Volunteering Overseas

Get ‘Hands-On’ to Help Make a Difference

Volunteer at a Teach A Man To Fish School!

Through our local partners we are able to arrange volunteer placements - bringing needed skills to local communities, and offering volunteers a chance to immerse themselves in local culture for a unique life experience.

Our partner schools are committed to transforming kids from some of the poorest backgrounds into young entrepreneurs - which means you can get involved with creating school businesses and pick up new skills in areas like organic farming as well as helping with regular educational activities!

Placements are currently available in the following locations:

Nicaragua, Central America
Honduras, Central America
Paraguay, South America

Nicaragua - Central America

Colegio Técnico Agropecuario La Bastilla, or La Bastilla Technical Agricultural High School, is the first rural entrepreneurship school in Nicaragua. Hoping to reach financial self-sufficiency by 2016, the school has already set up seven businesses, including egg production, dairy processing and a stunning Ecolodge. The project is set in magical cloud-forest surroundings, and is situated on a Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee farm in northern Nicaragua.

Project Areas:

Education
Farming Skills Training
Environment and Eco-Tourism
Business, Sales and Trade, Entrepreneurship
Public Health and Community Development

Activities:

Teaching - English, Physical Education, and Cultural Activities (depending on your level of Spanish)
Assisting with farming activity or teaching farming techniques
Designing a nutrition programme
Assisting in and helping to extend ecological activity
Helping to develop an eco-tourism programme
Marketing the Ecolodge
Helping to develop the organisational and administrative capacity of the businesses.
Assisting in the development of a health sensitisation program
And much more!

Duration of Project: Generally a minimum of 2 weeks. In some cases a commitment of less than 2 weeks is possible. Please contact us for more information.

Costs: Volunteers are expected to cover the cost of their flight, insurance and transfer to the project. The project costs approximately £100 per week depending on the length of your stay. Volunteers also have the option to upgrade their accommodation to stay in a private room at the Ecolodge for an additional cost.

Language: An intermediate level of Spanish is required as none of the students and only two members of staff speak English. This represents an excellent opportunity to improve your Spanish. It is also possible to arrange Spanish lessons as part of your placement - please ask upon application for further information.

Minimum Age for Volunteers: 18

For more information about the program please download the full information pack or contact volunteer@teachamantofish.org.uk. Also see www.bastillaecolodge.com

Honduras - Central America

The Escuela Técnica Vocacional Dr. Stephen Youngberg is a technical vocational school in the little town of Peña Blanca in central Honduras, close to San Pedro Sula. The school is in the process of converting its four existing courses into school businesses; car mechanic, sewing, woodcarving and carpentry. In addition to this, the school is planning to open up two completely new businesses in 2013; tourism and a beauty salon. Peña Blanca is located right next to Lake Yojoa which is the largest lake in Honduras with beautiful landscapes, mountains and two ecological parks in its surrounding area.

Project Areas:

Vocational Education in the following areas:

- Carpentry

- Car Mechanic

- Sewing

- Woodcarving

-Tourism

Primary and Secondary Education (EDUCATODOS programme)
Marketing
Business Planning and Development

Activities:

Teaching English (and other subjects in primary and secondary school depending on Spanish level)
Give English lessons for the teachers
Help develop a Tourism business
Help develop a Beauty Salon business
Help develop the organisational and administrative capacity of the other businesses
Other activities with Pan-American Health Service for instance in the children´s home

Duration of Project: Generally a minimum of 2 weeks. In some cases a commitment of less than 2 weeks is possible. Please contact us for more information.

Costs: Volunteers are expected to cover the cost of their flight, insurance and transfer to the project. Project costs vary according to whether you prefer to cook your own meals, or have catered accommodation. Around £120 per week, subject to length of stay.

Language: Spanish proficiency required.

Minimum Age for Volunteers: 18

For more information, please contact us at volunteer@teachamantofish.org.uk

Paraguay - South America

Teach A Man To Fish currently has two partner schools in Paraguay that provide internship opportunities; Fundacion Paraguaya and Centro Educativo Mbaracayu.

Fundacion Paraguaya is one of the leading NGOs in Paraguay. Their pioneering work cuts across the fields of education and microfinance with programs supporting the development and needs of entrepreneurs from the classroom to the workplace.

Project Areas

Entrepreneurship Education
Environment
Marketing
Business Planning

Length of Internship: To be considered for an internship applicants must be available for a minimum of 2 months, although longer commitments are welcomed and encouraged.

Background: Current undergraduates, college graduates or graduate students with a strong interest in one or more areas in which Fundación Paraguaya works (microfinance, economic education for children and youth, agricultural high school education).

Language: Spanish proficiency required.

For more information on the range of available intern positions contact Sarah Hooper at the Fundacion Paraguaya: send mail now!

Centro Educativo Mbaracayu is a girls only educational facility located inside a national forest reserve in Eastern Paraguay. It hopes to achieve financial self-sustainability and empower rural girls to overcome poverty. An internship at the school offers the opportunity to acquire hands on experience in the environmental sciences and sustainable development through its innovative internship programme.