ByCategory
| Extreme Poverty & Hunger | Universal Primary Education | Gender Equality and Women | Child Mortality | Maternal Health | HIV/AIDS and other diseases | Environmental Sustainability | Partnership for Global Development | Other |
Extreme Poverty & Hunger
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Location: San Ramon, Costa Rica Organization: Habitat for Humanity Categories: Poverty, Housing |
Duration: 9/04-10/04, varies Contact: website>> Cost: $9/night for homestay, plus flight and incidentals |
| Description: This is a great project, because it provides the security of a good homestay family and meaningful work. It's fairly straightforward -- working at a construction site with Costa Rican families and helping construct their future homes... you'll be doing everything, from mixing cement, laying foundation, to building walls, and laying roof sheets! | |
| Field Notes: Highly recommend it...great chance to do meaningful work and explore an amazing country -- Sartaj Narang | |
+506 4454148 PO Box 401-4250 San Ramon, Alajuela, Costa Rica More locations at http://www.habitat.org |
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Location: Jaipur, India Organization: The Learning Foundation India Categories: Poverty/Hunger, Education |
Duration: Summer Contact: website>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: The Learning Foundation India (TLFI) aspires to change the lives of the approximately 78 million youth without access to formal education in India by expanding the learning opportunities available to them. In addition, as a volunteer-driven and volunteer-led organization, TLFI aims to develop a culture of social service amongst Indiašs young leaders and introduce international volunteers to issues relevant to the developing world. Our program will run from June 5 July 15 this year. If you are interested in joining as a teacher in an Indian village, a campus coordinator, or simply want to find out more information, please visit our website at www.tlfi.org | |
| Field Notes: -- Joe Puthenveetil | |
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Location: Niamey, Niger Organization: VALPRO Categories: Poverty/Hunger, HIV/AIDS, Education |
Duration: August-November, varies Contact: Email Cost: No info provided |
| Description: This is a great organization to work with - hands on experience working with a great group of young boys that are living on the streets and really need people who care and show interest. Pretty strong support system from staff, considering that its being run in Niger, where there is very little government support for NGOs in general. | |
| Field Notes: Submitted by-- Chloe | |
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Location: Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa Organization: Baphumelele Children's Home Categories: Poverty/Hunger, HIV/AIDS, Education |
Duration: July-December, varies Contact: website>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: Baphumelele is an orphanage located in one of South Africa's largest townships. There are over 100 children of all ages living there. They are short of everything and need all the help, support, love and care that they can get! | |
| Field Notes: I volunteered there while studying at the University of Cape Town. The volunteers who lived there were part of the AVIVA project. Baphumelele is challenging, heartbreaking and inspirational. I really recommend volunteering there: you can make a real, if small, difference and learn a lot. -- Chiara Fish | |
Universal Primary Education
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Location: Cairo (Masr Qadeema/Coptic Cairo), Egypt Organization: Categories: Education |
Duration: September-December, varies Contact: Diana Boeke>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: Teaching English as a foreign language to students who are either at the university level or older. This volunteer teaching opportunity is a great way to teach ESL abroad without a certificate. You teach in a standard classroom atmosphere from a curriculum with books provided by the LAMB (Language and Mind Building) Center. | |
| Field Notes: This was a great teaching and learning experience at a well-organized facility. Students are all Coptic Christians (a sometimes marginalized minority in Egypt) but class is a non-religious atmosphere. All your materials are provided and you simply follow a curriculum supplementing it with any activities or different teaching methods you like. I taught one 1.5 hour class a week, and spent about 2 hours outside of class correcting homework and preparing my lesson plans. You can teach as few or as many classes as you like. The center is very easily accessible on the metro from AUC. -- Emma Marwood | |
Jon Hill jhill@aucegypt.edu |
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Location: Ayacucho, Peru Organization: Cross Cultural Solutions Categories: Education |
Duration: 11/04-1/05, Contact: website>> Cost: $3000 (but worth it!) |
| Description: This was a very powerful and lasting experience. Ayacucho is a city with a rich history but unfortunately, a lot of problems pertaining to poverty and education. Cross Cultural Solutions is a fantastic organization that provides volunteers with a safe and secure house to live in (with a cook!) and has countless opportunities. To name a few, volunteers can teach in rural schools (as I did), work in moving clinics, or work in the kitchen of an orphanage. | |
| Field Notes: I highly recommend Cross Cultural Solutions, whether in Peru or any of the countries they work in. --Sartaj Narang | |
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Location: Sinaloa, Mexico Organization: Learning Enterprises Categories: Education |
