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| Home Building
Project Details |
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 You
will be working in rural communities outside of Santiago
with our partner, our partner organization. Our partner organization
works in several different regions of the country, including
Aracani, Temuco, Nueva Imperial, and Villaricca. All of
the Habitat affiliates are located in rural communities
that are among the poorest in the country.
Our partner organization believes that helping families
build houses will give them the support needed for them
to rise above poverty. They provide families in need with
architectural designs, construction oversight, and volunteer
labor to assist in building their new home. Although volunteers
make up the bulk of the construction help, the families
and other community members also take part in the building.
As a volunteer on this project, you will be working side-by-side
with community members as well as with the family who
will be living in the home.
The specific work you perform on this project will depend
in part on your physical capabilities. You are given the
opportunity to do anything from painting to heavy construction,
including helping clean the building site, general construction,
pouring cement, flooring, drywall installation, and more.
Besides your physical labor, your presence in these communities
will be respected and welcomed. You will not only be building
houses in these communities, you will also be building
relationships that will change people’s lives.
Orientation:
After arrival in Santiago, you will be picked up by a
shuttle service provided by Volunteer Adventures. You
will be transported to your hostel or host family for
the first night. You will be given instructions on how
to arrive at the school the following morning, where you
will begin your Volunteer Adventure with an extensive
orientation. During the orientation, you will learn about
living and working in Santiago, using public transportation,
and working at your project site. After the orientation,
you will meet with a project coordinator to determine
your skills and what kind of work you will be doing as
a volunteer. You work site may be located outside of Santiago,
depending on the project's need.
Transportation:
All transfers by public transportation or by Volunteer
Adventures staff include:
 Airport
pickup in Santiago, and transportation to host family.
Orientation
in Santiago
Transportation
to and from excursions
Local
transport at project locations
Overnight
bus journeys to the project sites (if in a remote area)
at the start and end of the program
Language Classes:
Volunteers enrolled in the Gold package
will be taking Spanish language classes at Bridge-Linguatec,
our affiliate language school in Santiago. For more efficient
placement upon your arrival, we ask that you take our
to determine your language
proficiency prior to going abroad. If this is not possible,
we will test you upon arrival at the school. You will
be placed according to your language level in a group
of four or fewer students, learning conversational Spanish
for four hours a day.
Volunteer Schedule:
Volunteers enrolled in the Bronze package
will volunteer at the work site 8 hours per day, 5 days
per week. Volunteers enrolled in the Gold
package will alternate one week of Spanish courses with
one week of full-time work at the work site. Spanish classes
are held 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., M-F..
Accommodations:
Volunteers enrolled in the Bronze package
will stay in volunteer lodging (a modest hotel or cabin).
Volunteers enrolled in the Gold package
will alternate between a Chilean host family during their
language learning in Santiago and volunteer lodging (a
modest hotel or cabin) during the home building week.
Our host families are carefully screened and must meet
Volunteer Adventures’ requirements before being
accepted as a host family. All our families are middle-class
and live in comfortable homes in safe neighborhoods. The
distance from the school varies from about 20-40 minutes
by bus. You will be given a key to your host family’s
home to come and go as you please. The family will provide
two meals a day, a private room, and upon request (and
extra charge), a private bathroom.
Meals:
Meals are provided at the volunteer site and in
volunteer lodging. For volunteers enrolled in the
Gold package, the host family in Santiago will
provide 2 meals per day, 3 upon request and an extra charge.
Excursions:
Volunteers enrolled in the Gold
package are invited to participate in excursions during
the time they are studying Spanish in Santiago. Below
are a few of the excursions we organize for our volunteers
and students. Participants are expected to pay their own
transportation costs and entrance fees.
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Museo
Casa de Pablo Neruda La Chascona – This
excursion takes you to Pablo Neruda´s house,
Chile´s most famous poet and winner of the
1971 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Museo
de Arte Precolombino
– The Museo de Arte Precolombino houses
ceramics, textiles, paintings, and sculptures from
a wide range of Pre-Colombian cultures.
Parque
Forestal and Museo de Bellas Artes
– This tour takes you to one of the
most popular parks in Santiago and the most famous
art museum in the city.
 Viña
Concha y Toro –
Visit the winery Concha y Toro, where you receive
a guided tour and taste some renowned Chilean wines.
Centro
Cultural Palacio La Moneda – Visit this
newly inaugurated cultural center, study archive,
and museum. The center is located underneath the
also newly remodeled Plaza Constitución,
next to La Moneda, the presdential palace. |
In-country support:
We work directly with our school in Santiago to
ensure your safety and support during your time in Chile.
You can expect help from the teachers, staff, and other
employees at Bridge-Linguatec. We also always have on-site
support at the community center, where both coordinators
and professional volunteers can help you with anything
you need. |
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Volunteer
Adventures - 915 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80246
Phone: 1-888-825-3454 or 303-785-8887 Fax: 303-777-7246 UK Toll
Free: 0800-028-8051 |
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