This volunteer work program takes place in the beautiful South of Chile. You will be supporting a local cooperation for fair and responsible trade and consumption.
This volunteer program is especially suitable for:
The volunteer work takes place in a cooperative that was founded in 2009. The mission of the cooperative is supporting local smallholders with a business model for fair and responsible trade and consumption. The cooperative consists of about 200 members, most of them private individuals. Members also include local restaurants, hostels, the University of Valdivia and others. Members pay an annual contribution in order to get access to fresh, local and organically grown products at lower prices. On the other side, the cooperative works like a platform for local smallholders to sell their fresh agricultural products. In the beautiful city of Valdivia in the South of Chile, there is also a shop where non-members can buy the produce of local agriculteurs.
As a result of the Covid pandemic, the goods are also sold through an online platform since 2020, so that a wider audience can be reached and to further support local farmers even better.
The cooperative is non-profit-orientated! Their aim is to make locally produced products easily accessible to the local population while on the other side helping small farmers of the region to market their products.
Full cultural integration is given in this volunteer project. You will get an idea of different work areas of the cooperative. You will learn a lot about the local culture, language and society.
Depending on the project’s needs, own strengths and interests, the volunteers support the following areas:
- Working in the local store
- Advising customers in the store
- Doing inventory
- Updating the online platform
- Helping with marketing
- Updating Social Media channels
- Visiting local farmers to pick-up fresh goods
- Helping with the organization of trips and events for members
- Working in the vegetable garden of the local store
- Helping with administration work
Note: The tasks may vary. They depend on factors such as number of volunteers, weather, season, current needs of the project, as well as self-motivation. Not every volunteer may be fully involved in all these tasks.
The volunteer project is located in the idyllic city of Valdivia in southern Chile, in the Los Ríos region. The city is characterized by the beautiful river Valdivia with its wonderful river promenade. The shape of Valdivia strongly reminds us of European cities. Thanks to the evergreen vegetation, the proximity to the water, the old city center and the good fresh air, Valdivia is one of the most beautiful cities in Chile.
Validivia is sourrounded by rivers, hot springs, inland lakes, mountains, volcanoes and evergreen vegetation. There is plenty to do and explore for nature lovers and outdoor fans. Adventure seekers also get their money's worth here.