Mexico is a huge country with immense contrasts and diversity. There are thousands of villages where the
population live unchanged lives, bound by tradition, the family and fiestas. It's also the location of the first ever
Outreach International volunteering project and today, gap year and career break volunteers are still greatly needed.
The country contains an astonishing variety of climates, landscapes and
eco-systems. There are deserts and vast mountainous canyons, tropical jungles
and cool, cactus-covered sierras.
All of our Mexico volunteer projects are based on the Pacific Coast in beautiful towns and
villages around the Bay of Banderas.
The country is famous for its pre-hispanic architecture of massive stone
temples dedicated to the sun and moon. There are artisan markets selling woven
fabrics, ceramics, metalwork and carvings. White water rafting, scuba diving,
surfing, horse riding and mountain biking tours are available in numerous
places.
"We were taken to our village in the back of a truck. Our
fellow passenger was an angry pig that thrashed out violently. Finally we caught
a glimpse of Chimo from high up in the hills. We could see the small settlement
on the coast, surrounded by jungle and mountains. It was more beautiful than I
had ever imagined..."
Lucy Merkin, Volunteering in Mexico at a Teaching
Project, Chimo.
Mexico volunteer project
General Information
Volunteers for Mexico are not expected to speak Spanish, but in
order to integrate with the local people it is important
to have some knowledge of it. We expect you to put every
effort into learning the language and you will get much
more out of your project if you can communicate properly
with the community. When you sign up with Outreach
International you can borrow one of our comprehensive
Spanish CD courses. This will provide you with
approximately fifty hours of tuition and will take you
from being a complete beginner to a reasonable
conversational standard. We also provide a good one week
Spanish course on arrival in Puerto Vallarta and can
recommend an excellent private tutor for any volunteer wishing
to learn more. We find that most volunteers reach a high
standard by talking to people on their projects.
Greta Ruiz, our Mexico volunteer coordinator based in Puerto Vallarta, is particularly keen that volunteers should travel in Mexico and beyond during your stay. With her contacts, she is able to help you plan specialised itineraries for your own expeditions or travel options. Mexico is famous for its pre-Hispanic architecture of massive stone temples to the sun and moon. Artisan markets of woven fabrics, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry are rich with traditional crafts.
For those interested in expeditions, scuba diving, surfing, horse-riding and mountain bike tours are available in numerous places. Of course, with the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean there are thousands of kilometres of coast to explore. Travel in Mexico is easy and inexpensive in comparison to Europe, with a great bus network covering the whole country. A short local trip will be organised as part of your Outreach International volunteer package and your week ends are usually free for exploring.
Through personal contacts and friends made on the projects, volunteers have been invited on fantastic trips to remote beaches, weddings, fiestas and celebrations..
There are no rules about time off, but in most cases
weekends are free and many Mexico volunteers choose to travel
after their projects. All projects are linked to
initiatives involving Mexican staff, so you will quickly
adapt to the Mexican style of working. The key here is to
be flexible and to use initiative. Outreach International
demands a serious commitment from all volunteers, but at
the same time recognises that the nature of voluntary work
demands a flexible approach, and we definitely want you
to have an enjoyable as well as a rewarding time.
With Outreach International's focus on one particular
area of Mexico, volunteers will in most cases have
regular contact with other Outreach volunteers. Often
the closest bonds are made with fellow volunteers, and
in most cases volunteers are placed in pairs to give
each other support. Meetings and small expeditions will
be arranged to bring volunteers together and to take time
out together during their stay.
Parents, families and friends of volunteers in Mexico can always have immediate contact with both the UK Head Office and Greta Ruiz, out coordinator. Greta will know where each volunteer is at any time, and will regularly visit volunteers in their project locations. She has been with us since 2006 and provides the best possible level of support. For many volunteers in Mexico a gap year is their first time away from home. Greta makes sure you are given the support to make this a safe and enjoyable experience.
"There were times when I felt I needed to speak to Greta on a more personal one to
one basis for advice. Greta was wonderful and always made me feel at ease so that I could talk to her in
the strictest of confidence about any concerns I had no matter how small they may have seemed. She always
made herself available and we would meet up in our favourite coffee shop."
Jenny Hutton. Mexico career break volunteer.
As part of your personal analysis and debriefing at the end of your placement, Mexico volunteers are asked to write a short article concerning your work and experiences. We will ask you to do this before your departure. You can also request official certification from Outreach International acknowledging your contribution to the project. Our projects are all recognised by the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Outreach International will also be able to provide future employers with references for volunteers who successfully complete their project placement.
