Our main activity is teaching English. Puerto Salaverry is the 2nd most important port in Peru, bringing people from all over the world to their city. Many of these tourists do not know Spanish, so english language skills become very important. With basic English language knowledge, kids are able to earn money helping others communicate with non-spanish speakers.

In addition, being surrounded by other international volunteers and learning english helps bring kids more and better work opportunities in the future. Their confidence can increase and this extra attention and interaction with people from all over the world can open their eyes to new perspectives and broaden their own aspirations and goals in life. Some schools provide English starting in elementry school, but the schools that these kids go to are underfunded and are unable to provide english classes. We are working to bridge that gap so no kid is left behind.

Here at Jark'ay, we strongly value staying active. We provide kids with surf and sandboarding lessons and regularly play football (soccer) after class. Surfing is a large aspect of the community and culture in Puerto Salaverry Peru as it has some of the best waves, but unfortunately many local kids don't have the resources to be able to ever even try to surf, further ostracizing them from their peers. Being surfers, we also know that surfing and other sports can have a huge impact on ones mental health, self-esteem, relationship to nature and quality of life.  We make it our mission to give all kids the opportunity to take part in this community and enjoys its benefits, no matter their economic situation. With the help of community partners and our volunteers, we teach kids to surf in a safe and fun environment surrounded by a supportive community.

In addition to surf classes, we bring children sandboarding around 2 times a week. These days have been filled with joy, excitement and empowerment as kids try something new that may be scary at first.  Finally, right outside our classroom is a soccer field where boys and girls of all ages get active playing soccer.

Taking care of the planet and respecting the earth is incredibly important, especially as time progresses and weather patterns have been changing, causing disastrous floods and other natural disasters. Often trash litters our beautiful beaches, and the grounds are infertile and empty, making them more susceptible to floods and landslides.

In addition, volunteers have worked hard to plant and care for over 30 trees in the area. These plants help build a stronger and healthier ecosystem. They promote more fertile ground, enabling more families to grow their own food, their roots help decrease the damages from floods such as landslides and they help purify the highly polluted air all while making Salaverry even more beautiful.

At Jark'ay we teach our kids about environmental sustainability and how to respect our planet, hoping to build up a new generation that cares more about the environment and respects our planet. Together with the kids and our volunteers, we have facilitated beach clean ups, teaching through example of how we can be better citizens of the earth