Work with Indigenous Mayan Communities

Indigenous Culture projects are located in a small, rural farming community outside of Antigua. This project is designed to assist with activities that provide modest income to local Mayan families, such as the creation of woven handicrafts, while offering unique cultural exchange and experience of their daily life. Volunteers support the community in various activities depending on seasonal need in the areas of agriculture, textiles, kitchen and household chores, and language education.

Volunteers at Indigenous Culture projects may be asked to:

• Plant, harvest, and clean fruits and vegetables.
• Care for farm animals such as chickens.
• Collect weaving materials, learn to make different types of cloth.
• Weave items such as belts, tablecloths, napkins, bags, etc.
• Assist with cooking and cleaning, learn traditional homemade Guatemalan dishes.
• Teach small English lessons to family or community members.

Village life is often affected by harvest seasons, weather, and family events. Additionally, it is normal there for work to be divided by gender so male and female volunteers should expect to do different tasks. Volunteers are always supported by Maximo Nivel’s in-country coordinators but they are not on site at your project at all times. The residents speak mainly in Mayan-Kakchikel and Spanish is a second language. Participants should prepare themselves for complete cultural and language immersion.

The Indigenous Culture program begins with a mandatory 1-2 day orientation session in Antigua, where volunteers receive vital information about their project and trip to the project site. They should expect to work up to 8 hours per day, Monday to Friday. That said, the goal of this project is to participate in the everyday life of the host family and the community. This means that schedules can vary greatly. For instance, some days may require 8 hours of work split between morning and afternoon while others require only 1-2 hours.