Volunteer in Guatemala with Maximo Nivel - Best Rated Projects

Excellent Support!
From missing my flight in Mexico City (layover) before heading to my destination Guatemala, the staff contacted me and made accommodations to pick me up from the airport at a late night time. My placement was awesome, heart touching and a great life experience. Being able to teach at a poor elementary school was great to me, I was able to reflect in life and value everything from home. I highly recommend this program because the staff is really nice, supportive and friendly!

Thank you Maximo Nivel for everything on my stay in Guatemala!!

After my incredible volunteer opportunity in Antigua, I now consider Guatemala my second home. As a young women I am constantly told to not travel alone, yet to a foreign developing country far far away from home. My six weeks with Maximo were the best six weeks of my life that I will cherish forever. I find myself constantly talking about my great experience volunteering with Vet Pro through Maximo. This trip overall gave me an itch to travel more and see the world. I always felt safe and comfortable with the other volunteers in my volunteer house. I formed great friendships that continue to strive after leaving Antigua. I miss waking up every morning and going to my volunteer site!!

When I left it wasn’t a goodbye, but simply a “see you later Guatemala”.

For the second time in four years, I was able to return to return to Antigua, Guatemala through the Maximo Nivel School, and I am tickled to say that Maximo Nivel set me up with the same childcare project as the last time that I was in Antigua, at Niños con Bendicion in San Antonio Aguas Calientes.

Niños con Bendicion, or "Children with Blessing" was created in 2006 by Lesbi Chavez and her husband, Juventino Guaran, so that the impoverished children of their village of San Antonio Aguas Calientes could stay in school and receive a quality education while strengthening their own cultural and familial ties. They began with their own 2 children and three others and Q300 in their own home. The program provides the children with a place to go after school, while their families are still working. The alternative is what the majority of kids in Guatemala do after the third grade, and that is work in the family business, or out in the farm fields.

Their dedication to the children is infectious, and Lesbi and Tino created this educational sanctuary and home for the children out of their deep spiritual belief that the direction for this program came to them in a dream from God. Thanks to sponsorship and donations, the children are able to attend local schools during the day, and then receive tutoring help with schoolwork and a nutritious afternoon snack each day. Financial support for the Program comes from yearly school sponsorships, calendar sales, donations, and other fundraising endeavors that Lesbi & Tino involve the children in. The children come from poor families, where the family business and putting food on the table is priority. Little support is able to be provided at home because the parents frequently do not know how to read or write or complete basic math problems. A local elementary school teacher and a music teacher are two of the permanent volunteers who work in the facility, and other volunteers are constantly needed to help gather and direct the energies of the 32 children who now attend Niños con Bendicion.

In the last 4 years since I was here, the program and the facility have grown immensely, as they have been able to include several more families of children, and assist some of the families financially when one or more parents were not able to work, and they began construction on their new facility. As well, 4 of the older children are now attending University or trade schools via scholarship programs with Niños con Bendicion. I am so proud of the kids for working that hard and staying in school in a culture where furthering your education and obtaining a degree is not necessarily the norm.

Maximo Nivel made this trip possible and I am grateful for all of their help and organizing, as well as the friendships with the staff, other volunteers, and project staff that this trip strengthened wonderfully!

This 1-week trip may have been one of the most rewarding and best experiences of my life. My only regret was not being able to stay for 2 weeks. However, being a dedicated college student, a 2-week stay was a little bit unrealistic for me. But do not let that sway you towards not going, even if it is only for 1 week! It's hard to put into words how positively impacted I was after traveling through Maximo Nivel. They do a fantastic job of finding local organizations and do an even better job of taking care of all the essentials (e.g. housing, food, travel, emergency situations) so that it's not necessary for you to plan for or worry about those things. This means you'll be able to enjoy your time spent here all the more!

