Peru Maintenance Trip Handbook 2014

Registered Charity Number SC 017386

Connecting People to Change Lives

Who We Are The Vine Trust is an international, interdenominational charity with a vision to see communities transformed.

Our work has two main focuses: vulnerable children and medical projects. We also believe in self-sustainability over charity, and provide seed funding for enterprise projects.

Volunteering is a key part of our strategy, sending over 300 volunteers from the UK annually on work parties and medical teams to support our partners in Peru and Tanzania.

Maintenance Work Party, Peru

The Vine Trust, in partnership with Union Biblica (Scripture Union) Peru, is committed to ensuring that the homes built by previous work parties are maintained to a level to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the children living in them.

Peru

What is a Maintenance Trip?

Maintenance Trips are not a holiday! They do however offer the opportunity to see the Girasoles street children’s programme first hand. Whether a skilled construction worker or an enthusiastic volunteer, anyone, young or old, who can hammer a nail, learn to make bricks or wield a paintbrush is welcome to apply. The important thing is enthusiasm and determination for the job at hand.

Street children are amongst the most traumatised and marginalised people on the planet. A Vine Trust Maintenance Trip will help to maintain the homes, built by previous work parties, helping to provide these most vulnerable children with a home, an education and the opportunity, ultimately, of a vocation, and a hope and a future.

But it’s not all physical labour! You will have the opportunity to see other projects run by our partners, helping you to understand more about the difference which the homes can make to very vulnerable children. There’s also the chance to visit local tourist attractions and to experience the beauty of Peru.

How to apply

If you are aged between 18 and 70 at the time of the trip you can be involved in this exciting project by coming to Peru with the Vine Trust to play your part through direct practical help. You may also apply for a maintenance trip if you are 16 or 17 at the time of the trip, and your parent or guardian will also be part of the team. A guardian must be over the age of 25.

Simply fill in and return the application forms as instructed. If you are a UK passport holder you will not need to apply for a Visa. However, you cannot be guaranteed a place until your medical, disclosure, reference and insurance have all been confirmed.

Once we have your application form we will send out PVG forms (formerly known as Disclosure Scotland) which we require all participants to complete.

The world famous Machu Picchu, near Cusco

Costs Please read the following carefully...The cost for a 2-week Maintenance Trip is £850, plus flights.

!What the costs include:

• Insurance

• Food

• Accommodation (this is very basic)

• In-country travel

• Tours and activities (unless stated otherwise)

• Trip orientation and debrief programme

• Vine Trust fee

!What the costs do not include:

• Flights, circa. £1000 in July (NB: Vine Trust will book your flights, but prices may vary and may be subject to fuel surcharges)

• Immunisations and medicines

• Optional travel at end of trip (e.g. Trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu)

Payments are due in four instalments:

1. £250 non-refundable deposit when you sign up

2. Cost of the flight in advance of it being booked by the Vine Trust (around £1000)

3. Remaining balance for maintenance work party costs, 3 months before the trip departs (£600)

!NB If you are applying for a trip less than 6 months before departure,

all monies may be required in one instalment.

Girasol - sunflower

Payment Options... Online Card Payments To pay online for your trip, and to contribute additional fundraising, please visit https://secure.vinetrust.org/pay Debit card payments are free, but there is a 1.95% surcharge for using credit cards. !Vine Trust Fundraising Page You can set up your own fundraising page through the Vine Trust website www.vinetrust.org/fundraise and pay your instalments through this online facility. Please note that we do not take payments through Just Giving pages.

Cheque Please send any cheques (made payable to Vine Trust) to:

Vine Trust Finance, Vine Trust Barge, Prince of Wales Dock, Edinburgh, EH6 7DX Please enclose full details of your name, address, trip reference number and dates of the trip with your cheque

Bank Transfers If you wish to make a bank transfer, please contact the Vine Trust finance office on: 0131 555 5598 or admin@vinetrust.org

Please note that we do not accept CAF payments.

Gift Aid Gift Aid can only be applied to trip payments and fundraising contributions; excursion payments are not eligible for Gift Aid.

