent and not lost in a bureaucracy characteristic of bigger organizations. On the other hand, the short month I spent here was one of exploration and discovery. The wealth of history and the beautiful scenery only add to this town's charm and leave much to soak in. More importantly, my time in Ollantaytambo was spent connecting with its close-knit community and bonding with the locals, who welcome volunteers with open arms. My host family treated me as their own daughter and made me feel more comfortable in this distant town than I could have asked for. I also got to meet some of the most amazing and interesting people among the volunteers, who further enriched my experience in Peru. For these and many other reasons, I plan to return in the summer and continue working on the weaving project. I recommend volunteering with Awamaki without hesitation and hope more people are able to experience the rich Peruvian culture through this unique opportunity. -Diana M., April 2010

I volunteered for Awamaki from August 28th, through December 10th, 2009. I worked in the clinic in the mornings, and taught English in the telecentro in the evenings, and I also occasionally helped out the volunteers working at the school. I loved my time with Awamaki. Working in the clinic, though occasionally slow, was amazing, because I got to see and interact with everyone who came in. I was working in triage, pulling histories and taking weight, height, blood pressure and temperature before passing the medical record to the doctor. I didn't need any medical training, so the position was perfect. I also enjoyed teaching English. The classes were very open, so I could plan whatever I wanted, and the kids were so enthusiastic. Discipline was occasionally an issue, especially when I had more than a dozen or so kids. But I generally played games with them to teach them, and we all had a blast. Finally, living with a family for nearly four months was an experience I'll never forget. I would go with them in the afternoons to work in the chakras, or I would tend the store with them in the evenings, or help cook or clean like the other daughters. I learned so much about life in Ollanta, and it was very eye-opening to compare the differences - and similarities - between my Peruvian family and my American family at home. I've volunteered now with four different organizations in Peru and Ecuador, and I can say without doubt that my time at Awamaki was the best and the most meaningful of those four. -Sarah Jane O., March 2010