Otra cosapronounced OH-trah KOH-sah

Somethingelse

Otra cosa is Spanish for “something else”. Since 2005 we've grown from a small volunteer agency into a UK charity and Peruvian NGO giving children in Huanchaco's informal settlements the chance to learn, grow and thrive.

Read our story Meet the team

The name

Otra cosa: something else.

In Spanish, otra cosa means “something else”. It's a name we've spent twenty years growing into.

We started out placing volunteers with a handful of local projects. Today we're a UK registered charity and a Peruvian NGO that designs and runs its own programmes, shaped by what families in Huanchaco's informal settlements tell us they need.

Being something else means we don't parachute in. We stay, we listen, and we build things with the community that last.

Our mission

To promote education and social development in our local communities.

Our vision

Equal opportunities in Peru for everyone to succeed and thrive.

Volunteers welcomed from around the world: 700+
Years working in Huanchaco: 20+
Girls in our GLOW Clubs: ~150
Communities reached around Huanchaco: 4

What we stand for

Four values, twenty years in the making

They weren't written in a boardroom. They're what we've learned from two decades of working alongside families in Huanchaco, and they guide every decision we make.

Community-led
Our programmes answer needs the community has identified. HELP Youth began with social impact research into what families in Cerrito de la Virgen wanted, and local people lead our LitClubs and GLOW Clubs.
Local mentors lead GLOW Clubs in four communities
Education first
Education is the thread through everything we do, from English and literacy to environmental classes and water safety. It's how children widen their choices and communities shape their own future.
Six programmes, all rooted in learning
In it for the long term
We've been part of Huanchaco since 2005. A wooden skate ramp became a concrete skate park and classroom, then a Recreational and Educational Centre with a community garden. We grow step by step, and we stay.
20+ years in the same community
Volunteers as partners
Our volunteers aren't tourists or spare hands. They plan lessons, run projects and share their skills alongside our team and local volunteers, and many go on to champion us at home.
700+ volunteers welcomed from around the world

“Being part of OCN is one of my most enriching experiences. I can share my knowledge, learn from others and meet wonderful people, in addition to helping my beautiful community. The happiness of the children after each activity is unique.”