Fundraising From treasure hunts to tea parties, and ceilidhs to car-washing, there are loads of creative ways for you to reach your fundraising goal. Check out www.vinetrust.org/give/fundraising for further suggestions and to download the Vine Trust’s fundraising pack. If you are using fundraising to cover your personal trip costs, it is essential that you make it clear to your sponsors and during fundraising events that you are raising funds to enable you personally to go. Anything you raise over and above your personal costs will be used to advance the projects you will be visiting. Insurance The Vine Trust takes out a group insurance policy with Keegan and Pennykid Insurance Brokers that covers all members of the work party and is included in the cost of your trip. The insurance ensures that all volunteers are provided with 24 hour medical cover and security assistance should it be required. However, if you are intending to carry out your own travel before or after the trip, or engaging in activities which are not part of the Vine Trust programme, it is your responsibility to check with the insurers that you will be covered for this, and, where necessary, pay the extra premium. !Carbon Offset Contribution and Responsible Travel As part of Vine Trust’s work to promote active global citizenship, we would encourage you to be a responsible volunteer, thinking carefully about how you use resources in Peru, especially water. It can be hard to dispose of waste, so leave any excess packaging at home. You may also like to give a donation, as part of your trip costs, towards tree planting or a carbon footprint project.

Health & Safety Your safety and security are paramount to the Vine Trust. Peru is a very friendly and stable country to visit and you will receive a great welcome! However, we ask that you take sensible precautions, such as not acting in a way that attracts attention to yourself, and never travelling alone, especially at night. Look after your bags carefully, especially in crowded places, and keep valuables and jewellery to a minimum. Please also think carefully about whom you share your contact details with. We would advise not revealing personal addresses and phone numbers. Whilst working at the children’s homes, please be alert to trip hazards and also injuries that could be caused through repetitive tasks. Take regular breaks, drink plenty of water and protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and high-factor sun cream at all times. Always look out for each other and do not work alone. You should avoid swimming, unless you know that the water is free from water-borne diseases. Also avoid paddling in water that is not fast-flowing. Please consult the Foreign Office website for the latest travel advice on Peru www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru

Alcohol and Recreational Drugs The children we support through our local Peru partners may associate drink and drugs with abuse they have received in the past, and use in their presence could be most upsetting. You are therefore asked to refrain from drinking alcohol while you are in the company of our partner organisations, and from taking recreational drugs at all times. You will find that many Peruvians are much more conservative in their attitude towards alcohol, drugs and smoking, so please be respectful of this.

Smoking For the comfort of everyone, smoking is only allowed in designated areas, and never in front of the children and partners we are working with. If you do smoke, please ensure cigarette butts are carefully extinguished and disposed of.

Important Information

Giving Gifts and Second Hand Items You are asked not to give gifts to any individual children or staff members whilst in Peru. If you do bring gifts (which is entirely OPTIONAL), please give them to a leader at the centre and they will be distributed where the need is greatest. Such gifts might include children’s clothing, basic school stationery and simple equipment for games such as skipping ropes, balls, parachute etc. We ask that you do not go out and buy new items, but source GOOD QUALITY secondhand donations, so that all money can be put to our core purpose of maintaining homes for vulnerable children. Please note that Vine Trust does not have the capacity to store, or transport, any extra items you may wish to donate.

Medical Advice !Maintenance trips are not a holiday: you will need to by physically and mentally ready for long days and prepared for the unexpected! One of the most common illness affecting travellers is sickness and diarrhoea. You can minimise the risk of this by using anti-bacterial gel to wash your hands, especially before eating and after using the toilet, and only eating in recommended places where good standards of hygiene are used. Avoid eating salad, ice cream and using ice cubes unless you know they have been safely prepared. Only drink bottled water and check the seal is not broken before using. Also use bottled water for cleaning your teeth. If you are prone to an irritable gut, speak to your GP about taking a supply of ciprofloxacin and buscopan. There are good clinics in Peru which we use should someone be taken ill. The group insurance policy we use also ensures that you are covered for any treatment and evacuation in the event of an emergency.

