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nonprofits
donate to grassroots organizations or volunteer with them
donations Finding the right cause to donate to can be challenging. Many people don't want their money to get lost on administrative detours in large organizations, even though they might be inevitable. The thought of not knowing how much money actually seeps through to the grassroots can be frustrating and deter people from donating. Throughout my journey I have worked with grassroots nonprofits as a volunteer for stretches from two to eleven months. I can personally vouch for all the projects you find below, but you don't need to take my word for it. All these nonprofit organizations accept volunteers and visitors, so you could stop by any time and see for yourself where and how far the money goes.
volunteering Another form of engagement, other than donating, is volunteering. While the basic idea is simple – instead of money you invest your time and skills to contribute – finding a legitimate project to work with isn't always easy. The tourism industry has discovered social engagement at the grassroots as a bestselling vacation package that can be easily marketed; after all you're going on vacation and get to be a do-gooder. If you think about it though, the idea is counter-intuitive: you pay to work without pay. Moreover, the concept of making a charitable cause a business is ethically precarious for reasons I elaborate on below. The projects I introduce here don't charge any fees. Some might even have the means to provide you with board and lodging in exchange for your work, while others ask that you cover your own living expenses.
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projects
Escuela Katitawa
Salasaca, Ecuador
Escuela Katitawa is a school in Salasaca, an indigenous town in the Ecuadorian Andes. The project encompasses an elementary school and kindergarten as well as a library and a plant nursery. The idea behind the school is to offer Montessori-like education and to uphold indigenous Andean culture, which has little to no place in Ecuador's public education system. Besides books, internet access and computer classes for the children, the library also offers English conversational classes in the evenings. Whoever is interested in practicing English can stop by five days a week and converse with volunteers. Volunteers also help out at the school and in the plant nursery, which aims at generating a more self-sustainable source of income, when donations are sparse. In charge of it all until 2016 was Robert Jeffords, an 85 years old amazing visionary, who is missed dearly since his passing. Now the project is run by local and international volunteers. Most donations come from former volunteers or their relatives, but money is often short. Escuela Katitawa accepts one time donations and reoccurring monthly payments through Paypal. Volunteers live for free in a wonderful house named "Pacha Mama". Breakfast and lunch is included. For dinners volunteers chip in a dollar and take turns cooking their favorite dishes - great international cuisine! They leave a $ 10 donation per week.
For more information or to make a donation please visit Escuela Katitawa's website.
The library, where kids can use books and computers and participate in classes.
The plant nursery during construction. A project aiming at donation-independent sustainability.
Community center being built by a "minga," a local communal labor force.
Students graduating from elementary school.
Solar panels on the roof of the school providing electricity for classrooms.
The traditional clothes and weaving technique of Salasaka.
A recycling program implemented by a former volunteer. Kids collect litter throughout the year and compete for a prize.
Inti Raymi - the Inka ritual for celebrating the winter solstice and still one of the most important ceremonies for Salasakans until today.
Kids, local teachers and volunteers taking a break from summer school at the library.
Kids in front of Tungurahua volcano.
Villa Santa Martha
Picapiedra, Peru
Villa Martha (Santa Martha Foundation) is an orphanage in Picapiedra, a little village outside of Lima, Peru. Around 80 children live here and the age span ranges from babies to 17-year-olds. The kids are separated into boys and girls as well as into age groups, which all have their own dormitories and bathrooms. Each group has its own caregiver, while several psychologists oversee the daily routines and have personal conversations with kids and caregivers. Founder Papa Roberto visits regularly, while the day to day business is run by Tio Tom and his helping hands. A typical day starts with the kids getting up early, preparing for school, cleaning their dormitories and bathrooms, followed by a communal breakfast with the other groups. After school and a communal lunch there are tutoring sessions and leisure, before it’s time for dinner. On weekends some children have visits from family members and sometimes trips to the nearby countryside are organized. Volunteers sleep for free in the same dormitories as the kids and are provided three meals a day. They help out with the daily routines, tutoring sessions or whatever else might be needed at a given time. They are also encouraged to come up with own ideas and can implement individual projects for the children.
For more information or to make a donation please visit Villa Santa Martha's website.
Villa Santa Martha with its main building, Chapel and yard.
A dormitory for girls.
Villa Santa Martha bakes its own bread and volunteers and kids assist in the process.
A long term volunteer from Colombia tutoring kids after school.
An excursion to the nearby hill.
The local school.
Villa Santa Martha has its own farm for a sustainable food supply.
Kids during a celebration.
Volunteers reorganizing the library. Volunteer tasks vary largely; some are performed regularly, others are individual projects and volunteers are welcome to bring in their own ideas.
A kid during a tutoring session.
La Esperanza Granada
Granada, Nicaragua
La Esperanza Granada is an NGO based in Granada, Nicaragua engaged in children’s education. The project sends volunteers to schools in impoverished areas on the outskirts of Granada, to assist teachers in the classrooms. The project reaches more than 2.000 children and has recently started to operate its own learning centers. Ayudantes, local students who help out with the organizational processes, are rewarded with scholarships. They engage in office work and visit the schools and learning centers to supervise international volunteers. Most funding for the project comes from individuals, service groups and schools. Oftentimes whole groups come down to Nicaragua to provide not only funding but also manual labor, helping e.g. with the construction of new classrooms. International volunteers, who assist in the classrooms or tutor small groups of children, stay with La Esperanza Granada for days, weeks, or even many months at a stretch. They live in volunteer houses in the heart of Granada and pay a very reasonable fee for their accommodation. Volunteers cover their own living expenses.
For more information or to make a donation please visit La Esperanza Granada's website.
Kids receiving certificates for their progress.
A traditional dance performed for international visitors.
A volunteer assisting in the classroom.
La Esperanza Granada uses donations and helping hands to renovate run-down classrooms.
A kid with typical Nica food served in a banana leaf.
Kids during recess.
Kids at an elementary school in one of Granada's impoverished neighborhoods.
Kids at an elementary school in one of Granada's impoverished neighborhoods.
Kids at an elementary school in one of Granada's impoverished neighborhoods.