Volunteering through organisations other than NSC.

The following organisations provide facilities for volunteers. We have links with most of these but cannot accept any responsibility for occurrences arising out of their volunteer programmes.

Note that several Nicaraguan language schools also provide volunteering opportunities. See a selection of these here >>

Bristol Link with Nicaragua (BLINC)        http://bristolnicaragua.wordpress.com

Bristol Link with Nicaragua  promotes solidarity with Nicaragua and develops  links between Bristol and Puerto Morazán.
BLINC helps to:
*  Co-ordinate fundraising efforts in Bristol to support solidarity, development, healthcare and education programmes in Puerto Morazán
*  Arrange cultural exchanges between Bristol and Nicaragua, particularly through schools
*  Enable volunteers to carry out projects in Puerto Morazán
*  Arrange visits from officials, teachers and community workers from Puerto Morazán      

BLINC volunteer projects in Puerto Morazán have ranged from teaching English in local schools, coaching sports, helping with the construction and refurbishment of schools, teacher training, running youth clubs, working with women against domestic violence and medical volunteering. Volunteers who can speak Spanish and have time, energy and skills to offer our Nicaraguan friends are welcome. BLINC itself does not run volunteer programmes but the organisation and its project coordinator in Nicaragua can help volunteers themselves to arrange a placement that suits the needs and skills of individual volunteers, and of our twinned communities.
For additional information contact Alix Hughes on Alix.Hughes@uwe.ac.uk
 

CECOCAFEN    http://www.cecocafen.org/

CECOCAFEN is the Organisation of Northern Coffee Cooperatives and is responsible for 2000 small-scale fair trade coffee producers based within four communities. CECOCAFEN provide a Fair Trade Coffee Trail around these communities to give individuals or groups an understanding of the fair trade process.
* Activities include meeting the producers, visiting local sites, picking coffee and  more.
* They also provide opportunities for volunteers to stay for longer periods (10-12 weeks) to participate in community projects or environmental or social research.
For more information email turismo@cecocafen.com
Cecocafen is one of Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign's partners. Read more here >>


CESESMA www.cesesma.org

Experience has shown us that the criteria for a mutually successful volunteer placement here at CESESMA are the following:
Essential:
* Good Spanish.
* Pay all your own expenses including travel, accommodation, food etc. so you are not a financial burden on CESESMA (we would generally prefer to pay a local person rather than bring in a foreigner).
* Attitude of respect for and solidarity with local people: Willingness to listen and learn from them with an open mind and without prejudice. 
Desirable:
* Long term (e.g. a year or more).
* With specific professional skills that can contribute to the delivery of CESESMA’s planned objectives. 

The most important contribution you can make will probably not be made while you are here. The important thing in coming here is to come in solidarity with the local people. This means your task, above all, is to look, listen and learn from local people, especially children and young people, with eyes, ears and mind wide open, and with respect for their struggle. Your real contribution to the defense of Nicaraguan children’s and young people’s rights; whether it be through fund-raising, promotion of fair trade, school or community twinning schemes, educational work or campaigning for trade justice, will happen when you get home, and the effectiveness of your solidarity work at home will depend on your ability to listen to and learn from Nicaraguans while you are here. 

Whether or not a work placement is feasible, CESESMA always welcomes visitors, and we often suggest to people that they come and visit to look and learn. Once people get to know us and understand who we are and how we work, they can decide more realistically how they want to make their contribution to the work.  
Contact: Harry Shier harry@cesesma.org

Creative Corners      www.creative-corners.com/destinations/nicaragua

Creative Corners is a UK based not for profit volunteer organisation that specialises in creative projects for creative people. Current projects in Nicaragua are with teen mums and babies, and with street children.

