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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Life in the volunteer house


Living in Mancora is a bit of a transition. It's a different culture and pace of life. The volunteer house is a place where everyone can chill after a day of work and decompress. My favorite place in the house is on the wrap around balcony. You can sit there for hours and people watch from the second level. There is often a soccer game on the street with the neighborhood kids and it seems like once a week there is a procession that goes by.

I always felt like the volunteers were like a family. We take turns cooking and cleaning and maybe I've just been lucky, but every time I'm there the other volunteers are amazing cooks.

The house is nice and secure and has a lot of amenities like the PaM computer and surf boards. I like that we live in the local end of town away from all the tourist spots. We're close enough to walk anywhere in town, but our location makes me feel like a part of the community.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Robin Hood Program in Mancora




Providing undernourished, needy children with after school care and literacy education, the Robin Hood Program is a partnership between Magda Metwally and Para el Mundo. It serves as a great example of the type of project that volunteers with Voluntraveler can initiate. Magda saw a need and partnered with Para el Mundo (who provides 50% of the funding) and Voluntraveler for a steady flow of international volunteers to suppliment the Peruvian staff.  Now Robin Hood serves more than 50 needy kids.

Helping with Robin Hood is component of our Community Voluntraveler program.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

House Manager Position - Update

We are currently looking for someone to fill the house manager position (see previous post) from April to August.

If you are interested, please visit our website and complete the online application form, indicating you are applying for the house manager position.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Job Position - House Manager

We are currently seeking a mature and responsible person to act as the volunteer House Manager for Voluntraveler in Mancora Peru. This position is ideal for a person who wants to be an integral part of the Voluntraveler program in a leadership capacity, and become immersed in the local culture while enjoying the sun and surf of Mancora for three (3) months or more. 

The House Manager is the point person for Voluntraveler on the ground in Mancora and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the house and supporting the well-being of its volunteer occupants. 

Responsibilities Include:
  • Helping the new volunteers adjust to life in Mancora
  • Providing leadership and support to the volunteers
  • Monitoring the volunteers' happiness and well-being
  • Organizing house chores and maintaining the cleanliness and order of the house (actual cleaning done by local cleaning service)
  • Holding house meetings and dealing with issues and problems that may come up with volunteers
  • Liaising between Voluntraveler and local Para el Mundo program staff
  • Reporting back to the Voluntraveler Directors on a frequent basis
  • Taking care of the two house cats (Fat Eddie and Toffee)

Required Experience and Qualifications:
  • Intermediate Spanish language ability
  • Previous experience in a management or leadership capacity
  • Previous experience living and working in South America would be considered an asset.

Compensation and Benefits:
  • Free accommodation  at the volunteer house (minimum 3 months)
  • Food for the duration of your stay in Mancora
  • Free wireless internet access, and use of house computer
  • Use of house phone for local calls and receiving international calls
  • Use of the house surf boards and boogie board

This position is not a paid position, but the usual volunteer fees are waived.

If you feel you are suited for this position and would like to apply, please apply through the Voluntraveler website, but indicate in the "Programs of Interest" portion of the form that you are applying for the house manager position.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Voluntraveler Website is LIVE!

Our new website is online and looking fabulous. Here you can learn more about what we do, where we are, and how to apply.

Don't forget to join us on Facebook too!

Thanks to Holly Monster for making our organization look so good on screen. Holly does some fabulous work and she's into henna and tattoos as well, which makes her cooler than me! Check out her website at www.hollypagnacco.com


Thanks For Your Interest In Voluntraveler

Jason (in mask) and Sean from Voluntraveler

We had a great afternoon at the International Opportunities Fair at the Scarborough Campus of the University of Toronto (UTSC). We met some great people working for other organizations and see some great potential for cooperation in the very near future. "Synergy" is a word I've come to love and use it a lot when talking about our work.

Sean and I also spoke with many enthusiastic students, many of whom had done volunteering abroad before. For us, this fair was as much about getting people excited about our programs, as it was showing them that volunteering can be more engaging and immersive than digging wells or playing with orphans for an afternoon.

In creating Voluntraveler, we think the exprience we offer goes a lot deeper than the more expensive voluntourism trips offered by other organizations. At the same time, I think we expect more from our volunteers in their drive, independance, and desire to help others. While other organizations aim to give people a taste of what living and working in the developing world is like, Voluntraveler gives you an all-you-can-eat buffet. Many of our volunteers have created their own program and ran with it, so I suppose that would also make them chefs as well.

Oh, and our website should be up and running in the next 24hrs. In the meantime join our Facebook Fan Page to get updates and network with others interested in volunteering with us.

Monday, February 2, 2009

International Opportunities Fair - Toronto



On Wednesday, February 4th we will be participating in the first ever International Opportunities Fair at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. It is on the 2nd floor of the Science Wing from 11:30am - 3:00pm. If you have questions and want to meet us, come by and say hello!

We've created a short video using Animoto to help get the word out that we're in business. The website should be up on Tuesday!