Duration: 6 weeks, varies Contact: website>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: Learning Enterprises is a non-profit organization whose mission is to allow children in developing countries access to a wider world through interaction with individuals from other cultures and study of the English language as a tool for communication. Volunteers stay with host families in rural communities and teach classes during the day. These families provide free room and board. Volunteers only pay for their airfare and any incidental travel expenses (including during orientation). LE also has programs in Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Romania, Mauritius, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Russia, and Panama (and more to come!) | |
| Field Notes: I volunteered in Mexico in 2004. I was very lucky and stayed with an awesome host family. I taught 4-5 classes a day and had a lot of fun with it. There were not a lot of kids my age in the village but I still had an awesome time and I'm going back to visit this summer. -- Kathleen Jelinek | |
| Cross Reference: Baphumelele Children's Home - Baphumelele Children's Home |
| Cross Reference: VALPRO - UNICEF |
| Cross Reference: The Learning Foundation India |
Gender Equality & Women
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Location: Capetown, South Africa Organization: SHAWCO Categories: Women, Maternal Health, HIV/AIDS |
Duration: June-November, varies Contact: website>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: This is a women's empowerment program for single mothers in Cape Town's poverty-stricken townships. There are business, HIV/AIDS, health, and IT training components. About 30% of the women are HIV positive. | |
| Field Notes: none provided -- Zoe Marks | |
Child Mortality
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Location: London, UK Organization: SHAWCO Categories: Women, Maternal Health, HIV/AIDS |
Duration: January-May, varies Contact: website>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: It's a volunteer mentoring program I participated at while abroad studying at King's College London. | |
| Field Notes: none provided -- Matt Singer | |
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Location: St. Petersburg, Russia Organization: Doctors of the World Categories: Child Mortality, HIV/AIDS |
Duration: any length Contact: Ekaterina Vodopyan Cost: $300 for a homestay, $300 for living expenses, + airfare |
| Description: Doctors of the World is an NGO based in NYC that operates in Eastern European countries, including Russia. They provide summer and semester internships where you can work either in the office helping with grant proposals and translation, or at the drop-in-center for homeless and neglected teenagers. The internship does not pay, so you will need to provide transportation, housing, and living expenses for yourself. | |
| Field Notes: I interned for this organization while I took classes at the local university. It makes getting to Russia much easier if you have a student visa, so I highly recommend coupling this service opportunity with a study abroad experience. The program I used was the School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS) - www.sras.org and they arranged for visa support, university enrollment, housing and internship placement. The program fee is roughly $3,000 and that includes everything but airfare.-- Becky Bavinger | |
Contact the School of Russia and Asian Studies |
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Maternal Health
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Location: Accra, Ghana Organization: Operation Crossroads Africa Categories: Maternal Health, HIV/AIDS |
Duration: June-August Contact: See Website Cost: $3500 for everything |
| Description:Operation Crossroads Africa sends people from all over the world to Africa every summer to work on various projects there (with local counterparts usually). The cost of the program is $3,500 for EVERYTHING for seven weeks. That may seem like a lot, but the organization has a variety of ways to help people fundraise. I raised $2,500 in just one month. | |
| Field Notes: This is a really good program for those who want to go to Africa with an organized program but still have a lot of autonomy in the country. It is entirely doable to work on the job assigned and then also to some research in your spare time. -- Shani Senbetta | |
| Cross Reference: Masizikhulise - SHAWCO/Univ of South Africa |
HIV/AIDS and other diseases
| Cross Reference: Street Children & HIV/AIDS Treatment - Doctors of the World |
| Cross Reference: Masizikhulise - SHAWCO/Univ of South Africa |
| Cross Reference: Baphumelele Children's Home - Baphumelele Children's Home |
| Cross Reference: Maternal Healthcare & HIV/AIDS - Operation Crossroads Africa |
| Cross Reference: VALPRO - UNICEF |
Environmental Sustainability
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Location: Managua, Nicaragua Organization: Categories: Environment, Poverty |
Duration: one month, varies Contact: Grayson Badgley>> Cost: No info provided |
| Description: Our project involved building small scale biodiesel processors in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras. Biodiesel is a diesel supplement/alternative that is made from used vegetable oil. The waste oil is put through a process of transesterification, which produces a by-product glycerol and biodiesel. Our project involved making processors where transesterification can take place. Using scrap parts (old 55 gallon barrels) we constructed small scale biodiesel processors that operate without electricity and for less than $2000 (much less if needed). Biodiesel holds great promise in any sustainable development regime. Not only does biodiesel emit zero net carbon dioxide (due to its organic source) it also can be cheaply made. When oil is secured in a sustainable manner, it is possible that communities can generate their own electricity, fuel for farming and other energy needs, in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. More specifically, we constructed a number of small scale processors in communities throughout Central America. At times we teamed up with local NGOs but for the most part worked with local community leaders. As for the technology, it was modified from plans on the internet and tested in Walla Walla, WA. As for costs, accommodations etc: We took care of our transportation by driving a (bio)diesel bus from Walla Walla, WA to Managua (and back). The majority of the fuel was biodiesel, which helped save on funds. We typically stayed with families we were working with and provided our own food. Border crossings and bus repairs made up the remainder of the costs. |
