Xela,Guatemala Projects
- Volunteer Guatemala Home
- Work in an Orphanage
- Street Children/Children at Risk
- Teaching English in Rural Schools
- Medical/Healthcare Hospitals
- Women's Project
- Volunteers' Pictures
- Volunteers' Reviews
- Guatemala Accommodation
- Guatemala Free Time
Volunteer programs in Xela are currently unavailable.
Volunteer Work in Guatemala with street Children
Do you want to provide hope for the future for disadvantaged children while exploring Guatemala? Do you have a passion for making a difference in the life of impoverished children? Then this project is perfect for you.
Guatemala is a beautiful country with deep culture and history spanning hundreds of years. The Spanish colonial history is felt and experienced in the architecture, and the Mayan heritage makes itself felt in numerous amazing ruins.
Sadly, Guatemala is a desperately poor country and many poor children and orphans live and sleep on the street. This project aims to get them out of these conditions and provide them with shelter, food, education and support.
There are several organizations looking to save children from a life on the streets, but they are severely underfunded and lack the manpower necessary to achieve this on their own. Thus, they are always looking for foreign volunteers willing to dedicate their time and love to these children in need. By joining this Guatemala volunteering project, you can make a real difference in the lives of young children who without you would be condemned to a life of crime, substance abuse and homelessness.
Do you want to help rescue children in need from horrifying conditions? Then contact IFRE today to learn how you can help!
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Volunteer Responsibilities & Impact
As a volunteer in our Guatemala street children/children at-risk projects you will help in a variety of ways including teaching English, supervising and organizing extracurricular activities and games as well as routine tasks like cooking, cleaning maintenance laundry, etc.
Helping the children with these tasks will help improve their level of education and create the means and motivation needed to pull themselves out of poverty. Through your love and passion you will greatly improve the chances of these kids at a happy and thriving future.
Skills and Qualifications:
You do not need any specific qualifications to join this volunteer with children project in Guatemala. However, you should have a passion and eagerness to help less fortunate children, as well as have a strong personality to deal with these children's unfortunate situations and demeanors. While Spanish is preferred and will greatly benefit you and the kids you work with, it is not required.
If you have skills and/or a background in child psychology and Spanish fluency, then that will be an amazing advantage and ensure the highest level of contribution and effective interaction. While these skills are welcomed, they are not required if you would like to participate in this particular project.
Working with street children in Guatemala is a greatly rewarding experience and through interacting and playing with these kids you will ensure that each day is fun and exciting.
When you arrive in Guatemala, our local staff will pick you at the airport and transport to your accommodation. The next morning, our local staff gives you an orientation about the country, safety, the project, rules and regulations, etc.
After orientation, you will be taken to your project placement and introduced to the local staff and children. There is no fixed schedule, but an example of a typical day is provided below:
First Day: On your first day of this Guatemala volunteering program, you will accompany the local in-country coordinator to your placement and be introduced to the local staff you will be working with.
Weekdays: Your work with the street kids starts on the second day, and while your days will vary, a typical day will look something like this:
7.00 to 7.30 AM: Start your day positive and full of energy by sharing a delicious local breakfast with your host family.
7.45 AM: You will set out and travel to your placement. Tasks and hours will depend on the project and the placement you will be working at.
12.00 PM: At midday you will break for lunch. You can choose to enjoy lunch with the children or return to your host family and eat with them.
3.00 PM: Your work at the placement usually ends around this time and you are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing.
6.45 PM: Your host will serve you an authentic Guatemalan dinner and this will be a great opportunity to learn more about their country and culture.
Volunteer work in Guatemala with street children Dates and Fees
Program Dates
IFRE programs begin every Monday year-round. If you have travel constraints, you can still start your chosen program on any day of the year.
Our Fees
Since 2006, IFRE has been the most trusted and respected volunteer abroad organization in the world, and also the most affordable. We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality volunteer programs at the lowest fees, which make it possible for everyone, especially students, to volunteer internationally and make a positive impact in the lives of others.
We believe in 100% transparency. Rest assured, we never use middlemen. Your one-time registration fee of $299 covers our administrative costs. The low weekly fee is paid in the host country directly to your host family and project (via country coordinator), and includes housing, food, and minor expenses. IFRE is a non-profit organization, so your program fees are tax deductible.
