Volunteer programs in Colombia

About Colombia

About Colombia

Colombia is the fourth-largest nation in South America, spanning 1,141,748 square kilometers, making it the sixth-largest country in the Americas. With coastlines on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the country boasts a privileged geographical location that is reflected in its biodiversity and wide variety of climates, making it a true natural paradise.

El Chocó

The area where the participant will be staying is a breeding ground for humpback whales. Throughout the summer, these magnificent creatures can be easily observed from the beach, and boat tours can be arranged to watch females with their calves up close.

Climate in Colombia

Colombia’s climate is characterized by stable temperatures throughout the year. However, the country’s diverse geography leads to notable regional differences. Warm, tropical, and humid climates can be found along the coast, while colder climates prevail at the peaks of the Andes mountain range and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Time zone

Colombia is in the Colombia Time Zone (COT), which is UTC-5 all year round.

Currency

The country’s official currency is the Colombian peso. 1 euro equates to 3,473.49 Colombian pesos.

Location

Volunteer programs are located in the Chocó region.

Stay

The volunteer stay begins when the volunteer arrives at the destination and is picked up.

Meals

Meals included in the destination/project will be provided at the accommodation. However, transportation to the destination, excursions undertaken by the volunteers, etc, will not include meals.

Pick up times

The pick-up times specified for each destination/project must be respected. Volunteers arriving outside the scheduled pick-up time or date will incur an additional cost, depending on the destination.

VOLUNTEER programs

Where are the volunteer programs located?

Location: The volunteer programs are located in the Chocó department of Colombia.

Programs

  • Wild Bird Volunteer Program
  • Sea Turtle Volunteer Program

Requirements and costs

  • Volunteers must be over 18 years old at the start of the program.
  • The costs of the volunteer program start at €340 for 1 week. You can see all the costs under Program Costs.

What is included?

Airport

We recommend that the participant arrives at José María de Córdoba International Airport. They should spend one night there and fly to Nuquí the next day from Olaya Herrera Airport.

We will pick you up at Nuquí Airport to take you by boat to the village where you will spend the next weeks of your volunteering experience.

Start/Duration

Volunteers must arrive in Colombia on a Saturday or Sunday at any time.

Recommendations

  • Comfortable clothing; summer temperatures year-round.
  • Water shoes.
  • A mosquito net is not necessary; all lodges have mosquito nets.
  • A raincoat to prevent getting wet in case of rain.

Our programs

Wild Bird Volunteer Program

This volunteer program focuses on assisting professionals and those in training in ornithology and scientific banding, including activities related to net installation and data collection. If you already have some prior knowledge, you can participate in research and conservation activities at the Chocó Bird Observatory.

Program schedule: from dawn to dusk. The program’s performance will depend on the weather conditions.

Travel time from the volunteer house: approximately 10 minutes on foot. Transportation is not necessary to reach the program.

Sea Turtle Volunteer Program

In this volunteer program, you will support the community’s initiative to protect Hawksbill and Olive Ridley turtles by conducting night patrols to search for nesting females, taking morphometric measurements, rescuing eggs, and transferring them to hatcheries. You will also help maintain the hatchery and document the process, contributing to the digital platform.

Please keep in mind that this is a community initiative, and we will be supporting them under their guidance. At Cooperating Volunteers, we believe in supporting local communities.

Volunteering with the Hawksbill turtle can take place year-round. Activities will involve direct work with the turtles, cleaning their environment and habitat, research, coral cleaning, and related investigations. During nesting season, activities directly related to nesting will be conducted.

Travel time to the program from the volunteer house: 5 minutes on foot from the volunteer house.

accommodation and meals

Accommodation and meals

Volunteers will be accommodated in “posada” type accommodations, common in the Chocó region. They will sleep in shared rooms with shared bathrooms. Each posada has a maximum capacity of two or three people.

These are rooms set up in the houses of the villages, typically available as single or double accommodations with either private or shared bathrooms with the family. Each room is equipped with a mosquito net for the bed.

Meals included: 2 meals a day (breakfast and dinner) from Monday to Friday. On weekends, volunteers can independently visit nearby establishments with other volunteers, and these meals will be at their own expense.

Meals will be provided at the posadas.

Types of meals:
The meals provided during your volunteering experience will include fish, tropical fruits, chicken, rice, pasta, etc. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you must notify us in advance so that the menu can be adapted.

program costs

The total cost of the volunteering experience is broken down into two parts: the registration fee of €210 (approximately US$253), which is paid to book your spot, and the program fee, which is paid later (in euros).

Programs in Colombia

410€ for 1 week
340€ each additional week

What is included?

What additional costs will be incurred by the volunteers?

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance (mandatory)
  • Return transfer from the program to the airport
  • Other personal expenses

(* Volunteers in Colombia generally find that around 50 € (US$ 56, approx.) is sufficient for basic weekly expenses.)

