Mexico - Project 2

DESTINATIONS

0800 345 75 82

Visa

Country Info

Accomodation

NEWSLETTER

Click here to read it!

See what happened with ...

WHO IS GOING?

If I can help I will...
Keith Parham

MEXICO PROJECT 2 - PLACEMENT OVERVIEW

A volunteering experience with a difference! Live and work on the stunning Yucatan peninsula and experience daily life through the eyes of local people.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

If you love children and would like to offer your time to some very special children then this placement is ideal. Following some help to settle you in by a local coordinator volunteers teach English in a variety of locations from soup kitchens to orphanages and community centres in and around the colonial city of Merida.

No experience is needed and you don’t need to speak Spanish! In fact better if you don’t! These children want to hear you speaking English all the time and are eager to learn whether by singing pop songs, reading or drawing pictures together..cont.d

MEXICO PROJECT 2

£47 per week

Accommodation Inc.

Airport Pick-up Service.

Food Self-catering

YOUR EXPERIENCE ...cont

On arrival

Volunteers met on arrival at the airport in Merida (or at the Merida bus station if travelling overland from Cancun, Mexico City, elsewhere).

Volunteers are transferred to the volunteer house.

Volunteer accommodation

The volunteer house is a spacious ground level bungalow with kitchen, lounge, basic western shower/wc and is only yards from the the English speaking volunteer coordinator’s house - just around the corner!

Volunteers share dormitory style rooms using single beds/bunk beds.

Location of the volunteer house

The volunteer house is close to the centre of Merida with shops, cafes, internet cafes, hospitals etc.

As above, the coordinator lives around the corner so if you need some advice or a chat-you can pop in without having to take a bus!

Placements

Placements are organised by the coordinator. Friends/couples and small groups are always placed together. Volunteers are introduced to their placement and shown how to get there. Once settled in, volunteers travel together to their placements between Monday and Friday by bus or shared taxi if their placement is too far to walk.

Free time

There is plenty to do in the area (from swimming in the caves, climbing the Mayan pyramids etc) and volunteers with plenty of time are recommended to allow a week or two at the end of their stay to visit everything there is to see. The coordinator will give you lots of ideas.

Spanish

Classes are available for volunteers who would like to start learning or improving. These can be arranged after arrival by the coordinator and cost approximately £5 per class. Classes can be organised around your volunteering so you can get on with both at the same time.

AT A GLANCE

Age:18yrs+ on arrival

Project location: Merida

Accommodation:Volunteer accommodation provided.

Working hours:Variable, usually half a day five days a week (allow an extra hour each day to prepare lessons/activities)

Minimum stay:1 week (ideally 2 weeks for English teaching)

Placements available:All year round (except 20 Dec - 5 Jan)

When to apply: Register early to book your space especially if arriving at Easter or between June-September

Costs: £47 per week

Airport pick -up service £12

Getting there:Direct flight to Merida (or Cancun) from UK.

Volunteers flying in to Merida are met at Merida airport.

Volunteers flying into Cancun advised to take a bus or airport direct to Merida.

For volunteers choosing to stay over the night in Cancun-pre-booked accommodation is recommended. Onward travel to Merida by taxi or coach the following day.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAMME

Orientation and support throughout placement

Volunteer coordinator helps arrange/ settle volunteers into placements and provides back-up and support during your stay

Volunteer self-catering accommodation

WE CONSIDER THIS PROJECT IDEAL IF YOU

Want to try English teaching for the first time

You want to arrive home afterwards with greater self confidence and some new skills

Want to be able to try out your own ideas and have fun with the children

Are looking for a location which offers plenty of sightseeing opportunities

MEXICO AT A GLANCE

Mexico is a land of contrasts, a developing country yet one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Other attractions away from the beach resorts include ancient Aztec and Mayan cities, Spanish colonial architecture, the Copper Canyon railway and bustling markets selling local handicrafts.

Local must-sees include the Loltun Caves, Los Cenotes (underground caverns), a boat tour of the coastal mangrove swamps and Mayan ruins.

Weekend excursions can be booked easily in Merida through one of many tour operators for as little as £20 for a full day including plenty of time to explore, swim , take photos and relax.

Laura Dorn

A must-do project in an incredible location.