to work sites; work from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. with lunch on-site; free time after work to ... ATC will work with your group to
The Appropriate Technology Collaborative
Volunteer for a Sustainable Future: Guatemala Solar and Natural Building Trips
Solar and Natural Building Volunteers, 2012
Overview: Come join The Appropriate Technology Collaborative for the experience of a lifetime! Our volunteer trips are combined Solar Power installations and Natural Building Projects at schools, nutrition centers, community centers and medical clinics. Learn-by-doing local natural building techniques and solar electricity concepts around Lake Atitlan and beyond. Recent participants report ATC volunteer work projects as “life changing” and “the best vacation we ever had”. (Note: We promise hard work, but most people call it fun!) While most tourists never experience Guatemala up close, you will work hand-in-hand with local talent and gain insight into an indigenous Latin American culture. Most local ATC staff speak the Mayan languages Kachiquel, Tzutujíl and K’iche'. Your personal rewards from the ATC Volunteer for a Sustainable Future experience are incalculable. The Maya way of life remains in tact here in the Guatemalan highlands, weaving and wearing traditional textiles and making tortillas from corn raised on their fields. See people planting maize and harvesting coffee on steep hillsides. Visit the gorgeous Lake Atitlan, and its surrounding volcanoes. Take a historic walking tour of Antigua Guatemala, a World Heritage site and former capital of Latin America and end our trip with a tour of the ancient Mayan city, Iximche. If you are game for hard work, daily hikes in the mountains and making new friends, an ATC Volunteer trip is for you. Some ATC volunteers have even repeated the trip - there is always something new to learn! Contact us soon at:
[email protected] 3765 Plaza Drive ● Ann Arbor ATC
●
La Cambalacha
●
●
Barrio 3
MI ●
● 48108 ●
USA
●
San Marcos la Laguna Page 1 of 7
●
ph: 734.668.4811 ●
www.apptechdesign.org
Guatemala C.A.
ph: 011.502.5199.9632
●
About Guatemala: Guatemala is located in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea located just south of Mexico. Guatemala is rich in natural beauty and travel opportunities; it's a country that offers much to those willing to step off the beaten track for a little while. Antigua Guatemala is often regarded as the traveler’s hub, a picture-perfect Central American town ringed by volcanoes. La Antigua is a great place to learn Guatemalan history or simply sip some coffee in a street-side cafe and watch the world go by.
Early Morning in la Antigua Guatemala
ATC Transportation to a Project Site
Lake Atitlan (or Lago de Atitlán) where our project is located is another frequent stop on any visitor’s itinerary. Lake Atitlan is a volcano-rimmed lake considered by many world travelers to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Guatemala's population is quite small, with an estimated 13 million people. It hosts a tropical climate along the lower elevations and cooler weather in the mountains where our projects are located. The country is full of rich indigenous culture mixed with Spanish traditions. Guatemala has a nearly 75 percent poverty rate. It is the third poorest country in the western hemisphere, and 1 of every 2 children is chronically malnourished. Guatemala, like many countries in the Americas, has a problem with crime in some areas. ATC follows the U.S. Embassy STEP program and we receive regular updates on what areas of the country are safe to travel in. For Volunteer for a Sustainable Future trips, we stay far away from troubled areas. All ATC transportation to and from Lake Atitlan is with highly qualified professionals. Once on the lake we travel by water taxi and sometimes to reach a job site we might ride in the back of a pickup truck. (Please note: Every project contains many of the same elements of the projects described here but your project might vary. Please check what projects we will be working on with your team)
Page 2 of 7
Typical Itinerary - One Week: Day 1 - Greeted at the airport by ATC Guatemala staff, a shuttle to Antigua. Day 2 - AM, Breakfast then a historical walking tour of Antigua; travel to Lake Atitlan; dinner at our Hostel / Hotel with families and ATC staff; Days 3-7 - (Work days, Monday-Friday): Breakfast served at 8:00 AM before traveling by boat (or truck) to work sites; work from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. with lunch on-site; free time after work to clean up; supper served family-style; time for team activities and learning about solar power. Day 5 – (Optional): Natural Building Tour in San Marcos la Laguna, climb a volcano, or visit natural reserve and swimming area at San Marcos. Day 5 caters to student group/project interests: groups can choose to take a half-day or full-day to do cultural/natural activities, or can choose to dedicate this day to the project. Day 8 - Visit Mayan Ruins at Iximche; travel to Antigua; free time/ visit the Antigua Markets (optional) overnight in Antigua. Day 9 - Departure day, ATC provides transportation to Airport.
