Volunteers
Ave Nicaragüita "Your Spanish school"

Potential sites for your practicum
or thesis project

Ave Nicaraguita Volunteering Program:
Sharing a friendly & hands-on time with our people

For volunteers, Ave Nicaraguita provides them with the possibility of observing
and participating in the everyday survival tasks of our local communities.
In addition, Ave Nicaraguita facilitates the search of opportunities to collaborate
directly with local agencies –both private and public- or with community
movements to exchange craft practices, as well as professional ones.

The goal of volunteering in all cases is to reach the people more affected
by poverty, undernourishment and other extreme conditions.
Volunteers are willing to engage into non-academic knowledge exchange directly
related to their occupation or vocation; a process in which everybody
participates. Areas of work include weaving, cooking, dancing, drawing, jewelry
and other arts and crafts. For other students or professionals areas of work
include agriculture, eco-tourism, health, dentistry, nutrition, nursing, women
counseling, education and others.

Volunteering Options

I. Agriculture and Eco-tourism, Reforestation and Water Protection

II. Craft, Artisan and Artistic Practices

III. Education -Teaching English and Teaching Spanish

IV. Health, Children & Women Empowerment

V. Humanitarian Work

VI. Social Integration

__ __

I. Agriculture and Eco-tourist Social practices:

Volunteers who bring skills, creativity, experience, knowledge and understanding
will find volunteering to be an incredibly rewarding sharing experience.
Additionally, through this volunteering, you will learn from Nicaraguan “campesino”
rural farming and challenges to make agriculture sustainable and environment
friendly.

The volunteer practices can be carried out at different sites:

1. The Eco-tourist Farm:
This center has two permanent field workers who are eager to exchange knowledge and expertise. There is much work to be done throughout the year
in the areas of cattle rising, pitahaya farming, coffee plantation and
firewood-coal making. Volunteers will lodge at this center in shared rooms or
private ones. Meals will also be served here. Accommodations at
"Flor de Pochote" are very nice, ranked as 3-star hotels. The rooms are surrounded by the jungle and it set up to handle American-European clients.

2. The Campesino Cooperative:
It is made up by approximately 30 partners who cultivate both the cooperative
land and their private parcels. The cooperative guarantees that one of their
partners will be dedicated to assist the volunteer, so there can be an effective
sharing of experiences. The cooperative is being initiated in the production
of different types of animals, such as cattle, pigs and fish.
These new productive tasks are keeping activities going on all year around.
In addition the Cooperative produces pitahaya and coffee. Furthermore,
at the individual parcels, beans, fruits and vegetables are harvested.
Lodging in the cooperative members houses is possible.

3. Farming by individual producers: Mainly tobacco, and corn and beans.
There are also possibilities at larger coffee farms at experimental fruit center
"Campos Azules," but due to the distance from Pochote (8 km) and access,
in general, visits should only last a couple of days.

In the chronogram below, you can see that from January to March and during
October there is relatively little work in agriculture, but there are always
opportunities to practice with rising animals and taking care of the pitahaya-
cactus plantation - and we can arrange our work in a manner that assures that
we have tasks to do during the presences of the trainee.

click image to enlarge

Tasks all year around:
Cattle and eventually pigs and sheep:
Milking
Grassing
Cutting grass and cane and feed the animals (mostly in dry season, Dec-May)
Clearing the stable
General maintenance of fences and pasture crops

Energy:
Cutting firewood (normally thinning the plantations when getting to dense)
Splitting firewood
Producing charcoal

Other possibilities of volunteering practices

4. Carpentry workshops: making furniture
Masatepe is full of small wood worker workshops and it should be ease to find
a good place, and also to find tasks to according the capacity of the trainee.
The only limitation is that due to the lack of security in the semi-homemade
machinery in the workshops it will be prohibited that the trainees attend these
equipments.

5. Hotel-restaurant-tourism sector
The ecological farm has a restaurant and meeting facilities, which require services as cooking, serving, clearing, room service and so on - but also more creative tasks such as improving the presentation of the center, improving the nature-play
ground for children, making signs to the tracks in the forest and assists our
guides in the hiking outside the center.

