Volunteer programs in Maldives

About Maldives

About Maldives

The Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, lying south of India. The country is comprised by thousands of islands, the majority of which are uninhabited. Throughout history, the Republic of Maldives has been a Portuguese, Dutch and British colony. Maldivian culture is highly influenced by its neighbouring countries (India and Sri Lanka) and Islam, which is the main religion amongst its inhabitants. The Maldives are divided into 26 atolls, which are a set of small islands that belong to the same coral mass. The fact that the country is so disperse makes it a one-of-a-kind location. Its plant life, topography, beaches, corals etc. comprise a magnificent tropical landscape that make the country an idyllic destination, which is what makes this a luxurious and high-quality destination.

Maldives’s climate

The Maldives has a tropical monsoon climate, which is divided into the dry season and the wet season. In general, the country enjoys a pleasantly mild climate throughout the year and in both seasons. The island’s climate is characterised by monsoons. The winter monsoon is dry and occurs between November and April, which is the coolest time of year. The summer monsoon takes place between May and October, which is a wet and rainy season. This is the warmest time of year.

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Time zone

The Maldives follows Maldives Standard Time (MST), which is UTC+5, and does not observe Daylight Saving Time. This time zone applies uniformly across the country’s various islands.

Currency

The currency used in the country is the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR). 1 euro equates to 17.40 MVR.

Location

Projects are located in Hoandedhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

Stay

Volunteers should arrive on Sundays between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

Meals

Three local meals a day from Monday to Friday and two meals a day on Saturday on Sunday.

Pick up times

Airport pick-ups take place on Sundays between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. You will be picked up by local staff and transferred to your accommodation.

VOLUNTEER programs

Where are the volunteer programs located?

Projects are located in Hoandedhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. It is an island from the Maldives located 8 miles to the north of Ecuador. It has around 1200 inhabitants. The island is surrounded by wonderful Coral reefs where you will be able to find marine animals such as turtles, stingrays and many incredible fishes.

Programs

  • Nursery volunteer program
  • Environmental Conservation volunteer program
  • Marine Turtles Conservation volunteer program

Requirements and Costs

Volunteers who are younger than 18 at the start of the program are required to present written authorization from their parents or legal guardians. Volunteers who are aged 65 or older are required to present medical authorisation.

 

The program fees start at €1190 for 2 weeks. You can consult all of the costs in Program Costs. 
The volunteer can participate in the program for one week, with an additional cost of 70 Euros.

What is included?

Airport

Volunteers should book flights that land at the Ibrahim Nasir international airport (MLE). Airport pick-ups take place on Sundays between  8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. You will be picked up by local staff and transferred to your accommodation.

Gastronomy

Traditional Maldivian cuisine is very exotic and is highly influenced by the gastronomy in other Asian countries.

The main ingredient of Maldivian cuisine is fish, particularly tuna.  Rice, coconut and shellfish are also staples of local cuisine. Owing to its proximity to India, spices are also commonly used in traditional dishes.

How to get around in the Maldives

Boats and ferries are used to get from one island to another. Tourists regularly get around by speed boats and seaplanes, although these are more expensive.

Taxis and buses are commonly used in the cities.

Start/Duration

Volunteers should arrive on Sundays between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

The volunteer programs start every Monday, with the working week running from Monday to Friday. (Times may change, depending on adverse climate conditions, local circumstances, etc.).

Tourist attractions in the Maldives

The country’s main tourist attractions are its islands, white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives is defined as paradise on earth.

Malé, the country’s capital, is a city bursting with charm, owing to its coloured buildings, the architecture of its mosques, its beaches and the port, amongst other attractions.

The islands of Bandos, Kuramathi and Maafushi are perfect destinations for lovers of snorkelling, diving and surfing.

In the Maldives its common to hop from one island to another, or to soar above them, in a seaplane, with this form of transport offering wonderful birds eye views of the islands.

On the island of Vaadhoo, visitors can enjoy the natural show of bioluminescence which forms on the plankton on its white sandy beaches.