Typical Itinerary - Two Weeks: Day 8, 9 - Rest, visit villages around Lake Atitlan, optional visit to Coffee Cooperative Days 10 - 13 Breakfast served at 8:00 AM before traveling by boat (or truck) to work sites; work from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. with lunch on-site; free time after work to clean up; supper served family-style; time for team activities and learning about solar power. Day 14 - 15 Visit Mayan Ruins at Iximche; travel to Antigua; free time/ visit the Antigua Markets 2 nights in Antigua. Day 16 - Departure day, ATC provides transportation to Airport. Note: ATC needs a minimum of 4 people to sign up for two week option.
2013 Solar Power
2014 Solar Power
Note: Trip includes special events throughout the week, including cultural experiences visits to local NGOs, market tours, boat rides, etc.. All food, accommodations and travel is covered in the program cost. Beverages other than coffee or tea at breakfast and safe drinking water all day are not covered by the program. Page 3 of 7
Natural Building
Natural Building
Student Design Teams: We also provide student design teams specific design challenges. We team up students with people in Guatemala and Nicaragua to work on the design and construction of new technologies, or to learn specific skills in solar design and natural building techniques. Social Venture Teams: ATC has worked with many student design teams who go on to start social ventures. We provide students and other NGOs an opportunity to get to know your clients through working with them on projects. We then provide concrete examples of starting a social venture, how to organize and prepare for venture funding. Custom Programs: ATC will work with your group to create a program the fits your schedule and your needs. Please enquire here: :
[email protected]
Program Cost - One Week: (airfare not included) US $1,450.00 Based on Double Occupancy, Hotel Room US $1,550.00 Based on Single Occupancy, Hotel Room US $1,250.00 Based on staying in Hostel Dorm Room
Program Cost - Two Weeks: (airfare not included) US $2,150.00 Based on Double Occupancy, Hotel Room US $2,300.00 Based on Single Occupancy, Hotel Room US $1,850.00 Based on staying in Hostel Dorm Room
Page 4 of 7
Accommodations:
La Antigua Guatemala
Hostel/Hotel, Antigua
Lake Atitlan
La Iguana Perdida, Santa Cruz la Laguna
Hotels / Hostels include double- or triple-occupancy rooms and are simple, clean and typically located near the project site. Guatemala’s climate can be hot during the day and cool at night. Hot water is provided but will probably not work 100% of the time. Hotel rooms will be cleaned and maintained daily. Lake Atitlan is at an altitude over 5,000 feet so mosquitoes are rare. If you are staying in a Hostel room please check your valuables with ATC staff or the Hostel desk. For student teams we create travel and lodging based on the best location for their projects. We have trusted Hotels, Hostels and Family placements that fit with different design programs.
Page 5 of 7
Team leaders: John Barrie
John Barrie is the Executive Director of the Appropriate Technology Collaborative. John is an Architect and Industrial Designer who noticed the lack of investment in improving technology for the majority of the world. John started ATC to re-direct research and development into Appropriate Technologies to improve the health and dignity of low-income people worldwide. John has also been an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan.
Monika Goforth
Monika is a rural development worker specializing in community empowerment to grow strong and stable local economies. Raised in Latin America and Asia, she is fluent in Spanish and English. Monika joined ATC in 2013 and serves as the ATC Guatemala Program Manager with executive responsibility for all ATC Guatemala operations. Before working with ATC, Monika worked with Central American eco-communities, orphanages, and permaculture farms in food production and natural building. Page 6 of 7
Charlie Rendall
Charlie has been building eco-friendly houses in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala for eight years. He has become a recognized natural building expert specializing in Bamboo, Adobe and Bajareque and runs educational courses on natural building through his organization, Return to the Forest. Charlie also runs a non-profit, Meiker Space, a community tool library and building skills training program. Originally from London, England, Charlie holds a Masters Degree in Social Anthropology, and has studied Buddhism, Yoga, business and social development in India. For several years he taught transferable skills development to postgraduates at University College London.
Jose Ordonez
Jose is an Engineer with experience working in solar, wind, micro-hydro and clean cookstove technologies. Jose has worked with ATC for 7 years, including teaching our Circuits and Solar and Mayan Power and Light programs. Jose works with volunteer teams on solar and clean technology projects.
Find out more! Contact:
[email protected] Page 7 of 7
