Volunteer
Do Guatemala has partnered up with local projects in need, and you can get involved! If you have the time and motivation, you can become a volunteer in one of these projects, and contribute directly to the development of a group of people, or an entire community! You help them with your effort and/or specific knowledge, they will give you an unforgettable experience back. You will be directly active with the people involved in the volunteer project, which makes it a very rewarding experience. There are projects in any sector, as you can see below. Do Guatemala offers a personal and professional service for volunteers. We work with a one-time registration fee of $199, for which you receive several services in return which will guarantee a nice stay and a valuable volunteer experience. Read about the projects below, and inquire about the options for you, we´d be glad to make a proposal for you!
Medical Volunteering
Become a volunteer in the public health system of Guatemala. You can learn and help at the same time by assisting in different local institutions. Read more about the options below!
1. Health care – Quetzaltenango
In Guatemala, there exists a network of public health services, free of charge. There are many smaller health clinics and health posts, where local inhabitants from the city or surrounding communities can obtain free health service. The health clinics only work with daily consults, they don´t receive overnight
patients.
More info and photos here
2. Emergency medicine and rescue volunteering – Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango, as second biggest city of Guatemala, only counts with volunteer firefighters. These firefighters are responsible to attend emergencies and fires in the city. Our volunteers would participate in the ambulance activities. They attend car accidents, injured people, general sickness.
More info and photos here
3. Training centre for disabled – Quetzaltenango
This project serves children and young adults with audio-visual and multiple handicaps. They are nationally and internationally acknowledged as a training center and rely totally on donations and fundraising. The 3 training centers in Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango and Huehuetenango teach the students how to live with their handicaps, teaching them different activities. They offer physical therapy, pre-primary school, primary school, technical vocation (workshops in making soap, candles, etc)., design (cardboard work), computer lessons, dancing/physics and psychology.
More info and photos here
4. Rehabilitation centre – Quetzaltenango
This is a foundation that believes in the physical recovery of individuals, offering rehabilitation to all people from the Guatemalan community. They offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy and special education to children and adults.
Patients are disabled from for example car accidents, but also from birth with Down-syndrome or brain damage.
More info and photos here
5. Hospital – Quetzaltenango
This hospital is also part of the government health system, just as the clinics. It’s one of the largest hospitals in the country, and the population gets free health care here. For our volunteers, the volunteer opportunities are in the external departments.
More info and photos here
6. Disabled children, adults and elderly – Antigua
This is a humanitarian religious institution, offering social services to disabled, abandoned and elderly people, offering them a home and medical service. They have an average of 250-300 patients, divided in 9 areas, receiving specialized care, physical and psychological therapy. They also receive medication, clothes and meals, but above all, lots of love and care. There is also a special school for disabled children, and there is an external clinic for medical consultations for the population of limited resources.
More info and photos here
7. Village community center – Antigua
This is a social association, offering help to children and families with limited resources. The main center is in San Pedro, but they also serve other surrounding communities. There are several areas, among others medical clinics. They cover 16 communities, 5000 benefitted children and 18,000 benefitting community members.
More info and photos here
Child Care Volunteering
Volunteering with children is a grateful experience, and we offer you several options. These are all locally run projects, who could really use a pair of extra hands! Read more about the options below.
1. Day care – Quetzaltenango
This project is for parents of limited resources. It´s a daycare where the (single) parent can bring their child while they work. The kids receive pre-kinder lessons, behavior training and recreational time. The project foresees in breakfast, snack, lunch and snack. Parents only pay a symbolic amount of $13 per month. At the moment there are 15 kids registered, they have a capacity for 25 kids. All kids are between 3 months and 5 years old.
More info and photos here
2. After school program – Quetzaltenango
This project is active in the deprived neighborhood of Las Rosas where they support children and families who live in extreme poverty and personal disintegration. They partner directly with about 60 families, satisfying basic needs and providing educational opportunities. They run a kids lunchroom, and an afterschool program. From Monday to Thursday over 60 kids come to the project, all aged between 5 and 14 years old.
More info and photos here
3. Shelter for girls and teen mothers – Quetzaltenango
This shelter is a government institution for young mothers and their children. This shelter is home to a varying amount of girls (between 30 and 80) and young children. Teenage mothers and their young infants can stay here, as well as teenage girls who have suffered from sexual abuse. The girls and mothers are all under 18 years old, and the children are aged approximately 0 to 5 years old.
More info and photos here
4. Daycare – Antigua
This is a project supporting single mothers, widows, grandparents with children and problem families in the Jocotenango area, by taking care of their children. The project offers three basic needs; food, education and health. In education they help the children with homework reenforcement, they have a kindergarten for the small ones, and a library. The children receive meals at the project, and if necessary, they receive pediatric medical care. Workshops for the parents are also organized, how to raise their children and how to deal with problems.
