Live and Volunteer with the friendly Pemon aboriginals

  Venezuela

Santa Elena de Uiaren

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks

Description: The Gran Sabana is home to the Pemon Nation, an ethnic minority of about 6,000 people. The community of Chirikayen is one of many small, rural Pemon villages. It is 1.5 hours drive (some parts over extremely bad roads) from Santa Elena, in the beautiful Gran Sabana national park. It has a population of less than 400 people and is located amidst breathtaking surroundings close to the Chirikayen Tepuy (flat-top mountain - 1650m). Chirikayen enjoys a healthy climate and environment and has a primary school, a health care station, a basic shop, and a Seventh Day Advantist church.

This special assignment gives volunteers close insight into Pemon life, something which they find very rewarding. Chirikayen is a good site for those interested in contemporary indigenous issues and who want to watch and participate as locals decide on the future directions of their communities. Volunteers with a genuine interest in anthropology, indigenous rights, and cultural immersion will enjoy this placement. Integrate yourself into this strong community next to the flat-top mountains, enjoy the different pace of life and the fantastic views.

Amenities are basic. There is electricity for only 3 hours a day when the generator is on. Clothes are washed in the river. A radio in Chirikayen can call in to the City Hall in Santa Elena any time if it is necessary. The value of the actual volunteer work you do will be surpassed by the value of the cross-cultural experience, both for yourself and for the locals in Chirikayen, who are increasingly interested in pursuing the option of opening up their community to some small scale appropriate tourism.

Your presence in the community will not only teach you about the Pemon and the situations that they face, but also will teach the people of Chirikayen about outsiders and what opening their community up for small scale tourism might mean. You can spend the duration of your volunteer placement with Peace Villages in Chirikayen. You can also spend some time there and some time volunteering with one or more of our other projects, which all involve living in Santa Elena. The activities in Chirikayen are not fixed.

We encourage anyone with an idea for a sustainable project to propose it to us in advance so we can discuss it with the community leaders. Volunteers are also encouraged to be very flexible and to simply help locals with as many daily tasks as they can.

The Chirikayen Tepuy excursion: A trek can be arranged with locals from the village of Chirikayen to the nearby Tepuy. It will take 2-3 days and is great for beginners. You will cross savannah, rainforests and see small gold and diamond mines. Make sure you have everything you need with you.

Highlights:
ACTIVITIES CAN INCLUDE:
* Gardening using indigenous techniques
* Conservation activities (e.g. research and protection of wildlife, caring for seedlings, working with the members of the indigenous communities in the areas of the protection of river basins, water sources, and relative wildlife)
* Sustainable community development projects such as eco-tourism and organic agriculture
* Reforestation of areas affected by burning or mining activities
* Recreational and creative activities with small kids and school children
* Teaching English to Pemon tour guides and school children
* Building and maintenance work on communal infrastructure
* Initiating an environmental education program and exchanging knowledge of the rainforest and savannah habitat

ACCOMMODATION:
Volunteers will be staying with a Pemon indigenous Host Family. The family will provide three meals a day, and a private room. Neighbors speak also English and the host family speaks Spanish and their indigenous mother language Taurepan. All meals are eaten with the family. Volunteers can choose to sleep in either hammocks or beds.

LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS
The town of Santa Elena de Uairen is the headquarters of the Peace Villages Foundation in Venezuela and the heart of La Gran Sabana National Park. The town has about 15.000 inhabitants and is at an altitude of 900m - 1000m (3000f - 3250f) with a nearly perfect climate (16°C / 45°F - 28°C / 79°F all year round). The town was founded in 1922 as a Capuchin mission, and grew in the 1930s with the establishment of gold and diamond mines in the region. Santa Elena is surrounded by breathtaking scenery, and a wealth of nature.

The region is one of the oldest geological sites on the planet where prehistoric flat topped mountains are like ecological islands with endemic species such as carnivorous plants and lots of other natural treasures.

You will find good shopping opportunities, restaurants, internet cafes, postal and telephone services, clubs, pool halls and nightlife opportunities, as well as a wide variety of tourist travel destinations. Santa Elena is also a good place to arrange adventure tours into La Gran Sabana and Mount Roraima in particular.

