Volunteering

Neely, from Germany to Oaxaca.

Thank you very much for your interest in volunteering with SiKanda!

At SiKanda, we’ve hosted volunteers from Mexico and countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Italy, and more. We’re delighted to be a learning space where volunteers can gain insight into the organization’s work and the challenges faced by the individuals and communities participating in our projects. In turn, we are very excited that our volunteers can share their journey, experiences, and passions with us.

Through this same mechanism, we can host undergraduate students who wish to complete their Professional Internships or Professional Social Service periods in accordance with the requirements of our partner educational institutions. If you are interested in this modality, please fill out the application form found at the link below.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although we would like to have more capacity, each year the availability of spaces for volunteering, social service, or professional internships is limited. Our aim is that interested individuals can contribute their knowledge, experience, strengths, or technical and personal skills to our projects or to the organization.

SiKanda does not have the capacity to provide monetary support to its volunteers. Therefore, we understand that this process will require significant commitment and a substantial investment on your part. In that sense, we believe a fair relationship means both parties have great clarity on how they can collaborate. Please consider that Spanish fluency is desirable to conduct activities within the organization. Let us know about any situation regarding language in the format below or by email.

How long does volunteering at SiKanda last?

Volunteering with SiKanda will involve a period of learning and listening, especially during the first 4-6 weeks. During this time, you will have the opportunity to visit and accompany various projects, and to get to know the organization’s work and its team more in-depth. After this initial phase, we can define a work plan that better aligns with your skills and the needs of the projects.

At all times, it’s important to consider that SiKanda’s approach prioritizes the individuals participating in our projects – those in situations of marginalization and rights violations – at the center of all processes.

If you believe SiKanda is a good fit for you, please fill out the application form by clicking here, and we will contact you soon. To learn more about your skills, we may ask you to send us samples of projects or previous experiences (even if they’re from a school setting). You can also prepare a letter of intent to tell us everything you consider important about your application. We’ll tell you how to submit it in the questionnaire.

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Want to learn about the experiences of other SiKanda volunteers?

You can read about the experience of Kaushal, a volunteer from Tacoma, or Candy’s experience during her Professional Social Service (both available in Spanish and English).

“I had an incredible time volunteering with SiKanda in Oaxaca, Mexico. I loved learning more about Mexican culture and being able to experience a more authentic picture of Mexico as a country. The work the team does at SiKanda is invaluable, and I was inspired by the work my colleagues did there. I learned a lot during my experience, both personally and about how organizations like SiKanda operate.

The organization’s safety was excellent, and I never encountered a single problem throughout my entire stay in Mexico. Obviously, the areas SiKanda visits to conduct its workshops and events can sometimes be dangerous, but as an organization, they went above and beyond to ensure we felt safe, and safety was never an issue.

Communication and organization that I could never criticize. There were many projects running simultaneously, and it was incredible to see how organized the staff was to ensure all deadlines were met and workshops were carried out.

Initially, my Spanish wasn’t very good, so I took photos at events, but I was always involved and informed about the workshops we delivered. As my Spanish improved, I was given more responsibility, which was great, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the opportunity to plan and participate in conducting workshops, help translate documents for potential donors from other organizations, among many other things.

SiKanda is great, the team is lovely, and the city of Oaxaca and the state are beautiful.

Thank you”

Review by Alex Addington, SiKanda Volunteer.