More info and photos here
Community Volunteering
Become a volunteer in Guatemala! But before signing up for one of these projects, please read everything about our volunteer program here!
1. Elderly – Quetzaltenango
This is an elderly home for men and women. These people are abandoned or of limited resources, and live permanently in the home. The majority is older than 55, and they don´t pay any quote to the home, as this home is partially maintained by the government (Ministry of Health). Currently, there are about 135 patients, who are provided with a home, medical care and recreational activities.
More info and photos here
2. Rehabilitation centre – Quetzaltenango
This is a foundation that believes in the physical recovery of individuals, offering rehabilitation to all people from the Guatemalan community. They offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy and special education to children and adults.
Patients are disabled from for example car accidents, but also from birth with Down-syndrome or brain damage.
More info and photos here
3. Children and community – Antigua
This is a social association, offering help to children and families with limited resources. The main center is in San Pedro, but they also serve other surrounding communities. There are several areas, like medical clinics, education, living and microcredit / finance. They cover 16 communities, 5000 benefitted children and 18,000 benefitting community members.
More info and photos here
4. Disabled children, adults and elderly – Antigua
This is a humanitarian religious institution, offering social services to disabled, abandoned and elderly people, offering them a home and medical service. They have an average of 250-300 patients, divided in 9 areas, receiving specialized care, physical and psychological therapy. They also receive medication, clothes and meals, but above all, lots of love and care. There is also a special school for disabled children, and there is an external clinic for medical consultations for the population of limited resources.
More info and photos here
5. Carpentry – Antigua
This is a unique project, teaching Guatemalan children and youth with limited resources about carpentry, and through that, improve their standards of living.
The project has a complete workshop in Alotenango, where they receive training according to a curriculum, learning different stages and skills of carpentry. By following the study plan that includes theory and practice, they learn to make their own products, and this stimulates their self-esteem and social skills.
More info and photos here
6. Construction – Antigua
This NGO offers basic housing to families living in extreme poverty. They always work in collaboration with local partner organizations to identify and select families of exceptional need. Beneficiary families participate in the construction of their home and also pay back one fourth of the total cost of their house over four years. The NGO collaborates with its partner organizations also in other construction projects and community service programs.
More info and photos here
Education Volunteering
Become a volunteer in Guatemala! But before signing up for one of these projects, please read everything about our volunteer program here!
1. Education – Quetzaltenango
This educational community center was founded in 2004 in order to address shortcomings in the Guatemalan national education system, particularly in Quetzaltenango and its surrounding communities. Volunteers teach English or assist in homework reinforcement and recreational activities.
More info and photos here
2. Training centre for disabilities – Quetzaltenango
This project serves people with audio-visual and multiple handicaps. They are nationally and internationally acknowledged as a training centre and rely totally on donations and fundraising. The 3 training centers in Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango and Huehuetenango teach the students how to live with their handicaps, teaching them different activities. They offer physical therapy, pre-primary school, primary school, technical vocation (workshops in making soap, candles, etc)., design (cardboard work), computer lessons, dancing/physics and psychology.
More info and photos here
3. Rehabilitation center – Quetzaltenango
This is a foundation that believes in the physical recovery of individuals, offering rehabilitation to all people from the Guatemalan community. They offer physical therapy, but also special education to children and adults.
Patients are disabled from for example car accidents, but also from birth with Down-syndrome or brain damage.
More info and photos here
4. After school program – Quetzaltenango
This project is active in the deprived neighborhood of Las Rosas where they support children and families who live in extreme poverty and personal disintegration. They partner directly with about 60 families, satisfying basic needs and providing educational opportunities. They run a kids lunchroom, and an afterschool program. From Monday to Thursday over 60 kids come to the project, all aged between 5 and 14 years old.
More info and photos here
5. Special education – Antigua
This is a school that provides special education needs and services to children who would otherwise have no opportunity for a healthy, happy and productive future. The kids have bright minds and great intelligence; they just learn differently or need specialized attention to grow and thrive. There are no government schools or educational program for children like this in the Guatemalan educational system. Where these children would otherwise be lost, they provide the education and love they need to succeed in life.
More info and photos here
6. Education – Antigua
This NGO works towards building a better future for Guatemalan children where such work is needed most. They believe the keys to achieve such a goal are: education, empowering local communities and reaching self-sufficiency.
The school offers access to education to children from the most underprivileged families, who would not have such an opportunity otherwise.
More info and photos here
7. Village community center – Antigua
This is a social association, offering help to children and families with limited resources. The main center is in San Pedro, but they also serve other surrounding communities. There are several areas, like medical clinics, education, living and microcredit / finance. They cover 16 communities, 5000 benefitted children and 18,000 benefitting community members.
