“I noticed a lot of really cool cultural differences and customs between Ireland and Guatemala, but what has shined through even more is the similarities. We all want to learn, to laugh and to love. Despite growing up thousands of kilometres apart, we were not strangers to each other.” Apolonia, 2018            

Locations: Small communities, mainly in western highlands (not Guatemala City)

         Accommodation: Host family               Start Dates: Last thurs of every month

Length of Stay: 8 weeks            Type of Placement: Rural             Language lessons: Yes (40 hours)

Volunteering abroad can challenge you in many ways – Read more about what challenging can mean

Types of Projects

While public schools in Guatemala are free, it is still the case that many children do not receive an education. The rate of illiteracy is estimated at about 25% of the population. Volunteers are needed to help out in several schools based in rural communities. Many of the teachers teaching English have not received any formal training and therefore students would benefit hugely from being taught by a native English speaker. Classroom sizes are large and resources are limited in the schools so creativity is needed. A good standard of Spanish is recommended as English is not usually spoken by staff members. A TEFL or teaching qualification is desirable.

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