The Nest Trust

FAQs

What do volunteers do? 

If you volunteer to teach English, you are likely to:

• teach English classes in your area, and perhaps to members of your homestay family.  
• prepare lesson plans and support material, particularly visual and interactive
• keep records + attendance lists,
• set homestudy work + evaluation tasks 
• participate in community work.

You’ll usually teach four - five days a week. You may need to teach one Saturdays and Sundays. You may teach groups and you may also work one-to-one with students (in the evenings) or you might join them when they are out in the fields or picking coffee. Attendance can be very hit and miss; there are other priorities, students find it hard and are reticent to speak.

 You can discuss with the organisation and community what other projects they have or would like where your skills and interests could help.

Where do volunteers live?

Living conditions in the countryside are rustic. There may be no running water and no electricity. In most instances you have a room with a local family who cook for you. Concepts of privacy are different and you may have a curtain across the doorway or maybe a door (probably not lockable). Animals will run around; the standards of hygiene will be different. The (pit) latrine and washing areas will be outside some distance from the house and the ground may be very muddy in the rainy season. The food is nutritious but simple: beans, tortillas, rice, curd cheese, and eggs are the staples. Your family may have an organic veggie patch. If not, why don't you start one!.

 What are the costs?

Day to day costs

• For living expenses, ~US$100 /week covers most needs.  Host families usually provide accommodation and meals at cost, so you may pay around US$50 - 60 a week for a room and three meals a day. A further US$30.00 a week seems to cover local transport, photocopying materials, internet café use and social activities. 
• Additional expenses would be weekend trips and renewal of the three month entry visa.
• In addition, you will want to raise funds (before / during / on your return) that contribute to the other community-led projects you become involved in.

Your major expense is the international airfare.

Who do I teach?
There could be a core group of young people, some may be guides, some from homestay family members, others may be office staff. There could be additional groups of young people who don’t need English for tourism but are keen to learn. You may be asked to help with secondary school English classes.

The English classes offer young people in rural areas a rare chance for an extended educational experience: There are usually primary schools within reach but for secondary education the opportunities are often limited to Saturday schooling in a local town.  The aims extend beyond English teaching: we want students to acquire good learning skills, a broader education and some English. Thus volunteers with  good Spanish and computer skills might also teach basic computing.

 What support is there?
That depends on the community but don’t expect much. The community should ensure there’s a host family when you arrive, some students and a place to teach. Then there are the specialist teaching materials. After that you may be on your own! Everyone will be very welcoming and do all they can to make your stay worthwhile. Expect to ask rather than be offered, and learn that everything happens on a different, slower timescale!. 

Click here for an application form you can use.