6. Reforestation and Water Protection: Fighting the World Warming

Coming in June

Requirements

-Graduate or at least studying the last year of a University
or College of any major agriculture, environment or forest science career.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to
volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 4 weeks, and acceptance
of being supervised and evaluated.

-A valid passport and tourist card (or resident card, if that is the case),
which is giving by migration officers when you enter Nicaragua.

-Provide a proof of Spanish language proficiency at a lower intermediate
level, or be willing to undergo a free written and spoken test.

-Pay enrollment fee at least 2 weeks before the first volunteer activity

:::: For more click here ::::

Volunteering options | Activities menu

II. Craft, Artisan and Artistic practices:

Volunteers who bring skills, creativity, experience, knowledge and understanding
will find volunteering to be an incredibly rewarding sharing experience.
Additionally, through this volunteering, you will learn from Nicaraguan arts and
crafts, music or dancing. His volunteering work will be certified by the host organization.

Requirements

-Knows how to do the work –craft, artisan or artistic-. You can be a master
craftsman or an apprentice, but you must be willing to take the time and patience
to exchange such knowledge and skills. You can conduct trainings or be a
trainee.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to
volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 4 weeks, and acceptance of being
supervised and evaluated.

-A valid passport and tourist card (or resident card, if that is the case), which is
giving by migration officers when you enter Nicaragua.

-Provide a proof of Spanish language proficiency at advance beginner level,
or be willing to undergo a free written and spoken test.

-Pay enrollment fee at least 2 weeks before the first volunteer activity

:::: For more click here ::::

Volunteering options | Activities menu

III. Education:

1. Teaching English:

Volunteers who bring skills and knowledge to practice teaching English as a
second language, understanding will find volunteering to be an incredibly
rewarding sharing experience.
Additionally, through this volunteering, you will learn from Nicaraguan history
and language development, as well as other culture features.

2. Teaching Spanish: Adult Literacy Program

Coming in June!!! Email us to keep you posted

3. The Language Sign Program: Children with special needs

Coming in October!!! Email us to keep you posted

Requirements

-Be a TEFL certified or expirienced in teaching English, provide proof of it.

-Submit a resume indicating teaching experience, education, date and place
of TEFL certification, date of birth, a list of hobbies and interests.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to
volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 4 weeks, and acceptance of
being supervised and evaluated.

-A valid passport and tourist card (or resident card, if that is the case),
which is giving by migration officers when you enter Nicaragua.

-Any level of Spanish language proficiency is OK,
But willingness to learn more is welcome.

-Pay enrollment fee at least 2 weeks before the first volunteer activity.

:::: For more click here ::::

Volunteering options| Activities menu

IV. Health, Children & Women Empowerment:

1. Nursing and medicine students are welcome to join
the first aid team of local clinics.
Volunteers support local doctors, nurses and paramedics; tasks range from
observation to assistance. It is a unique experience. Students can conduct
assistantship and supervised practice at the local hospital and health centers
during day or night shift.
See Requirements...| Volunteering options

2. The Youth Center

Overview

The youth center in reality is a center for all kids, focusing on children who need help to continuing studying or learning a vocational occupation.
The center provides children with food, education, work, health and
many other community services.

The youth center began as infantile dinning room in 2001 -since then it has served more than 200,000 meals- but it evolved into a center for studying and learning a vocational occupation. At this school kids have great fun practicing sport and learning to play musicals instruments and receiving medical services.

At the “Casa Estudio” of The youth center, children attending primary and secondary school can do their homework, conduct bibliography research, borrow books and receive assistance from teachers.

Programs

The youth center main goals are to provide professional education with moral and
cultural values; to build leadership capacity, and to provide children with materials and knowledge for a better future.

2.1 Special programs of nutrition

This feeding program is intended to help kids with low weight and any level of undernourishment. This task is carried out through dinner tour times a week, at the same time there are artistic performing, concourses and prizes for participants. Volunteers are welcome to share experience in the preparation of healthy food, feeding kids and sharing artistic abilities.

2.2 Feeding people of third age

The program consists of a lunch twice a week for old people, there are
also artistic performing riddles and prizes for people of third age. Volunteers are welcome to share experience in the preparation of healthy food,
feeding the elder and sharing artistic abilities.
See Requirements...| Volunteering options

3. Women Movement Group (MEC)

Overview

MEC principle foundation is that all the human beings are born free and with
equality in dignity and have the rights to be not discriminated against
for any reasons, including sex, race, religion, ethnic group and political stage.

