Disclaimer
Participation of students in the activities of other organizations is not required by our program and is by the mutual agreement of those participating.
"Granada Nicaragua Spanish School (GNSS)" has no responsibility for activities outside of our organization.
GNSS understands that students coming to Nicaragua have made a free decision to do so. We advice students to respect Nicaraguan law and have common sense while interacting with locals. GNSS is not responsible for damage to properties or to individuals while visiting Nicaragua.
Volunteering Nicaragua: Useful info
- Read a bit of history and guide books and pay attention to cultural facts, before deciding on coming to Nicaragua, find out for yourself if it is the sort of place you want to live in, explore and help others (children, women, etc.). Lots of people have extreme ideas about Nicaragua. Things are very different from other parts of western society. The definition of comfort, space and privacy varies (for instance, houses have don’t have hot water and personal space and privacy are limited). Also, the lack of resources may challenge volunteers more than they expect (for instance, teaching guitar lessons or new guitar techniques to a group of five kids, having only one or two instruments).
- Be proactive – do not expect a fixed timetable of activities to be set up for you everyday in your volunteering location, or all written instructions on how to do things. You are expected to work your pre-arranged tasks, but you are also expected to assess the organization's needs and limits and deal with them (for instance, if teaching computer skills to many kids with only a few computers, propose to the organization a timetable for having several small groups at different times). Always, express your ideas as you may contribute more than you realize.
- Some organizations may be slow at the beginning with volunteers. Please keep in mind that some of these organizations are stretched to their limits with their day to day tasks and social work. But if you find your volunteering situation is getting frustrating, mention it straight away to the coordinator of the placement/project. They are helpful and willing to ease you into a volunteer work placement and they act as contacts between you and the organization you are volunteering for. Be prepared to consider setting up alternative volunteer work for you if the original placement does not seem to be working out (or turns out to be too stressful for you) – but talk to your counselor/coordinator.
- Spanish is required, as most personnel at the local organizations speak only Spanish. Starting off with 2 to 3 weeks of an intensive Spanish course is very useful. This course is a good way to ease into your placement in Nicaragua as you get lots of cultural facts. Never be shy to ask for help with the language –even if you end up with the need to restructure your volunteer program. Remember to talk to the coordinator (Speaking in English is OK when problem-solving in this area).
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