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Volunteer in Guatemala

A message from AIDE:

"Hi, this is Kim, the Program Manager for AIDE. I can tell you through personal experience that discovering the rich history, beautiful landscapes and friendly culture of Guatemala will be one of the most magical, unforgettable experiences of your life. Since the entire AIDE team, along with our sister organization Alliance Abroad Group, visited Guatemala together and participated in a project to help paint and restore a local health care facility, we would like to provide the same enriching experience to your group or organization. This experience had a profound effect on each member of our group, as we were able to experience the daily reality of living in Guatemala, especially the reality of living with a chronic disability or mental disability in a community that lacks adequate health care resources to take care of those struggling with poverty. We also used this opportunity to take part in team-building activities, sightseeing, and experiencing the nightlife of the local community in Antigua. I can't wait to help you have a similar experience." You can read more about AIDE's trip to Guatemala here:

Positions and start dates are limited. To reserve your placement, click here.

*Please note that this is primarily a group program, but AIDE can also place individuals with a project they are interested in.

AIDE will secure and provide:

- Volunteer projects
- Housing
- Meals
- Personal support from the Guatemala AIDE Country Specialist
- 24/7 emergency toll free number
- Activities and tours
- Airfare booking services
- Local transportation 
- Airport pick up
- Emergency medical insurance

Eligibility:
* At least 18 years old
* Possess an intermediate level of Spanish
* Eligible to receive a tourist visa to Guatemala
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Locations: Placements are located primarily in Antigua and the surrounding communities, but also in various cities and towns throughout Guatemala.
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Length of program: 2 week – 12 months, although 1 week Group programs can be customized to your needs.
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Start dates:  1st & 3rd Friday of each month

What you get:

Accommodations: During your Spanish lessons and/or your volunteer project, you will live with a Guatemalan family. You will be provided with 3 meals a day, and should plan to spend around $3.00 USD per week on laundry. You may live with a host family by yourself or with a small group of other volunteers. A handful of volunteer projects offer on site living instead of homestay accommodations. You may also choose the option of living in a student residence facility on a local school campus, for an additional fee.

Visa Documentation: Most tourist visas are valid for up to 3 months. If you are interested in a longer program, we will assist you in applying for a visa extension. We recommend checking with your local Guatemalan consulate for the most up-to-date visa information.

Language Classes: Optional language classes are available in Antigua. Language classes are a great way to be introduced to a new country and to improve your Spanish skills. Classes are held prior to starting your volunteer work, and you will be placed in a small group of four to five others to receive lessons from a local Spanish teacher. Classes are an additional USD$400/ week and include home-stay accommodations and and 2 meals per day.

Volunteer Projects:
Below is a brief sample of the kinds of projects we work with in Guatemala, and a few sample group itineraries. If you are interested in volunteering in an area you don’t see below, please consult your AIDE coordinator. We do our best to accommodate all requests.  

Community/ Education Projects 

Provide support to children, community residents, the elderly and disabled

AIDE works with a variety of community centers, non-governmental organizations and day care centers that provide assistance to local communities that need help with anything from providing English lessons and help with homework, to free health care, sports activities for children, and workshops and daycare for children who come from single parent families. For example, volunteers may help a local community center in Antigua that has been operating for 10 years, offering child care services to single mothers while the mothers work in nearby markets.
Other popular projects include assisting a local multi-service facility in Antigua that provides a home and loving care for elderly and orphaned Guatemalans, and also provides a home and care to citizens with mental disabilities and chronic disorders. The patients in this facility range in age from new-born babies to elderly citizens in their nineties. Most of the residents have chronic disorders such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, mental retardation, Alzheimer's, polio paralysis, deafness, blindness and senile dementia. Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of duties, not the least of which is to provide love, care and affection to these individuals who have often been abandoned by society or their families.  

Provide English lessons

AIDE works with several projects in the towns outside of Antigua, which provide English language lessons to local children, along with other educational services. Volunteers with these projects will have a variety of tasks to perform, including providing assistance and support to the local public school, a free medical clinic, a library, a dental clinic and a food distribution program.  

Construction

Building Homes for Guatemalan People

The main goal of this project is to offer simple houses to families living in extreme poverty, so that their health and living conditions will be improved. Families obtain a newly-constructed house, made of concrete blocks, a corrugated iron roof and concrete floor, for a small amount of money. Families can choose between different types of houses, depending on the contribution they can afford. This is an excellent project for a large group, as the local organization prefers to receive large groups of volunteers at a time to work on a house for two to three weeks.  

Conservation/ Animal Rescue

Jungle Wildlife Rescue Center

The main mission of this established project is to help feed, care for and rehabilitate jungle animals such as parrots, spider monkeys, macaws, turtles and howler monkeys that have been injured or trafficked. The rescue center is located near Lake Petén, near the town of Flores, which allows volunteers a very easy and short journey to the world-famous Mayan archaeological site of Tikal. Volunteers will stay on-site, in basic accommodations provided by the rescue center.

Beach Wildlife Rescue Center

Volunteers may help out a sea turtle, caiman and mangrove conservation project near the town of Hawaii on the coastline of Guatemala. The project focuses on a breeding program for the turtles and caimans, and volunteers assist in conducting nightly patrols of the area beaches in search of nesting sea turtles, along with the collection, research, and burial of eggs in the hatchery. Volunteers are also needed to help with the mangrove reforestation project, and other educational activities in the schools near the project. The best time of year to volunteer with this project is from October through February, as this is the high season for turtles! Volunteers will stay on-site, in basic accommodations provided by the rescue center.

Summary:

* Pre-departure orientation
* Volunteer placement
* Travel medical insurance
* Visa assistance (if needed)
* Airport pick-up
* Arrival orientation
* One way transportation to the city of your project
* Accommodations and meals
* Full-time local representative in Guatemala
* 24/7 personal support
* Certificate of completion (upon request)

Price:

AIDE is a non-profit organization. Donations contributed in excess of the fair market value of services you receive from AIDE may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax adviser.

1 Week Group Program: customized projects and itineraries. Please contact 1 866 6ABROAD ext. 137 or stephanie@aideabroad.org for a personal quote.

2 Week Individual Program: USD$ 1,700/person
Additional Week(s): USD$ 275

Prices are subject to changes. Prices do not include airfare, visa fees and personal expenses.

Any questions?
* Call our toll free: 1 866 6ABROAD ext. 147
* Chat with us live
* Request our detailed information packet including itineraries here.

You might also consider volunteering in: Costa Rica • Peru • South Africa • Argentina • Ecuador • India

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