Contact

Leave us your information and we will contact you within the next 24 hours

UNIVERSITY PRACTICES

Our volunteers will be able to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

What does volunteering focused on university practices involve?

At Cooperating Volunteers, we make agreements with different universities to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

The specialties we work with are extensive: medical volunteering, nursing, education, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, engineering, architecture…

The practices can be carried out in our designated destinations for this purpose, as well as in Spain.

If you choose an international destination, it’s a unique way to live an unforgettable and enriching experience, as you will have the opportunity to continue your education in another country, with a completely different culture.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and being part of the various projects at the destination will allow us to grow both personally and professionally, creating a more extensive curriculum.

And we are fully convinced that this experience will accompany you throughout your life.

You will be able to visit hospitals, schools, centers, orphanages, and participate directly and actively in the daily lives of all those people at the destination, always accompanied by other professionals willing to collaborate hand in hand with you and guide you in daily tasks.

If your university is not part of the agreement with Cooperating Volunteers, you can contact cristina@cooperatingvolunteers.com so that we can get in touch and make this experience a reality. 

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

Corporate volunteering consists of tailored programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills.

It is proven that teamwork directly impacts productivity. 

Collective effort surpasses individual capabilities, promotes diversity of skills, stimulates creativity, and facilitates problem-solving in the face of various challenges.

Therefore, it not only maximizes efficiency but also enriches the work environment.

We conduct corporate volunteering programs that consist of customized programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills, improve performance, and foster unity among employees.

We tailor projects to the corporate identity and size of the company, and we can adjust them to any destination and time of the year.

The advantages of corporate volunteering include:

  • Improving communication.
  • Group unity.
  • Cultural integration in different situations.
  • Employee training.
  • Increased Corporate Social Responsibility.

The future is aligned with a more responsible society, and participating in social projects positions our company among the list of revolutionary businesses that want to be part of the change.

If you resonate with this message, corporate volunteering is a unique experience both individually and collectively, and at Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the process to make it a unique journey.

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. 

Spending quality time with family and being able to disconnect from our hectic routines is not only enriching but also necessary.

Sometimes we forget to communicate, connect, and dedicate time to each other. Each one of us lives focused on our jobs, schools… And it’s necessary to find the opportunity to pause and take care of ourselves.

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. And of course, it creates lifelong positive memories.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we suggest moving away from those ‘more superficial’ trips (which can also be fantastic), but we invite you to live this experience to bring out our most empathetic and humanitarian side.

Family volunteering gives us the opportunity to be part of a positive impact, promoting values of solidarity and social responsibility.

There are many families who choose to experience these trips focused on cooperation and direct involvement with different communities around the world, where living conditions are very different and sometimes entirely precarious.

Projects are tailored to different ages, allowing us to work together.

An incredible way to fill our suitcase with memories, learning, and knowledge.

And although stepping out of our comfort zone often feels daunting, we assure you firsthand that it’s worth it.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the entire experience, from start to finish, to make it unforgettable.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERING

At Cooperating Volunteers, we believe it’s never too late for anything, especially for volunteering and living a unique and unforgettable experience.

There are many people, increasingly so, who opt for responsible travel that involves social work.

Accustomed to organized and mostly touristic trips, at Cooperating Volunteers, we want to advocate for a more enriching experience, one that transforms us from within and allows us to be part of the change the world needs to see.

We can adapt both the destination and the duration of our projects to fit your needs.

It’s an opportunity full of emotions that allows us to significantly contribute to different communities and their evolution. And you can participate in different areas such as education, social support, or assistance in different centers.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Sense of purpose: Provides a sense of purpose by contributing your skills and experiences to meaningful causes.
  • Emotional well-being: Reduces feelings of isolation and establishes social connections.
  • Personal development: It’s continuous learning, skill development, and discovering new activities while keeping the mind-body active.
  • Physical health: Keeping active.
  • Stress reduction: The act of helping others reduces stress and contributes to mental health.

Living this experience will undoubtedly be a before and after. 

SOCIAL VOLUNTEERING

A volunteering initiative with leadership and impact through the educational action program.

When we talk about social volunteering, we refer to all those actions and activities carried out altruistically, selflessly, and with the aim of addressing multiple problems and needs of different communities, always focused on education and self-sufficiency.

Education is essential because it provides the tools and knowledge necessary for personal, social, and economic development.

Our goal is to create self-sufficient communities and provide opportunities for the future personal development of each member. The message is not to ‘give’, but to accompany in the process of training for self-managed provision.

At Cooperating Volunteers, many of our destinations and projects embrace this type of volunteering. Some of our projects include: community programs, education, women’s empowerment…

And although they are completely different from each other, they share a single objective: progress towards a society that can embrace us all in the same way.

If you are someone who is restless, who needs to see a change in the future, volunteering is an experience tailor-made for you.