Information
Where does Quetzaltrekkers work:
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Quetzaltrekkers
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Volunteer Abroad Positions Available
Development Coordinator
The current goal is to build a new Hogar next to the school in Las Rosas to house up to 35 children. This will not only require capital investment for the cost of construction but also an increase in the regular income of Quetzaltrekkers in order to fund the operating costs of the new Hogar. This has created the need for a Development Coordinator to help increase the revenue stream.
It has been identified that to achieve growth and continued sustainability all three organizations require a consistent level of volunteers as well as a more targeted and structured client and donor base.
PLEASE NOTE - this is an entirely different volunteer opportunity to that of a QT guide. When contacting QT, please specify which volunteer position you are interested in.
The intern will have the unique opportunity to develop this role at the same time as helping many disadvantaged children of the Quetzaltenango area.
Term of internship
Minimum commitment of 1 year
Start Date:
As soon as possible
Requirements:
• Intermediate Spanish
• Good communication skills
• Experience of working in a team environment
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Experience in a business or marketing role preferred but not essential
• A strong desire to work with children
Main Responsibilities:
• Development and management of volunteer recruitment for Quetzaltrekkers, EDELAC and Hogar Abierto
• Development of group relationships and client database
• Coordination of group visits
• Fundraising and international marketing
• Expansion and management of donor base
• Part time assisting in both EDELAC and Hogar Abierto
Stipend
• $2000 per annum, paid quarterly
• Performance based commission
Benefits:
• Subsidized accommodation of $26 per month
• Access to partly subsidized food
Trekking guide
Quetzaltrekker guides operate as a collective and are fully responsible for the trekking business. You will guide treks, of course, both as a helper and, with experience, as lead guide. Between treks you will wash a lot of dishes, cook a lot of food, take care of trekking equipment, promote treks, plan benefit parties, answer a lot of questions from potential trekkers, and be responsible for one or more coordinator positions such as finance, email, gear, promotions, webpage, etc.
For more information about volunteering as a guide, please check out our website - http://quetzaltrekkers.com/guatevolunteer.html - or get in contact via email - quetzaltrekkers@gmail.com.
Volunteer Activity
| Kingsley Michael Uhiara | 04/2012 - 03/2012 |
| Charlotte Burke | 09/2011 - 06/2011 |
| Reshma Kulkarni | 06/2011 |
| Gary Swartz |
Cost for Volunteers
Average cost per day (USD): $5.00
Quetzaltrekker guides can live quite inexpensively should they so choose and, in fact, most expenses are entirely discretionary (eating in restaurants, entertainment, tobacco and alcohol). We estimate a guide can live comfortably (ie. eat out every so often, go for a beer etc) on aout $150 - $200 a month.
We have a ' rustic' communal guide house that usually has space enough for all guides, who each pay 200 Quetzales (about $26) per month. Guides are not invited to stay in the guide house until after their successful trial week.
Alternative lodging is available in Casa Argentina, the hostel which also houses our office, where 30 Q (about $4) will get you a bed for the night (healthy discounts available if you stay for a month). There are numerous individual and communal apartments in Xela, prices vary but seldom go below 750 Q (about $97) per month per room..
Meals (and other expenses) on treks are, of course, provided.
Guides pool all tips and the money goes into our Breakfast Club account which normally, but not always, is able to pay for all communal, non-trekking meals.
Guides are required to provide their own cell phones and keep them available to both make and receive calls. Frequently, but not always, old guides leave their cell phones behind for new guides, in which case you will not have to buy your own. Prices for the cheapest phones in Xela vary but can be as low as 125 Q (about $16) and used phones in the market can normally be had for less.
Occasionally guides take the Hogar kids on special trips such as the waterpark, the safari park, the beach, a football (soccer) game, the cinema, etc. In these cases guides pay their own expenses (kids are paid for by the Quetzaltrekkers).
Guides should normally expect to bring and use their own trekking equipment - you will be far more comfortable wearing your own shoes and carrying your own backpack. We do have plenty of equipment on hand to loan to clients, however, and if a guide absolutely needs to use some of it personally it is no problem whatsoever.
Among other things you should assume you will need good hiking boots/shoes, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, backpack, raincoat/poncho, warm clothes (on Tajumulco the temperature normally drops to a few degrees below freezing at night), and headlamp.
Volunteer Placement Logistics
An ABSOLUTE MINIMUM commitment of three months is required of all new guides. This DOES NOT include your one week trial period. During this entire time you will receive absolutely NO days off (unless you are sick - it does happen), except for a day to make a necessary visa run to Mexico (Guatemalan visas are valid for only 90 days).
Guides who have completed their three months frequently extend their time, some of them for many months. They also have much more flexibility regarding time off (they've earned it!).
Our desired minimum is 8 guides at all times. Our current maximum is usually 12, although occasionally we let that expand to 16. We are working to double our business by soliciting more 'group tours' and, if we are successful, we will be needing a minimum of 16 guides at all times.
Volunteer Skills Needed
Our income comes from our customers. Our job is to keep them very, very happy before, during and after their trek(s). We are service providers and our customers always come first. You should be a people person!
We trek. If you don't like to walk many miles/kilometers a day, up and down endless hills, with a moderate to heavy backpack, you will not enjoy being a guide with us!
Intermediate Spanish is a minimum requirement!
If you do not already have good First Aid skills you should do your best to acquire them before you arrive, or plan on learning VERY quickly after you get here.
There are no bosses here - we make decisions by consensus. To fit in, you will need to be a team player.
Individual responsibility counts! You will be given huge amounts of responsibility, starting almost on the day you get here. You will be given far less guidance, but you will still be expected to perform, perform, perform. It's great fun, but if the idea makes your knees wobble perhaps you should think twice before signing up ... ;-).