Voluntary Project Overview

We work mainly in primary schools throughout the valleys, where pupils rare aged from 4 to 14. In addition, our volunteers are asked to provide support to the small, 'rural' schools, scattered along the valley.

The Volunteer Abroad Role

Volunteers work with local teachers, helping to raise the level of English in the Comuna. Other activities can include sports and support for information technology, and volunteers can also set up adult English classes. Other exciting projects which have been organised by volunteers have included a concert, a marathon and a photographic exhibition of work done by children.

Other Volunteer Abroad opportunities

We are also keen for volunteers to get involved in vocational training for young people and adults in the valley. Volunteers would help with communication skills in English in the context of the tourist activities in the valley as well as in the acquisition of basic computing skills.

Voluntary Programme Requirements/Eligibility Criteria

Basic knowledge of Spanish is essential, as very little English is spoken. Volunteers need good communication skills, an open mind, lots of enthusiasm and a good sense of humour! Our philosophy is to encourage the students to learn by having fun in the lessons. There is also a minimum time requirement of 10 weeks for these programmes. For volunteers with very little Spanish, classes can be organised in La Serena. This is a great chance to improve your Spanish!

Volunteer Accommodation and Living arrangements

The Elqui Valley region enjoys one of the most pleasant climates in the country. It hardly ever rains and daytime temperatures are well into the mid 30° C between November and early April.

The people in the Elqui Valley are very friendly and welcoming. Volunteers are lodged with local families close to the main school in which they will be working and will have either a single room or one shared with another volunteer. A number of homes have large, shady gardens full of avocado and fruit trees and one even has a (somewhat rustic) swimming pool! The volunteers live very much as part of the family.

What’s included in your Programme Fee?

• Project selection and placement - Our in-country teams work constantly to identify and select projects that are doing exemplary work in developing countries but need your skills and effort. Our staff are in dialogue with you to ensure that we choose a project that really needs you, where you will use your skills and contribute, because at MondoChallenge, we believe that a great volunteering experience is largely dependant on matching you with the right project
• Pre Departure Briefing - Before you leave, we will arrange for a pre departure briefing where we help you with small but extremely helpful details on your chosen destination. Things like: what to pack, local culture and customs, food, safety and precautions if any - simple things to make your life easier!
• Guidance for processing visa - MondoChallenge will arrange for any relevant documents and guide you through the visa process.
• Airport Pick Up - Arriving in a new city and not knowing where to go and how to go can be quite unnerving. A MondoChallenge representative will meet you at the airport and take you to your place of stay where you can put your feet up after a long flight.
• In country Orientation and Welcome Pack - When you arrive at your location, you will be given an orientation where you could meet other volunteers from MondoChallenge, learn all about your location, how to find your way around, where to get SIM cards for the phone, small bits that you will need help sorting out in the first few days.
• In Country Support - Our local co-ordinators are there to guide you through out your stay. They will make sure that you are settled at your project, are comfortable with your accommodation and provide guidance on local culture and customs to ensure that you have a memorable and rewarding experience.
• Accommodation - In most cases you stay with a local host family. It gives you a taste of the daily life of a local. You will be sharing a room with another volunteer, however if you prefer to have a single room to youself, this can be arranged but a cost supplement may apply. If you prefer totally independent accommodation, this maybe possible in certain areas at an additional cost and our Programme Managers will be able to assist you with this.
• Breakfast and Dinner - Local home cooked food, will be provided at the home stays. This gives you a chance to experience local dishes.
• Optional Contribution to the Education Grant - The Educational Grant helps projects like the one you will volunteer with, to get basic infrastructure and resources. Open air schools need a roof, some need tables or chairs and some need books for children. We identify needs and constantly work at improving the conditions at our partner projects. We also encourage you to identify needs at your project and let our local management know of any specifics that you feel may help. The grants are made through our registered charity, FutureSense Foundation (Charity No: 1132101). In the project fee above we recommend an optional contribution towards these grants. If you would like to fund raise or contribute further amounts towards this directly to the foundation we can assist you through the process.

Not Included:

• International Flights
• Visa and Travel insurance Costs
• Vaccination
• Local Transport and Travel
• Personal Expenses

Project photos

Testimonials