Volunteering

Hi, I am flying into Lima at the end of August and I have to admit after reading the SA warnings topic, am a lot more nervous now. I have traveled some in SA, never have had any crime trouble as of yet. I have heard of a agency called Workaway. Is this legit? I am an RN and want to volunteer and travel for as long as my money holds out. Also, would like to join a group or get a travel buddy or two, as from what I read, being alone seems to be asking for trouble. I was planning on walking and camping as my main source of transportation. If I stay away from the big cities.....is it feasible I would be left alone?
Just fyi, I have traveled a lot in Europe, so I'm not totally new to this, but would like some info from folks who have either done something similar, or have lived there. Thank you for your advice.

A lot of travellers (male and female) travel alone through Peru without any problems. Although there is crime (mainly theft), the security situation is often highly exaggerated. Just use common sense and take the normal precautions. There is no need to stay away from cities and moving around the country you often can't avoid them, if only for bus connections. Walking and camping as your main source of transportation is only possible when you trek high up in the mountains. That is often done in (somewhat) organized groups. There are obvious reasons for not doing that alone, if only you get an accident.
There is hardly any campground in Peru and camping is not common at all. People get from place to place by bus (sometimes planes) and stay in hostels.
It is advisable to arrange volunteer work in advance. Have a look at www.volunteersouthamerica.net. Can't say anything about Workaway.
Visitors often after a few days (sometimes hours) come to the conclusion that things are much better for them than they were led to believe before they left home.

thank you for the info. I have been rethinking the camping thing. And I believe your right, I'll set up some volunteering before I leave so I have a destination

I found travelling through Peru on my own relatively safe although I did witness and hear of some pretty unfortunate occurrences. Basically, be aware of the possible dangers and be smart about it and you shouldn't have any problems.

As for the volunteering, I spent two months with a program in Arequipa teaching English to children in a shanty town just outside of the town. The organisation is called Helping Overcome Obstacles in Peru (HOOP) and I would highly recommend them. They're very professional and have the children's best interests at heart, not their own. There is a one off $200 fee and they can provide cheap accommodation in a shared volunteer house. The permanent team are great and I've kept in very close contact with them all. Check out their website (www.hoopperu.org) and contact the volunteer coordinator (Priya Loomba) for more info, she's great and always happy to help.

If that doesn't seem like the kind of thing you want to do I'd still recommend visiting Arequipa, it's a gorgeous city!