The area known as La Gran Sabana, "the Great Savannah" is located in the south-eastern corner of Venezuela, at the border with Brazil and Guyana. It is a high plateau, a land of wide open spaces (75,000 square kilometers), tropical forest, spectacular tepuys (flat-topped mountains), rivers and gorgeous waterfalls. It is also home to the Pemon aboriginals. It is unknown when La Gran Sabana was first occupied, but there are artifacts that demonstrate that indigenous peoples were occupying the Orinoco Delta at least 2 to 3 thousand years ago.

At the time of the arrival of the first Europeans. La Gran Sabana was inhabited primarily by Pemon aboriginals. The Guayana shield, located in La Gran Sabana, is the earth's oldest surface. It is estimated to be 2 billion years old, and was formed when South America and Africa were still part of the super continent Gondwana.

Besides flat plains, La Gran Sabana also features tropical regions, jungle and cloud forests, rich in palm trees, fern trees, orchids, bromelias and also animals including tapirs, jaguars, pumas, deer, anteaters, snakes, are all native to the different ecosystems of La Gran Sabana.

TREKS/TOURS
While Peace Villages is a volunteer based NGO, we recognize the importance of seeing other parts of La Gran Sabana and having a well rounded experience while you are here. Some trips can be done on weekends, otherwise we will help you to schedule tours so that you can see everything you want to in Venezuela, while still achieving your volunteer commitments with us.

It is always best to plan to be here for a longer period of time so you can fit in a tour and still feel satisfied with the impact of your volunteer work. Peace Villages Foundation is not a tour operator but a volunteer charity!

The Adventure Tours are organized and offered by local tour operators. If interested, we will help you to make contact with companies which use ecological criteria for enjoyable nature-based Adventure Tours throughout the beautiful and diverse Gran Sabana region, here in south-eastern Venezuela. Peace Villages also assists volunteers to self-organize their trip.

A cheaper method than booking organized tours is to organize a trip yourself. When volunteers are interested in this option, we can assist them to make the necessary arrangements. Volunteers then share the direct costs of a guide, porter, food and transport, instead of buying a complete package. Costs depend on the number of group participants to share with.

Hiring indigenous guides, drivers, boat operators, and hosts directly benefits local economies and, at the same time, adds an intimate and connected feeling to your adventure. Indigenous guides will enrich your Gran Sabana adventure tour experience with their knowledge, their kindness and their dedication and enthusiasm for these places.

Qualifications:
REQUIREMENTS:
You do not need special skills nor do you have to speak fluent Spanish, but you need to be flexible and willing to get involved in a wide range of activities. Many in these villages speak Spanish and some speak English as well. Special interest/skills in the areas of sports, music, art, construction, or English teaching are most helpful.

AVAILABILITY:
Ongoing throughout the year

Cost in US$: There are three accommodation options and prices depend on length of stay

Most volunteers will spend less than Euro ¬ 60 a month on other personal expenses while here, but this depends on how you like to live.

Credit Available: yes

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: A typical volunteer/intern needs to be enthusiastic, willing to learn, ready for a challenge and have a desire to take initiative. Friendliness, care, commitment and patience are among important qualities. We welcome individual volunteers, families and groups regardless of age, experience or background. You don't have to speak fluent Spanish as we provide full support and 24 hour back-up from our local staff. Volunteers and interns are the driving force of Peace Villages' work, both through their volunteering and through their financial contributions. Volunteering with us is a great opportunity to work side by side with locals, learn new skills, study Spanish, and immerse oneself in the Latin and indigenous culture. The beauty in volunteering lies in the fact that you are not simply passing through as a tourist. You are interacting with the community, building relationships and making a positive impact. It is an experience that may well change your life!

Age Range: 10 years old and up

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

Participants Travel to Venezuela Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 2 - 4

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad

Peace Villages Foundation's Mission Statement: Peace Villages Foundation support disadvantaged communities and their members in the process of achieving sustainable development, social justice and peace and promotes Culture of Peace through enriching cross-cultural exchange and voluntary community service for people of all ages, races and nationalities. We provide additional opportunities in humanitarian, educational, recreational and environmental fields and assist our beneficiaries to develop their potential and improve their own lives. Our vision is to share the values of peace, justice and tolerance, fundamentally focusing on the preservation of indigenous cultures and the empowerment of young people while valuing local knowledge and working with cultural sensitivity. Because local people know and understand what is appropriate for their own communities, we assist them in carrying out the objectives they deem important. Our Volunteer opportunities are truly the microcosm of a world where people join together giving priority to improving life for humanity and promoting a Culture of Peace as a practical way to both prevent and resolve conflict.

Year Founded: 2000