Details

Volunteer Requirements

To be part of a volunteer project you must be 18 years-old or over. You’ll be required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance against sickness, accident and 3rd party liability.

A basic understanding of Spanish is extremely helpful. We encourage volunteers to take advantage of the very affordable language lessons offered by our partner staff in Cochabamba. Many of those who have taken part in our projects in the past told us that taking these lessons helped them a lot in everyday volunteer work and to communicate with locals.

Location and duration

Cochabamba is a magnificent and exotic city built on a valley in the Andes mountain range. Its paradisiac weather is almost always warm, sunny and dry. Among its many tourist attractions you will find the largest open air market and the biggest statue of Jesus Christ that exists.

There are no specific starting dates or limited periods of time to participate in our volunteer projects in Bolivia. You can start any day you choose and stay from two weeks on, for as long as you wish.

Orientation

On your arrival a member of our local staff will take you to the guest house, introduce you to the volunteers that will be your housemates, show you the facilities and help you settle. Then you’ll be taken around the town and to your project placement, where you’ll meet the people you’ll be working with. You’ll be instructed on basic rules, local customs, travel options and what to expect from this volunteering experience. You will also have the opportunity to clear any remaining doubts you may still have.

 Accommodation and Meals

Volunteers are lodged in a large guest house strategically located in the city center, within walking distance to most of the tourist attractions and surrounded by restaurants, shops and cafes.

Bedrooms and bathroom are shared among the guests and experience has shown us that this cohabitation with motivated and empathetic people from all over the globe is one of the most appreciated aspects of our popular volunteer programs in Bolivia.

This program includes breakfast and lunch on weekdays, and they are often prepared by volunteers taking turns. Lunch or almuerzo is the most important meal of the day and it can consist of three courses, coffee and dessert. It is a long meal and shops and business make a break for almuerzo and siesta from 12:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Volunteers can use the kitchen facilities to make their dinner and weekend meals, which are not included in the program. They can also try some of the many and highly recommended cafes and restaurants in Cochabamba city. Exploring the outstanding sights of this magical town and then having a delicious, generous and very affordable meal at one of its restaurants is a perfect program for a weekend.

In spite of the fact that this amazing city is practically untouched by large scale commercial tourism it counts with all modern services such as WIFI and laundry shops.

Volunteer schedule

You must keep in mind that volunteers are depended on for very important tasks and though they can occasionally take a day off (with dew previous notice to the staff), having chosen to be part of a volunteer program implies responsibility.

On a regular weekday volunteers have breakfast in the house between 7.30 am and 08.30 am and at 10:30  they are taken to their project placement where they’ll take part in the different tasks involved in that particular project from 11:00 to 12:30  and from 14:30 to 18:00 in the afternoon. There’s usually a morning tea break and a lunch break.

Work and timetables may vary at each placement depending on the projects, but work usually ends at 6:00 in the afternoon and then volunteers are free to do what they want for the rest of the day.

Some will go to do some shopping or sightseeing, go back to their accommodation to rest.

Weekends

Although CW tries its best to leave your weekends free for touristic and relaxing activities, as a volunteer you might sometimes be required to work a few hours on Saturdays.

You can always count on our local team to give you travel advice and help you arrange some sightseeing tours in the region.

Spending your free time in the city is also an excellent option, Cochabamba offers a variety of sights and recreational activities,so enjoying your spare time exploring them with your new local and foreign friends will be a unique opportunity to create everlasting memories.