Grupo Fenix     www.grupofenix.org

The group’s primary goal is to research, develop and apply appropriate, renewable energy technologies in Nicaragua. Its objectives are to:
* conduct practical research into appropriate energy technologies
* support community self-determination and local responsibility for the projects
* increase the technical skill level and employability of local people
* improve health and living standards of families and communities
* preserve natural resources 

Volunteers (individuals and groups) can work on a variety of renewable energy and sustainable development projects eg solar cookers and battery charger design and also on marketing , IT, grant writing and general administration connected to the project work. Minimum 10 week stay and some Spanish required and ability to pay all costs.  

Jubilee House Community, Centre for Development in Central America    http://www.jhc-cdca.org

Jubilee House seeks to address human needs created by poverty in Nicaragua by helping communities become self-sufficient, sustainable, democratic entities; by working with Nicaraguan communities to help them realize their own goals. This involves community organization, a flexible approach to needs and priorities as they shift over time, identifying areas where the CDCA can be of service, and following through in those areas, while empowering Nicaraguans and gradually phasing out the need for the CDCA’s assistance.  Main areas of work are: support for small farming cooperatives, and small sustainable businesses, primary health care and appropriate technology development.

Although North American in origin, the organization welcomes UK volunteers, both individuals (normally a minimum commitment for 6 months) and delegations. Volunteers both unskilled and skilled in agriculture, medical fields, medicinal herbs and appropriate technology are welcome. There is a small daily charge for board and lodging.
For further information email: volunteers@jhc-cdca.org

Nicaragua Education, Culture and Arts Trust   www.necat.org.uk 

NECAT  is a UK-registered charity which supports educational and poverty-alleviating initiatives through sponsorship of after-school clubs and other educational projects that operate through the medium of culture and arts. It runs an education centre in the city of Leon. NECAT sends volunteers from UK to work on its projects. Some ability in Spanish is an advantage. 
Contact: martinroger@phonecoop.coop
NECAT, 61 Tring Rd. Aylesbury, Bucks. HP20 1LD    Tel. +44 (0)1296 483322
 

Pro-Nica     http://pronica.org

ProNica is a Florida-based organisation with Quaker values, which provides opportunities for international volunteers to help empower and educate Nicaraguans (and North Americans)  working in community development, sustainable agriculture, health, education and non-violent training and women’s projects.

Volunteers must be self- funding,  fluent in Spanish and set up a support structure for themselves in their home country before and during their stay, which is a minimum of six months, starting February or September. 

ˇ Sí a la Vida !     www.asalv.org

This is a Nicaraguan Street Kids project which strives to rescue runaway and rejected kids living on the streets in cities throughout Nicaragua, rehabilitate them and where possible reintegrate them back into their families and communities, using residential centres in Managua and on the Island of Ometepe. Volunteers typically work directly with the children in sports, arts, handicrafts and tutoring and can also use any special skills such as health care, construction, computing and agriculture. They can also accompany staff working in the streets and markets of Managua.
Volunteers must be fluent in Spanish, have some experience and training in working with ‘special needs’ children, and must work for a minimum of six months, preferably a year, although short term projects are possible for those with specialised skills. The minimum age is 21 and the cost to the volunteer is about $300 per month, with meals provided.
Contact vccmueller@hotmail.com

UCA-Miraflor     www.miraflor.org

UCA Miraflor is a union of small agricultural cooperatives whose members farm on the Miraflor Nature Reserve near Esteli.  Their aim is to develop and maintain sustainable livelihoods using farming practices compatible with the improvement of the environment, while supporting community and personal development. They may welcome help, especially for their well-established rural tourism programme. There are some guides who learnt English through the volunteer programme run from 2002 - 2007 by The NEST Trust. New trainee guides need help with English.
Volunteers interested in helping UCA Miraflor, especially in teaching English to guides, can contact them on :
miraflor@ibw.com   or telephone (505) 2713 2971

Alternatively contact Edwin Antonio Gutierrez Talavera direct: edwingtrrz@yahoo.com  Cellphone:84104010
or Maggie Jo St John at info@thenesttrust.org.uk  www.thenesttrust.org.uk