Volunteer in the construction area

Program Description

Guatemala has an acute problem of inadequate housing: a typical house is made of cornstalk walls, a dirt floor, and a scrap material roof. Facilities for basic hygiene like clean water and bathrooms are most often non-existent.
This NGO offers basic housing to families living in extreme poverty. They always work in collaboration with local partner organizations to identify and select families of exceptional need. Beneficiary families participate in the construction of their home and also pay back one-fourth of the total cost of their house over four years. The NGO collaborates with its partner organizations also in other construction projects and community service programs.

What will you do as a volunteer?
- Assist the construction of a new house for a certain family
- You help in the building process (foundations, cutting blocks, make cement)
- You will get in touch with the benefitting family

Highlights

In this project, you will work from 8-12 AM and from 1-4 PM, so it's perfect to combine your volunteering with Spanish lessons in the evening or before your volunteer program, which is a nice way to improve your Spanish but also learn about the Guatemalan culture.

Qualifications

A beginner Spanish level is helpful (enough to understand the instructions).
To improve your Spanish, we suggest online language lessons with a private Guatemalan teacher: www.learnspanishonline.gt.

Volunteer Types

Building/construction projects

What`s Included

Do Guatemala offers a complete and well-organized volunteer experience. You pay a one-time fee which includes:

- Free airport pickup and transportation
- A detailed document on how to prepare for the trip
- All volunteer arrangements and supervision
- 24/7 assistance on the ground
- Free registration for Spanish school if you want lessons (normally $30)