I've travelled a lot with my family but this was my first time venturing out by myself. Guatemala seemed like the perfect choice - and it was! I was part of the holiday program (2 weeks) and what a wonderful experience it was. Maximo Nivel was incredible, so friendly, and extremely resourceful and helpful. I was so nervous to go on a trip by myself but Maximo Nivel made me feel so safe and prepared before and throughout the trip. One of my favorite memories was the trip to Tikal, a definite recommendation!

fdMy two weeks spent in beautiful Antigua as a childcare volunteer and student of Spanish through Maximo Nivel exceeded my expectations across various spectrums. Nightly dinners with my host family, commuting and working with locals during the week, and weekend excursions to Lake Atitlan and the Pacific coast all amassed to a well rounded cultural immersion that was truly unique and genuine. Working with children at Guarderia San Lucas, a daycare located 20 minutes from Antigua, was both rewarding for me and much appreciated by the community. The last day of work I left with a heavy heart and a smile, knowing I would miss the ninos and ninas I met over the two weeks, while feeling so grateful for the experience and the impact it will have on my worldview.

Spanish class was intimate and tailored to my needs as a student. My teacher combined structured exercises with more informal opportunities to practice conversing, which was an effective learning method for me. In addition to class, I was glad I took advantage of the free tandem language exchange, which allowed me to practice my Spanish and make a friend along the way. I leave two weeks of intensive classes and tandem exchange feeling more confident about my ability to speak the language, and motivated to continue learning.

From day one when I contacted the International office at Maximo to learn more about their programs, to the last day when I said goodbye to the local staff in Antigua and thanked them for all their help, I couldn't have been more impressed with their professionalism and friendly demeanor. They anticipated all travel and accommodation needs, and went beyond expectations by providing recommendations for leisure activities and being genuinely interested in each of their clients. The staff was extremely welcoming, and made it clear that they were available at any time should you need something, which was especially reassuring as a solo traveler.

Antigua is a beautiful place, nestled between volcanoes and enriched in culture and history. It's conducive to learning Spanish, and a great launch point for weekend excursions should you choose to leave town. I'm glad I made the decision three months ago to book this experience, and I look forward to future experiences helping hardworking Guatemalans and learning with this organization Antigua.

My experience with Maximo Nivel was better than I envisioned. From the staff and fellow volunteers to La Antigua itself, I immediately felt welcomed and at home. I spent the duration of my visit in Guatemala volunteering at K-Pets, a local veterinary clinic located a short 10 minute chicken-bus (a colourful and lively school bus) ride away in Ciudad Vierja. Contributing to the safety and care of the dogs and cats in Guatemala hits close to my heart and it was obvious that the staff at the clinic felt the same way. The staff I was working with had hearts of gold and clearly loved each animal that came through the door. Despite the entertainment of playing charades, I definitely recommend brushing up on your Spanish to better communicate with everyone. Doctor Karen cares tremendously for the animals and has even provided aid to stray animals in need (a common sight in Guatemala as dogs and cats generally aren't domesticated) - regardless of there being an owner to pay for her services. As a dog owner myself, I rarely experience this selflessness in North America and am honoured to have contributed to such a genuine clinic.
Outside of volunteering I was able to engage in many activities including a run up to the breath-taking view at Cerro de la Cruz as well as a hike up Volcan Pacaya. For a less physical activity I definitely suggest exploring La Macadamia, a macadamia nut farm not too far from Antigua with some of the tastiest pancakes you can find!
In one short week I have met people and made memories that I will cherish indefinitely. My time with Maximo Nivel in Guatemala has left me feeling fulfilled and excited to plan my next adventure.

It's hard to put this experience into words. It was eye-opening, exciting and pushed me out of my comfort zone. Guatemala is a beautiful country with beautiful people.
My volunteer placement was at Virgen del Socorro, which is a care facility for up to 250 people with varying levels of disability. I had low expectations as to what the facility would be because there are issues with caring for special needs in Canada. Boy, was I wrong. The facility was incredible. It was clean, it was spacious, and it was full of various resources from computer labs, to schools, to arts and crafts and music rooms. The staff at the facility are indescribable. They were phenomenol with the residents, and were always around with a smile desite the difficult environment. It was quite inspiring to see how the staff had welcomed the residents into their hearts and each staff seemed to have a special bond with each of the residents.
As incredible as the staff are, they are stretched thin. A significant number of the residents required a certain amount of one-on-one time that is just not feasible with the staff on site. That is where volunteering comes in. I was able to assist in the "Belen" and thus double the amount of residents seen one-on-one. It made a difference.
I would highly recommend Virgen del Socorro as a volunteer placement. In the short time I was there, I knew I was helping in a meaningful way, and it was very fulfilling.
Until next time Guatelmala! Adios!