Guatemala
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I am a Guatemalan native and a serial entrepreneur, currently working with a small team to develop an intentional sustainable centre for creativity and small enterprise. I am a photographer, pilot, creative, adventurer and business developer. I am the creative lead and innovator of this project and also lead on the architectural / build / site development objectives. I manage the on-site team and largely work either from the office on site or from home which is close by. My girlfriend Davinia, also a business creative and international person, is from the UK and works alongside me with her role focused on the project's general strategic development and enterprise and events aspects. We are both dynamic people interested in all things creativity, art, business and enterprise, nature and science. We enjoy sailing, diving, adventuring, exploring and the great outdoors.
We are fun, dynamic, life-long learners and approach life as a series of experiences and opportunities for self-development and expansion. We are keen to host people that have the same kind of approach to life and who operate with integrity, transparency, kindness and who are well-grounded and well-rounded.
Our project is located up in the hills overlooking the old Spanish colonial town of Antigua, Guatemala (the hub from which everything to experience in Guatemala can be accessed). The views from our project site are beautiful; we are surrounded by nature and volcanoes, and yet still just a 5-minute drive from the centre of Antigua and in close proximity to a typical Guatemalan countryside community.
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Other
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Helping with Tourists
Art project
We are located approximately a 50-minute drive away from Guatemala City, up in the hills on the outskirts of the attractive and vibrant city of Antigua; known for its Spanish language schools, rich history and architecture, and fun nightlife. Antigua is a hub for traveling in and around Guatemala and Central America and is the most eclectic and culturally active melting pot in the country for visitors.
Volunteers will work among local native Guatemalans and have a chance to work in and practice their Spanish, and indeed to learn about and interact with the real people of Guatemala and learn about their real lives (not what the media portrays!). You have a chance to come and learn all about Guatemala and Guatemalans, the culture, food, life, society.
We are currently seeking longer-term (minimum of one month but prefer 2-3 months minimum) volunteers to help us with:
- The mapping and planning of the development of our physical site and its trails. The physical creation of our trails with the help of our onsite team and identifying the best-use of site to create areas for developing various facilities that we have in mind. We wish to base the development of our trails on the concept of Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" involving artistic/inspirational resting spots in order to create a 'transformation trail'. The property sits on a steep gradient and is forested. The preservation of nature and developing the site in a sustainable way is paramount to our objectives because eco-tourism is an essential part of our strategic development plan.
- A chef or cook with knowledge of permaculture / organic gardening to help plan and develop a sustainable kitchen garden that will provide for our restaurant and sustainable living goals. This same person will prepare and cook meals for us and our volunteers during the weekdays.
- A site/ guest host (from January 2020) to manage both the volunteer and short-term rental accommodation on site, including guest management, checking in guests, cleaning and laundering, tidying and general host-duties.
- Marketing and Events. We need help with developing (and delivering depending upon length of stay) an events programme with associated social media marketing campaigns. This person will also manage our general social media and campaigns.
Our project is at a stage in which we are particularly keen to host couples and single volunteers who are able to commit to stay for more extensive periods rather than people passing through short-term. This is Guatemala so what is generally planned to take 3 weeks can easily turn out to take a few months which makes this need even more apparent.
We have a very high number of enquiries so please only write to us if you feel able to come and help us with one of the specific needs stated above at the moment, thank you! :)
Due to the nature of the site and existing pets, we are unable to host children or pets.
spanish, english, french
We can host up to 4 volunteers at a time in dorm-style accommodation and have further areas available for any volunteers should they prefer or like to bring a tent and camp!
There are cooking, washroom and toilet/ shower facilities. Those wishing to camp are welcome to bring and set-up portable solar-showers if they like! (we have our own water and plenty of trees!).
As I said before, Antigua is the hub for travellers visiting Guatemala and Central America, so there are numerous activities and places to visit; Mayan ruins, cloud forests, active volcanos to watch or hike up, lakes, nature, remote Indian villages, local cooking lessons, weaving lessons, mountain biking, white water rafting, golf, hiking, surfing...etc...You can check the Lonely Planet website or multiple fb pages about Antigua Guatemala.
Both Davinia and I manage messages that come through to us so either one of us might respond. If you think you can help us with one of the tasks we need volunteers for then please write to us and we look forward to hearing from you very much.
Thanks for reading our profile!
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
More than two
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