Market at Yungay

1. It is important to get the right advice about any travel vaccinations and / or medicines you should take to reduce your risk of catching a serious illness whilst abroad. Bear in mind that holiday insurance cover may be invalid if you choose not to receive the recommended vaccinations.

2. It is important to consult your GP practice/travel clinic at least 8 weeks (ideally 3-4 months) before your planned trip for advice on vaccinations and safe travelling abroad.

3. Some travel vaccines can be obtained and administered free of charge on the NHS – others will need to be paid for.

Please note the following:

• You need to be up to date with all routine UK vaccines (Polio, Tetanus, Diptheria) – check with your GP practice.

When travelling as a volunteer with Vine Trust to Peru you must also have: • Hepatitis A vaccine: spread by faecal-oral route through

contaminated water & food, especially shell fish and via person to person contact when personal hygiene is poor

• Typhoid vaccine: spread commonly through ingestion of food and drink that has been contaminated with faeces or urine.

• Malaria prophylaxis (not a vaccine): there is a risk of malaria in some parts of Peru and prophylaxis is recommended. Protection against mosquito bites by the regular use of repellent and mosquito nets, especially at night, will also reduce your risk of contracting malaria. If you are visiting Puerto Alegria, Kimo & Iquitos you will definitely require malaria prophylaxis. !

In addition, it is recommended that you discuss the following vaccines with your GP/ Travel Clinic:

• Hepatitis B vaccine & BCG • Cholera vaccine: recommended if you stay at one of our centres

at Kimo or Puerto Alegria. This vaccine can also help with travellers’ diarrhoea. !

Immunisations & Vaccinations

Mount Huascaran, taken from Kusi

• Rabies vaccine: There is a risk of rabies in Peru should you be bitten by an infected carnivorous animal e.g. a dog, monkey or bat. On no account approach cute puppies or monkeys. If you have not had a rabies vaccination and you are bitten, several injections of immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine are required within 24 hours of the bite. There may be occasions when you are more than 24 hours away from treatment. If you have had the rabies vaccination prior to travel, you will still require a booster vaccination if bitten by an infected animal.

• Yellow fever vaccine: If there is an outbreak of yellow fever whilst you are in Peru, you may find that road blocks are set up which you may not be able to pass without proof of your yellow fever certificate. Always carry a copy of your yellow fever certificate with you.

• Please also check www.fitfortravel.nhs/uk for further travel health information. !

Kit ListThis list is not exhaustive, but is meant as a guide. !

Passport (& photocopy of photo page), with at least 6 months’ validity remaining at the time of your scheduled return from Peru and spare pages for entry and exit stamps Copy of flight E-Ticket. Where possible, check-in online before arrival at airport Yellow Fever vaccination certificate, plus spare photocopy Copy of Vine Trust group insurance policy Luggage labels with your name, destination and home address Emergency contact numbers and names Tropical strength mosquito repellent Malaria prophylaxis medication if visiting Kimo, Puerto Alegria or Iquitos Antihistamines for insect bites Personal medication-- it can be very hard to source extra medication in Peru, so ensure you have sufficient for your 2 week trip Immodium/Diocalm Rehydration salts Anti-bacterial hand gel Personal First Aid Kit High factor sunscreen Wide-brimmed hat (essential for working outdoors) Sunglasses Walking boots or steel-capped work boots for work sites-- ankle support is essential Old work clothes Work gloves (several pairs) Dust masks & eye protection/goggles Smarter clothes for meetings and eating out Long sleeved tops and trousers for evenings to protect against bites Jacket or sweatshirt for cooler evenings Lightweight waterproof jacket A good torch and spare batteries Waist/bum bag (for security for travel documents and money) Small rucksack/day bag Latin American Spanish phrasebook Lip salve

Drinking bottle Warm sleepwear Pen & notebook Tissues Face wipes Nail brush Personal toiletries (try to use unperfumed products where possible to help repel mosquitos) Ear plugs Travel wash for washing clothes Washing line / string Padlock for suitcase Camera Mobile phone and charger International plug adaptor Travel games and activities to play with children !