Program goals

The objective of the project is to train young people to be social leaders. The volunteers live in a multicultural environment, work as a team to develop tasks or institutional projects, accompany the beneficiaries in their daily lives or through workshops, and collaborate with the needs of the centers and homes.

To achieve this, we work on three approaches

Social inclusion

Social Inclusion of children, young people and grandparents in situations of social risk.

Attention to Centers and Homes

Attention to Centers and Homes for the protection and restitution of rights of socially vulnerable children, adolescents and older adults.

Social action

Social Action The volunteers committed to the project will work alongside the community, involving different actors in society and allowing the full fulfillment of the rights of all people.

Our programs

Nursery volunteer program – Maldives

In this program the volunteer will assist the teachers in a nursery in the Maldives with kids from 3 to 4 years.

The nursery is private, but it provides free education to some children with less economic resources.

The main aim is to give a basic knowledge of English to the littlest ones, so as to make it easier for them to learn it in the future, since in a tourist destination such as Maldives knowing how to speak English is key.

The role of the volunteer in this project is to assist teachers to facilitate their work and so the children can receive more attention individually. Through interaction, games, activities, etc. the volunteer will collaborate in the improvement of the communicative skills of the students.

The volunteer can teach basic English words to the older ones, organize dynamic activities…

The qualities and training of small children are key to their future development.

In Maldives on Friday is a holiday and there are no classes so on Fridays the volunteer will participate in cleaning the beaches.

AVAILABILITY: the program will remain closed during Ramadan (from 24 April to 24 May)

MINIMUM STAY: 2 weeks

Environmental Conservation volunteer program – Maldives

Although Maldives looks fabulous and perfect from the outside, it faces many environmental threats. This program seeks to raise the awareness of the local community and help them. Your tasks, mainly, will be works on the conservation of mangroves and cleaning of beaches, among others.

You’ll work 5 or 6 hours a day from Monday to Friday.

AVAILABILITY: the program will remain closed during Ramadan (from 24 April to 24 May)

MINIMUM STAY: 2 weeks

Marine Turtles Conservation volunteer program – Maldives

This program depends directly on volunteers, so cheer up! You’ll work at a turtle rehabilitation center, along with a marine biologist. This experience will give you a lot of knowledge and the great opportunity to work with many people with the same interest as you. Your tasks with the biologist will range from examining reefs, cleaning beaches and turtles, to raising residents’ awareness of this issue.

AVAILABILITY: the program will remain closed during Ramadan (from 24 April to 24 May)

MINIMUM STAY: 2 weeks

accommodation and meals

Accommodation in Maldives

Volunteers will stay in our volunteer house in Hulhumale. This island is close to the country’s capital city.

The volunteers house is located close to the sea. In the volunteer house, volunteers will be given three meals a day from Monday to Friday and two meals a day on Saturday and Sunday.

The volunteer houses have various 3-6 person bedrooms, each of which are separated according to gender. There is also a bathroom and various communal areas, which are shared amongst all the residents in the volunteering house.

After arriving and settling in, a welcome meeting will be held with the local coordinators and professionals. During this meeting, the volunteers will be given information about the area, the standard rules and schedules, and to provide further information about the program that they’re going to work on.

Volunteers will eat typical Maldivian and Asian cuisine.

program costs

The total cost of the volunteer programs is divided into 2 parts. The registration fee which is paid to book your placement on the program: 210 EUR; and the program fee which is paid afterwards.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM PERIOD PROGRAM FEE (EURO, €) PROGRAM FEE (USD*)
2  weeks

1190€

1344$

3 weeks

1785€

2017$

1 month (4 weeks)

2380€

2689$

5 weeks

2975€

3361$

2 months (8 weeks)

4760€

5378$

3 months (12 weeks)

7140€

8068$

6 months (24 weeks)

14280€

16136$

***The Marine Turtles Conservation volunteer program has a cost of 1330 EUR for 2 weeks and 665 EUR for each additional week. If your currency is not specified in the table, you can convert your costs  here.

What is included in the fee that I am paying?

What additional costs will be incurred by the volunteers?

Visa, flights, travel insurance (obligatory), vaccines, return to the airport, and other personal expenses.

Contact

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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.