Placement: LIVE AND VOLUNTEER WITH THE FRIENDLY PEMAN ABORIGINALS

About the Placement

The Gran Sabana is home to the Peman Nation, an ethnic minority of about 6,000 people. The community of Chirikayen is one of many small, rural Peman villages. It is 1.5 hours’ drive (some parts over extremely bad roads) from Santa Elena, in the beautiful Gran Sabana national park. It has a population of less than 400 people and is located amidst breathtaking surroundings close to the Chirikayen Tepuy (flat-top mountain - 1650m). Chirikayen enjoys a healthy climate and environment and has a primary school, a health care station, a basic shop, and a Seventh Day Advantist church. This special assignment gives volunteers close insight into Peman life, something which they find very rewarding. Chirikayen is a good site for those interested in contemporary indigenous issues and who want to watch and participate as locals decide on the future directions of their communities. Volunteers with a genuine interest in anthropology, indigenous rights, and cultural immersion will enjoy this placement. Integrate yourself into this strong community next to the flat-top mountains, enjoy the different pace of life and the fantastic views. Amenities are basic. There is electricity for only 3(ish) hours a day when a generator is run. Clothes are washed in the river. A radio in Chirikayen can call in to the City Hall in Santa Elena any time if it is necessary. The value of the actual volunteer work you do will be surpassed by the value of the cross-cultural experience, both for yourself and for the locals in Chirikayen, who are increasingly interested in pursuing the option of opening up their community to some small scale appropriate tourism. Your presence in the community will not only teach you about the Peman and the situations that they face, but also will teach the people of Chirikayen about outsiders and what opening their community up for small scale tourism might mean. You can spend the duration of your volunteer placement with Peace Villages in Chirikayen. You can also spend some time there and some time volunteering with one or more of our other projects, which all involve living in Santa Elena. The activities in Chirikayen are not fixed. We encourage anyone with an idea for a sustainable project to propose it to us in advance so we can discuss it with the community leaders. Volunteers are also encouraged to be very flexible and to simply help locals with as many daily tasks as they can. The Chirikayen Tepuy excursion: A trek can be arranged with locals from the village of Chirikayen to the nearby Tepuy. It will take 2-3 days and is great for beginners. You will cross savannah, rainforests and see small gold and diamond mines. Make sure you have everything you need with you



ACTIVITIES CAN INCLUDE:

-Gardening side by side with villagers using indigenous techniques

-Daily house, kitchen and garden activities side by side with family members and neighbors

-Conservation activities (e.g. research and protection of wildlife, caring for seedlings, working with the members of the indigenous communities in the areas of the protection of river basins, water sources, and relative wildlife)

-Sustainable community projects such as organic agriculture

-Reforestation of areas affected by burning or mining activities

-Recreational and creative activities with kids, adolescents and school children

-Teaching English to Peman tour guides and school children

-Building and maintenance work on communal infrastructure

-Initiating an environmental education program and exchanging knowledge of the rainforest and savannah habitat (Spanish required)



ACCOMMODATION:

Volunteers will be staying with a Peman indigenous Host Family. The family will provide three meals a day, and a private room. Neighbours speak also English and the host family speaks Spanish and their indigenous mother language Taurepan. All meals are eaten with the family. Volunteers can choose to sleep in either hammocks or beds.



REQUIREMENTS:

You do not need special skills nor do you have to speak fluent Spanish, but you need to be flexible and willing to get involved in a wide range of activities. Many in these villages speak Spanish and some speak English as well. Special interest/skills in the areas of sports, music, art, construction, or English teaching are most helpful.



AVAILABILITY:

Ongoing throughout the year

Role of Volunteer

VOLUNTEERING WITH ALDEAS DE PAZ

Volunteering is a great way to experience another culture, make new friends and learn new skills. The beauty in volunteering lies in the fact that you are not simply passing through as a tourist. You are interacting with the community, building relationships and making a positive impact. It is an experience that may well change your life! Volunteers are the driving force of Peace Villages’ work, both through their volunteering and through their financial contributions. We have various programs currently underway and run by volunteers, as well as the long term expectation of opening a large multi-faceted Therapy Center. Volunteers, through their donations and through volunteer work done on the Foundations grounds are helping us to create this center. We encourage volunteers to form schedules which work for them, and to work in any combination of programs. Volunteers decide how many hours they want to work. We recommend a minimum of 4 hours daily for 4 days a week. You may work as many days/hours you wish. We emphasize that we focus on excellence and not on quantity! All travel costs to Santa Elena, Venezuela must be covered by the volunteer. Budget at least 35 Euro for in-country travel (including meals along the way) on top of whatever your plane ticket costs (likely at least 330 Euro depending on where you are coming from).



TYPICAL VOLUNTEER

A typical volunteer/intern needs to be enthusiastic, willing to learn, ready for a challenge, has a desire to take initiative and dedicates a lot of caring and passion to the position. Friendliness, care, commitment and patience are among important qualities. We welcome individual volunteers, families and groups regardless of age, experience or background. You don’t have to speak fluent Spanish as we provide full support and 24 hour back-up from our local staff. Volunteers and interns are the driving force of Peace Villages’ work, both through their volunteering and through their financial contributions. Volunteering with us is a great opportunity to work side by side with locals, learn new skills, study Spanish, and immerse oneself in the Latin and indigenous culture. The beauty in volunteering lies in the fact that you are not simply passing through as a tourist. You are interacting with the community, building relationships and making a positive impact. It is an experience that may well change your life!



APPLICATION

Please fill online-application. Please join Ecoteer today for web-site information

Travel Information

Travel Information for Venezuela



Just two steps away from Aldeas de Paz:



-Flight to Caracas

-Luxury bus ride to Aldeas de Paz location



Arriving at Caracas Airport

In the airport your first stop will be Immigration where you will be given a three months tourist entry stamp in your passport. (Extendable later on) If you previously booked the Pick-Up Service, Omar your driver, will be waiting for you and bring you directly to the Bus Terminal.



From the Airport to the Bus Terminal



Here starts the second step on your way to Santa Elena. "Terminal de Oriente", is the bus terminal that has luxury buses leaving directly to Santa Elena. You have three options to transfer from the Airport to Terminal de Oriente:



From Caracas Bus Terminal to Aldeas de Paz in Santa Elena



Direct luxury buses are the fastest, cheapest, and most convenient way to travel from Caracas to Santa Elena. They are equipped with new, stretch reclining seats, air conditioning, a bathroom, and DVD system. Several companies operate ultra-modern buses to Santa Elena. Three buses are leaving daily from Caracas to Santa Elena. Two are traveling directly and the third requires a step over halfway



More Travel Information on web-site

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