Latin American Foundation for the Future (LAFF) is a UK-registered charity supporting marginalised children in Peru as a partner organisation, and the local organisations which work with them.
LAFF believe in creating independence, not dependence. This is crucial in our partner approach to both children and young people, and the organisations which directly support them. We also believe in sustainability, and aim to achieve it for those we help through educating and empowering our local partners. We achieve this by supporting our partner organisations and this help takes the form of capacity-building, technical training as well as income-generation and cost reduction activity. In this way we help street, working and vulnerable children to thrive, supporting them into adulthood with a good education, life skills, employable skills and a sense of self-worth.
LAFF is a primarily volunteer-led organisation, which relies on volunteer support in the UK, online and in Peru to help us continue our work.
At the present time LAFF partners with 5 organisations in Lima and Cusco. Two of our partner organisations in Cusco are homes and/or shelters for street boys and teenage mothers, while the other two provide school term home for girls who do not have access to education due to their remote locality. The last partner provides education initiatives for gang children in Lima. Our support for these partners is focused on education based initiatives, however we have helped to fund and initiate well-being projects for many of our partners when needed.
General Information:
Location: Cusco, Peru
Employment Type: Unpaid volunteering position/full time
Leave: 2 days per month
Application Deadline: ongoing
Start date: ASAP (but replacements required frequently, so if available for later in the year, do send on your application)
General Skills Needed to Volunteer with LAFF:
• Basic to Advanced Spanish language skills are required for many of our positions.
• Undergraduate / Postgraduate study and/or work in related fields.
• Minimum 6 months - 1 year work or volunteering in related fields
• Commitment and passion for working an international development context
• Ability to work and live in a culturally diverse environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Highly organized, flexible, independent, culturally sensitive, detail oriented with ability to multitask.
• Report writing skills
• Knowledge of MS Office.
Fundraising Officer
Aims to increase funds from a range of fundraising strategies in order to financially support LAFF’s activities.
• Plan, develop & administer fundraising activities
• Prepare/update a fundraising strategy
• Research/draft potential funding opportunities
• Ensure all current donors are well informed of project progress through reports.
• Ensure that fundraising practices reflect LAFFs ideology.
• Network/forge links with relevant stakeholders and organisations to ensure continued support.
Requirements:
• Experience/good knowledge of social media usage.
International Partnerships Assistant
The International Partnerships Assistant provides support across all LAFF’s projects & works closely with our local partners in Peru.
• Provide administrative & logistical support.
• Organize and schedule meetings and events when necessary.
• Design & deliver workshops when relevant.
• Conduct research, markets & baselines studies.
• Develop & carry out surveys.
• Identify new potential partners.
• Visit projects to follow up progress on activities.
Requirements:
• Administrative/research skills/experience.
Communications & Information
The communication strategy consists of producing and disseminating information, blogs, newsletters and posts through LAFFs website, social networks.
• Plan, develop & administer communications
• Prepare/update a communications strategy identifying objectives, messages, audiences, and products.
• Produce, disseminate & quality control for public information & electronic communications
• Promote a better understanding/awareness of socioeconomic realities & LAFFs programmes.
• Ensure that communication practices reflect LAFFs priorities/mission
• Network/forge links with stakeholders & organisations
Requirements:
• Experience/good knowledge of social media usage.
Monitoring & Evaluations
The M&E Advisor will lead all M&E activities for LAFF & collaborate with our partners.
• Identify M&E needs.
• Develop & maintain a project M&E database system & a PMP.
• Design strategies for strengthening data collection, interpretation & use.
• Assess & improve the existing M&E systems, indicators & tools used by our partners.
• Review reporting from our partners and LAFF.
• Provide training & build M&E capacity.
• Perform regular internal performance evaluations & surveys.
Requirements:
• Knowledge & experience in strategic planning/performance measurement, indicator selection, quantitative/qualitative data analysis methodologies, database management, impact evaluation & research methodologies.
• Knowledge of Results-Based M&E, logic models, and log frameworks.
Social Enterprise
To provide technical support through LAFF’s volunteers, the IPM & training institutions and design self-sustainable business models, so that partners no longer require financial assistance from LAFF.
• Identify (through participatory techniques) the needs/requirements of partners & methods to implement, sustain and grow SE.
• Identify (through participatory techniques) methods to implement, sustain and grow social enterprises/ income generation schemes.
• Using the LAFF social enterprise development handbook and other resources, provide technical support and build the capacity of our partners (directly or indirectly) in the development of market studies; budgets; investment, costs and income analysis; feasible business plans and proposals, amongst others.
• Network and forge links with other stakeholders and organisations (including local government, donors,
companies, universities and other supporters) to ensure continued support for existing and new initiatives.
• Monitor and evaluate the results and impact of the Social Enterprise Programme and submit progress reports.
Requirements:
• Minimum of 1 year of volunteering and/or work experience. Field and/or international development
experience, as well as experience on designing, developing and implementing social enterprises highly
desirable.
• Budget development, administrative skills and financial management experience preferred.