An important aspect of the UK office support is to assist and advise volunteers on how to raise the money to finance their voluntary work in Mexico. The UK office will have discussions concerning finance with individual volunteers once they have had their selection interview and been accepted on the programme. We also run regular fundraising awareness days at our base in Somerset.
Most Mexico volunteers, particularly those on rural projects will live with wonderful local families. This enables you to become a part of the local community. It also means you will use your Spanish at all times. We have known our families for several years, have seen them grow and have watched their children grow up. They are wonderful people and are an integral part of the Outreach International experience. Volunteers are always made to feel welcome. You will be invited to join in with the family's social life, large communal meals, fiestas, weddings, picnics, invited horse riding and fishing.
Mexican food is excellent and volunteers can expect to eat well, but again within the context of local conditions and cuisine. There is an abundance of gorgeous fresh fruit and vegetables grown locally. This includes avocados, oranges, pineapples, chillies and limes. Fish is eaten more commonly than meat and vegetarians are catered for.
"Yolanda really was my Mexican mummy. We spent so many happy hours chatting,
laughing and gossiping. Every night I would go to bed with a smile on my face looking forward to the next
day."
Caroline Ramsay. Mexico gap Year teaching project.
All Mexico volunteers travelling from the UK and working with Outreach International will have our full insurance to cover personal accident, medical and emergency travel expenses and personal liability during volunteer project activities. Our policy is very comprehensive. It gives you full medical cover, public liability cover and baggage cover. The cost of insurance is included in the overall project cost. Once in Mexico, Greta Ruiz, our coordinator will assist volunteers with any health or accident problems that may arise. The UK office will inform volunteers as part of their preparation package of what immunisations and medication are needed for their stay in Mexico.
The UK office of Outreach International is responsible for arranging the flights to Mexico and local transport to the Outreach field office and the project location. Volunteers will usually be given a 180 day visa when you arrive in Mexico. Extending this is straightforward but there is a fee of approximately $130 (US dollars) attached to doing this.
Mexico volunteers staying longer than six months should discuss visa requirements with the UK office. A special 'green card' may need to be issued from the Mexican Embassy in London. Volunteers will always be met at the airport by Outreach International staff on arrival. You will then start your language training and orientation. All travel directly associated with the volunteer project placement will be paid for by Outreach International and managed by the Mexico field office. Recreational and post-placement travel in Mexico and beyond will be the responsibility of the volunteers.
Flights are usually arranged by Wexas Travel, who are both ABTA and ATOL bonded. For details, see:
www.wexas.com.
Outreach International tries to keep the placement costs for every Mexico volunteer as
low as possible, but to ensure that volunteers enjoy secure and guaranteed placements
with adequate living standards, our costs cannot be lowered.
There are many things to do and buy in Mexico, including wonderful restaurants and
a vibrant nightlife, so volunteers should budget for spending money for their visit to
the country. In some placements in distant rural areas there will be little opportunity
to spend personal money, but in other less rural locations there will be daily temptations
and pleasures that need to be considered!
The cost covers all UK support and training, including teacher training and fundraising days, food
and accommodation, an in-country language course and CD course in the UK, all project-related travel, a
short trip, public liability insurance, medical insurance, support and documentation for your visa
application (volunteers staying longer than three months may be asked to pay a visa extension charge)
personal baggage insurance and comprehensive in-country support. Outreach International has a special
arrangement with both STA and WEXAS travel, who can book all flights. This is not included in the cost.
This ensures that Mexico volunteers fly out together and allows individuals the flexibility of choosing to
return at different times and from different destinations.
Guidebooks are full of superlatives about the richness of culture and nature
in Mexico, but the realities of environmental degradation, social deprivation
and poverty cannot be ignored. Outreach International is giving gap year and career break volunteers the
opportunity to be a part of an exciting movement of Mexican groups that are
trying to address these needs.
All our Mexico volunteering projects are based in just one small part of
this vast country, this is around the Bay of Banderas on the Pacific Coast. Some
of these projects are in the coastal town of Puerto Vallarta, others are in the
more traditional villages dotted around the bay.
If you want to immerse yourself in a fascinating culture, learn to speak
Spanish and make a real difference then contact us.