Please keep expensive valuables and items of sentiment to a minimum !Hand luggage: Your hand luggage should contain a change of clothes and other essentials (including personal medication) in case your main bag goes missing. Check your airline to find out about the latest restrictions on luggage allowance and on volume of liquids allowed. For example, do not pack large bottles of sun cream or mosquito repellent in your hand luggage as this will be confiscated before you’ve even left the UK. Always have copies of all your travel documents and emergency contact numbers in your hand luggage, and keep these with you in your day bag throughout your trip.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Early Flight from UK airport, (circa 6am). Arrive in Lima early evening, Peruvian time and spend night in basic hotel located in the Miraflores district.

Day 2

Early breakfast and departure about 8am.Long, but spectacular, bus journey to Kimo or Kusi (circa 9 hours). Introductions and evening meal on site at the centre.

Day 3– 9 Maintenance work at Kusi, working with local builders in the mornings. Afternoons and evenings will be spent organising games and activities for the boys. There will also be opportunities to visit the local area, such as Yungay Market, Huascaran National Park and Llanganuco lakes high up on Mount Huascaran, the highest mountain in the tropics.

Itinerary

Kimo

Day 10 Travel back to Lima and overnight in basic Hotel.

Day 11 to Day 13 Travel to Ica by bus, spend time with the children in the home and organising games with them. The home is located in the town of Ica itself. Take part in delivering water to a nearby shanty town.

Day 14 Travel back to Lima. Visit to SU Peru deaf programme & visit to Miraflores craft market. Flight home.

Day 15 Arrive back in the UK.

Lake Llanganuco, Near Kusi

Some more information on some of the children’s centres you may visit...

KUSI Kusi is nestled high in the Peruvian Andes, 9 hours by bus from Lima. Teams stay at the campsite in bungalows with bunkbeds.

IQUITOS Iquitos, a city in the Amazon jungle, is accessed by a short flight from Lima. We support several children’s centres around the city.

KIMO To reach this high jungle campsite, groups travel 8 hours by bus from the desert over the Andes (16,000ft.) and down to the mountainous jungle area. To reach Kimo, a cable car shuttles people across the Chanchamayo river, 6-8 at a time. Cabins built with palm leaf roofs make the perfect place to rest.

ICA Ica is situated in the desert, 300km (about 5 hours) south of Lima. 2 of the most popular activities at the home in Ica are music and football.

Sharing stories around the campfire

Peru is one of the most spectacular countries on earth– its variety is truly astonishing. With three distinct geographical regions– the Andes, the Amazon and the driest desert in the world- Peru can virtually offer every scenic attraction imaginable. The country is also among the world’s great centres of ancient civilisation. Sites such as the Nasca Lines, etched in the desert ground, the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu and the enormous adobe city of Chan Chan, have led to Peru becoming one of the world’s great tourist destinations. The country is rich in copper, silver, lead, zinc, oil and gold. While Peru’s economy has been performing well in recent years, over 50% of the population still live below the poverty line according to official statistics. Chronic poverty and unemployment is all too evident.

About Peru

Peruvian Factfile Capital Lima

Location North-western side of South America, sharing borders with Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and the Pacific Ocean

Time GMT -5

Official Languages Spanish, Quechua, Aymara

Major Religion Christianity

Currency Peruvian nuevo sol (PEN or S/-) £1 = PEN 4.4 approx)

Climate Variable, dependant on region - ranging from tropical Amazon jungle in the east, to arid desert in the west. The Andes in the central area can provide cooler areas

Communications Mobile phone reception is good around the major cities, but check with your provider that your phone is suitable for use in Peru.

Terms and Conditions1. To register for a Maintenance Trip we require a non-refundable £250 deposit

(see clause 18) which must be enclosed along with your application form.

2. You are not guaranteed a place until your medical, disclosure, reference and insurance have all been confirmed. Your deposit will be refunded if you are not accepted on a work party.

3. By applying for a Maintenance Trip you agree to pay all your ’Trip Costs’ in full 90 days prior to departure. Failure to do so will result in cancellation.

