In-country support: Volunteers live within the
compound, where there is 24-hour support in
case of emergencies. a doctor also lives on
the grounds and there is a nearby hospital.
rural Community development
programme – nepal
Kalank-14, Kathmandu, nepal
%+977 142 78305
fax +977 142 82994
[email protected], [email protected]
http://www.rcdpnepal.org
this organisation works across four
countries but remains small scale, offering
placements in community development with
a high level of cultural immersion. You might
end up working and living in an orphanage,
teaching english, helping in rural-health
projects or working in environmental
conservation. rCdp also offers week-long
intensive language classes to get you
started.
status: not-for-profit organisation.
timing & length of projects: from two to 20
weeks with set departure dates on the first
and third monday of each month.
destinations: nepal, India, tibet and sri
lanka.
Costs: to work in sri lanka or India, the
cost is us$1100/1900 for four/12 weeks.
for tibet, it’s us$1350 for four weeks and
for nepal us$900/1700 for four/12 weeks.
accommodation, food and orientation are
included for all projects.
eligibility: no previous experience or skills
are required, however, participants must be
motivated and committed. applications from
those with disabilities are welcome.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers work in
small groups and can apply with friends or
partners.
annual no. of Volunteers: 130
annual projects: 15
partner programmes: 15
selection & Interview process: Via email and
telephone.
In-country support: rCdp is in continual
contact with its volunteers and can take
immediate action in case of emergency; the
organisation has a vehicle that enables it to
reach all volunteers within an hour. It also
thoroughly briefs host families on how to
support volunteers.
Volunteer bolivia
Calle ecuador 342, Cochabamba, bolivia
%+591 4452 6028
fax +591 4452 9459
[email protected]
http://www.volunteerbolivia.org
Volunteer bolivia arranges placements with
local organisations such as literacy centres,
children’s services, schools, health clinics and
human rights groups. previous placements
have included working in orphanages,
working in natural medicine clinics and
providing physical therapy. placements are
determined following your arrival and a
personal interview in bolivia.
status: limited company.
timing & length of projects: placements are
for a minimum of one month, year-round.
destinations: bolivia.
Costs: fees are £1100/1300/1600 for
one/two/three months. this includes a
month of language classes and homestay
accommodation.
eligibility: there are no skill or age limitations.
groups or Individuals: Volunteers usually
work individually. applications from friends,
partners and families are welcome.
annual no. of Volunteers: 60
annual projects: Volunteer bolivia works with
a wide variety of humanitarian and ecological
projects in bolivia.
partner programmes: 5.
selection & Interview process: application is
by email, sometimes followed by telephone
contact.
In-country support: support and assistance by
local staff is available at all times.Education & Training
Casa guatemala
14 Calle 10-63 Zona 1,
guatemala City, guatemala
%/fax +502 2331 9408
[email protected]
http://www.casa-guatemala.org
Casa guatemala runs a children’s village on
the banks of the rio dulce, where it cares
for 250 orphaned, abandoned or poverty-
stricken children. Volunteer placements are
generally teaching based but can also include
caring for children outside school hours,
working in the medical clinic, administrationand helping on the farm or in the kitchen. all
volunteers spend at least a week working at
the project’s hostel. doctors and nurses are
always required.
status: not-for-profit.
timing & length of projects: placements
start year-round. week-long placements
are possible; longer term volunteers (three
months plus) are welcome.
destinations: guatemala.
Costs: long term:one-time tax-deductible
donation of us$300; short term: us$235 per
week. this covers food, lodging and transportby boat to and from the orphanage.
eligibility: the minimum age is 24. skills or
experience in teaching, medicine, computers,
childcare, cooking, agronomy, animal
husbandry or administration are preferred.
Volunteers with minor disabilities may be
accepted if possible.
groups or Individuals: You can apply as an
individual, with a partner or friend, or as a
group. Volunteers work together in a group
of up to 50.
annual no. of Volunteers: over 150
annual projects: 1When Clare Wearden and her husband set about looking for an organisation to volunteer
with, they had more than the usual concerns to take into account. Along with their usual lug-
gage allowance, they were also taking along their three children, aged 16 months, five and
eight. In the end, they chose Volunteer Bolivia (p160), where Clare worked with a rehabilitation
project for women recently out of prison, and then was an office administrator and evaluator
for an NGO that installed water systems in small communities. In total, the family was over-
seas for over a year. Here, Clare gives some pointers on what to look for in an organisation if
you’re planning to volunteer with your kids, and how she prepared for the experience:
Make sure that the organisation is positive about children – we had definite negative
vibes from two other organisations before we found Volunteer Bolivia. They put us in
contact with people they knew with kids around the same age as ours, so that we could
ask about schooling, the main concern for us. Also, they are willing to help with visa
requirements for children if you are staying beyond the period that a tourist visa is valid
for. You can’t find out about these requirements easily from the UK and it was invaluable
to us to have this information.
Make sure you decide how the voluntary work will fit in around your family time. I think
it is very easy to get carried away and end up working full-time and handing your kids
over to someone else. We decided to put our kids into the Bolivian education system,
where schooling is only on offer for one four-hour session (either morning or afternoon)
and then we worked it out between us to be with them in the afternoons. We also
decided to live in a residential area with a garden, outside the town centre, so that the
kids had neighbours to play with, as lots of poorer countries don’t have playgrounds. We
were very careful about food – especially with the baby – and did not eat any street food
for a long time. We did all have occasional bouts of illness, but nothing serious.
Make sure the kids know where and why they are going and what the place is like,
what the people look like, how it will be different etc. We got maps, videos and books
about Bolivia for them. We even managed to get some children’s films in Spanish – Buzz
Lightyear and Toy Story – and we learnt a little bit of basic Spanish before we left. Taking
them out of the UK system for five terms has had absolutely no ill effects. We did no home
tutoring at all and they went to a Spanish-speaking school within two weeks of arrival.
They settled in incredibly quickly. They are doing really well at school now and are eager
to repeat the experience – with or without us.
We settled so quickly into life in Bolivia that the challenges were no greater than if we
had moved within the UK – in fact it was probably less daunting, as we had so much
more time together as a family. It is the best thing we ever did and a totally different
experience of a country from going as a single person.Thinking of Taking the Kids?
06: Structured & Self-Funding Volunteer Programmes:Development Placements