|
VOLUNTEER EXPEDITIONS: GENERAL INFORMATION
Ready to join or organize a volunteer expedition? Submit a Volunteer Interest Application so that we can start the process of finding the right opportunity for you.
The Purpose of Volunteer Expeditions
The purpose of our volunteer expeditions is to…
- Help Our Partners Meet Community Needs
Volunteers help to meet community needs that would be difficult or impossible for our local partners to fulfill without external assistance. This may take the form of labor, supplies, financial resources, expert skills and knowledge, etc.
- Strengthen our Programs at the Grassroots-Level
We believe that the best way to provide effective, equitable, accessible health services to those in need is by establishing sustainable, community-based health care programs. Volunteers help by focusing their efforts on building the capacities and resources of local health workers.
- Provide Opportunities for Cultural Exchange
Expeditions provide both volunteers and locals with opportunities for mutual learning, sharing, and relationship building. Also, volunteers are able to explore natural, historical, and cultural treasures, while getting a taste of what it's like to live and work in a developing country - an often life-changing experience.
Types of Expeditions [back to top]
Our volunteer expeditions fall under three categories:
- Work Team Expeditions
You don't have to be a doctor to help save lives. Work teams support our programs by helping with construction or renovation of important health facilities. No special skills are required, aside from a basic level of good health. We generally send teams of 10-15 WT volunteers on expeditions lasting around two weeks. Groups, as well as individuals looking to join a group, are encouraged to apply.
- Medical/Health Expeditions
Medical/Health teams support our programs by training local staff, helping with community education, and treating patients. We generally send 5-10 M/H volunteers on expeditions lasting two to three weeks. Practicing and retired health professionals from a wide variety of fields are needed. Medical students must be accompanied by a practicing physician in order to participate in medical activities.
- Combination Expeditions (Medical/Health and Work Teams)
At times, we coordinate expeditions for teams consisting of both health professionals and WT volunteers.
A volunteer working on a construction project in Guatemala
Expedition Work [back to top]
Our local partners design a detailed work plan for each expedition. Since our overall goal is to establish sustainable, community-based health care programs, volunteer work focuses on enhancing the knowledge, abilities, infrastructure, and resources of local health workers. More specifically:
- Medical/Health activities often involve assisting with: home visits; staff training; community education outreach; and/or treating patients in clinics and hospitals.
- Work Team efforts focus on the construction or renovation of health facilities which enable our partners to meet the needs of their communities. Activities include building, painting, or working to resolve water and sanitation needs.
Cultural Activities & Sight-Seeing [back to top]
Although we can't thank our teams enough for the all the work they do, we also want to make sure they don't spend all their time working! To help our volunteers fully experience the area around them, we arrange city tours, jungle walks, trips to Mayan ruins and artisan markets, etc. Each of our project communities has its own unique natural and cultural attractions.
Applicant Qualifications/Requirements [back to top]
When applying for a volunteer opportunity, please keep in mind the following:
- All volunteers must be in good health.
Applicants over 65 years of age or with special medical needs must receive written approval from a physician.
- In most cases, volunteers are NOT required to speak the local language.
If needed, translation services may be arranged.
- Work Team Expeditions call for volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, and skill sets.
This includes professionals, retirees, students (chaperoned if under the age of 18), church or club groups, etc. No special abilities are required, although construction and Spanish skills are particularly useful.
- Medical/Health Expeditions call for a variety of practicing or retired medical and public health professionals.
This includes nurses, doctors, dentists, EMTs, and other allied health professionals.
- Medical students are welcome to apply for medical/health, work team, or combination (M/H & WT) expeditions.
All types of trips offer outstanding service-learning opportunities and exposure to the fields of international public health, rural health care, health education, etc. However, medical students must be accompanied by a practicing physician in order to perform medical duties.
Typical Group Size & Length of Stay [back to top]
Expeditions are generally comprised of:
- 5 to 10 volunteers for a Medical/Health Expedition;
- 10 to 15 volunteers for a Work Team Expedition;
- or 10 to 15 volunteers for a Combination (M/H & WT) Expedition
Teams typically spend around two weeks in-country, but longer trips or shorter trips (such as for alternative spring break) are occasionally arranged.
Lodging, Meals, & Transportation [back to top]
Curamericas Global works with our local partners to arrange all in-country transportation, lodging, and meals. Since expeditions are coordinated on a case-by-case basis, we often have the flexibility to adjust arrangements according to the team's preferences and budget.
Transportation
Teams are provided with airport pick-up and drop-off (in-country hosts meet the volunteers are the airport when they arrive), daily transportation to and from work sites, and special transportation for group activities, such as visits to cultural sites. Aside from the occasional city taxi, private transportation is arranged for the group, as public transportation can be unreliable.
