Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona in Colombia. Photo © Jesse Kraft/123rf.
FMA has a variety of projects that volunteers can support. Those who want to work with children can assist or teach in the after-school program for kids age 4-14. Others go to homes for one-on-one literacy classes with young mothers and fathers. Group English lessons are taught to adults in the evenings in marginalized areas of the city. Workshops are taught in social work, sexual health, nutrition, and parenting.
There is occasionally construction work to be done on existing buildings, and FMA is working on raising funds to build a new school or community center. Volunteers are also needed to help out with administration, fundraising, and publicity (in particular, writing, photographing, blogging, tweeting, and social networking).
In their free time, volunteers can study Spanish or learn how to scuba dive, explore the city or the nearby Tayrona National Park, or just laze around on the beach. FMA can arrange both Spanish classes and salsa dancing lessons.
Santa Marta, Colombia
tel. 57/311-638-1609
U.S. tel. 720/253-2155
Application Process: There is a downloadable application form on their website. Families are welcome, and many have volunteered with them in the past.
Cost: There is a US$50 fee. Volunteers are responsible for their own expenses, and they are expected to contribute to the purchase of classroom supplies (FMA suggests allocating US$20 per week for this).
Placement Length: One-week minimum for classroom assistants; classroom teachers must make a commitment of at least three weeks.
Language Requirements: Basic Spanish is required, but FMA can arrange lessons from local teachers at discounted prices.
Housing: Volunteers are responsible for their own accommodations and meals, but FMA can help find homestays for US$15/night, including meals, laundry, and Internet. Hostels are US$5-10 per night, and there are lots of hotels, some of which offer discounts for volunteers. It is also possible to rent a house in one of the neighborhoods where FMA works, for US$70/month, but this is only recommended for men or couples, for safety reasons. If not in a homestay, FMA recommends budgeting US$150-200/month for food, and another US$20/month for transportation.
Operating Since: 2007; first international volunteers in 2009
Number of Volunteers: 110 in 2012
Excerpted from the First Edition of Moon Volunteer Vacations in Latin America.
