from 1,129€

Very Good 4.3rating (5)

Farming and Beekeeping Support needed

location
4 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Very Good 4.3  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Highlights

  • Experience Colombian life in a traditional village
  • Gain Spanish skills by living with a host family and exchange culture with locals
  • Learn new skills and enhanced your curriculum vitae or career with International experience
  • Keep good memories of your experiences with your fellow participants
  • Visit Cartagena, Medellín,Bogotá,Boyaca,Santander, Villa de Leyva, San Antonio del Tequendama and more beautiful countryside places.

Especially suitable

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+

About the program

Volunteer with us and help the farmers to harvest their products and keep farming alive. Work on a Sugar Cane Farm/Coffee Farm/Beekeeping or General Farming/Horticulture

Farmers in this area are struggling a lot with no human resources to help with the daily task to keep farming alive, farmers are losing their only income due to not being able to sow and harvest their crops or to process them on time, this is causing the farmers to stop farming and abandon their ...

About the program

Farmers in this area are struggling a lot with no human resources to help with the daily task to keep farming alive, farmers are losing their only income due to not being able to sow and harvest their crops or to process them on time, this is causing the farmers to stop farming and abandon their farms instead.

The solution for this big issue is with the helping hand of a volunteer, who will help with all agricultural tasks involved in the  processing of products such as sugar cane (Panela) and coffee.

Beekeepers are needed, some farmers are beekeepers but they still beekeeping in a very artisanal way with very old techniques learned from their ancestors, so there is not real thinking about the bees or the environment but honey.

With the help of volunteers we aim to create consciousness about the bee safe keeping, increasing of beehives and colonies, supervision, new healthy spaces, and to teach about all products they can made from bees. And most important how their environment and crops will benefit from this.

In a sugar cane farm or a Coffee Farm: a volunteer will help with the cleaning of the land, planting and crop growing, fertilization, harvesting, transporting in mules the cropsof sugar cane to the “Trapiche” or grinder to process the product into Panela in the same farm then packaging,  or taking the coffee beans to the “beneficiadero” to be washed, skinned, selected, dry, and packed to send them to the next process of coffee production. Although there is always something to do in the farm all year round the harvesting season are from Apr-May and Oct-Nov.

Volunteers will also help with some research to create new products, increase the production and market them.  To help to educate local people into becoming self-sufficient and use ecological techniques to improve the quality of crops and farming living standards. 

No previous experience is needed and a can do attitude and motivation will be really appreciated. Volunteers will have the opportunity to share experiences with farmers and their families and will play a big role to empower communities into stay together and keep farming alive.



Typical day

- Walking to the Coffee or Sugar Cane farm

- Some days it will be an early start as it is very hot here. 

- Volunteers in this project will be working 6 hours per day. 

- Volunteers will be helping the farmers with their daily activities described above
- Lunch will be at noon 
- Afternoon for ...

Typical day

- Walking to the Coffee or Sugar Cane farm

- Some days it will be an early start as it is very hot here. 

- Volunteers in this project will be working 6 hours per day. 

- Volunteers will be helping the farmers with their daily activities described above
- Lunch will be at noon 
- Afternoon for sightseeing- traveling or helping with other projects


Free-time activities

The La Mesa town offer a variety of activities as it is surrounded by Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls. Volunteers can visit the : The Orquid Sanctuary at the Tequendama region, The Waterfall La Monja, Hill Walking to the La Cruz Peak, Trekking by the River Apulo, Bird Watching, and small towns ...

Free-time activities

The La Mesa town offer a variety of activities as it is surrounded by Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls. Volunteers can visit the : The Orquid Sanctuary at the Tequendama region, The Waterfall La Monja, Hill Walking to the La Cruz Peak, Trekking by the River Apulo, Bird Watching, and small towns around La Mesa like Anapoima, San Antonio del Tequendama, Mesitas del Colegio and The Tequendama Waterfall. The cercanity to the Capital City of Bogota offer the opportunity to visit Museums, restaurants, bars and discos. For the weekends we offer organised tours to go caving or visiting other Colombian Counties like Santander or Boyaca which offer a lot more to do like visiting waterfalls, lakes, caves, extreme sports. Other volunteers have managed to visit the Tayrona Park in Santa Martha, Cartagena, The Caño Cristales in The Macarena, Palm Trees farms in Armenia, Coffee and Sugar Cane farms around. . There is plenty to do in here, also we are blessed with hot climate. So be prepared.


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak Spanish (basic level)

Required Documents

CV, Insurance, vaccinations and photocopy of visa.

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

Any relevant experience related to farming and or Food engineering to create new products, best way to improve the quality of crops, Eco practices and how to become self-sufficient.Marketing. Exports and Beekeping definitely will help.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 - 12:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Volunteer in Colombia

What the fees pay for: 

Donations for the project site and 24/7 support from the coordinators. 

Hosting:

Accommodation in a single room if fewer than 6 volunteers or a twin bedroom only two per room if more than 6 at once. 

Food: 2 meals M-F. 1 on Saturday, 0 Sunday. 

1 local tour, Orientation, and first-day guide to the project site.

Internet,

Washing Machine, 

Fresh fruits from the gardens.

Pick up from Airport.

All Administration costs are included

Airport Pickup at El Dorado International Airport

We will provide pick-up at the El Dorado Bogota airport. Please try to book your arrival on an even day as we can not drive on an odd day in Bogotá.

Accommodation

The living accommodation is located at VIC headquarters in the Paraiso Village, the bungalow is in a small country house and it is shared with the coordinator who lives in the annexed main house. It is surrounded by Mountains and a River and can hold up to 7 volunteers at the same time.

