Long Way Home’s Volunteer Program is for eager volunteers who want to learn more about green-building and sustainable living in Guatemala.
With this program, our organization aims to:
Motivate individuals to take a more purposeful approach to environmental sustainability and become more passionate about green design and grassroots initiatives.
Create a work and residential environment that encourages critical analysis and practical skills through experiential learning.
Foster cultural exchange in a meaningful way with educational opportunities to better understand the linguistics, cultural, and historical context of Guatemala.
Many will live in a green-designed home and will help keep a zero-waste household, an experience that can create life-changing habits.
Our volunteer house from the sky!
There is lots to do around Comalapa!
Learn more about our volunteer program
PROGRAM support fees
$85.00 / A week
INCLUDES: On site lodging, purified drinking water, shared kitchen & supplies, and clean bedding.
HOMESTAYS & HOTELS: Homestays and hotels are also available. Contact us for more details.
HOMESTAYS & HOTELS: Homestays and hotels are also available. Contact us for more details.
GROUP INQUIRIES: If you are a group applying, please email our Volunteer Coordinator to schedule a call.
SCHOLARSHIPS: Some scholarships are available to help volunteers financially have the opportunity to come to Long Way Home and practice green building.
You might wonder, why should I pay fees to volunteer?
Part of it goes directly towards living costs including rent, propane, drinking water, shower water, etc.
The rest is goes to materials, building costs, and salaries.
Your program fee enables us to continue work in our school, mitigate the poverty cycle by creating jobs for locals as teachers and green builders, and supply neighboring villages with needed household fixtures such as composting latrines, cob stoves, and water storage tanks.
What you get:
Onsite orientation and training
A cultural tour of Comalapa and some of its many art galleries and street murals
Purified drinking water
Kitchen/house essentials (propane, matches, cooking oil, etc.)
Accommodations in our green built housing
Clean bedding every two weeks
Showers and use of dry compost latrines
Working on an incredible project developed to support the community of Comalapa
A resume worthy volunteer experience with an international non-profit organization
Daily schedule
Volunteers typically follow the same daily schedule as our local team, working daily from 7:30 am to 4 pm. There is a snack break in the morning and an hour lunch break at noon. Depending on the needs of the worksite, daily tasks could include a variety of different skills relevant to green construction such as mixing cob (sand+clay+straw), pounding tires, cutting glass bottles into “bricks”, cleaning and preparing materials, getting water, applying natural paint to the school buildings, and many other things!
What is the work schedule?
A typical work day at Long Way Home starts at 7:30 am - with a meeting between all volunteers and builders to discuss the day’s tasks - and lasts until 4 pm, with a snack break at 10 am and a lunch break at noon. The work days can be long and challenging, but we have a lot of fun. Bring a positive attitude and be prepared to get dirty!
What do volunteers do?
Tasks vary widely and can include pounding tires, making cob, plastering walls, collecting materials, creating art, and more! We accept volunteers with a variety of skill sets and proficiencies. If you are particularly interested in certain activities or have background expertise, please feel free to include it in your application.
How long are volunteer stays?
The average length of stay is one month, but volunteers can stay anywhere from one week to three months —or more! Because of the adjustment period to living in rural Guatemala and learning more about green construction, we encourage stays of at least two weeks.
Can I work with Hero school students?
In order to provide structure, consistency, and efficient use of learning class time, we limit direct volunteer involvement with the students to fluent Spanish speakers who are available for at least three months and who can propose a curriculum/lesson plan to the school teachers prior to arrival. If you wish to work with students you must also provide proof of academic study, relevant experience in the education field, or professional references.
A look at where you’ll live…
Churri the cat on guard
Roses in the front garden
Pink sunsets from the house
Wall art by local artist
Cob oven pizza lunches
Don't worry we do have chairs
Main house living space
Breakfast on the downstairs porch
The shared kitchen
Wolf room has 2 bunk beds
Deck outside the 8 bed dorm
Beautiful metal work in the door and paintings on the wall
Hallway to additional showers and bathroom
Downstairs are 2 showers and 1 toilet
All of our bathrooms are dry composting toilets
Fresh flowers from the market
Churri, our house cat
Downstairs shared kitchen
Tire retention walls and plastic roof shingles are just some of the reused materials you'll see here
Garden area
A beautiful spot for coffee and sunrise
Three bed dorm space and outside sitting area
Main house shower
Main house toilets
Bathroom area of main house
Great views while washing
House guitar and pantry area
More wall art by local artist
What is there to do in my free time?
Our campus is only a 2-hour bus ride from Antigua, a charming town of colonialist architecture and the former capital of Guatemala with a view of Fuego Volcano erupting. You can also hike the Fuego Volcano for those wanting a little more thrill!
We are also a 3-hour-bus ride from Lake Atitlan, a lake nestled between volcanos with several local villages providing everything from artisanal markets, to craft workshops, to hikes, to yoga classes.
Down the road a little ways are the Iximche Ruins. This site was where 5 Maya families lived as representation of the people in 5 different regions. Here you can see a museum, learn about the archeology of the site, and often witness rituals being carried out in spots that remain sacred.
A little closer to home, you can enjoy various activities like horseback riding, an authentic coffee farm tour, and visit the local market. We also love organizing cultural nights with local cuisine, music, art, and celebrations!
Visit the colorful city of Antigua
Peren Galley Display and Live Music
Horse riding at sunset
Horse riding and coffee farm tour
Shop used fabrics at the market
Gardening with friends
Beautify the tire retention walls
Visit the Jade Museum
Go on a journey with fellow volunteers
Create turning rubbish into designs
Check out the flora and fauna
Enjoy Cultural Night
We've had a few birthdays to celebrate and this one had a piñata!
Get involved with other projects like this solar water heater
Smell the roses, or any other flowers you walk past
Get creative turning your scrap material into artisnal crafts
Lunch with friends at Tzinakan Restaurant
Play board games and Jenga!