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Posts Tagged ‘community development’

September 16th, 2010 - 2:11 pm § in In the Field, Tips & Resources, Volunteer

Community Project Guidelines

At WorldTeach we encouraged volunteers to undertake community projects. These could range from raising funds for a bookshelf to installing a floor in a classroom, to establishing a scholarship fund that would continue long after the volunteer’s departure. Whether you are undertaking a voluntee[...]

June 9th, 2010 - 7:51 am § in Costa Rica, News, Volunteer

Ending on a Down Note

What a lousy piece of news to receive at the beginning of my last week. The Costa Rican Institute of Tourism opted not to renew its contract to place a CREST teacher in Puerto Jimenez for the next term. I know these things happen. The tourist season was slow this year, with the recession. I’m [...]

May 18th, 2010 - 12:53 pm § in Good Ideas, Tips & Resources

Hunting for Inspiration: Recommended Reading

There is a sense of camaraderie among communities of aid workers, travelers or international volunteers. Like-minded people have traversed the same corner of the world you have and kindred spirits will continue to serve there after you leave. Their stories infuse life in the field with a sense of p[...]

May 4th, 2010 - 10:57 am § in Culture, Day in the Life, Guatemala, In the Field

The Tourist Trail Meets the Conflict Trail

Antigua, Guatemala boasts: three stores selling bagels, a frozen yogurt parlor, a McDonald’s with a flowering courtyard and views of a volcano, and a former percussionist of the Buena Vista Social Club crooning into Wednesday night air. What Antigua, Guatemala lacks: immediately accessible man[...]

April 27th, 2010 - 11:21 am § in Colombia, In the Field, Volunteer

“When are you coming back?”

To go away is to die a little, it is to die to that which one loves. Everywhere and always, one leaves behind a part of oneself.  – Edmund Haraucourt Field work requires comfort with transience. Many development workers parachute into places, build their lives from scratch, weave themselves i[...]

April 20th, 2010 - 12:24 pm § in Colombia, Culture, In the Field

Field Loneliness in Colombia

Amazon rainforest In an indigenous community of the Amazonian rainforest, the line between family and community becomes blurry. The  village consists of five inhabitants, all of whom are related by blood or marriage. Every November, tribe members flock to the maloka, the hut-like structure that hou[...]

April 9th, 2010 - 4:15 pm § in Good Ideas, Nicaragua, Volunteer

Productive Uses Create Sustainable Energy

There are many steps to help create energy independence within blueEnergy’s mission. One of the final stages is to create ways in which our communities can use the wind turbines, solar panels and other energy systems we provide for productive uses. Broadly speaking, productive uses refer to projec[...]

March 25th, 2010 - 5:00 pm § in Around Town, Belize, Culture, In the Field

When Doing Good Makes You the Bad Guy

Our organization, the Ya’axché Conservation Trust, has been struggling recently with how best to externally communicate what we do. Are we a conservation group? Are we a humanitarian group? With a mission statement defining us as a community-oriented organization, our position as the manager[...]

March 3rd, 2010 - 7:04 pm § in Country, Ecuador, Tips & Resources

Responsible Tourism: Coming to a Cloud Forest Near You!

I am happy to report that in the Intag cloud forest region of northern Ecuador, community-based tourism is heating up. Just two hours from the market town of Otavalo, Intag’s ecological reserves have begun to attract a steady stream of travelers. Organizations like the Red Ecoturistica de Inta[...]

January 20th, 2010 - 12:11 pm § in Mexico, Tips & Resources

Coming to Mexico? 10 Tips for Living Responsibly AND with Style

Greetings La Vida! I am stoked to be a new blogger, and for my inaugural entry I compiled a list of the essential advice for working/volunteering/traveling in Mexico responsibly and with style. I first came to Mexico as a student a few years ago, and for the last three and a half months I have been [...]





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