The Issue

Guatemala is a developing country where more than 50 percent of the population lives in poverty. Particularly alarming are the numbers of infants and children in need. More than a third of them suffer hunger and poverty. Of 1000 born children, 40 do not even survive their first birthday. Until the health care system of Guatemala is sufficiently developed to deal with this problem, it will certainly take many many years. There are hardly any public subsidies and initiatives, but rather associations of private donors and initiators who want to help those who can not take care of themselves, primarily children and babies.
The Program
The same applies to this Volunteer Center in Guatemala, where you support a health center for malnourished infants and children under the age of eleven. The charity, which was founded in October 2008, includes a fully-equipped medical infirmary, a kitchen, a dining room, areas for the most critical cases of malnutrition, common areas and a small garden. The aim of the center is to stabilize the health situation of malnourished children, to get them used to normal food intake and to educate them about nutrition. The goal is always to give them a carefree childhood. For this purpose, staff and helpers do their best every day, creating a safe, clean and fun atmosphere in which the little ones can feel comfortable and happy.

Without the help of volunteers, it would not be possible to keep the work in the facility at the high level that children need for their path to a "normal" life.

The Location

Antigua is a beautiful colonial town in the south of Guatemala about an hour from the capital, Guatemala City, and surrounded by perfectly shaped volcanoes. Antigua is one of the most visited places in Central America. The city is famous for its Spanish colonial buildings, picturesque courtyards, interesting markets, beautiful churches and a colorful labyrinth of streets. The city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage since 1979. Antigua is located in the highlands of Guatemala at about 1,600 meters above sea level. Antigua has an abundance of tour operators and agencies that offer exciting tours to all parts of the country. Whether you want to get to know the jungle, the Mayan culture, the Pacific coast or you are looking for cultural activities, in Antigua you are guaranteed to find someone who organizes exactly what you are looking for. Antigua has an average daily temperature of 20 °C all year round, while the nights are quite cool. The rainy season is from June to October, the dry season from November to May.

What we expect

• Be tolerant 

Please do not put prejudices of the foreign culture and other people into your luggage. You do not need that during your stay abroad! On the contrary, tolerance is a very important feature if you want to be successful and have fun while volunteering abroad. Respect the foreign culture, the other habits and the different mentality with great respect. While the other way of working may not always make much sense in your eyes, the goal of volunteering abroad is not to criticize or smile at people for acting and doing, but to work with them for a good cause. 

• Be adaptable 

On a trip abroad, especially in developing countries, you leave your home comfort zone. It is very important that you are ready to adapt to a different life situation. In Latin America, you certainly will not find the usual standards of home again. Especially volunteer projects in developing countries are often located in very secluded areas in the middle of beautiful nature or you live with a local host family, who belongs to a foreign culture. But that's the exciting thing about volunteering abroad! Immerse yourself in a foreign land, experience culture, traditions and people up close, learn from them, just let go and adapt to the other life circumstances. A unique experience that will mature and grow you as a person! 

• Team spirit 

In a voluntary work, the team idea is always over self-interest. Working in a team is fun and brings good mood and variety! So, for your volunteer work abroad, you should bring along a great deal of team spirit, because you always work together with other people, be it volunteers from other countries or local project staff. However, when so many foreign and diverse cultures meet, teamwork can become a whole new challenge. Even more important, that you have the ability to communicate in a group, work constructively and fairly and do not want to punch through your will at all costs. 

• Be helpful and responsible 

For most projects, volunteers who "do a good job" are most appreciated. By participating in a voluntary service abroad, you are consciously choosing to work in another country. You are not on a vacation trip. So, you have choosen to offer your help and valuable time to other people, nature protection or animals welfare. What really matters is your helpfulness! A really very important and unavoidable trait is the sense of responsibility. The volunteer project is counting on your support and your cooperation has been tightly scheduled. A high level of responsibility is the alpha and omega. During your volunteer work in Latin America, you are assigned to certain areas of activity that you must do on your own. Please take your role as a volunteer very seriously and carry out your tasks in the project conscientiously and carefully. 

• Be flexible 

Be prepared for the fact that volunteering in Latin America is much different from what you know or are used to at home. The Latin Americans have a completely different order, time and work understanding. Even their logic of approaching certain things may not always make much sense in your eyes. The different language and culture can quickly lead to misunderstandings or communication problems. An important principle for you: always be flexible and spontaneous! You will soon realize that there is a solution for all situations and that you can quickly develop a plan B from a problem. 

• Be proactive and take initiative 

During your voluntary work abroad, do not expect someone to explain to you in a big way what needs to be done, where and when. Often there is only a brief introduction and then your proactivity and initiative are asked. Get actively involved, offer your help and see where you can best apply your skills and strengths. It is always great when volunteers constructively and friendly affix ideas and suggest their own small projects.