Gain experience in Physiotherapy, or simply challenge yourself in a friendly environment where your assistance is really needed. The centre where you'll be working works to better the lives of approximately 70 children who have physical and/or mental handicaps. This is a challenging and rewarding project!

►SUMMARY FACTFILE
Start Dates	All year round - you choose your start and finish dates!
Duration	Minimum stay 4 weeks, up to 12 weeks or longer, subject to visa requirements
Requirements	You must be at an intermediate or fluent level of Spanish and be a qualified Physiotherapist.
Price	From £695 / US$1,045 for 4 weeks, ranging to £1,595 / US$2,395 for 12 weeks. Full Price List and other Currencies
What's included	►Accommodation ►Food ►Meeting you at the Airport and taking you back again at the end of the project►Transfer to your accommodation ►Transport to and from your project ►Full pre-departure support ►Local in-country team support and backup ►24-hr emergency support ►Free T-shirt.
What's not included	Flights, Insurance, Cost of Visas (if a visa is required, but we'll provide necessary documents and assistance).
Who can do this Project?	All projects are open to all nationalities. You need to be aged between 17 and 70+

Also on this page:

• Qualifications Needed for this Project

• Accommodation

• Travel & Visas

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The centre where you'll be working works to better the lives of approximately 70 children who have physical and/or mental handicaps. The patients here are taken care of by general staff, nurses, doctors, dentists and physiotherapists.

The centre is looking for people with a background or interest in physiotherapy to assist them with their daily work. You will most likely be asked to assist and shadow the physiotherapists while they work with the children. In addition, you will probably have the chance to help take care of the children, including feeding them, giving them baths, and possibly even with cooking or with the laundry. You are here as an assistant physiotherapist, but you must be prepared to muck in with other activities too!

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into Guatemala and Central America.

• You'll learn a lot from experts in your field about how they work in a culture that is very different to what you're used to.

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

• And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

 
Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com

Enhance your Programme with some exciting activities:

You will need to have some Spanish skills participate in this project. You should ideally have GCSE or equivalent skills, or be prepared to learn some of the language in Guatemala before starting your project.

As medical terminology is likely to be used at the centre, it is also highly recommended that you take some extra medical Spanish lessons before starting your project, even if you’re already confident in general Spanish. We can arrange these specific lessons, where you’ll learn medical terminology, which will not only be useful to you on the project but perhaps also in your future career.

If you have a low level of Spanish or no Spanish at all, you are still very welcome to come on the project, but it is a requirement that you spend some time learning Spanish at our language schools before starting work at the care centre. It usually takes between 4-8 weeks to reach the required standard of Spanish. If you were comfortable with languages at school and feel confident about languages in general, you should be at the lower end of the scale.

It is also possible to arrange Spanish lessons for you during your volunteering if you have a lower level of Spanish but would like to brush up on your skills. Please speak to your Project Co-ordinator about your level of Spanish so that we can discuss the option that’s best for you.

You also need to have an interest/qualification or some knowledge about physiotherapy to take part in this project. No particular qualifications are required, but you must either be studying a related subject, qualified in a related subject or intending to peruse a related subject as a career or as study. Please talk to us about acceptance criteria, as we can usually be very flexible if your intent is there.

This project also has a minimum length of 8 weeks. The centre is open all year round.

As with all our destinations, the Guatemalan culture and heritage is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in mind. Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity! 

Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very detailed Guatemala Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide - both of these will help to make your stay in Guatemala one that you will never forget!

Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com
 

Accommodation with host families means that Travellers volunteers get to eat, sleep, work, socialise and generally live like a Guatemalan. Most of the families take more than one volunteer or student at once (some up to 10!), so the atmosphere is somewhere between a regular family and a hostel... Often very social, but with the benefit of gaining insights into the Guatemalan way of life from the inside - the best of both worlds!!

Many of our volunteers remain friends with their host families long after they leave Guatemala and in some cases they return to the country later especially to visit their family. Many offer the option of single or shared rooms, and generally houses within the same town are in close proximity with each other. The accommodation is comfortable, with a ‘western-style’ bathroom.

"The house I am staying at is like something out of a travel guide, and the family I am with is sweet and so thoughtful! Flori, Edgar Sr., Edgar, Denise and Paula are sure to be fast friends! My housemates are great too, there are 3 guys from Germany, Colorado and Miami, and we get along great! They are showing me around the city and explaining important rules of thumb (like don't flush the toilet paper down the toilet!!)" Elizabeth Collin, Teaching 2008

All of your meals will be provided from Monday to Saturday, leaving you free to sample local eateries on Sundays. Expect to develop a taste for corn tortillas, tostadas and tacos in plentiful supply! Western and international dishes are also easily available in Antigua. Although Guatemalans are big on eating meat, we can easily cater for vegetarians.

Support & Backup: To read about the excellent Support & Backup we provide before you leave and during your programme, please click here.
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One of our hosts outside her house!

Volunteers enjoying lunch at their accommodation