Volunteer in Honduras

  Honduras

La Esperanza

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Opportunities are available throughout the year

Description: The Global Volunteer Network currently has opportunities to work with rural communities in the Central American country of Honduras. Volunteers can become involved with a range of projects, including teaching and building. Living with a Honduran family, and volunteering at projects in rural locations, volunteers will help a community in need while gaining a new perspective on life in Central America.

The volunteer opportunities are in the following areas:

    * Building Program
    * Teaching Program
    * Medical Program
    * Urban Revitalisation

Building Project: Tasks on the building project include renovation, labouring, painting, decorating, making bricks, building walls, digging, and building wooden playgrounds. Volunteers will assist with cement mixing, sand sifting, cutting wood, and transporting building materials; there is little equipment and it is mostly manual work. The building projects are to help families build or improve their homes and schools, and the community decides which projects are in need of assistance. Be prepared to be very patient and flexible, and to get your hands and clothes very dirty.

Teaching Project: On the teaching project, volunteers can help with teaching English, sports or computers. There is no set curriculum for teaching English in rural areas, but past volunteers have left behind their notes, recommendations and teaching materials, both at the schools and with our partner organisation, so that volunteers will have a good idea where to start and to give some continuity to the teaching process. Bringing teaching aids is suggested, as well as leaving those behind for further use in schools. To participate in the teaching program, volunteers need to stay for at least one month.

Medical Program: This project allows volunteers with experience and/or qualifications in medicine to help at the La Esperanza Hospital. The hospital continually struggles to meet demand within its meagre budget and is therefore in constant need of assistance. Volunteers will participate in many of the roles associated with shadowing nurses and doctors, laboratory work, pre-natal, intensive care, physiotherapy and more. The level and scope of your involvement will be determined by your experience and knowledge. Volunteers on this project require at least a basic level of Spanish and all applications need to be accompanied with a copy of your CV.

Urban Revitalisation Program: Transform children's lives through colour by taking part in our Urban Revitalisation program in La Esperanza, Honduras. Volunteers will work on painting a state-run daycare which looks after children from single parent families whilst their mother or father goes to work. The 28 children who currently attend the daycare come from extremely impoverished backgrounds. Reflecting this fact the institution itself has subsequently fallen into disrepair. This is an opportunity to personally make a difference to these children by changing their everyday environment. The main activity will be painting the buildings at the daycare, although as this is an active daycare volunteers will also have the chance to spend time with the children.

Qualifications:
As a volunteer in Honduras you must:

* be at least 18 years of age, and not older than 60 years of age
* have no health problems

Cost in US$: See Website

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18 - 60

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi and South African Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Honduras Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 10-20

Application Process Involves:

• Other

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Global Volunteer Network's Mission Statement: The Global Volunteer Network (GVN) is a private, Non Government Organization (NGO) based in Wellington, New Zealand. Our incorporation number is WN/1194442. Our vision is to support the work of local community organizations in developing countries through the placement of international volunteers. We believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs, and we provide volunteers to help them achieve their goals.

Year Founded: 2000