What to Expect

7:00 a.m. : Depending on the country and the projects, volunteers may rise anywhere from 5:30 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. That may sound early, but in most of these countries, by the time you are crawling out of bed, the streets are full of day laborers on their way to work. Most of the volunteers will probably be spread over a few different projects, so the entire team may not need to leave at the same time every day. Regardless, you will most likely be sharing a bathroom with four or five other individuals. Take a deep breath as you crawl into that cold shower!

8:00 a.m.: The volunteers' eating arrangements vary from year to year. Some of the volunteers walk to a nearby cafeteria and eat breakfast and dinner there. Some hire a cook to come to the home and prepare meals for them. If you are working on early projects which require you to leave before 7:00 a.m., you will most likely need to fix your own breakfast. Prepared breakfasts by local cooks will generally consist of eggs, beans, farmer's cheese, fried bananas, bread, or tortillas. On occassion you may be given fresh tropical fruit both whole and in smoothies. If you prepare your own breakfast, cold cereals, granola bars, and fresh fruit can be purchased from local grocers.

9:00 a.m.: After breakfast, you will probably get on a local "chicken bus". These are nothing more than colorfully painted, retired, U.S. school buses that are constantly on the verge of breaking down. You will indoubtedly get crammed in like a sardine so watch your bags closely. The trip to your morning project will generally take from forty-five minutes to an hour and a half. Projects in the morning may consist of manual labor projects - including house construction; or you may end up working on a community development project in a small village. Some volunteers will probably be involved in teaching Square Foot Gardening classes in the morning and possibly some basic business courses.

12:00 p.m.: Nearly all of the volunteers will eat lunch out in the village where you are working. In some cases, the volunteers have eaten at small cafeterias in a nearby town. On some projects, local villagers have prepared lunch for the volunteers. In these cases your lunch will generally consist of beans, rice, tortillas, and some piece of meat or eggs. Be sure to bring your own water and have it with you always! After lunch, you will generally continue working on your project until 4:00 or 5:00 unless you have an evening class to teach or transportation requires you to leave earlier to make it home.

5:00 p.m.: After returning home, most volunteers will teach English classes in the evening at least two to four evenings a week. These classes are often taught fairly close to the volunteer home so that night travel can be avoided. Classes are often taught at churches, local libraries, or in the offices of our partners.

7:00 p.m.: Dinner will generally consist of a pasta dish, or rice, beans, and some meat. Often soda pop or a juice drink is provided as well. Dinner and breakfast are the only two meals that are eaten at the same place consistently. Depending on the projects, volunteers may arrive at home at different hours and you may eat all together or in shifts.

9:00 p.m.: Evening activities include washing laundry by hand if need be, preparing lessons for upcoming classes and/or projects, or writing reports to the HELP International headquarters. Many volunteers take this opportunity to read, write in journals, or simply rest and relax with each other after an incredible day of working hard. Volunteers often spend their evenings laughing, telling stories, and recounting adventures from the day.