Nicaragua
Nicaragua, a beautiful country with almost 6 million young citizens, and the largest land mass in Central America comparable to the size of New York State, is ranked by the United Nations (http://hdr.undp.org/en) as the second poorest country, after Haiti, in the western hemisphere. Natural disaster and a storied...
Financial
As a social enterprise registered in Canada and Nicaragua, Compañeros Inc raises private funds for public purposes. It is a business that leverages human and financial capital with a variety of stakeholders to voluntarily achieve social goals.YE17 Financial StatementsYE16 Financial StatementsYE15 Financial Statements2010-2015...
Projects
Since 2001 Compañeros Inc has coordinated 1,184 participants in 179 community development projects, each identified in close collaboration with local leaders, agencies and organizations in North and Central America. In 2015 Compañeros Inc will be focusing on education projects at Los Quinchos School in Managua, the construction...
About
Founded in 2001, Compañeros Inc is a private social enterprise legally registered in Canada and Nicaragua. It is dedicated to organizing respectful volunteer service and cross-cultural learning programs resulting in the development of better communities in Canada, the United States, and Nicaragua.With its proven track record of leveraging capital and catalysing volunteers, local labour, individual and corporate contributors, civic agencies, and academic institutions, Compañeros...
Participants
Group Leaders
Thanks usually to the initiative of a few highly motivated and committed individuals in a school, a university, a business, a civic organization, or a faith-based site, 90% of participants join our programs in a group of some sort. Group Leaders are the good folk who voluntarily communicate, organize and implement the experience collaboratively with Compañeros on behalf of the group. Please read, download, or print the following documents for Group Leaders: Group Leaders Checklist Host Family Form Email Contact Form Emergency Contact Form T-shirt Order Form List of Cash Donations List of Material Donations Compañeros participants come from...
Preparation
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Please use the many valuable resources available to assist your pre-departure, in-country, and post-travel integration experience. In our Pre-Departure Guide you can find helpful checklists of What to Bring, Health and Safety Advice, and Emergency Contact info. As well, gain insight into What This Trip is About, Roles & Responsibilities, Group Dynamics, Expectations, Nicaragua, Fundraising Ideas, and Useful Spanish Phrases. To read, download, or print, click the Pre-Departure Guide The following Reflection Tools provide some thoughtful suggestions for both preparing for and following up on your experience....
Host Families
For many participants, one of the most anticipated aspects of their program is living with a Host Family. Compañeros has screened and worked with the same trusted Host Families for years. Between 2-6 participants are placed per home and share meals, bedrooms, and bathrooms.Host Families are contracted to provide each person with safe and comfortable accommodation, meals, water, and cross-cultural contact. All families have previous experience hosting and are supporters of the program and project you are involved in Nicaragua. English speaking skills ranges from none to some.The Host Families are not located in the barrio where the service project takes...
Reviews
Read what past participants have said and written about their Compañeros experience. “Comfortable cultural immersion, rewarding work, and a worthwhile intern experience that gave me plenty of personal and career insight about my place in the world” – Toronto, Ontario “Preparation, organization, and execution of the trip were all of the highest quality and made our service learning program in Nicaragua a success” – Montreal, Québec “Challenging socio-economic conditions offset by an effective volunteer placement, incredible landscape, and inspiring people who showed me how to make a difference” – Vancouver,...