Vocational Training & Career Guidance Programme Coordinator
The main goal of this programme is to equip children and young people with relevant soft skills (communication, language, interpersonal); life skills (decision making, critical thinking, problem solving, creative thinking); basic (English and Maths) and technical skills. Intended to increase economic opportunities, technical skills training targets young people aged 14 to 25 and responds to the labour market demand in order to guarantee internship opportunities, business start ups and/or job placements.
• Identify (through participatory techniques) the needs/requirements for vocational training and career guidance for beneficiaries of LAFF’s partner organisations.
• In collaboration with our partners and through participatory techniques, identify suitable trainees.
• In collaboration with our partners, develop budgets, plan and implement life and technical skills training programmes.
• In collaboration with our partners, develop budgets, plan and implement the LAFF career guidance programme.
• Identify training providers (institutions, training centres, businesses and/or experts) and establish MoU’s or agreements when possible.
• Identify internship, short work experience and job placement opportunities for young people.
• Network and forge links with other stakeholders and organisations (including local government, donors, companies and other supporters) to ensure continued support for existing and new initiatives.
• Continue to develop a data base of training providers and other private/public sectors partners or potential partners.
• Monitor and evaluate the results and impact of the vocational training and career guidance programme and submit progress reports.
Requirements:
• Minimum of 1 year of volunteering and/or work experience. Field and/or international development experience, as well as experience implementing vocational training programmes desirable.
• Budget development, administrative skills and financial management experience preferred.
- Pre-departure and in-country support
- The opportunity to be apart of the LAFF Ambassador program
- Once in a life time experience
- Professional references and recommendations
Personal costs only - Flights, Accommodation, Food and Personal expenses
Volunteers are expected to cover all their own costs – including flights, visas and insurance. Living costs vary depending on where you are based and will roughly total between £75 – £150 a month (for a room in an apartment), and £200 – £250 a month (for a one/two bed private apartment), plus around £30 a week for food. Maximum daily travel costs to projects are 40p a day. Return flights to Peru usually cost around £800 – £1000 from the UK, $500-$800 US or $1200 - $1400 AUD, depending on time of year and length of stay.
What sort of people are LAFF looking for?
LAFF is looking for self-starters who take the initiative and have a desire to help alleviate poverty in the world. As LAFF is a small team and we only have one member of paid staff based in Latin America, candidates need to be motivated, independent, dedicated and already speak a good level of Spanish. LAFF expects volunteers to take their work as seriously as they would a paid job, working 5 days a week and requesting any holidays in advance.
Importantly, it is preferable if those volunteers with laptops bring their own as LAFF only one accessible for volunteer use. Please discuss with the IPM if you require the use of this laptop in advance.
Both AFID and LAFF were very informative and supportive prior to my departure which helped me prepare for my volunteer assignment. This gave me an idea of what to expect of both becoming a volunteer & living in Cusco, including the cost of living. I paid US$50 per week to rent my own room in a shared house, including all utilities and wifi. I spent approximately US$40 a week on food which involved eating out at restaurants as well as purchasing food from the markets to make at home. I felt safe and comfortable in my accommodation and in Cusco in general.
My role with LAFF is to provide them with accounting & bookkeeping services and financial reporting & advice. I continue to do this on a remote basis since returning to my job after the 6 week assignment.
Whilst in Cusco I also had the opportunity to meet some of LAFF's beneficiaries and see for myself the huge difference that LAFF's support makes to these children's lives. This made me realise how the time spent volunteering for LAFF is extremely worthwhile and how much of a difference the volunteers work and skills make. The beneficiaries of LAFF are extremely inspiring. I was expecting some wild behaviour from these children as a result of lack of education & support. However, they were in fact very mature & sweet for their age. Many of them would come up & give you a massive hug to greet us & have big smiles on their faces when we visited. This showed their appreciation for LAFF's support and was very rewarding.
Cusco itself is an amazing & interesting city with a lot of culture to learn about. There is so much to experience there other than the obvious Machu Picchu. Even just the flight into Cusco airport over the Andes Mountains is a unique experience. The difference between experiencing Cusco as a volunteer rather than as a backpacker is that you learn more about the real Cusco rather than just the tourist side of it (which disguises the poverty) and you have the chance to make a difference to the less fortunate. Being part of a team with other volunteers also makes it easier to form friendships and you can also benefit from contacts which LAFF has with other organisations in Cusco.
As well as going to Machu Picchu and visiting many other Inca ruins, I did a trip to Puno and Lake Titicaca and climbed Rainbow Mountain (all with the other volunteers), which were all incredible experiences. The programme manager was very flexible with regards to amending our working days to accommodate for any 2-3 day trips we wanted to do.
I found Cusco very inexpensive for everything, especially accommodation costs and food. Accommodation is easy enough to find and most things are within walking distance if you stay within the central area. I took the opportunity to learn Spanish by taking classes twice a week. Being able to speak just basic Spanish made living in Cusco a whole lot easier for day to day things like communicating with taxi drivers and when purchasing food at markets. I also treated myself to regular massages since they were only $8 per hour! There are of course a some not so good things in Cusco including the altitude and the not very reliable hot water supply, however, you get used to the altitude & learn to deal with lukewarm showers.
Overall, I would highly encourage undertaking a volunteer role with LAFF in Cusco. It is a very worthy cause and was a very memorable experience for me! ”