Quick Facts
Program code
GL-VOL109
Category
Volunteer Work, Health Care, Social work, Community Work
Country
Guatemala
Location
Antigua
Program start
year round, start and end dates are flexible
Minimum duration
2 weeks
Minimum age
18 years
Contact us
Happy to help you
(+1) 954 762 7607
(+56) 9 7516 9816
(+49) 7735 425 339
skype: chileinside
8 am - 4 pm EST
Program details
Guatemala is a country with major social challenges. Around 60% of the population lives in poverty. Poverty particularly affects many elderly people in Guatemala.
They often do not receive a pension because they worked in the informal labor market. If they are not (able to) be supported by their family in old age, they must work as day laborers. For people who cannot do this, the situation is particularly precarious.
This shelter for people of advanced age from poor social backgrounds in Guatemala looks after around 135 people from all over the country. It offers them not only a safe roof over their heads, but also food, clothing, medical care, physiotherapy, paramedics and leisure activities. These people are elderly people who have been abandoned or have no relatives who can look after them. They have little or no income.
The retirement home is a social institution that focuses on the protection and responsible care of older people. It is under the control of the Guatemalan government and is the only one of its kind in the entire country.
The team in this retirement home consists of a doctor, social worker, nurses, physiotherapists and kitchen and cleaning staff. The team is too small, but with great commitment they manage to offer the seniors in the retirement home comprehensive care and enough attention to their leisure needs. But there is still a lack of helping hands!
With your volunteer work in the retirement home in Guatemala (Antigua), you are helping to make the aging of these seniors as dignified as possible. Together with the dedicated team of specialists and volunteers, you create a loving environment every day in which the seniors in need of help feel safe and secure.
Tasks
Volunteering abroad in the social sector offers you as a volunteer a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in your own field of expertise or to work in a completely new area while discovering new countries, traditions and cultures.
The support of volunteers is urgently needed in Guatemala. Volunteering makes a crucial contribution here and improves the quality of life and health of the people affected.
In this volunteer project, you as a volunteer can help with preparing meals, caring for the elderly and preparing leisure activities for them. Volunteers with knowledge and experience in the medical field can also help in these areas.
Your working hours as a volunteer in the retirement home can be arranged flexibly. You can work either in the morning or in the afternoon. If you wish, you can also work all day.
Your tasks as a volunteer in the retirement home in Guatemala:
- Providing food to elderly people who cannot meet this vital need themselves.
- Carrying out social leisure activities inside and outside the retirement home
- Promoting socialization between the seniors, employees, volunteers and relatives
The volunteer project offers you the great opportunity to gain valuable experience while making a positive difference in Guatemala.
The volunteer program in the retirement home is open all year round.
Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as number of volunteers, season, current needs of the project, as well as self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these tasks.
Accommodation
Volunteering in Guatemala also involves intensive immersion in the everyday life and culture of the host country. Therefore, our volunteers have access to typical homestay accommodation in the beautiful colonial city of Antigua. This means that volunteers live in a Guatemalan household and can reach the volunteer position either on foot or by a short bus ride.
In addition to hospitable accommodation, you will receive three meals a day (Monday - Saturday). You will live in a single room. Private bathrooms are available for an additional charge.
Our homestays are carefully selected and most have many years of experience with our foreign volunteers. Staying with a host family allows you to experience local customs and traditions up close, try typical local meals and discover real life in Guatemala.
Another plus point: you will quickly notice how your Spanish skills improve from day to day.
Location
Antigua, a charming city in the south of Guatemala, impresses with its location between majestic volcanoes. It is famous for its Spanish colonial buildings, colorful markets, charming courtyards and magnificent churches. This typical streetscape of the colonial city gives it a unique character. Antigua has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
The city is located in the highlands of Guatemala at an altitude of around 1,600 meters. This means that the climate is pleasant all year round with average daytime temperatures of a pleasant 20 °C. At night it cools down.
Surrounded by three impressive volcanoes, Antigua has developed into a popular tourist destination in Central America. Numerous tour operators offer trips to all parts of the country, be it to the jungle, the Mayan culture, the Pacific coast or the capital. The large selection leaves little to be desired.
Language skills
Spanish at communication level. For optimal preparation for your volunteer work in Guatemala, we advise you to take a Spanish course before the program starts. This gives you the opportunity to slowly get used to the language, culture and mentality.
You can book your Spanish course in Guatemala directly with us!
Requirements
- Spanish skills (book your Spanish course in Guatemala!)
- Minimum age 18 years
- Application at least 4 weeks before the desired start of the program. Read more about our application process here.
- Completion of a foreign travel health insurance (get your travel insurance here!)
- Criminal record check
Pre-departure and in-country support
Before arrival, our experienced team will be at your disposal to assist you throughout the booking process and travel planning. With the booking confirmation you will receive our 24-hour emergency number, so that you can reach us 24/7 in case of emergency.
In addition to the assistance given by our office staff you will be supported by our partner organization in Guatemala located in Antigua.
Costs & Services
The volunteer program in a shelter for the elderly in Antigua in Guatemala includes:
- Single room in a Homestay
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner (from Monday to Saturday)
- City tour through Antigua on your first day
- Advice from our experienced staff
- On-going support via WhatsApp, phone or mail
- Elaboration of your application profile in Spanish
- Your placement in the volunteer project
- Pre-departure information
- Packing list
- Country handbook
- Intercultural guide
- Orientation upon arrival
- On-site volunteer coordinator
- 24/7 emergency number
- Advice on travel insurance
- Certificate of participation
Costs
Application fee: US$ 150
Program fee: US$ 875 (minimum stay 2 weeks)*
Each additional week: US$ 160
*Program costs include a US$ 100 donation to the program site.
Additionally, you can book:
- Airport pick-up in Guatemala City US$ 40
- Spanish course in Guatemala
- Spanish courses in Latin America
- Travel Health Insurance
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Volunteer Guide
Find valuable information about volunteering abroad in our program guides. Find out about all the benefits, possibilities and challenges, that a stay abroad offers you. Read more about the great opportunities that South America Inside has at your disposal.
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