We offer 3 single bedrooms. Single rooms only if requested or less than 6 volunteers at one time. 

We also have a twin room for only two volunteers. And, a double bedroom for a couple or a single volunteer if needed. 

Bed linen is provided, but volunteers will buy their own toiletries.

Common areas with the coordinator are the Gardens, dining room, and kitchen. Although the volunteer's house has a small sitting area.

The Bungalow rooms are well-decorated, with a desk, lamp, electricity, and hot and cold share shower in two share toilets.

For the hot climate and the countryside, volunteers need to be prepared: with very light and long sleeves shirts and trousers at all times,
repellent, sun creams, hat, and torch to walk in the evening to the accommodation site if the volunteers decide to come late, bring only dark clothe as we do the laundry with cold water, and be open-minded to see little country animals like crickets, spiders, mosquitos, many birds, dust...and more.

Please bring videos and books for your entertainment the area is very quiet and tranquil.

Food & Beverages

Meals provided are home cook food. Traditional dishes from Colombia.

Breakfast: egg, hot chocolate or coffee, juice or cereal, toast.

Dinner: a home-cooked meal that includes: vegetables, rice or pasta, salad, juice or water, soup, meat or chicken.

Any extra food is not included in the price. 

Sometimes volunteer decides to eat out at restaurants these meals are not included in the price.

As we only provide 2 meals per day from Monday to Friday, volunteers can make use of the kitchen and BBQ facilities in the evening or at the weekends if preferred but will need to buy stuff to cook. 

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogota. We assist you to find cheap flights to Colombia. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Colombia provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Colombia you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Colombia. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

Arrivals will be every Sat/Sunday to Start on Monday. Please try to book the arrival on an even day as we can not drive on an odd day in Bogotá.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

4 weeks (min. stay) 1,129€
6 weeks 1,693€
8 weeks 2,258€
12 weeks (max. stay) 3,387€
Average fees 282€/week

Program fees

282€ per week 4 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

4 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Volunteer in Colombia during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Volunteer in Colombia

Very Good 4.3 rating (5 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2014

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Blanca

Spoken languages: Spanish, English

About the project

By reinforcing the workforce we are working to help our community. Supporting their own projects to achieve their goals and aims, to broad their chances and opportunities

Meet your organization

Volunteer In Colombia social projects have been created to support the communities to stay together, to empower them,  to keep their youngster into the villages and families and to keep alive the production of sugar cane and coffee beans, and to protect the environment through increasing the beehives . Our commitment is to help and support  the community with their own social projects, to achieve their goals in order to improve their financial and socio-economic situation, their quality of life and their main income support, as well as to protect the bees and the environment.  

There is a big shortage of staff and qualified workers to carry on maintaining small communities. Big families have found themselves behind technology losing the aim for farming, looking after the elderly or educating children.  Now day’s the youth are attracted to live and work in a big city where they feel they can become more successful, leaving behind their parents, small children and farms, but most of them cannot achieve it for the lack of education putting themselves into gangs, drug addiction, prostitution, and child trafficking among other social problems. 

Volunteers will be able to choose the project that want to support like to help the youth at the youth center to broaden their views, by teaching them new ways of living in their own community, new skills to carry on farming, English language skills and tourism as well as support the learning disabilities, the elderly day centers, school,  farmers and bees. Please refer to each project description for more information.

#Acommodation #Nature #Freiwillage #Volontaires #Rivers #Volunteers#BirdWatching #Coffee #SugarCane #LearningDisabilities #YouthCentre#GeriatricCentre #SocialProjects #VolunteerProjects #Voluntariados#Naturaleza #HillWalking #ProyectosVoluntariados #Ecofarm#FreiwilligenarbeitinKolumbien, #SozialProjekte, #Unterrichten, #Umweltschutz, #Weihnachten, #Naturschutz, #GastFamilie, #VolunteeringinKolumbien #FrivilligeprojekteriColombia#Vapaaehtoistyöprojektit #Volontärprojekt #Vrijwilligersprojecten #bees #beekeeping 

5 reviews · rating4.3

The experience of doing manual labor along side the campesinos was great and I received much satisfaction from this. Upon arrival we did have some free time and I was given a great tour of the region. The time working with the campesinos was barely 3 hours per day so more free time for this reason. ..
Volunteering in Colombia is a special experience. The country is incredibly beautiful, the people are friendly and the food is delicious. San Javier is a rural village outside of La Mesa, Cundinamarca. There are opportunities to support local schools such as teaching English from 1st Grade to the ...
Dominique Oberlaender rating4

2022 at Teach English Skills to Colombia Rural Communities

Ich hatte einen intensiven Monat in San Javier und La Mesa. Es war ein extrem spannender Einblick in die kolumbianische Gesellschaft auf dem Land. Die Arbeit mit den Kindern ist wundervoll und wird hoch geschätzt. ..
I worked for three months in the school of San Javier supporting the organisation “Piedra de la Monja”. I supported Alex, the local art and sociology teacher for the classes 6 to 11. We touched on a variety of topics like geography, history and the French culture. We also played a lot of games ...
Johanna Mazzer rating4.4

2016 at Medical Assistance

During our journey around South America, my boyfriend and me stayed at the little village of San Javier for three weeks with the organisation “La Piedra de la Monja”. He worked at the local school as an art and theatre teacher and I worked at the hospital of the neighbouring village La ...

Location


You might also be interested in

Contact Blanca
  Excellent response rate
Spanish, English

Most volunteers ask about


Do you have any more questions? Send a message to Blanca
Please do not share personal contact details for your privacy