184
serves 800 meals per day during the winter.
It also runs free medical clinics and supplies
tibetan schools with english-language
teachers. many of the placements are in
small and relatively remote communities.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: placements in
tibet are for a minimum of six months, usually
starting in march. placements in nepal are
open from december to march, however,
volunteers can specify their availability
between these dates.
destinations: nepal and tibetan areas of
China.
Costs: all volunteers must be entirely self-
funding, with the exception of teaching
placements in tibet, where accommodation
and food is provided.
eligibility: the minimum age is 25. for
teaching placements in tibet, a tefl
certificate and some teaching experience
is required, with a preference for additional
experience living in a developing country.
Clinical placements require relevant medical
qualifications. for placements in nepal,
volunteers must be physically fit and able to
cope well with stress. placements are not
suitable for those with disabilities.
groups or Individuals: teaching placements
are for individuals or pairs. medical
placements are usually in a group. In nepal,
volunteers work in a group of up to six.
annual no. of Volunteers: Varies according
to local needs, however, approximately 15
annually.
annual projects: rokpa has over 120
ongoing projects.
partner programmes: rokpa works with local
communities and local government for most
of its projects.
selection & Interview process: for teaching
placements in tibet, applicants are invited
for an interview in scotland, although where
this isn’t practical, telephone interviews are
conducted. Volunteers for nepal are selected
via a questionnaire.
In-country support: for tibetan placements,
volunteers rely on email communication with
rokpa, although there is a local project leader
on-site. medical volunteers work as a group
and must be self-reliant. Volunteers in nepal
have a project leader responsible for training,
who also provides support.
North American
Organisations
artCorps Inc
240 County road Ipswich, ma 01938, usa
%+1 (978) 998 7996
fax +1 (978) 356 3250
[email protected]
http://www.artcorp.org
artCorps sends professional artists to Central
america for one year to work with grass-roots
ngos and local artisans. Volunteers train and
engage local staff and communities, assisting
them to communicate social messages
through art.
status: non-profit organisation.
timing & length of projects: one year; annual
departures in january.
destinations: guatemala, honduras and el
salvador.
Costs/pay: Volunteers should bring us$1500 to
us$2000 to cover any personal expenses such
as internet, phone and vacation travel costs,
including airfares to and from the host country.
eligibility: College graduate with community
work experience. spanish fluency is required.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers work
individually.
annual no. of Volunteers: 10, with future plans
for 20 or more.
annual projects: 8
partner programmes: 8
selection & Interview process: organisation
staff visit prospective partners to present
objectives and evaluate the local environment
and proposed volunteer housing. linguistic
aptitude and professional background are
considered when matching volunteers to host
organisations. read the artist Information
packet, available online, for more details.
In-country support: a three-day orientation
in guatemala is provided before artists travel
to their sites. an in-country coordinator in
guatemala is available to support artists with
questions or emergencies; volunteers are also
required to be in weekly email contact with
the us office.
ecuador Volunteer foundation
Yanéz pinzón n25-106 y av Colón,
Quito, ecuador
%+593 (2) 255-7749
fax +593 (2) 222 6544
http://www.ecuadorvolunteer.org
this ngo offers volunteer opportunities in
community development, environmental
protection, health and education in ecuador
and argentina.
status: non-profit.
timing & length of projects: short-term
projects last two weeks; long-term projects
range from one month to two years. projects
are available throughout the year.
destinations: ecuador and argentina.
Costs: Volunteers are responsible for travel
and insurance costs. ‘free projects’ provide
volunteers with lodging and meals; ‘low-cost
projects’ involve hostel accommodation or a
homestay with a local family and a monthly
room-and-board fee of approximately
us$360. an optional donation of us$150
defrays programme administrative
expenses.
eligibility: Volunteers must be between 18
and 40 years old; no nationality restrictions
apply. ‘free projects’ require specific
professional qualifications; ‘low-cost
projects’ have no such requirements. no
accommodation is available for applicants
with disabilities.
groups or Individuals: both individual and
group opportunities are available.
annual no. of Volunteers: 130
annual projects: 25 in ecuador and five in
argentina.
partner programmes: 3
selection & Interview process: Candidates are
interviewed by partner-programme staff, then
selected based on experience.
In-country support: upon arrival in-country,
volunteers attend a brief orientation at the
organisation’s main office in Quito. local
partner-programme staff support volunteers
throughout the project.
health Volunteers overseas
1900 l st nw, ste 310,
washington, dC 20036, usa
%+1 202 296 0928
fax +1 202 296 8018
[email protected]
http://www.hvousa.org
health Volunteers overseas (hVo) works to
increase healthcare access in developing
countries through clinical training and
education programmes in child health,
primary care, trauma and rehabilitation,
essential surgical care, oral health, infectious
diseases, nursing education and burn
management.
status: non-profit organisation.
timing & length of projects: one month;
longer placements are possible. departures
throughout the year.
destinations: China, Cambodia, Vietnam,
bhutan, India, moldova, ethiopia, south africa,
tanzania, uganda, malawi, peru, nicaragua,
honduras, Costa rica, guyana, st lucia,
palau and samoa.
Costs: Volunteers must bear travel and
insurance costs. most sites provide room,
board and daily transportation for either a
nominal fee or free of charge.
eligibility: Qualified american health
professionals of any age may apply. there
are no health restrictions.
groups or Individuals: generally individuals;
burn-management programmes require
small groups. family members may
accompany volunteers.
annual no. of Volunteers: 300
annual projects: 65
partner programs: 52, both in the us and
abroad.
selection & Interview process: the
organisation requires prospective
programmes to submit detailed project
proposals, after which staffers will visit
the programme in order to assess project
suitability. experienced programme directors
screen volunteer applicants, taking into
account prior healthcare and international
experience.
In-country support: Volunteers receive an
orientation package several months prior to
departure. on-site contacts orient volunteers
upon arrival and support them throughout
their stay.
Protecting the Madagascan chameleon
Photo: Azafady
185
06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:
Skilled Volunteering
