The most important activity that you will take part in with us at Casa-Nica is learning: learning Spanish, learning about living in a Latin American country, and learning how to work with people that want your help. 

Casa-Nica was created around the philosophy of working in conjunction with existing development projects that were created and are run by Nicaraguans for their local community. Casa-Nica's goal is to aid and improve those projects by bringing skills and experience that you have to offer. Working in this manner enables you to efficiently provide assistance to the areas where the community has already identified needs. 

You will not have to design or create a project and you will never be ignored or have nothing to do when you arrive at an organization. We always work with the organizations to ensure that from the moment you arrive you will be working with them to achieve their project goals.

We provide a flexible framework in which you can concentrate on the activities that you want to do. You will have the opportunity to choose the projects you work on. If you want to work on only one project or something different every day it's not a problem. The Spanish classes are also optional. They will be provided every week day.  However, if you don't want Spanish classes you don't have to take them.

We want you to get the most out of your time with Casa-Nica and that is only possible if you are working on projects you enjoy.

Who Should Volunteer?

We are looking for anyone who is willing to commit the resources to come to Nicaragua and volunteer. We can always place you in a project that will fit your skills and abilities and which you will enjoy. Spanish is an advantage as English is not widely spoken but it is not essential as we do have programs where it is not needed.

If you are at all uncertain just drop us an email and we can work with you to find a project that matches what you have to offer. No matter what your contribution is you will always work with an enthusiastic and eager group.

What Will You Get Out of Volunteering With Casa-Nica?

Once you have completed your stay with us at Casa-Nica you will take away a lot more than just photos. You will have:

• Improved your Spanish skills
• Contributed to an effective development program
• Made friends with your fellow volunteers and Nicaraguans
• Seen parts of Nicaragua not listed in any guide book
• Added valuable details to your resume
• Experienced life in a culture different than your own

A Typical Casa-Nica Day

A normal week day with Casa-Nica will include Spanish a language session either in the house or on a field trip into Masaya and a period working on a development project. The exact time spent on the development project will depend on the project and the activity planned for that day. The time can vary from 2-3 hours to a full working day. Time will always be allocated for Spanish classes no matter when or how long you spend on your development project.

We always try to keep the weekends free for volunteers to enjoy Nicaragua and relax. There are opportunities to work on the weekends as Nicaraguans typically work 6-7 days a week but these additional volunteer opportunities are strictly optional.

Further information on the volunteer programs is available on the Development Programs page.

You can apply from the Contact and Apply page.