"VOLUNTOURISM"

International Volunteering with Power to the People

Are you looking for a meaningful way to your vacation this year? Looking for a creative and memorable corporate team-building experience? Or simply hoping to give back while on sabbatical or summer break? Consider joining Power to the People as an international volunteer, and get hands-on experience as you help bring solar electricity to the developing world. From the sun’s perspective there is no corner too remote to be illuminated by light; we tend to agree.

That’s why Power to the People is hard at work in rural Nicaragua on life-changing projects that bring light and power to schools, health care centers, libraries and community buildings. Our volunteers do more than simply visit an amazing country; they become immersed in the Nicaraguan culture as they work alongside community members and stay with host families while in the field. Power to the People offers a unique international experience where volunteers learn about renewable energy technologies, make a fundamental difference at a grass-roots level and gain a new perspective about life in another culture. Join us - experience, explore, empower and illuminate your world!

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR UPCOMING TRIPS

If you would like to sign up for a trip, please email info@powertothepeople.org

Making a Difference in Nicaragua

Nicaragua, located between Honduras and Coast Rica, is the poorest Latin country in Central America with 48 percent of its population living on less than $1.25 a day. Much of the poverty is located in rural areas where the country’s energy infrastructure cannot provide the people with the power they need. Fortunately, we can help. Low-cost and efficient solar energy technology exists and, with your help, we can help bring solar electricity to communities in need.

Power to the People volunteers gain valuable solar energy experience while working side-by-side with the very people benefiting from the PV systems being installed. Our projects enable volunteers to learn about Nicaragua and its rural communities while being warmly welcomed into those communities as active participants. While in the field, we stay with host families and enjoy home-cooked meals or in a locally owned hotel. Once our solar installation is complete, we visit some of Nicaragua’s most beautiful sites and scenery.

A Hands-On Solar Installation Experience

As a Power to the People volunteer, you will work side by side with volunteers from the community in Nicaragua, to install the solar system. With guidance from a professional solar company, volunteers will participated in every step of installation process from attaching the racking system, lifting the solar modules onto the roof, wiring the system together, and teaching the community the basics about solar energy. The solar equipment we use is new, but often donated, so every system has its own unique design.

Power to the People takes into the account the energy needs of the community, the state of the building, and takes into account geographic and environmental factors to design a solar electric system that will provide the community building with enough power to meet their current and future needs.

Our systems include provide the community with not only lighting, but with AC power outlets and the ability to recharge cell phone and car batteries that can used in an individual’s home. We encourage each community to think of ways they can work towards creating a sustainable model to pay for system maintenance, feel a sense of ownership over the system, and take care of the batteries and other system components for the full life of the system.

Visiting Beautiful Nicaragua

Nicaragua offers some of the most stunning and under-visited places in Central America. With its natural vistas peppered with historic and picturesque cities, it’s not a question of what to do, but rather how much we can fit in. Our trips vary due to project location, but always include a range of activities such as:

• A muti-day, hands-on solar installation experience
• Dinner at one of Managua’s best restaurants
• Performances by well-known Nicaraguan musicians such as Mejia Godoy
• Walking tour of Granada, one of the country’s most beautiful   colonial-style towns
• Boat tour of the Granada islands
• Visits to artisan markets, full of hand-made Nicaraguan crafts and artwork
• A tour of other renewable energy installations in rural Nicaragua, including small hydro-electric, bio gas digesters, and improved cook stoves
• Nature hikes, including a hike to a local waterfall
• A visit to one of Nicaragua’s 25 volcanoes
• Swimming in natural mineral baths
• A trip to a coffee plantation or cigar making factory
• A visit to the popular “white towns” to buy local arts and crafts

For information on our upcoming trips please contact info@powertothepeople.org and download our Voluntourism brochure by clicking here.

Trip cost: Trip prices vary from $1,500 - $2,000 per person, based on the project, which includes all lodging, meals and snacks, in-country transportation, entertainment and cultural activities, tips, and taxes during your stay in Nicaragua (airfare not included).