Volunteer in South America

Promote Environmental and Community Health
Spend your summer (Their winter!) as an AMIGOS Volunteer working, living, and learning with a host family in beautiful rural Paraguay. Learn a new language and a new culture while promoting leadership skills, team-building, and youth empowerment through environmental activities. Partner with local youth to run camps for 5-12 year old children. Collaborate with community members on the planning and implementation of a Community-based Initiative tailored to your community’s specific needs. Some Volunteers will be helping with latrine construction, some building safer fuel-efficient stoves, and some focusing on reforestation. For more specific information, visit our website.

Dates: Summer
Cost: The participation fee is $5,150. Scholarship and fundraising support is available.
The Participation Fee includes:

* Round-trip international airfare from your gateway city
* Food, lodging, and transportation in Latin America
* All project related supplies
* Training materials and workshops
* Veteran supervisory Project Staff
* 24-hour emergency On-Call Communications System during the program
* Supplemental short-term international medical insurance

Contact: Amigos de las Américas, 5618 Star Lane, Houston, Texas 77057.
Tel: (713) 782-5290
Email: info@amigoslink.org
Website: www.amigoslink.org

United Planet
Volunteer in South America
United Planet's Quest Volunteer Abroad program offers you or your group a life-changing opportunity to interact with local communities through customized volunteer work, enriching activities, and home stays. Our programs in South America run from 1 to 52 weeks and welcome volunteers of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds because we know that everyone has something to offer! Visit our website for more information on specific countries!

Dates: Ongoing start dates.
Cost: Varies according to country and length of stay.
Contact: United Planet, 11 Arlington St, Boston MA 02116, USA.
Tel.: 800-292-2316 or 617-267-7763.
Email: quest@unitedplanet.org
Website: www.unitedplanet.org

Volunteer in South America 
ELI partners with local organizations in Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil and Argentina to match volunteers with local organizations in need of volunteers. All placements are made on an individual basis depending on the skills and goals of the volunteer, the needs of the organization, and the length of the program. Possible volunteer projects include animal rescue, soup kitchens, family school, at-risk youth, orphanage, teaching, adult education, special needs kids, construction, environmental conservation and more! Programs are available throughout the year for lengths of time varying from two weeks to six months.

Dates: Programs are available throughout the year and dates are flexible.
Cost: Program fees start at $515. The cost will depend on the country and duration of the program. Program fees include airport pickup, accommodation, and meals.
Contact: ELI, 1557 Ogden St. #5, Denver, CO 80218
Tel.: 303-321-8278
Email: info@eliabroad.org
Website: www.eliabroad.org

Volunteer Placements throughout South and Central America with InterExchange Working Abroad
InterExchange Working Abroad offers volunteer placements in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and Peru. Discover these amazing countries first-hand by contributing to meaningful volunteer projects! Projects include work in education, social work, tourism, animal welfare or summer camps. Most placements include intensive Spanish language courses, orientations, host family or student residence housing, meals, cultural activities and more! InterExchange has over 40 years experience arranging cultural exchange programs.

Dates: Year-Round
Cost: $595 and up
Contact: InterExchange Working Abroad, 161 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10013.
Tel.: 212-924-0446; toll-free 1-800-597-3675.
Email: workabroad@interexchange.org
Website: www.interexchange.org/workingabroad

Earth to City Ecuador
Volunteers do hands-on farming, fishing or wildlife activities typical of rural Ecuadorean communities. In the mountains, work side-by-side with community members to milk cows, make cheese, plant organic fruits and vegetables, harvest, fleece sheep, gather wild mushrooms, cook, teach English to locals, and more. In the jungle, make jewelry out of seeds, take notes on wildlife during jungle patrols, tour petroleum extracting facilities, take part in jungle activities under guidance of members of the Cofan indigenous community. On the coast, fish, chop plantains, pull up yuca, trap crabs, harvest coconuts, make raw chocolate out of cacao, and more...

Dates: Every Monday through Friday, ongoing, year round. Minimum 5 days stay with option to extend as longer-term volunteer.
Cost: $320 - $380 for first 5 days, including food, lodging, bilingual English-Spanish guide, optional Spanish lessons, all transportation and hands-on activities; After that, about $6/day paid to family to cover electricity and water costs. Fees as longer-term volunteer may be waived if you have significant agricultural/wildlife experience.
Contact: Tien-Shun Lee, Founder and Community Coordinator, Earth to City; Mailing address: Earth to City, c/o EarthMatters, 177 Ludlow St., New York, NY 10002. Tel. 1-914-648-1689.
Email: tien.shun@gmail.com
Website: www.earthtocity.org