Two weeks after my return from Mexico and what can I say? Well for starters a lot of thank you's. Firstly thank you to everyone that I've worked with, I appreciated all the help and patience that I was shown, and feel privileged to have experienced the work that you do and hope that I have been able to help in some way. Secondly, a big thank you to Natalia, for making me feel so welcome in her home in Mazatlan and for all her assistance in arranging my onward travel. And by no means least, thank you to all at Westwind and GSI. I am well aware that this amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the help, support & backing that I recieved from Steve Webb, Mike Wellstead and Robin Powell.
So what have I learnt during the last three months? Well firstly, as Dave and I learnt early on, "When in Mexico, assume nothing!" Just because you buy a bus ticket in the morning doesn't mean that the service will actually be running in the afternoon, or that there will be any form of announcement of its cancellation (a real pain when you're relying on it to get you to an airport on time). Secondly, the moment that you depend on something or are in a hurry, is the moment that it breaks down. If you're running low on cash, then the ATM will either have a fifty yard queue or it will be empty. Buses will be cancelled (as above) or the English class that you volunteer to help with will be at their busiest the one week that you can't attend. It doesn't matter what it is, this rule will always apply.
What about Mexico it's self? Well Mexico is a beautiful country with a diverse environment, ranging from high arid desert to dense tropical rain forest. As for the Mexicans themselves, they're amazing people who love their country and will do all that they can to help you. It is just a sickening shame that the western media only chooses to focus on the inevitable troubles that are faced by a country caught between the world's largest narcotic producers and consumers.
One question that I keep getting asked is "Did you miss home?" Well that's a complicated answer. Of course there were things that I missed, a colleague's funeral, friend's birthdays, a couple of friends had their first children while I was away, my father's birthday and of course I also missed the end of the Moto GP season. But as for everyday life, no, not at all, in short the whole experience was so intense, with so much to take in that there just wasn't time. But after spending my last week in Mexico on the road, visiting monuments, museums and pyramids during the day and trying to sleep on night buses I was glad to get home in time for the DES Christmas ball and my first ale in three and a half months.
As for the future, I will continue to follow and support the work of the projects that I have become involved with. And despite the continued economic uncertainties of the future, I hope that others will also get to benefit from equally inspiring opportunities to those that I have had.
Rob Keen. Turtle conservation and marine wildlife volunteer
You could make a real difference – to others and yourself!
Outreach International need volunteers to work abroad in schools,
hospitals, orphanages, with the disabled, animals and animal rescue, wildlife, physiotherapy, medical projects, sports and on humanitarian and conservation projects in South America, Central America, Africa and Asia, including Ecuador, Mexico,
Costa Rica, Cambodia, Nepal, the Galapagos Islands, Kenya and Sri Lanka. We're always looking for Gap Year students or anyone who wants to take a career break, Summer holiday, Easter or Christmas vacation break or a few months or a year out volunteering
overseas.
There are no rules about time off, but in most cases
weekends are free and many Mexico volunteers choose to travel
after their projects. All projects are linked to
initiatives involving Mexican staff, so you will quickly
adapt to the Mexican style of working. The key here is to
be flexible and to use initiative. Outreach International
demands a serious commitment from all volunteers, but at
the same time recognises that the nature of voluntary work
demands a flexible approach, and we definitely want you
to have an enjoyable as well as a rewarding time.
Parents, families and friends of volunteers in Mexico can always have immediate contact with both the UK Head Office and Greta Ruiz, out coordinator. Greta will know where each volunteer is at any time, and will regularly visit volunteers in their project locations. She has been with us since 2006 and provides the best possible level of support. For many volunteers in Mexico a gap year is their first time away from home. Greta makes sure you are given the support to make this a safe and enjoyable experience.
Guidebooks are full of superlatives about the richness of culture and nature
in Mexico, but the realities of environmental degradation, social deprivation
and poverty cannot be ignored. Outreach International is giving gap year and career break volunteers the
opportunity to be a part of an exciting movement of Mexican groups that are
trying to address these needs.
Two weeks after my return from Mexico and what can I say? Well for starters a lot of thank you's. Firstly thank you to everyone that I've worked with, I appreciated all the help and patience that I was shown, and feel privileged to have experienced the work that you do and hope that I have been able to help in some way. Secondly, a big thank you to Natalia, for making me feel so welcome in her home in Mazatlan and for all her assistance in arranging my onward travel. And by no means least, thank you to all at Westwind and GSI. I am well aware that this amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the help, support & backing that I recieved from Steve Webb, Mike Wellstead and Robin Powell.