Lodging
Lodging facilities differ according to project sites. In most sites, volunteers stay in small, basic, moderately-priced hotels. In more rural sites, teams may have the option to stay in the project community (in more rustic conditions, similar to camping) or to stay in a hotel in a nearby town and commute to the site each day. In all cases, we do everything we can to ensure that accommodations are clean and safe.
Meals
Meal arrangements also differ according to project sites. In some cases, breakfast is provided by the hotel and cooks are hired to serve lunch and possibly dinner at the work site. In other cases, group reservations are made at local restaurants.
In-Country Assistance [back to top]
Our local partners provide volunteers with direction and assistance throughout the expedition. They meet teams at the airport upon arrival, help to execute the work plan, and coordinate meals, lodging, and transportation. They are also glad to offer advice on the local area and culture. In some cases, a Curamericas Global Volunteer Coordinator accompanies teams to help with in-country logistics, translation, and other needs.
Costs [back to top]
Although volunteer costs are different for each expedition, the following provides a general overview:
- Expedition Fee - On average, $900 - $950 per person for a 14-day stay.
- Each volunteer pays an expedition fee to cover basic trip costs. The total varies according to length of stay, activities, lodging preferences, etc. This fee covers:
- Lodging
- Meals
- In-Country Transportation (including airport pick-up/drop-off)
- Travel health insurance (if needed)
- Cultural activities and tours (optional)
- Administrative support
- Accompaniment/Leadership by a Curamericas Global Volunteer Coordinator (if needed)
- Airfare - Cost varies according to destination and time of year.
- Please note that airfare is not included in the expedition fee. Volunteers must purchase flights separately.
- Project Donation - Historically, $3,000 to $5,000 per team (ex: $300 to $500 per person for a team of 10 people, if each person raised funds separately).
- Often, our in-country partners also ask that teams contribute a minimum donation to the project they will be working on. These donations constitute a vital part of their funding and are used to cover costs such as building materials, medical supplies, patient care, and prescriptions. We encourage each team to raise as much money as possible for their project donation, and we are happy to provide fundraising tips, tools, and support. Please click here to learn more about why we request project donations!
Current Volunteer Opportunities [back to top]
- Build a Health Clinic & Women's Training Center in Guatemala in October
We are a seeking a team of 8-12 construction volunteers from a church, school, club, or other organization to travel to Guatemala for 10-14 days in October of this year to kick off our new building project. We will be expanding one of the area’s health posts into a fully-equipped medical clinic and women’s training center. The clinic will include examination rooms, a birthing room, a laboratory, a pharmacy, dorms for the local staff, and more. The training center will provide local indigenous women with a venue for meetings, training sessions, and educational workshops, covering a variety of topics from nutrition to income-generating skills. By serving as the most advanced medical facility in the area and by offering women opportunities for empowerment and education, this new clinic will help to reduce the mortality and morbidity rates in our project area. If your organization is interested in sending a team to work on this exciting project, please contact Elizabeth@curamericas.org or (919)-510-8787 as soon as possible! No special skills are required.
- Late November Trip to Liberia
Plans are under way for a two-week volunteer expedition to Liberia this coming November. Participants will have the exciting opportunity to be part of our first volunteer expedition to Liberia, where we have established a relationship with a hospital in the town of Ganta. The hospital is in dire need of medical volunteers, while the surrounding villages are calling for work teams to help build wells and latrines. To learn more about this trip, please click here. If you are interested in receiving a proposal for this trip, please click here to submit an online inquiry application.
Why Do We Ask For Project Donations? [back to top]
We realize that our volunteers are already contributing their time, energy, and resources to our programs, and for this we couldn't be more grateful!
However, we also realize that our partners rely heavily on volunteer donations to help them meet the health care needs of their communities. Therefore, we encourage every team to raise as much money as possible to be donated directly to the projects.
The exciting part is that, unlike most donors, volunteers are often able to see their contributions being used to make a difference right before their eyes. For example:
| Curamericas Global often works in areas with little or no medical infrastructure. Thanks to the contributions of our work teams, we are able to help communities establish safe birthing centers, 24-hour clinics, facilities for treating in-patients, and more! |
- Funds raised by Work Teams are used to purchase building materials and supplies needed for construction, renovation, and staffing of health facilities. Also, building materials are purchased in-country in order to support the local economy.
- Funds raised by Medical/Health Teams help to cover medical expenses for patients who cannot afford to pay for services or medications. This includes the on-going care that is often required after Medical/Health Volunteers have returned home.
- Volunteers also help our in-country partners by bringing much-needed medical supplies and equipment. Often, we receive "wish lists" describing our partners' most urgent needs, which teams can use to plan their collection efforts. Since Curamericas Global works to gather supplies on an on-going basis from various donors, volunteers can also help by transporting extra boxes of supplies.
Thank you again for your interest
in Curamericas Global!
|
|