Volunteer Program Fee (US$)
| Weeks | Street Children |
|---|---|
| 1 Week | $120 |
| 2 Weeks | $240 |
| 3 Weeks | $360 |
| 4 Weeks | $480 |
| 5 Weeks | $600 |
| 6 Weeks | $720 |
| 7 Weeks | $840 |
| 8 Weeks | $960 |
| 9 Weeks | $1,080 |
| 10 Weeks | $1,200 |
| 11 Weeks | $1,320 |
| 12 Weeks | $1,440 |
Comprehensive Travel Insurance $3.49/day »
Airport Pick up and Transfer to Xela from Guatemala City- $40 to $80 (depending on type of accommodation)
Spanish Classes: (Monday-Friday) 2 hours a day: $50/ week
Program Fees Cover:
- Accommodation (host family)
- Food (local food 3 times a day)
- Program Orientation
- In-country support
- Personalized project
- Pre-departure information
- Certificate of completion
- Fundraising ideas and letters
- Discount for returning volunteers
Program Fees Exclude:
- Visas
- Airfare
- Personal expenses on soft drinks and foods
- Daily transportation
- Airport return transfer
The volunteering programs in Xela, Guatemala fees will cover expenses that will begin on the first day of the program (usually the first or third Monday of the month) to the last day of the program. If you arrive before the first day of the program or you decide you stay beyond your program’s last day, you will be responsible for the additional expenses, which would typically be around $30 a day for room and meals at a hostel.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Accommodation and Meal
Your accommodation is a comfortable home provided by a Guatemalan host family. It is a safe home with electricity, running water and western-style toilets. Hundreds of other volunteers have stayed in the home before and loved it. In addition, they will serve you with three home-cooked meals per day and you will have plenty of cultural immersion.
Learn more about the host families and meals you will be served while in Xela, Guatemala.
Free Time and Weekend Exploration
Yes, during your time in Guatemala you will have plenty of time to explore and discover this amazing country. You will typically work for only 4-5 hours a day so all your evenings during the week will be your free time to explore and discover your local area. During the weekend you will have time to travel to see the rest of the country for 2 days a week.
Learn more about Guatemala and things you will be able to see while volunteering there.
Safety and in Country Support
IFRE has years of experience hosting volunteers; therefore we understand that your safety is the most important thing. We will support you in the everyway possible and you will have a local coordinator that will be available 24/7 to assist you and guide you as you transition and adjust to your new home in Guatemala.
Read more about the safety and support we provide you with while in Guatemala.
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Volunteer Work in Guatemala with Street Children: FAQs
Arrival and departure
To join our medical volunteer program in Guatemala, you should fly into Aurora International Airport, Xela, Guatemala at least one day prior to the start of the project. Once you have provided us with your flight itinerary, we will arrange your airport pickup, though please inform us in the event of any delays or missed flights as we will then need to reschedule.
Bear in mind that you need to arrange your transportation back to the airport yourself, so budget for this. However, your coordinator and host family can help you arrange this.
Visa
Depending on your country of origin, you may need a visa to visit Guatemala. A Guatemalan visa is not required for citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK for a stay of up to 90 days but all visitors must have a passport that is valid for at least six months. Please visit the Guatemalan Immigration website and for more details.
Vaccination
Talk to your doctor about what vaccines you need prior to leaving on your trip. You can also find the information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Global Health Canada or in Travelers' Health United Kingdom. It is incredibly important that you take all of the recommended vaccines. Some of the required vaccines are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.
For Further readings:
Vaccination
Volunteer Health and Safety
Safety tips for your volunteer abroad trip
Any important information you want to share about this project.
In this project conversational Spanish is not mandatory but makes a significant difference. While working in this Guatemala volunteer program wearing shorts or miniskirts is not allowed.
Why volunteer in Guatemala with street children?
Volunteering with street children is the best way to fulfill your passion with kids while also traveling to an exotic and fascinating country.
Provide care and affection, making a huge difference
When you join thisGuatemala volunteer program you will come across street children who have been abandoned by their parents because of poverty or have lost their parents and are orphans. Facing the difficulties of life at such an early age, these children crave for much-needed love and affection.
Provide education to the children living on the streets
One of the key roles and responsibilities that you will carry out while volunteering in Guatemala is to conduct informal educational classes for the kids that will help them as they grow and provide them with future job opportunities.
Derive experience of volunteering with street children in Guatemala
This Guatemala volunteer program for street children project is a life changing experience for you. When you volunteer in Guatemala with the street children this will be a travel experience of a lifetime and something you may have never done before.
Contribute in molding the future of street children
The children at the Guatemala volunteer program are either abandoned by their parents or are forced to make the streets their second home. As they belong to poverty-stricken families and are deprived of fundamental needs, your love and care will bring back the confidence they need to know they are valued members of the society.
Promote personal empowerment amongst kids
When you join this Guatemala volunteer opportunity for street children you will spread the message of personal empowerment. You will lend support and guide these kids to teach them creative life skills while building their confidence to help them bring out the best in themselves.
Other Volunteering Opportunities in Xela, Guatemala
You can make a difference in a myriad of ways. You can
Help empower girls and young women and much more.
Contact IFRE today to figure out how you want to help!
Other Street Children Volunteering Opportunities Worldwide
Many countries around the world are unable to rescue and care for children living on the streets. To help this ongoing fight against poverty and terrible conditions, IFRE arranges volunteer projects with street children all over the world, and some of our most popular projects in this vein are listed below:
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