VOLUNTEER: At a community library in Bolivia

Country: Bolivia
Type: Teaching
Minimum stay: 1 week
Cost: Free

Food and accommodation are not provided.

About the project:

We are a not-for-profit organisation spreading the joys of reading in rural Bolivia, where the concept of public libraries is relatively new, and many young people to not have access to vital information and books.

It began in 2005, when Peace Corps volunteer Megan was placed in a Bolivian village. She was asked by the locals to build a library, and so enlisted the help of her brother, founder Brendan. Since then, the organisation has gone on to build and equip 12 libraries in rural and impoverished areas of the central Bolivian countryside.

We aims to make all these libraries self-sustaining, not only providing training for local people as librarians and teachers, but by giving students the opportunity to pursue studies and vocations that will benefit their communities.

What you’ll be doing:

Volunteers are needed to work both at the libraries – teaching English and running reading clubs – and at our offices in Sucre, taking on vital admin work such as writing grants and running our social media accounts.

We also offer volunteers the opportunity to pitch their own project. If you can commit to five weeks with us, and have an idea for a sustainable literacy project, we’ll help you design and implement it.

Desired skills:

Just bring your enthusiasm!