Volunteer at Quetzaltrekkers, Guatemala

Do some volunteer work with a difference at Quetzaltrekkers, an NGO supporting a variety of projects using money raised from trekking trips.

The Guatemala branch of Quetzaltrekkers is based in Quetzaltenango, a lively city in the middle of the mountainous highlands. As such it is the perfect base from which to embark on a number of treks through spectacular scenery.

As a volunteer, you will be expected to guide and lead tourists on these treks, as well as fulfilling a number of other duties around the Quetzaltrekkers office. The organization currently offers eight different treks, and options include Tajumulco, the highest volcano in Central America, and Santiaguito, the continent’s most active volcano.

Donations received from tourists go toward supporting the Associación Escuela de la Calle (EDELAC), which helps children living and working on the streets of Quetzaltenango. The thinking behind the project is to ensure money generated from tourism is used to benefit some of the neediest members of the local population, rather than the owners of hotels and tourist restaurants.

As a volunteer, you get the chance to support an amazing project while seeing some of the most amazing scenery in Central America. When you are not guiding trips, spend time with the children who benefit from the project and see firsthand the impact that Quetzaltrekkers has on their lives.

The organization is a fairly unique initiative which uses a novel form of funding to support social work, and it should be applauded for its fresh thinking. An affiliated organization operates out of Leon, Nicaragua, should you wish to volunteer elsewhere in Central America.