Volunteering

Foundation Más offers a flexible, interactive and reciprocal (mutual) volunteering program to the beneficiaries. Our aim is to provide a flexible program with the possibility to conduct some volunteering just for a few weeks, or for a longer period. To ensure regularity and stability we construct a program with different stages and clear structure. To ensure a leverage effect we share the knowledge of our students with local children and the community of Taganga. We create a link between sharing knowledge and supporting. We offer short, medium and long term volunteering options.

Short term volunteering involves small projects and can be done in a free afternoon. Of course, because the program is flexible, the student can participate for a longer period. This kind of volunteering is intended to support the underprivileged children by developing their creative skills, like create handy-crafts so they can sell these on the street, read stories to them and play games. Minimum two weeks.

Medium term volunteering is intended to support the underprivileged children by developing their social skills, like helping them with their homework, cook a balanced meal or make them aware to look after the environment, for instance by collecting garbage in the streets together. The participants of this program, students of Academia Latina, have to make some commitments, because there is a possible risk of personal damage. We do not want to hurt these children or the local community.

Long term volunteering is intended to support the underprivileged children by developing their skills and teach them at the same time for example English classes or music lessons. Larger projects for the community are possible as well for example building a new classroom for the local school, teach the community to save water, provide healthcare, drugs prevention and sexual counselling and advise on HIV/AIDS. Taganga is a poor village and there is a demand for many things. Participants of this program have to be committed and will be ‘screened’, because there is a high potential risk of damaging these children or the local community.

Every student at Academia Latina gets the opportunity to contribute to the local community of Taganga by conduct some volunteering.

Cost

If we could, we would offer our volunteering for free. But unfortunately our volunteering program cannot be for free. We have to do a lot to register you and organise all the activities. We have to pay rent and taxes. We have to charge every volunteer 50 euro to participate in our volunteer programs. To register you we need a copy of your passport and a short resume (CV).

 

IMPORTANT: make sure you have the right permit (Ingreso y Permanencia).

Visa

Tourists in Colombia are not entitled to do anything but having a holiday. So, if you want to do some volunteering or studying, you need permission from D.A.S. (Departemento Administrativo de Seguridad). There are different rules and laws for volunteering than for studying in Colombia.

 

The permit that volunteers need is called Ingreso y Permanencia.

 

This permit is free of charge. You can get at the office of D.A.S. in Santa Marta. So, you do not have to go to Bogotá. The only thing you need is a letter of invitation from our foundation.