Guatemala Volunteer Programs from $28/day | Most Affordable & Trusted

This is my first time volunteering away from home and moreso in a Spanish speaking country......2 weeks before leaving home for Guatemala I became apprehensive; a little afraid of the unknown ; I speak little or no English ,"I must be a fool" I thought. I soon learn that people are people everywhere you go in this world........You maybe a little different in physical appearance, the color of your skin and or hair color, yet if you have a true heart and a giving spirit, this will shine through. Thanks to the staff at Maximo Nivel I was able to improve my Spanish. The children in the after school programme were a delight to be with. "Buenos dias......ect" echoing from every class room welcoming the teachers. It was a great opportunity for me to share in an ongoing process of building a school that will change many lives for the betterment.

I lived in Antigua for 8 weeks and taught English at an orphanage about 30 minutes outside of Antigua. I arranged my program through OVHQ, but worked directly through Maximo upon arriving in Guatemala.
Maximo was wonderful in terms of the support services they offered. I got to know the staff very quickly, and was always in regular communication with them throughout the duration of my stay. The orientation system was thorough, the coordination between the volunteer work and the Spanish school was excellent, and Maximo was always concerned about the quality of my homestay and volunteer experience. They taught me how to use the public transportation system and came out to check up on me at least once a week at my placement, all of which was very useful. They were also wonderful when helping us plan trips, and were very flexible in accommodating our needs.
Two things that I wish I had known about this IVHQ program before arriving were the natures of the homestay and social situations. While my host mom was wonderful and my homestay very comfortable (with excellent food), it should be noted that most homestays have multiple students living in them at any given time and are more like boarding houses than actual homes. During the first half of my trip, my home had up to 15 foreigners staying in it at once (not all through Maximo) which, while fun, hurt my ability to form relationships with my host family and improve my Spanish. During the second half of my stay, however, there were far less people, and I became much closer with my host mom.
Maximo Nivel did very little to stimulate social interaction among volunteers and students. Most of the friends I made were through my homestay, but once they all left I felt very alone and bored in Antigua. It was also very difficult for me as a female living in the outskirts of the city, as it was unsafe for me to walk after dark and taking a cab every night was very expensive. There is a vibrant social life among those staying in the volunteer house, but that tends to consist of kids just out of high school and is notorious for a lot of drama, so I never felt I had much in common with them.
In short, I had a wonderful experience with Maximo, but probably would not recommend staying there for more than 6 weeks, as it became exceedingly dull after a while. Antigua is a wonderful city, but there are only so many times you can clime Cerro de la Cruz, go to the markets, and eat at Monolocos until it begins to lose its appeal.

From start to finish, my experience went very smoothly. The staff accomodated my request to arrive a couple days early. They picked me up from the airport and drove me to my home stay the first night. They even helped me arrange for a trip to El Salvador for some surfing before my volunteer work started. There was someone available 24/7 for problems or concerns, and opportunities for travel each weekend. The town of Antigua is full of cultural opportunities, night-life, great restaurants, and many other students, tourists, and volunteers.

My volunteer experience in the medical care of rural Guatemala provided exposure to the medical practices and care system of the country as well as opportunity to interact with local health care providers as well as rural Guatemalans. Having more than basic Spanish, would have been helpful however.

Speaking of Spanish, the language courses at Maximo Nivel were excellent. The teachers are very capable, understanding, and provide personalized Spanish education. I learned more in two weeks than in three years of previous language study.

Thank you!