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Hygiene Education and Water Sanitation Volunteer

Peace
Corps

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COUNTRY
Peru
REGION
South America
SECTOR
Health
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
Spanish

ACCEPTS COUPLES
Yes
POSITIONS AVAILABLE
17

APPLY BY
July 1, 2017
KNOW BY
Sept. 1, 2017
DEPART BY
March 12, 2018

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Project Description
The purpose of the project is to improve the health of low-income families living in rural
communities through two goals:

1. Low income families will adopt healthy water and hygiene practices

2. Community members will reduce environmental health risks of their communities through
water and sanitation facilities

Volunteers assigned to this position will collaborate with the local government, health posts,
schools, local water and sanitation committees or non-governmental organizations to improve
the status of water, sanitation and hygiene systems and practices within their communities.

In this assignment, volunteers with their community partners (local government, health posts
and/or non-governmental organizations) will train:

Community members on skills and knowledge to safely treat and store water for household
use
Household members to consistently wash their hands with soap and water at a hand washing
station
Water committees in the administration, operation, and maintenance of local water and
sanitation systems
Community members in the importance of and standards for bathrooms maintenance
including construction or rehabilitation of their bathroom where needed
As each site sets its own priorities, it is the Volunteers responsibility to work together with
community partners to promote, train and implement Water and Sanitation Project activities
to meet the needs of the community with the available resources.

Required Skills
Competitive candidates will have a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any
discipline with an expressed interest in hygiene education/sanitation,and an interest in hands -
on skilled work

Desired Skills
Volunteers must be flexible, self-motivated and patient; and above all committed to serving
low-income/low-literacy populations

Experience in teaching/facilitation

Experience in potable water technologies, and/or water or sanitation systems

Experience in construction, masonry, carpentry or plumbing; mechanical repairs, Habitat for

Humanity or similar, home repair and remodeling, etc.

Required Language Skills

Candidates must meet one or more of the language requirements below in order to be
considered for this position.

A. Completed 4 years of high school Spanish coursework within the past 8 years
B. Completed minimum 2 semesters of Spanish collegelevel coursework within the past 6
years
C. Native/fluent speaker of Spanish

Candidates who do not meet the language proficiency levels above can take the language
placement exams to demonstrate their level of proficiency. Competitive applicants typically
attain a score of 50 on the Spanish College Level Examination Program CLEP exam or a score
of NoviceHigh on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL OPI).

Additional Language Information

Volunteers in Peru work in the Spanish language, and some in Quechua. Trainees must
demonstrate an intermediate level of written and oral proficiency in Spanish after 12 weeks of
pre-service training in order to swear-in as a volunteer. Some trainees with strong Spanish skills
may be placed in the Quechua language training instead of Spanish.

Living Conditions

Volunteers are required to live with a host family during 12 weeks of pre-service training and
during the first 12 months of service in order to develop their cultural competency. After that,
if appropriate housing is available to live alone they may request to live independently. Host
families are often traditional Andean families with a typical sierra diet, including potatoes and
rice on a daily basis. Coastal families also may have repetitive diets. Volunteers should be
prepared to eat with host families, respecting local practices. Once a close familiar
relationship is established, Volunteers might be able to make positive influences on their
families' diet.

Due to Perus vast geography, there is a great variety in Volunteer sites. Different sites include:
High altitude sites with cold weather, especially during the winter months
Sites with a long rainy season
Sites with uneven terrain and physically challenging work conditions
Coastal sites with a very hot climate

Learn more about the Volunteer experience inPeru: Get detailed information on culture,
communications, housing, and safety including crime statistics [PDF] in order to make a
well-informed decision about serving.

Medical Considerations in Peru

Peru may not be able to support Volunteers with the following medical conditions: insulin-
dependent diabetes; ongoing behavioral health support; seizure disorder.

The following medication(s) are not permitted for legal or cultural reasons: none identified.

Volunteers who should avoid the following food(s) may not be able to serve:

After arrival in Peru, Peace Corps provides and applicants are required to have an annual flu
shot, to take daily or weekly medication to prevent malaria, and to receive mandatory
immunizations.
 Before you apply, please also review Important Medical Information for Applicants (PDF) to
learn about other health conditions typically not supported in Peace Corps service.

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