Come lend a hand!

La Mariposa has built up very close ties with the community and our students are welcome to get involved in any of our projects. You could find yourself singing songs with the children in the English project in the Panama Barrio, or getting your hands dirty working alongside Juan tending to the garden of medicinal plants. Of course, every activity or outing provides yet another chance to practice Spanish – whether reading “Donde Esta Spot” with a group of wide-eyed youngsters or discussing the effect the heavy rains have had on the local rice crop!

Volunteer Options

There are lots of options! We can set you up with various children’s programs, Chispa de Vida therapy program for the differently abled, the local health clinic, animal care, work in the organic gardens, reforestation (in the wet season), and other environmental projects. Read through in more detail to find the right placement for you.

Children’s Education & Enrichment Programs

We need volunteers to help with any of the following in our children’s projects:

• English classes
• Help with reading/writing in Spanish
• Creative activities – dance, yoga, music, art, craft work
• Sport – basketball, football, swimming,
• Specialist therapies – physical therapy, equino therapy and hydro therapy

Integrated Children’s Center

La Reserva is the main location of our children’s programs. See the Integrated Childrens Projects including the Chispa de Vida project page for the details.

Panama English Project

The Panama English Project is one of the most popular children’s projects and is separate from La Reserva programs, located in the barrio of Panama and further from La Mariposa. Children ages 4 and up can attend to participate in English classes and fun activities. Volunteers can help directly with giving classes or working with the teachers to develop an appropriate curriculum.

The photos below will give you an idea of some of your options for volunteering with children.

“Chispa De Vida” Therapy programs for the Differently abled

As a “Chispa de Vida” volunteer, you’ll play with the children in the program, and help out during therapeutic activities like equine therapy and hydrotherapy sessions or art projects. If you are able to help with physical therapy or have any specialist knowledge which can contribute to the development of this project, that would be greatly appreciated! 

Health

Volunteer placement at the health clinic is available to individuals with medical qualifications or experience working in the health field and a basic/ intermediate level of Spanish. The work involves assisting the nurses with routine cleaning and paperwork, administration of injections and accompanying them to home-preventative education sessions. In this role you will get to experience first-hand how health care services operate in a country with little resources. You will be required to present your medical certificate or a letter of reference from your school or work in order to partake in this placement. We also work with their Natural Health Clinic – they can take volunteers with experience in massage, using herbal remedies etc.

Animal Care

La Mariposa has a range of rescued animals that we care for both here at La Mariposa and at our study centre at El Piscacho. As a volunteer you would help to care for our rescued dogs, horses, monkeys, and birds that we have been unable to release into the wild and so live on site. This role includes feeding them, bathing them and general maintenance of their enclosures.

If you have veterinary training, you are welcome to be part of our 1 or 2 day wellness and sterilization clinics for local neighborhoods.

Organic Gardens

Come and help out in our gardens at La Mariposa, La Reserva, or El Piscacho. As a volunteer you will be weeding, watering, composting, transplanting and building beds. We encourage helpful insects and other wildlife by planting flowers and “weeds.” We also reforest trees (in season) and need general maintenance, and help us preserving the wildlife (building bat houses, for example)

Our organic huerta (vegetable patch) is located at La Reserva. Here you can learn how to maintain an organic garden with a variety of vegetables and herbs using traditional methods derived from permaculture principles. The produce you help tend is served at the Mariposa so you will get the satisfaction of eating what you’ve helped grow, including organic lettuce, corn, beans and wheat. There is also a garden of medicinal plants. This placement would be perfect for someone with an interest in plants or organic gardening and a love of the outdoors/ isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty.

Environmental Projects

Reforestation

We have purchased 140 acres of land which was quickly disappearing due to illegal logging and the ever growing demand for Dragon-fruit and Pineapple for export. Key springs have been left to dry up and precious timber left to rot. We purchased this land in order to save a huge expanse of virgin forest and reforest areas already impacted by deforestation. Work on this project is seasonally dependent (during the wet season) and for the most part involves reforestation. If you would like to spending your days outdoors and want to do something that has a positive impact on the environment, this placement is for you.

