Where is the College located?
The UAC-CP is located in the small community of Carmen Pampa (about 40 families) in the Nor Yungas mountains. The nearest large town (for groceries, restaurants, hotels, mail, transport to La Paz, etc.) is Coroico, located about 8 miles away. Transportation between Carmen Pampa and Coroico is slow and often stressful in crowded mini-vans that travel infrequently and without a regular schedule.  Bolivia’s capital city of La Paz is located approximately 3 hours from Coroico via public transportation.

Will I receive any type of pay?
Unfortunately, there is currently no funding for non-teaching volunteers. Some volunteers who are approved to teach a course at the College (e.g. English) will receive the regular UAC-CP teacher wage of approximately $100/month per course. Each person living in the volunteer house contributes about $50/month for food and general house upkeep. A teaching salary provides enough income to live simply in Carmen Pampa.

What is the time commitment?
It is a genuine sacrifice for volunteers to interrupt their jobs and join us in Bolivia — sometimes at considerable financial expense to themselves. Most volunteers desire to experience a fascinating culture and at the same time contribute in some way to help the poor. For both reasons it is advantageous to live here for at least one year in order to acclimate to the language and culture and to discover in what ways you can make the best contribution to fulfill the mission of the College. That said, we understand that this amount of time is not always possible. Ultimately, time commitments depend on the volunteer position (please review our job positions).

Volunteers who are teaching should arrive at least one week before classes begin and are expected to stay for the duration of at least one full semester.  It is important to note that the College’s academic year schedule is different than the typical northern hemisphere school calendar.  The first semester of the UAC-CP’s academic year begins on the first Tuesday in February and runs through the end of June. The second semester begins the last Tuesday of July and ends in mid-December. 

What types of volunteer opportunities exist?
Primary volunteer opportunities are posted and updated regularly on Carmen Pampa Fund’s website. Please download them to learn about each unique position.  Think about your skills and interests and formulate an idea of what you’d like to do here. Be aware that sharing your ideas will only be one part of your contribution. Another part will be learning, working, and sweating alongside Bolivians to discover solutions together.

Where will I live?
Volunteers who are seeking a more intense immersion into the Bolivian/Aymara culture and the Spanish language can opt to live with UAC-CP students in the dormitories and eat in one of the three food cooperatives. This is probably the best way for a person to experience the culture in a short time and gain the esteem and friendship of Bolivian peers. Living in the UAC-CP dormitories is a difficult lifestyle with its barracks-style dormitories, common bathroom/cold showers, and limited Bolivian cuisine. However, the welcome sign is always hanging at the Volunteer House should a volunteer need a respite or feel sick.

Most volunteers live in the Volunteer House. Living together in the house, volunteers agree to share household tasks, taking equal turns cooking, shopping, and cleaning. We are committed to supporting each other in our work and social lives. Our lifestyle is simple, but healthy. Fruits and vegetables are plentiful in Bolivia and some meats are available.  At least one common meal is shared together each day as a community.

The house is a somewhat dilapidated but historic adobe hacienda which is fitted with indoor plumbing and screens. Typically, each volunteer has his/her own room with simple accommodations. Occasionally, volunteers have had to double up when visitors come and may have to do so on a regular basis if there are more volunteers than available bedrooms.

Though the Volunteer House has many more accommodations than the average Bolivian home in the area, it is important to note that common amenities found in he U.S. are not available in Carmen Pampa. For example: water must be boiled before drinking, hot water is only available in the showers (electric shower heads), water flow occasionally stops completely or becomes cloudy with clay and must be filtered, power shortages and surges on occasion, and laundry is washed by hand and dried in the sun. The house does have direct cable Internet, but it is frequently interrupted and not 100% reliable.

The Volunteer House welcomes married couples who are willing to put up with the lack of privacy. For couples and families it is possible to rent a tiny, very primitive house near campus or something more substantial in Coroico. For a variety of reasons, the Volunteer House is not an optimal situation for a couple exploring a temporary relationship. They, too, are invited to find living arrangements nearby.

Do I need a visa?
The Bolivian government requires that all U.S. citizens have a visa for entry to the country. For short-term volunteers, a tourist visa (approximately $135 US), which can be obtained from the Bolivian embassy in the U.S. prior to travel or upon arrival to the airport in La Paz, allows for a 90-day stay in the country. Volunteers who stay for longer periods of time should consider getting a visa objeto determinado (approximately $85 US) and beginning the process of obtaining temporary residency. More information about the visa process can be found in the pre-arrival handbook available for download. Please note that all costs associated with visa application and Bolivian residency are the responsibility of each volunteer.

For additional information, please contact Sarah Mechtenberg at sarah@carmenpampafund.org.