About the ProjectBuilding houses families can call their home
Working with our local host partner OPEN WINDOWS FOUNDATION, community leaders, and local tradesmen, this DWC project will expand the Learning Center attended by hundreds of local children. New, individual classrooms will provide a secure and pleasant environment for numerous activities.
This project will see the completion of a second story on a two-story building. The first level was constructed in 2020 with space for two classrooms. It is made of masonry block with reinforced concrete. Rebar was installed for a second level, but work was left unfinished through the pandemic. The second story would be accessed by an outdoor staircase on the side of the building. There is potential for a small washroom or storage room under the stairs.
This project will consist of general construction activities needed for building a brick, cement and plaster building. Depending on when the team participates, the volunteers should be ready to participate in various construction activities including digging holes and/or removing boulders, hauling brick, mixing and/or hauling cement, building brick walls, plastering and/or painting walls etc. It would be recommended that all volunteers wear quality closed toe shoes and bring along personal work gloves, dust masks and eye protection.
In Guatemala
Indigenous peoples in Guatemala face disproportionate levels of poverty and human development than non-indigenous people. With 60 percent of indigenous Guatemalans living in extreme poverty, it is clear that the government must address the institutional practices contributing to their social exclusion and economic deprivation.
There is an extreme level of income disparity in Guatemala, with less than 1 percent of the population in control of half of the country’s wealth.
What to ExpectA Typical Workday in Guatemala
Join us and volunteer to help a family in Guatemala. In Guatemala, DWC works with Open Windows Foundation, our in-country host partner. All beneficiaries and projects are chosen in partnership with them according to local needs and priorities. Poverty reduction is the ultimate goal.
The volunteer team will travel to Guatemala to work on a community development project in San Miguel Dueñas. San Miguel Dueñas is an agricultural community of about 12,000 people who live 15 kilometers from the tourist city of Antigua.
San Miguel Dueñas is an agricultural town of 12,000 people. For most families, sending their children to school presents significant financial difficulties. Although San Miguel Dueñas is a mere twenty-minute drive from the prosperous tourist center of La Antigua, very few residents of the town benefit from its proximity. The town has a substantially lower standard of living, with most members of the community working in the local coffee plantations and flower nurseries. The average monthly income is less than $200 per month.
In general, expect to work 6-8 hours per day. Volunteers usually wake up early, around 6:00 or 7:00 am for breakfast. After breakfast, the team is transported to the project site (usually by private bus) and the workday begins, usually somewhere between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. There will be lunch in the middle of the day, which is either provided by your workplace, host family, or purchased by you. Your workday will usually end around 4:00 pm.
It's Not All WorkExplore the ancient UNESCO Heritage city of Antigua
You can expect a warm and humid climate during your stay in Guatemala. It’s an excellent time to visit with temperatures averaging between 20°C to 30°C (70°F to 80°F) making it comfortable for indoor or outdoor pursuits.
There is plenty to see and do. Antigua, where our volunteers stay, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Spanish Baroque style of architecture and church ruins. The region was hit by several earthquakes in the 1700s (hence the historic ruins). Not to worry, though, there haven’t been any quakes of note in the past couple of hundred years or so.
Past teams have visited a chocolate maker, open markets, monuments, fountains, plant nurseries and even volcanoes. Some have gone for wilderness hikes or ziplining. There are lots of options for your free time.
Trip Details
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Carbon offsets are used to compensate for the greenhouse gasses that we create through certain activities, such as flying. For every tonne of carbon released into the atmosphere, an ‘offset’ is a carefully designed project that absorbs or stores the equivalent CO2 emissions. You can choose to offset your own flight, your whole family’s, or do this as a gift for a friend.
Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Joy
Trip Coordinator