4. You will be required to pay any additional fuel surcharges imposed by the airline or government tax which is levied.

5. To take part you must be aged between 18 and 70 at the time of the trip (unless accompanied by a parent/guardian, in which case you may be 16 or older.)

6. Accommodation on the Maintenance Trip is basic single-sex dormitories and twin rooms. Showers may be cold and food basic.

7. All flights, timings, itinerary and arrangements are subject to change by airlines. You will be notified of such changes. The Vine Trust will endeavour to give volunteers as must notice as possible when changes are made.

8. If you wish to extend your stay for private travel after your time on a Maintenance Trip, the Vine Trust will, wherever possible, meet such requests. However, volunteers must be aware that this will result in additional costs and the request must be made in writing along with your application.

9. We are unable to alter pre-booked tickets.

10. Your passport must be valid, with at least six months’ validity remaining at the time of your scheduled return from Peru. It is a volunteer’s own responsibility to check if they require a Visa.

11. You will be responsible for providing your own personal equipment and kit in line with the recommended kit list in the Maintenance Trip Handbook.

12. Travel insurance covering you for a Maintenance Trip is compulsory. This will be organised by the Vine Trust. However, if you wish to extend your stay, or take part in activities which are not part of the Vine Trust’s organised programme, it is your responsibility to check that you will be covered, and top up any premium where necessary.

13. All volunteers must complete a confidential medical questionnaire and submit it with the initial application.

14. The Vine Trust reserves the right to cancel the trip if there are fewer than the minimum required number of participants, or if the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel.

15. Volunteers are taken to give their consent for their picture to be reproduced and published and distributed within promotional material of the Trust. It is not possible to give remuneration for any image or other material that is used.

16. If a volunteer passes on their own images or written contributions to the Vine Trust we receive it on the understanding that it can be used on the same terms outlined in clause 15.

17. The Code of Conduct, the Health and Safety Guidance, and financial requirements, which are all outlined in the Maintenance Trip Handbook and application pack, are part of the terms and conditions and must be adhered to.

18. Deposits are non-refundable unless the trip is cancelled by the Vine Trust in which case deposits will be refunded in full. Refunds on other costs will depend on what the Vine Trust is able to claim back. Cancellations within 6 weeks of the trip will not be eligible for any refund.

19. There will be several team orientation meetings before the trip to Peru. Volunteers must make every effort to go to these meetings and attendance is expected. Team meetings are an opportunity to get to know others going on the trip, to find out what to expect whilst you are there, and to ensure you prepare effectively for the trip.

20. In order to protect the children that the project works with, all participants will be required to submit a completed PVG Disclosure form for checking by the appropriate government disclosure agency.

21. Volunteers take part in a Vine Trust maintenance trip at their own risk.

Can you give £2 a month or more towards the work of the Vine Trust?

!Standing Order Form If you would like to give more regularly to the Vine Trust, one way you can do so is through a Standing Order. Please complete the following form and send it to the address below.

Your  Details!Name:   !Address:    !!Post  Code:    

!Telephone  No:  

!Email  Address:

Standing Order!To the Bank Manager: !Branch Address: !!!Post Code: !Account No: Sort Code:                !Please pay the Vine Trust the sum of:

£________ on the ________ day of ________

And monthly / quarterly / annually thereafter (please circle) until ___________

   !Please treat as Gift Aid donations all qualifying gifts of money made ! in the past 4 years in the future !Please tick all boxes you wish to apply. !I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 28p of tax on every £1 that I gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give on or after 6 April 2008.

Signed__________________________________                                          Date______________  

!Please DO NOT send the Standing Order Form directly to your bank. Return this form to the Vine Trust: !Vine Trust Barge Prince of Wales Dock Leith, Edinburgh EH6 7DX !We will add our bank details and forward the form to your bank.

Gift Aid Declaration

Address: Vine Trust Barge Prince of Wales Dock Edinburgh EH6 7DX !Email: workparties@vinetrust.org !Web: www.vinetrust.org!Telephone: 0131 555 5598(Our core office hours are Monday to Thursday, 10 am till 4 pm)

The information in this booklet is up to date as of January 2014

!Registered Charity Number SC 017386 !