Volunteer In Guatemala

Travel to Guatemala and volunteer! Guatemala will excite the nature-lover or history buff. The entire country of Guatemala reads like an encyclopedia: people (both indigenous and those echoing their colonial ancestry), places (ruins of the Mayan Empire as well as quickly-developing cities) and sceneries (landscaped brimming with rainbow-colored wildlife and plants). The people are as diverse as the ecosystems found throughout this Central American country. Guatemala is a perfect place to travel and volunteer.

IFRE invites you to join its volunteer in Guatemala program. Explore the country, serve poor children and communities and enrich your life. Share your love and passion with others.

Volunteer Work Projects and Locations

IFRE's volunteer program in Guatemala currently places volunteers in community service projects in Quetzaltenango. Our volunteers contribute time and effort to orphanages, street children projects, healthcare projects, social work projects and English projects.

IFRE volunteer programs in Guatemala include:

Volunteer Project Location

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela (pronounced SHAY-la) or Xelaju, is the second largest city in Guatemala. Situated at the southwest of the country, the surrounding department has a variety of landscapes extending from the cold highlands to the warm Pacific coast. There are numerous volcanoes, hot springs, valleys, mountains, rivers. The region provides a harvest of numerous products such as coffee, wheat, fruits and vegetables, as well as sheep and cattle breeding. The classical, neoclassical and Italian renaissance styles are apparent in the buildings and the houses which have been built during the past century and the beginning of the 20th, with volcanic stones by artistic "Quetzalteco" masons. Xela is also well-known for its abundance of volcanoes, mountains, and hot springs as well as other natural beauty and experiences.

Volunteer Program Fee & Dates:

Start Dates: Volunteer programs starts on the following (first and third Monday of each month)

IFRE is a 501(c)3 organization, so your program fee will be tax deductible. IFRE Volunteers is proud to offer an extensive assortment of programs at very reasonable prices (and may rank “best priced and best value” among the many volunteer abroad organizations in the USA/Europe/New Zealand). Our programs are now more affordable than ever. We are proud to focus on the humanitarian aspect of our business, not the profit. We work very hard and smart to keep costs down, especially for you the volunteer, as we know the value of your donated time and efforts. We remain devoted to maintaining both the quality of the program and the safety of all volunteers involved. Below is a brief summary of the program fee and services that IFRE Volunteers offers.

IFRE fees comprise of two separate fees. An application fee of $349 USD (covers advertising, staff/office expenses, etc.) and a nominal weekly program fee (covers room/board, insurance, field support, etc).

Spanish Language Immersion Program

Are you considering improving your Spanish language skills? Then IFRE's Guatemala Spanish Language Program is the perfect choice.

IFRE currently offers highly affordable Spanish language classes in Quetzaltenango. These classes are exclusive to IFRE volunteers participating in the Guatemala volunteer program. In Guatemala, IFRE partners with a highly reputable Spanish school. They employ qualified and experienced Spanish teachers and offer the most intensive and effective Spanish courses in Guatemala. In this program, volunteers work at their volunteer project and learn Spanish simultaneously. For example, volunteers can take Spanish classes from 9:00-11:00 AM (before lunch) followed by volunteer activities. Alternatively, volunteers may take Spanish classes from 3:00-5:00 PM (after their day's volunteer work). Most of the projects are located close to the Spanish school, so it is possible for volunteers to design a personal schedule. IFRE invites you to improve your Guatemala experience by learning or improving your Spanish.

Spanish Language Cost: $5 / hour

Arrangement of Room/Food/Supervision

In Guatemala, all volunteers stay with well-screened host families. Our host families are socially respected and are well versed in the art of hosting international volunteers. Host families offer a safe home, private rooms (occasionally rooms will be shared with other same-gender volunteers) and shared bathroom facilities with running water and a “western” style toilet. Volunteers have the ability to do laundry at the house or the host family may offer to do it for you for a nominal extra fee. You receive three prepared meals per day. If you will be out of the house during lunch hour, you can request a lunch "to go" that you can take with you or eat out on your own. Host families provide typical meals that are traditional to Guatemala.

Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. With longer placements, we visit our volunteers every two weeks (when possible) and volunteers are always welcome at the local office. If project placement is local, we request that volunteers stop by the office once a week to keep us posted on how they are doing with their home stay and project. If project placement is very far, then our local staff members maintain communication by either email and/or phone.

Volunteer Program Free Time

Volunteers have free time for the duration of their volunteer project, weekends and the Spanish language program. While IFRE does not arrange activities during this time off, our local staff, members and coordinators can provide priceless assistance in making appropriate arrangements for travel in Guatemala. It’s the time for self discovery and learning. It’s time to explore this foreign culture and exotic land. It’s definitely time for a canopy tour in Guatemala! Our IFRE local coordinators/staff are available to give you free advice, travel tips and helps to book your travel.

Quetzaltenango free time will include architectural tours, parks and vistas. Espiritu Santo Cathedral : Consist of two structures. The "Espiritu Santo" parish's ancient facade (1535/1896) and to the back the "Diócesis de los Altos" (1899). The Municipal Theatre is a very important Neoclassical work. The city’s main park (known as "Parque Central) is located in the center of the town is also center for cultural activities and entertainment. A beautiful vista is found at the Cerro del Baúl, where one can take in the sights of Quetzaltenango's valley, day or night (accessible by foot, car or taxi).

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