Guest post from: Belinda Swank

My dream has been to bring art into the rural schools of Nepal through free workshops using local materials and recyclable items. The majority of schools in the rural areas do not offer any art classes or creative activities for the children, because of the lack of funds, equipment and the absence of teacher training. Unfortunately, many children never get the opportunity to develop their creativity.
I had done 2 trips before and am planning this time to go from middle October till around April.

If anybody wants to join for a short or long period please do write me. I dont charge anything to arrange this, but only ask that you pay your own way and help with the collection of supplies you would need for the art/craft lessons each day.

I have some pictures on my Facebook page on the village Letang which is where I will be returning. It is about 13 hours from Kathmandu close to the Indian border. www.facebook.com/WatersFromHeaven

Everybody will be responsible for setting up their own lessons, so a love for art/craft and children is required.

If you need any other information please do write me.

Thanks,

Belinda Swank

South America is a continent of vast natural resources, where the spine of the Andes runs from Colombia to Chile and the great Amazon River plays host to some of the most exciting habitats and wildlife in the world. It’s a land of sparkling, energetic cities like Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago and a long history peopled by settlers from across the globe.

There’s also plenty of projects open to volunteers here, whether it’s rescuing animals deep in the Ecuadorian rainforest or running kids’ workshops in Bolivia. If you’re planning to volunteer on your trip, here are a few ideas on the sort of projects you might find.

You don’t necessarily need a particular skill or trade to volunteer in South America, but in some regions, certain expertise is in high demand. Medical personnel are particularly welcomed in places like Santa Elena, Venezuela and in Ecuador, where children’s daycentres in capital Quito are on the lookout for people to take on care duties through organisations like Frontier.

The kind of skills volunteers bring can vary greatly and there’s usually demand for something, whether your interests lie in sports or creative practices. Organisations like Creative Corners set up projects with disadvantaged children in La Paz, engaging and making art with those who have grown up on the streets.

Football coaching projects in Brazil are popular for those with appropriate training and are great for interacting with kids in a group setting. The advantages of projects close to the capital means you can sample some of the famous Rio night life and even work on the local beaches.

For other opportunities however, it can just as easily be a case of learning on the job, or helping out where you can. Volunteer Latin America organises volunteer participants to help farmers bring in the coffee harvest across the mountainous regions of South America, as well as helping to maintain organic and sustainable farming practices.

Teaching English as a foreign language is a popular volunteer programme all over the world, but come to the far reaches of the Galapagos Islands or work with disabled children in Peru’s Incan capital Cusco, and you’ll be bringing valuable education and advantages to those often out of reach.

The countless opportunities here reflect the very real need for volunteers to offer their time and services in South America. Furthermore, combine your trip with some flexible travel time and you could be scaling the heights of Machu Picchu, admiring the colonial architecture of Cartagena or sailing around Cape Horn on one of the many South America cruises which stop here. In a land of so much social and natural diversity, making a difference to other lives could have a real impact on your own.

As one of the great, historically rich destinations in the U.S., Boston is known as one of North America’s founding cities and a birthplace of democracy. Maintaining that spirit of “by the people, for the people, “Beantown” is also a popular destination for people interested in volunteering opportunities.

Boston Bikes offers an exciting chance to be part of a burgeoning healthy-living movement, in which city residents and visitors are invited to help transform Boston into a cycle-friendly town. Founded by Mayor Menino in 2007, this group are working on systematically increasing bicycle access within the city – when they started out there was a mere 60 yards of bike lane! Boston Bikes run a series of events throughout the year that volunteers can get involved with, as well as opportunities for mechanics and instructors to lend a hand.

Boston Cares, New England’s largest volunteer action centre, also offers various ways to get involved and help the community. Whether you’re interested in planting community gardens, serving meals to the homeless, or tutoring children, you can find through Boston Cares myriad ways to lend to hand. Boston Cares is a member of the HandsOn Network, an alliance of volunteer organizations working to transform individuals and communities through service and civic engagement.

If you’re more interested in wildlife and conservation, check out the Charles River Conservancy project. The primary ethos here is the overall improvement of the Charles River Parklands, with an aim to make them more accessible, safe and enjoyable for everyone. Volunteers are invited to get involved in general maintenance, with everything from litter picking to bulb planting on the banks. This is a great way to get to know people and enjoy the Boston’s scenic views and locations.

Boston also plays host to one of the eastern seaboard’s best hunger outreach programmes, the Greater Boston Food Bank. This is a fantastic organisation that aims to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts by distributing enough food for at least one meal a day to those most in need. Most voluntary work takes place in the warehouse, inspecting, sorting and packing food to be sent out, though occasionally administrative positions become available to help with data entry, filing and telephone communication. If you’re working in the warehouse, you need to be prepared to stand for 2-3 hours, and you may be required to assist in loading the trucks, which may entail lifting boxes weighing up to 30 pounds.And if you’re hoping to see a little more of the country as you explore volunteering opportunities, it’s easy to get cheap flights to popular spots like New York and Boston.