Water Filtration

Water filtration work is designed to create sieves of volcanic sand and rock which filters out impurities, especially soap, from used water.

One – time projects

At any time, we might be asked to repaint a school building, help re roof a house or reforest public land. At times we also have eco building projects going on. We also often need help taking photographs or making information sheets. Ask us if you are interested in anything out of the ordinary!

We also welcome ideas and suggestions from volunteers and volunteers with particular talents should talk to us about doing something different and innovative. Anything from helping the cooks try out new recipes or working with Luis to paint a mural in our entrance way highlighting the environmental problems we are facing.

What we ask from you

• Working hours vary a bit but we ask you to work approximately 4 hours a day at your volunteer placement
  
  
• An ability to reflect on how things work – or don’t work – here in Nicaragua (the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere) and why that might be the case. At times this demands a degree of self reflection as well as the easier task of observing and judging Nicaraguans!
  
  
• Good health is essential and an attitude that goes with the flow is invaluable
  
  
• An understanding that although we work closely with Nicaraguans and other organizations to ensure that your placement runs as smoothly as possible – from both your point of view and the organizations – we cannot offer guarantees. Plans often have to be changed in Nicaragua due to unforseen weather, school schedules or other unforseen contingencies. Please note we reserve the right to terminate a placement. 
  
  
• With placements with childrens projects, at least a basic understanding of Spanish is advisable (unless teaching English). The Mariposa is an excellent Spanish school and we can orient your classes to the needs of your placement.
  
  
• All placements require that you have your own internationally valid insurance covering illness, accident, theft, etc and have a liability disclaimer. 
  
  
• Please send us one character reference if you want to work with small children.
  
  
• The majority of placements are walking distance or a short bus ride (fares are around 20 cents, you are responsible) away from the Mariposa.
  
  
• We can offer placements doing practical work within the Mariposa for as little as a week but we ask for a longer time commitment if you prefer to work with people, suggested minimum one month.

• For more detailed information, write to us at lamariposaspanishschool06@gmail.com

What you can expect whilst volunteering

• You combine volunteer work with Spanish classes. We offer 20 hours formal classes (2 hours of grammar and 2 hours of conversation/daily) per week within the delightful garden surroundings of the Mariposa. For newcomers to Nicaragua we also recommend starting your time here with a week or two joining in with the Mariposa programme of afternoon and weekend activities in order to familiarise yourself with Nicaragua, its history and culture and with the immediate surroundings of La Concha. We encourage you not to spend your all your time here mainly interacting with groups of other Westerners!
  

• We offer opportunities for volunteers to become immersed in the community of La Concha by working within the community alongside workers from local organizations – such as working alongside a pre-school teacher in a school, observing in the health centre, or even with a bee project – so you can really get out there to see for yourself, experience and understand how the community functions. We also have a range of volunteer opportunities within the more protected setting of the Mariposa – you similarly work alongside one of the Mariposa workers. We can offer you placements doing practical work or manual labor for as little as one week, but we ask for a longer time commitment if you prefer to work with people, suggested minimum one month.

• A member of La Mariposa admin team will take you to your project on the first day, introduce you to the workers and show you around. We are happy to support you throughout your time with us….we do not leave volunteers to figure it all out on their own! Please talk to us about any aspect of your work…..any problems you may have (we cannot try and sort it unless we know about it!!) or any suggestions for improving the work we do are most welcome.
  

• In keeping with the Mariposa principle of maximizing local employment opportunities, we do not use volunteers to replace local workers. Instead, we place each individual volunteer alongside a Nicaraguan worker (this of course has the additional benefit of improving your Spanish)
  

• Volunteers live in the study center if part of a group or in home-stays with local families (all known to the Mariposa). This of course enhances the opportunities to get to know a Nicaraguan family and practice that Spanish!