Volunteer Colombia

Duration	1 to 12 weeks
Hours	Mon to Fri, 6hrs per day
Activities	Teach, vocational training, assist at day centres
Location	Medellin, city with all amenities
Accommodation	Hostel with private rooms / Homestay
Requirements	Aged 18+
Donation	From UK£620 / US$990

The Volunteer Colombia Kids project is based in the Andes mountain range in the vibrant city of Medellin.

The projects include an outreach programme for the street children, free education and day centres.

The children are provided with English classes, lessons in Spanish, arts, music, sports and various vocational training. The projects support a health programme, psychologist as well as providing all the nutritional needs of the children.

The project focuses on the young and vulnerable to assist them in finding a way out of the trap of poverty and to train them in vocational skills so that they can become contributing members to their families and society.

Day centres - Throughout the city we work with day centres that provide a safe location for the children to attend classes and enjoy fun activities. The children would otherwise be on the streets and vulnerable to it’s many temptations and too young to understand the dangers they could encounter. The children are usually from very poor families whose parents work long hours and are unable to care for their children throughout the day. The centres provide food, healthcare, psychological help, as well as trips to the park and soccer lessons. The day centres support children from 2 years to 16 years old.
Volunteers - Assist the local staff, teach English, play sports, art projects, music and play.

Outreach Programme - Local staff go out onto the streets once a week to engage with the many street children that spend their lives begging, juggling and surviving outdoors in the city. The children are offered help in various forms depending upon their needs. The most important thing is that they know support is always available to them and that someone does care. Some continue to live on the streets and some attend the day centres.
Volunteers - Depending upon Spanish language skills and duration at the project, volunteers can join the local staff on the outreach programme.

Fun excursions - Various trips are arranged for the children to give them an opportunity to experience new things. The objectives of the excursions are to be fun but more importantly to open the children’s eyes to the possibilities in the world and a future beyond the orphanage and their neighbourhoods. The trips include museums, water parks, cable car rides, parks and zoos. Most of the children don’t have the opportunity to experience these things in their every day lives and love to have an adventure and explore new ways to learn.
Volunteers - Come up with ideas for new trips and join the children in the adventure.

Why we need volunteers

The anti government groups and drug cartels have forced many Colombians to flee their homes to find a safer life in the major cities. There are more than three million displaced people in Colombia, half of these are below 15 years of age. These people have lost their homes, land and means to care for themselves.

Many are from the countryside and farming communities and have little idea of how to survive on the streets of the major cities. We work with local organisations that provide education, shelter and food to those people who have been forced into a desperate situation. The children do not have the advantages gifted to others. Volunteers open the children's eyes to the possibilities for their future and can provide English lessons to give them a chance of a better future.

The location

The project is based in Medellin, Colombia, South America.
Medellin is one of the most beautiful cities in South America and is now one of Latin America’s safest . The city is luscious green and the home of orchids, parks and tropical birds, lying cradled in the Aburra Valley and bisected by the Medellin River.

The city has many bars, restaurants and cafes as well as cultural activities. Volunteers stay in the tranquil El Poblado district, situated only five minutes walk from the metro station and one of the biggest supermarkets in the city, ten minutes walk away from the highly recommended language school of EAFIT University and fifteen minutes from the Zona Rosa (Parque Lleras) of Medellin, this really is the perfect place to make the most of this diverse city.

Extra activities

Colombia is known for it’s carnivals, and your trip may coincide with one of the 200 annual festivals celebrated in the country. Medellin has a huge flower festival in August and an impressive Christmas lights display, but the biggest carnival is held in Barranquilla during February or March. Every city, town and village will have it’s own way to celebrate Christmas and other religious events throughout the year.

Medellin has many plazas boasting sculptures by local artists, old churches and a number of museums with free entry. Pueblito Paisa in Medellin is a replica of a rural village sat on a hill overlooking the city.
Cycling the outskirts of Medellin and along the mountainous woods is an extremely popular activity for the locals. Also you could try your hand at parapenting from the surrounding mountains.
Fly to Leticia for a unique Amazonian adventure.
South of the city lies the well visited coffee region, including the picturesque village of Jardin.

