Volunteer Work Latin America wants to simplify the way that people become committed and motivated volunteers. Our goal is to make the organization process as cheap and easy as possible so that even those with a limited financial budget can still fulfill their dream of participating in a volunteer project in Latin America.

We enable volunteers from all around the world with different professional and personal backgrounds to pursue their passion to help others. During your volunteer project, you will build bridges between nations, learn about a completely different culture, and improve your Spanish skills. Your energetic support in a volunteer project will have a positive impact on the less fortunate and will counteract the destruction of nature and wildlife. Volunteers will be placed among populations that need the most help and where charitable engagement makes the most sense. That is why there are several volunteer projects in areas, such as development aid, humanitarian aid, protection of minors, animal and environment protection, health, education, and construction.

Volunteering abroad is an experience that you will be proud of forever. In addition to learning new things and acquiring intercultural skills, you will also be able to improve your tolerance, adaptability, and patience.

Participation Requirements

To participate in volunteer work in Latin America, you must be physically fit and healthy, since the work can be exhausting and the tropical climate tiring. In general, you must be at least 18 years old to participate, however, there are also a few projects that accept 17-year-old participants.

More important than your professional knowledge is your personality and attitude. Some essential traits that a volunteer should have are cooperativeness, tolerance, a high level of responsibility, and adaptability. Language and communication skills are also important so that volunteers can effectively communicate with the locals. In addition, volunteers must arrange health insurance, which they can also book through Volunteer Work Latin America at very good youth rates.

Program Length

Most of the volunteer projects require a minimum stay of 2 weeks. There is no such thing as a maximum duration, and you can decide yourself how long you want to volunteer.

Orientation

Every project has a so-called Volunteer Coordinator who is responsible for the introduction and supervision of the volunteers. He or she will be your in-country contact person in the case that you have any questions or concerns. This person will also introduce you to the staff in your volunteer program and explain the general rules. A few programs even have a head coordinator for the volunteers in the respective capital of the country.

Board and Accommodation

The accommodation during your volunteer service in Latin America will most likely be in so-called Volunteer Houses. These are guest houses, usually made of wood, that are located directly on the site of the project and are specifically reserved for volunteers. The guest houses contain dorms and common areas where volunteers can cook together and talk until late at night. The dorms usually have enough beds for 2-10 volunteers and the shared bathroom is either located in the house or outside. The Volunteer Houses are simple and sparsely equipped. There are no luxurious accommodations available, since this would contradict the purpose of volunteering abroad.

Meals are often included. There will either be someone who cooks for the volunteers, or the food will be bought for the volunteers to prepare individually. Sometimes, volunteers live in a single room with a local host family, which includes half or full board.

Work Hours

Work hours vary by project, but typically, volunteers can expect to work for around 6-8 hours per day with a long siesta break in between. In certain projects, working on Saturday mornings may be necessary, for example in animal related projects, since animals also need to be taken care of over the weekends.

On-site Living Standards

No country in Latin America has the same standards of industrial, modernized countries. All countries are still in the development process. The main goal of volunteering is to offer your help where it is most needed and support the less fortunate in foreign countries where many do not enjoy the same luxuries as you.

A lower standard of living also means that the infrastructure in different Latin American countries can be very simple, including the telecommunication system. Internet connection is available in most of the cities and in various internet cafes, however, only few volunteer projects have reliable internet connection on site. This might sound shocking to you, but you will quickly realize that you can live a happy life without a constant connection to the world-wide web.

On-site Supervision

Every volunteer program that we offer in Latin America is organized completely and has a local volunteer coordinator. He or she is responsible for the work instructions, safety measurements, and distribution of tasks. Additionally, he or she is the person the volunteers can talk to when questions or problems arise. In most cases, this volunteer coordinator usually speaks English, but sometimes only Spanish, which is why conversational Spanish skills are an important requirement.

Working and Living as a Volunteer

You decided to participate in a volunteer project abroad, which surely is not cheap or a vacation. This is very commendable! However, please be aware of the responsibility that you have as a volunteer. The working hours and rules that come with living on your project site must be obeyed in order to foster a healthy atmosphere and harmony among local staff and foreign volunteers. For most, work and daily activities are often fun and provide volunteers with a unique, multicultural experience. The volunteers usually adjust to the simple living conditions very fast because it feels good to get out of a normal comfort zone and try something completely different. All of our programs have been selected carefully and have passed our strict screening process relating to quality. Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that the Latin American lifestyle can occasionally be quite improvised and chaotic, so spontaneous changes and different situations may occur.