More info and photos here
Women Volunteering
Become a volunteer in Guatemala! But before signing up for one of these projects, please read everything about our volunteer program here!
1. Shelter for girls and teen mothers – Quetzaltenango
This shelter is a government institution for young mothers and their children. This shelter is home to a varying amount of girls (between 30 and 80) and young children. Teenage mothers and their young infants can stay here, as well as teenage girls who have suffered from sexual abuse. The girls and mothers are all under 18 years old, and the children are aged approximately 0 to 5 years old.
More info and photos here
2. Elderly women – Quetzaltenango
This is a retirement home in Quetzaltenango where about 35 elderly women live permanently. The retirement home provides the women with several services, all free of charge, such as a place to live, meals, clothing, medical treatment and physiotherapy. But most of all, this is a place where the women have found their home, as some of them are abandoned by their family members.
More info and photos here
3. Textile – Quetzaltenango
This is a weaving cooperative, formed by over 400 indigenous women from the highlands. They became widows when their husbands died in the armed conflict, and had to sustain themselves. This cooperative provides them this opportunity by selling their woven products. The cooperative collects all the products and sells it in their shop or export them abroad, and the women receive the profit of their own products.
More info and photos here
Nature and environment volunteering
Become a volunteer in Guatemala! But before signing up for one of these projects, please read everything about our volunteer program here!
1. Animal rescue center – Antigua
The principal activity of this NGO is the rescue and rehabilitation of domestic animals. They have over 300 dogs, about 100 cats and other animals on site, as well as a permanent on-site spay/neuter clinic.
More info and photos here
2. Reforestation – Quetzaltenango
This organization was named after the Brazilian environmentalist, who fought against deforestation. The NGO in Cantel also has this goal, and works in the rural area close to Quetzaltenango. It has its own cultivation project where they work hard for the reforestation of the hills and mountains around Quetzaltenango, because a lot of (illegal) logging takes place.
More info and photos here
3. Ecotourism / agriculture – (1,5 hour from) Quetzaltenango
This farm or finca is formed by 32 Mayan families, who fought together in the civil war as guerrillas, coming up for the Mayan people. After the war they achieved to obtain the ground for their farm, and they now form an entire community with two schools, a daycare centre, library, pharmacy and ecotourism project. But the coffee harvest makes up the main activity of this special community.
More info and photos here
4. Jungle rescue centre – Flores
This project close to Flores is an animal rescue centre. They have many different animals, most of them were confiscated after detecting them in illegal trafficking. At the rescue centre you can help to take care of the animals (exotic birds, monkeys, coatimundis, etcetera). There are also opportunities to take part in veterinary medical treatment, animal releases and wildlife surveys.
More info and photos here
5. Beach wildlife centre – Monterrico
There is another wildlife centre, located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In contrast with the centre in Flores, this centre is much more about extinction, reaching out to the five communities to help them develop sustainably, all as part of the broader effort of the management of the Hawaii Protected Area.
Activities for the volunteers include for example sea turtle conservation and research, cayman and iguana breeding, environmental education and community projects
More info and photos here
Animal care volunteering
Become a volunteer in Guatemala! But before signing up for one of these projects, please read everything about our volunteer program here!
1. Animal care (zoo) – Quetzaltenango
The zoo in Xela is a municipal institution where they receive about 500.000 visitors yearly. The zoo has 200 animals of 41 species. Many of the visitors are school children coming on a school trip to learn about the animals, but also regular visitors come to the zoo. The zoo is currently going through renovations, improving and increasing the animal spaces.
More info and photos here
2. Domestic animal care – Antigua
This is a non-profit, non-governmental charitable organization. The principal activity of this NGO is rescue and rehabilitation of domestic animals. They have over 300 dogs, about 100 cats and other animals on site, as well as a permanent on-site spay/neuter clinic. They plan to build an education centre to provide free environmental education to local children, eventually including basic literacy and numeracy, and perhaps English language teaching.
More info and photos here
3. Jungle rescue centre – Flores
This project close to Flores is an animal rescue centre. They have many different animals, most of them were confiscated after detecting them in illegal trafficking. At the rescue centre you can help to take care of the animals (exotic birds, monkeys, coatimundis, etcetera). There are also opportunities to take part in veterinary medical treatment, animal releases and wildlife surveys.
More info and photos here
4. Beach wildlife centre – Monterrico
There is another wildlife centre, located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In contrast with the centre in Flores, this centre is much more about extinction, reaching out to the five communities to help them develop sustainably, all as part of the broader effort of the management of the Hawaii Protected Area.
Activities for the volunteers include for example sea turtle conservation and research, cayman and iguana breeding, environmental education and community projects
More info and photos here
