Programme Costs
[2007 prices]
Longer periods available upon request.
Included in the cost of the programme:
- Information, preparation and support from the EIL UK office, including an interview prior to acceptance on the programme.
- On-arrival airport greeting and collection
- Orientation from EIL Chile.
- 2 week homestay, with half board, in Santiago
- 36 hours of intensive Spanish language training plus one day excursion
- Transportation to and from host community.
- Project Placement.
- Accommodation and meals as stated during orientation and project
- Portion of local costs of transport during your project.
- Small financial contribution to project
- Ongoing support from local coordinator.
- Distance support from both offices of EIL UK and EIL Chile.
- Evaluation on return to UK.
NOT included in the cost of the programme:
- International Airfare
- Travel/medical insurance (obligatory)
- Personal expenses
- Any visa or renewal costs
- Internal transport costs within Chile and local costs of transport during your project.
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In Chile you are never too far from the mountains or the sea
Almost isolated from the rest of the world by its natural barriers (the driest desert in the world, the Andes range, The Pacific Ocean, ice fields in southern Patagonia), this long and thin country is a mixture of the world’s landscapes.
In recent years, Chile has experienced an economic boom due to an openness to the world that has resulted in an improved socioeconomic stability compared to other countries in the region. Unfortunately, this economic growth has not been well balanced for many people, creating a wider gap between the poverty line and those who hold and distribute the resources.
The country has a great challenge to create the necessary conditions to overcome the problems derived from the lack of opportunities, the unequal distribution of wealth and the lack of memory to consider minorities as part of the whole.
All over Chile, there are a number of NGO organisations which are willing to accept volunteers and join efforts to help in different areas such as: housing improvement for the poor, day care centres for children in social risk, assistant teachers, group work with rehabilitation centres for drug users, education, health centres, homeless assistance, etc.
Experiment Chile has worked for many years with these organisations with the help of individuals and groups who have come to our country and experienced the mutual understanding and benefits of direct involvement in the needs of people and institutions.
Volunteering in Chile equals one of the best learning experiences which can make a difference in your life. Join the number of volunteers who have experienced life, nature and solidarity in Chile: a safe country with the warmest people.
Arrival And Orientation
Before departure from your home country, you will get a handbook/guide with all the necessary programme details and tips, contact persons and address information for your programme.
Upon arrival at the international airport in Santiago city, you will be met by a transfer service that will take you to your first two week host family accommodation.
The same day of arrival, you will be contacted by an EIL Chile staff to welcome you and provide further details on your first days of programme.
During these first two weeks in Santiago city, you will be attending an intensive 36 hour Spanish Course with indoor and outdoor Spanish lessons (4.5 hours a day four days a week) and in country and volunteer project orientation. Subjects such as cultural and travel tips, economy, education and project related issues will be covered during orientation.
Orientation sessions and Spanish classes are scheduled four days a week so you can have full free weekends in Santiago city before going to your community service project to enjoy and discover the surroundings on your own. One outdoor excursion is included during your stay in Santiago.
Homestays
Experiment Chile has been placing students and experimenters in homestays all over the country for many years. It is a learning experience for both sides and an exercise of trust and tolerance. These programmes offer a unique chance of integration for foreigners who do not like travelling as tourists.
Chilean families are easy to please and love caring for their family members and guests. Family gatherings are common over weekends or during the week. Our families have proven to be willing to open their houses and hearts to make you feel at home. Year after year, the experience with communities and host families has allowed us to integrate more people and open new communities to welcome new volunteers.
During your programme you will have the chance to experience two host families. The first part of the programme, two week orientation and Spanish course, will be held in Santiago city, a major urban centre. The second part, voluntary service project, will give you the chance to experience a 10 week homestay in a different environment either in north or south Chile according to your choice of location. Experiment Chile staff and our local reps will always be in touch with you and the host family during the length of the programme.
The staff and our local representatives will try our best to find the best suited family to make your homestay experience be a meaningful time. We only ask you to be open to share with your host families cultural issues and time in order to build a mutual learning experience.
Host Project Volunteer Placements
Service projects available may include among others:
- Educational programmes in local communities
- Tutoring and Working with Children in social risk
- Teacher assistants
- Public Health Issues
- Homeless assistance
- House improvement for the poor
- Assistance and day care for the Elders
- Environmental projects
From North to South Chile, you may choose one of the following locations:
IQUIQUE - 1,853 Kilometres North of Santiago. Harbour city surrounded by hills and close to the pampas and the ancient cultures of the Atacama desert. It is a city full of extreme contrasts and a rich history. Mild weather all year round. Local culture is characterised by the influence of neighbouring countries: Peru and Bolivia.
COPIAPO - 801 kilometers North of Santiago, Copiapó is an under-appreciated destination whose high desert backcountry offers some of Chile's wildest scenery. It is the jumping off point to the 6900 metre Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world and the second highest peak in South America. Also, only an hour to the west, the Pacific coast offers some of the country's best beaches. While the city dates from colonial times, its distinctive architecture is a legacy of the 19th-century mining boom in the area. Located at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert, Copiapó is characterised for being a transition between the desert and the zone of the transverse valleys, giving way to both climate conditions. Mining and fruit production are the main activities.
CONCEPCIÓN - 519 kilometres South of Santiago Concepción, is in south central Chile, capital of Biobío Region, on the Biobío River. Nearby are its ports of entry, Talcahuano and Tomé, on the Concepción Bay, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. The University of Concepción (1919), an important study centre and attracts many students from across the country. In 1818 the independence of Chile was proclaimed in Concepción.
TEMUCO - 677 Kilometres South of Santiago Temuco is a strange blend of past and present;once a Mapuche, indigenous group stronghold, it is now a bubbling, diverse commercial centre. The Chilean-Mapuche agreement, ending the Indian wars, was signed on a nearby hill in 1881. The city was founded in the same year. This city offers much in the way of urban activity as well as outdoor adventure. Strategically located between the Andes and the sea, it is conveniently placed for visits to the nearby national parks, crowned by lakes and snow-capped volcanoes.
CHAITÉN - 1,198 kilometres South of Santiago. Chaiten is located in a beautiful setting in the middle of the temperate Patagonian rainforest ,across from Chiloé Island in mainland Chile. It has good communications with the rest of the region through a small airport and a port Chaitén is a sleepy little town that was settled in the early part of this century. Although often overlooked when the region of Patagonia is considered, it has its own charm and is situated in an absolutely breathtaking environment. Rising abruptly from the lowlands of town are the densely forested mountains that cause the area to be known as the ¨cold jungle.¨ Chaitén is the main ferry port connecting the Carretera Austral with the island of Chiloé and the city of Puerto Montt. From Chaitén there are bus connections south to Coyhaique, passing through spectacular Queulat National Park, and to the town of Futaleufú, where the Futaleufú river is one of the world's greatest for white-water rafting.
Longer programme periods up to 6 months may be possible upon request. Periods over 3 months need special visa entry.
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Chile Fact File
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Population
16,136,000
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Capital
Santiago; 5,623,000
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Area
756,096 sq. kilometers
(291,930 sq. miles)
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Language
Spanish
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Religion
Roman Catholic, Protestant
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Currency
Chilean Peso
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Life Expectancy
76
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GDP per Capita
U.S. $10,100
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Literacy
96%
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