MEC main objectives are to fight against any form of discrimination and
oppression against women by promoting the organization of them.
Additionally, MEC seeks partnership to build projects that can contribute
to improve the economic condition of Nicaraguan women.

Programs

Volunteers are welcome to share experience at any
of the following MEC projects:

3.1 Women leadership training program
T his program is intended to raise awareness of need for women to be organized, territorially or sectorially. Women empowerment is needed for women to be able to ignite changes and processes both at the local barrio and at private and public institutions.

3.2 Promotion and protection of human rights among maquiladora workers
MEC offers legal counseling and methodological tools to promote and protect
the rights of all women workers, particularly those working at Maquiladoras.
MEC provides them with monitoring of reported cases of abuse at the labor
place.

3.3 Advocacy Program
MEC does lobbying for initiative intended to benefit women empowerment.
MEC has participated in the drafting of laws and law amendments to positively
impact labor condition of maquiladoras workers. MEC participated as well in
the drafting and lobbying of the law to prevent and protect women from
domestic violence. MEC has joined national public campaigns, and communication initiatives to transform the difficult situation of women in Nicaragua

3.4 Alternative micro-credit program
This program is dedicated to unemployed women willing to set up their own
business. MEC provides support to conceptualize the project. Through this program, there has been also credit for house improvement within a vision of comprehensive economic empowerment and development.

See Requirements...| Volunteering options

Requirements:

-Be a graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College
of any major medical science career (such as medicine, dentistry, nutrition, etc).

-Provide proof of it.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to
volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 4 weeks, and acceptance of being
supervised and evaluated.

-A valid passport and tourist card (or resident card, if that is the case), which is
giving by migration officers when you enter Nicaragua.

-Provide a proof of Spanish language proficiency at a lower intermediate
level, or be willing to undergo a FREE written and spoken test.

-Pay enrollment fee at least 2 weeks before the first volunteer activity.

Back to [nursing and medicine students][Youth Center][MEC Women movement]

:::: For more click here ::::

Volunteering options | Activities menu

5)-Humanitarian Work:

Volunteers who bring skills, creativity, experience, knowledge and understanding
will find volunteering to be an incredibly rewarding sharing experience.
Additionally, through this volunteering, you will learn from Nicaraguan “Huérfanas”
Orphan girls and work and help them overcome their traumas from physical,
emotional abuses, create a friendly environment and grow the girls’ self-esteem.
Volunteers support local Nuns, nurses and care providers; tasks range from
observation to assistance.

Requirements

-Be a graduate or at least studying the last year of a University or College of any major on psychology, consuling, or similar career.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 4 weeks, and acceptance of being supervised and evaluated.

-A valid passport and tourist card (or resident card, if that is the case),
which is giving by migration officers when you enter Nicaragua.

-Provide a proof of Spanish language proficiency at a lower intermediate level, or be willing to undergo a free written and spoken test.

-Pay enrollment fee at least 2 weeks before the first volunteer activity

:::: For more click here ::::

Volunteering options | Activities menu

6)-Social Integration:

Volunteers who bring skills, creativity, experience, knowledge and understanding
will find volunteering to be an incredibly rewarding sharing experience,
through sports and games with this volunteering, you will help with the social Integration and relaxation of the inmate males and females of Nicaragua state prisons by canalizing their frustrations and traumas through sports and physical activities, crafts, music or dancing etc. His volunteering work will be certified by the host organization.

Requirements

-Knows how to do the Physical education or have basic knowledge on sport instructions, good knowledge on common sports. Good physical condition, but you must be willing to take the time and patience to exchange such knowledge and skills.

-Submit a request letter indicating area of interest, commitment to volunteer for at least 20 hours weekly during 4 weeks, and acceptance of being supervised and evaluated.

-A valid passport and tourist card (or resident card, if that is the case),
which is giving by migration officers when you enter Nicaragua.

-Provide a proof of Spanish language proficiency at advance beginner level,
or be willing to undergo a free written and spoken test.

-Pay enrollment fee at least 2 weeks before the first volunteer activity

:::: For more click here ::::

Volunteering options | Activities menu