Volunteer

Support us in Europe

If you cannot make the commitment to travel to volunteer with us in Guatemala, we are always on the lookout for energetic volunteers to work with us remotely from Europe or Latin America. We prefer individuals living in these areas because it makes it easier to organize team meetings, but if you live outside these areas and are still passionate about working with us please still reach out!

Our European team assists with a lot of the behind the scenes work that is needed to support our field volunteers and manage the organization. We are often in need of individuals with experience or interest in: local/international law, project management, finance, grant writing/fundraising, monitoring & evaluation, programming, and data base administration.

These volunteer positions are best for individuals who are proactive, can work with little to no oversight, and are interested in volunteering for at least 6 months. Interested applicants can send a motivation letter and CV to info@lichutam.org specifying when and for how long you are interested in volunteering.

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Volunteer

Volunteer with us in Guatemala

We are constantly looking for new volunteers who are interested in traveling to the Polochic Valley to work on our projects. Each volunteer is assigned to work on specific projects based on his/her experience and interests, but in general we are looking for individuals with the following qualifications:

  • Ability to engage for a minimum of 6 months’ period in the field
  • Fluency in Spanish and English (written and spoken)
  • Experience working on and/or managing a team
  • Clear understanding of project management concepts such as: project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation, and closing
  • Ability to be flexible and adaptable to the challenges living in a rural environment and tropical climate
  • Ability to work collaboratively in an international, multicultural, multi-ethnic environment, utilizing strong communication skills
  • Experience working in rural or under-developed areas; experience working specifically with indigenous communities is a plus
  • Experience in grant writing, fundraising, and/or general research
  • Experience working with children and/or a theoretical knowledge in alternative pedagogies such as Stainer School or Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed
  • Strong understanding of common operating systems and Microsoft Office applications, basic or higher understanding in programming languages (not required)

In exchange for volunteering with us, Li Ch’utam provides :

  • Living stipend (accommodation in a modern lodge and meals) and local transportation expenses
  • Internet connection
  • A unique opportunity to gain work experience in a cross-cultural environment and to work with indigenous O’eqchi Maya families in the heart of Guatemala
  • Ability to improve your language skills through complete immersion
  • Ability to learn about forward thinking development projects and take an active role in planning and implementing them
  • A recommendation letter upon successful completion of the assignment

Joining our volunteer team is a challenging opportunity that suits highly motivated people interested in pursuing a career within international development and who want to make a visible difference in the lives of others. Interested applicants can send a motivation letter and CV to info@lichutam.org specifying when and for how long you are interested in volunteering.

Learn more about our volunteers’ experiences by visiting our blog.

Visit our Blog

Testimonials from Our Volunteers

“I see education as a key resource to any community or population and with digitalization there is a real opportunity to get information to the most remote areas and connect people like never before. I consider digital literacy a key competency for the next century and that is where countries like Guatemala can bridge the digital divide and communicate as equals with the rest of the world. All it needs is some vision, a €35 Raspberry Pi and the right learning environment.”
Hannes Tegelbeckers
International Coordinator
“Although working remotely from Europe, I love interviewing all the motivated and accomplished volunteers from around the world who apply to work with us. It’s been wonderful working with them as they carry out our life changing projects in Nueva Mercedes. I wish I had had the opportunity to volunteer with Li Ch’utam earlier in my life, but it’s still very rewarding to recruit others to join our team and watch the enriching experience they get from working in the community. What we’re doing at Li Ch’utam is amazing, but it can’t be accomplished without our awesome volunteers!”
Jessica Randall
Human Resources Coordinator
“I’ve always seen education as an end and a means at the same time. Giving access to education, the school system and information must not be the only purpose but the door to ensure that the learner receives the right tools and inputs to live in an active and conscious way. Moreover, I believe that there is not a single method or a proper way to teach or educate, I am convinced that we should always take into account the fact that it is a process constantly evolving with the change of time and that it is influenced by factors such as cultural or geography. Li Ch’utam is a great example of how to reach education ‘without receiving education’. Through technology, the freedom to explore, and the desire to learn, children and young people born and raised in a remote and rural context can learn faster and deeper than in the local school.”
Giulia Cardani
Volunteer
“Globalization strikes everywhere, even if a small rural indigenous village is willing to stay outside of it, which is why alternative education is so important. LI Ch’utam provides the tools for residents of the Polochic Valley to face changing workforce trends and thus reduce the shock that a forced (“subi”) globalization could bring. Providing access to computer technology and introducing girls and boys to programing allows them to adjust and not become victims of it. It broadens the possibilities of youths and allows them to have a better future, the future that they will have chosen. This combination of technology and culture and the tremendous deriving potentialities are what fascinates me most about this project.”
Francois Xavier
Volunteer