Boomers Abroad

Highlights

The Meaningful Shop is the umbrella organization for Meaningful Volunteer that coordinates all the various craft groups and sponsorship opportunities across Meaningful Volunteer placement countries.

By volunteering in the Philippines, you'll get to work with the wonderful ladies who are part of the Payawpao Orchids craft group. Mt. Payawpao (Pa-ya-pow) is a local mountain that dominates the local landscape. It is important that you bring some new craft ideas with you when you volunteer with the programs. Just "hanging out" with the ladies is not encouraged.

By volunteering with this program you will:
* Introduce new crafts to the group
* Crafts that use recycled items are best.
* Help market the crafts
* Experience living and working in a developing community

So far, the Payawpao Orchids have learned how to make jewelry and various other items from paper-based beads. The have a logo designed and are already planning many activities to market their craft.

Qualifications

Be over the age of 18

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

From USD 756

Cost Include Description:

Meaningful Volunteer is committed to be as open and honest as we can with all out volunteers. This extends from detailed explanations are free resources for all our projects, right down to the day-to-day costs of running the organization.

This extends to the fees that we charge for our volunteer placements. Our fees are broken down item-by-item. Fees also differ depending on whether it is the first or subsequent months of your placement. See below for a full breakdown for this project.

Note also that there is a USD 100 application fee that applies to all projects.

Filipino Accommodation - USD 116.00
(The accommodation portion of your fees goes directly to the host family you'll be staying with, or towards the dormitory fees. You will be provided with a bed, and three meals a day. Volunteers in the Philippines will either stay at a host family's house or in the dormitory.

Manila Tour - USD 40.00
(All volunteers go on a day tour of Manila - the Philippines biggest city. You will learn about the history of the Philippines as well as visiting some places that most people don't get to go to. You'll visit one of Manila's slum and Smokey Mountain - a mountain made completely of garbage and home to a large community of people. (

Filipino Training - USD 40.00
(Upon arrival in placement area, you will receive a one day training session. This will familiarize you with the culture, the dos and don'ts, basic language training and what you can expect upon arrival.

Aquino Airport Transfer USD 30.00 (
Upon arrival in the Philippines, you will taxi a taxi to the guesthouse in Quezon City. Our staff will pay for the taxi as you arrive.

3 days board in Manila - USD 50.00
(You will stay at our guesthouse in Quezon city of three days before heading off to the placement area. This will give you time to adjust to the Philippines as well as have a tour of Manila and get your training done.

Travel to Romblon - USD 30.00 (
Travel from Quezon City to Romblon is included in your fees. (The journey takes around 24 hours and includes: a taxi, a bus, a ferry, a Jeepney (similar to a bus), and a tricycle (!).

Meaningful Shop Donation - USD 200.00
All of our volunteer fees have a donation component built into them. This helps us cover the costs of the project. For the Meaningful Shop, your donation goes towards buying craft supplies for the ladies.

Filipino Admin - USD 250.00 (
Meaningful Volunteer is a 100% non-profit organization. Any profits we do make are reinvested back into the communities we work in. Much of our admin money goes towards keeping the organization running on a day-to-day basis. A large portion of the money goes to keep out wonderful local staff employed. Meaningful Volunteer is committed to empowering local people in local communities.

Credit Available

no

Volunteer Types

• community centers
• community development
• culture
• small business development
• social services, social work
• women

Typical Volunteer

Age Range

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participant. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays
• Dormitory

Participants Travel to Philippines

Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Typically The Application Process Time is

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network

Meaningful Volunteer's Mission Statement

Meaningfulness: Every project that Meaningful Volunteer undertakes must be meaningful. Accurate records must be kept to ensure that a project continues to be meaningful. Financial: Meaningful Volunteer is first and foremost an organization that enables volunteers to have a meaningful impact on developing communities. It is not a charity and will not be run as such. MeaningfulVolunteer will be run like a for-profit business. However, any profits that Meaningful Volunteer does make will be reinvested back into the communities it is trying to help in the forms of educational supplies, medical supplies and so on. Meaningful Volunteer finances will be 100% transparent. All financial statements and a breakdown of volunteer fees will be available on-line. Local Investment: Meaningful Volunteer believes that people in developing countries are an untapped goldmine of talent! As a result, Meaningful Volunteer will only employ local staff and pay them 200% of market rate. Local folk must also invest in some way to the projects they are participants in. Nothing in Meaningful Volunteer is free! An investment in a project means a project is much more likely to succeed. Sustainable Solutions: Any income generating projects that Meaningful Volunteer engages in must be self-sustaining. Meaningful Volunteer may provide some start-up capital, but the project must self-sustain without financial input from additional financial input. All projects must submit budgets and a business plan as a minimum. Corruption: Corruption is a large problem in developing communities. Meaningful Volunteer has a policy of: * No corruption means no corruption no corruption. * We will not deal with any corrupt organization and any staff member found to be accepting bribes will be summarily dismissed

Year Founded

2008