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| Field Notes: I apologize for being so vague on the details of the project. Please, if you have any questions contact me and I'll try to fill in the gaps. The trip was organized by a group of friends and I. It was entirely funded out of our own pockets and small donations. Using the internet we identified communities and organization in Central America that were looking for energy alternatives. After making contact with these groups, we organized our tour of Central America by means of a giant red school bus. Finally, if you are interested in integrating biodiesel into a project you are currently working on, please let me know. While our project focused exclusively on biodiesel, it is very easy to deploy our technology in communities all over the world. I would be honored to work with anyone interested in such an alliance. -- Grayson Badgley |
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Location: Coyhaique, Chile Organization: Raleigh International Categories: Environment |
Duration: 2/05-5/05, 10 weeks Contact: website>> Cost: no information provided |
| Description: Raleigh International is a very interesting organization to work with, because it divides your ten weeks with them into three components, into environmental, community, and adventure. All of the work is entirely in the outdoors, and so accomodations for the three months are tents. The adventure component is an experience of a lifetime -- it's a three-week trek through some of the most remote regions on the planet. | |
| Field Notes: I highly recommend Raleigh. There is less 'immersion' compared to other volunteer organizations, because of the isolated nature of the projects...but the outdoor experience is incredible. --Sartaj Narang | |
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Location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Organization: Nuestra Tierra Categories: Enviromental Sustainability |
Duration: 3 weeks to 1 year Contact: Tel: 01(322)225-6940 Cost: $300/3 weeks; free if you're a leader (leaders must stay 3+ months) |
| Description: Sleep on the beach, and work from 10 pm-6 am in two hour shifts to search for turtle eggs, and protect them from fishermen who poach the eggs. | |
| Field Notes: You will learn a lot about Mexican culture here. The surrounding towns offer an authentic break from the commercialized zone of Puerto Vallarta. This is a great site for someone with intermediate Spanish skills, because most people speak Spanish, Spanglish, and/or English. -- Amanda Gant | |
Av universo Edif. 2022-B Depto. 14, Col. La Aurora Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico |
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Location: Elmina, Ghana (others available) Organization: Operation Crossroads Africa Categories: Environmental Sustainability |
Duration: mid June to mid August Contact: tel: (212) 289-1949 Cost: $300 for a homestay, $300 for living expenses, + airfare |
| Description: I worked at a fishmonger cooperative in rural Ghana with a group of American volunteers. Our work included fish smoking, stacking, scaling, and drying, as well as interacting with the women and children. We stayed in a guest house on the property of the woman who founded the organization. The program costs $3500 for 8 weeks including a week of in-country travel and includes all (non-personal) expenses (airfair, food, lodging, etc). | |
| Field Notes: Other projects are available in many other categories including health, education, and community development. Other host countries include Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Benin, Mali, Rwanda, and Senegal. I thought the program was a very good experience, but be prepared to spend a lot of time with the group (this was my experience, some other groups did not spend as much time together)-- Dunya Cope | |
PO Box 5570 NY, NY 10027 |
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Partnership for Global Development
no opportunities submitted
Other
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Location: Throughout Central & South America Organization: Amigos de las Americas Categories: all |
Duration: 6-8 weeks Contact: Tel: 1-800-231-7796 Cost: $3700, includes airfare, food, lodging, transportation, supplies, insurance. Financial Aid on a need-basis, fundraising activities available |
| Description: Live with a host-family in a community, usually rural, in one of eight Latin American countries. Volunteers integrate into the community, partnered with 1-2 other volunteers. Meals are usually provided on a meal-rotation schedule, in which volunteers eat with a different family every day. Service projects include teaching classes at the local school on health, hygiene, the environment, and cultural exchange, and at least one "community-based-intiative." Projects have ranged from vegetable gardens, to women's exercise classes, to reforestation projects, mural projects, building speedbumps, etc. Project volunteers come together for training, de-briefing, and a "midterm" retreat. | |
| Field Notes: I have served as a volunteer for 6 weeks in Honduras, and for 2 months as a supervisor in Mexico. My first experience was life-changing in every sense of the word, and my experience in Mexico again changed me dramatically. I know of no other organization that gives so much responsibility to such young people as Amigos. Participants come out on a maturity and competence level far exceeding where they began. I think everyone should do it. --Anne Barton-Veenkant | |
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