A cheap flight to the coast takes you to the UNESCO world heritage site of Cartagena. It's Spanish colonial architecture creates a style unmatched anywhere in South America. Along the coast you can find unspoilt white sand beaches, deep bays and the worlds highest coastal mountain range. For the more adventurous, a trek to the lost city of Ciudad Perdida is an amazing three day hike through impressive jungle.

Colombia is famous for it's music and dance and visitors find it hard to resist the infectious rhythms of cumbia, merengue and salsa.
Colombia also offers amazing wildlife, birds, orchids, pre-Colombian stone statues and underground tombs, volcanic mud baths, diving, rafting, rappelling, rock climbing and hiking.

Daily schedule

You can join the project for a minimum of one week up to three months (extensions are sometimes possible). Volunteers take part in various activities from teaching, assisting local staff, sports, games and arts. You will be required to be available for 5 hours per day with 2 days free time per week on Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers usually take at least one English class per day and can be more depending upon numbers of volunteers. Your specific placement will be decided shortly before arrival at the project, depending upon the needs at the time and your relevant abilities. We aim to keep volunteers at the same location throughout their placement to provide stability and consistency for the children.

Your free time can be spent relaxing, exploring the local area, partying in the city or socializing with the other volunteers.

*A Typical Day may be:

9am to 11.30pm playing games, drawing pictures, ball games.
1.30pm to 4pm teaching and assisting the local staff.
 
If volunteers are also studying Spanish we can place them at a project for half a day.

*These are only examples of what your days activities may be, the projects are continually evolving and their requirements of volunteers may change before your arrival. Rest assured we are very flexible with volunteers personal needs and expect the same flexibility in return.

Required Donation

The required donation to the project is stated in UK £pounds and US $dollars.
Why is a donation required to volunteer?

Duration

Standard fee UK£/US$

Backpackers fee UK£/US$

*1 week will be	£695	$1110		£620	$990
*2 weeks will be	£790	$1260		£685	$1095
*3 weeks will be	£880	$1410		£750	$1200
*4 weeks will be	£975	$1560		£815	$1305
*5 weeks will be	£1070	$1710		£880	$1410
*6 weeks will be	£1165	$1860		£945	$1515
*7 weeks will be	£1255	$2010		£1015	$1620
*8 weeks will be	£1350	$2160		£1080	$1725
*9 weeks will be	£1445	$2310		£1145	$1830
*10 weeks will be	£1540	$2460		£1210	$1935
*11 weeks will be	£1630	$2610		£1275	$2040
*12 weeks will be	£1725	$2760		£1340	$2145

The standard fee includes
Airport pick up in Medellin.                       
Private room accommodation.                  
Project and Colombia orientation.            
Local in country support.

The Backpackers fee includes
Dorm room accommodation.
Project and Colombia orientation.
Local in country support.

Homestay:
Homestays are available in Medellin at the same fee as the standard package. This is subject to availability and a minimum of four weeks. This package includes all main meals.

Further information

Click on the links below for further reading…

The minimum age for volunteers is 18 years old. No previous experience or qualifications are necessary but we do require volunteers to be respectful and open minded to the cultural differences they will encounter in Colombia.

1. Click on the link below to fill out an application form.
2. Add "@globalteer.org" to your E-mail safe list to ensure that you receive a response.
3. Your application will be reviewed and if accepted you will be notified via E-mail within one week.
4. Pay your deposit to secure your placement within one week of acceptance.
5. Research your destination, book your flight, inoculations and ask us any questions you may have.
6. Full amount is to be paid 10 weeks before the start of your project.
7. A comprehensive information folder will be sent to you with all information including a packing list, Colombia cultural differences, etiquette, useful language phrases, project rules, useful phone contacts and full project information.

A background check of applicants may be carried out. This is solely to ensure the safety of the children. Volunteers are also required to read and sign Globalteer's Child Protection Policy before working with the children.