EcoSwell is a multiple award winning non-profit located in Lobitos, a surfing paradise of northern Peru. Students who have participated in EcoSwell’s volunteering programme have described their experience as life altering and transformational.
The organization focuses on helping vulnerable communities in Peru develop sustainably by carrying out infrastructure projects, socio-environmental and educational initiatives, thus implementing the United Nations SDGs.
We are in need of hard-working, creative volunteer interns with a strong interest and/or background knowledge in communications, marketing, and advertising to come and support our marketing team. The benefits of joining this program include but are not limited to:
BENEFITS OF JOINING THIS PROGRAM
– Enhance your CV and gain professional hands-on experience managing marketing initiatives in an international development NGO, helping enable a real positive impact on vulnerable communities.
– Work alongside experienced & passionate people from a range of disciplines & backgrounds.
– Live and work in a surfing paradise in northern Peru, the land of endless summer.
DAILY TASKS
As a Marketing & Communications volunteer intern at EcoSwell, you will be given ownership of the organization’s marketing projects, working alongside Directors and other volunteer interns to help promote EcoSwell’s development initiatives. The daily activities and tasks may vary depending on current projects. These may include but are not limited to:
– Social media content creation
As organizations seek to expand their presence online, keeping up our involvement on social media is important to promote our many programs. As a Marketing and Communications volunteer intern, you will gather the needed content for exciting, engaging social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Coordination and communication with all other volunteer teams is necessary to ensure accurate representation from all areas of EcoSwell. This role also includes the applications for and management of various online fundraising platforms.
– Photography and videography
Having enticing graphical elements for all aspects of EcoSwell communications is important to engage previous, current, and future interns, donors, and partners. In this intern role, you will help in capturing these photos through involvement in community events, planting days, organized photoshoots for partners, and many more photo opportunities. You should also be able to properly use our wildlife camera in order to capture the great biodiversity of the Lobitos area. This is a great opportunity to utilize and develop creative skills.
- Coordination of the design of promotional material for EcoSwell and its partners
Having many partnerships and projects ongoing at EcoSwell, it is important to keep all promotional material organized and prepared for implementation. This involves communication between the EcoSwell Directors and partners to ensure accuracy. In addition, you will design merchandise material for EcoSwell and its partners. An eye for details and creativity is essential.
- Communication with the EcoSwell team at home and abroad
Up-to-date communication with EcoSwell’s supporters, both in Lobitos and around the world, is essential to the growth of our organization. You will play a role in EcoSwell’s engagement with the Lobitos community, organizing and promoting workshops and other in-person community events. You will also take part in communications with EcoSwell’s current and potential global donors. This may include the creation of newsletters and the organizing of webinars, global calls, and online fundraising events.
ONLINE PROGRAM
You can take part in this position through our online program as well, at a discounted financial contribution. The online activities for this project may include (but are not limited to):
- Marketing research for upcoming initiatives
- Content curation for all forms of social media and marketing
- Creation of graphic elements to be used online
- Implementation of exciting visual elements
- Monitor engagement on EcoSwell online channels
- Implementation of marketing and communication goals
In-person Financial contribution
We require a financial contribution from participants. This covers all of your expenses while you are with us (food, accommodation, local transportation, and staff guidance/supervision) for our in-person program; it also funds our community projects and operations, in other words, our impact. For every volunteer intern that joins our program, we also plant a tree with local families to help restore the degraded forest ecosystem found in our region.
Please bear in mind that there is a minimum of a 2 week stay at EcoSwell and maximum can be up to 6 months.
Two weeks (price per week $608) = $1,216
Three weeks (price per week $597) = $1,792
Four weeks (price per week $582) = $2,327
Five weeks (price per week $566) = $2,830
Six weeks (price per week $566) = $3,396
Eight weeks (price per week $566) = $4,528
12 weeks (price per week $541) = $6,487
Online Placement Financial contribution
The financial contribution required from volunteer interns for our online position is 33% less than that of our in person placement – please see details below.
Two weeks (price per week $416) = $831
Three weeks (price per week $409) = $1,228
Four weeks (price per week $399) = $1,594
Five weeks (price per week $388) = $1,938
Six weeks (price per week $388) = $2,326
Eight weeks (price per week $388) = $3,101
12 weeks (price per week $371) = $4,448
Since we have limited spaces, if you have been accepted we will need you to secure your placement by depositing a non-refundable 30% of your placement’s total financial contribution within 1 week of being accepted. Full payment will be required 4 weeks prior to your arrival. Any refund of the 70% of the full payment (minus all transaction costs) will only be available if cancellation is confirmed before more than 30 days of confirmed arrival date. No refunds of any kind will be available within 30 days of the confirmed arrival date.
All payments must be made in United States Dollars (USD$) according to the amounts shown in the tables above – Exchange rate fluctuations of other currencies are not considered. Taxes, insurance and financial costs (eg: costs of sending money, bank commissions, etc.) and any other extra costs (flights, visas, vaccinations, personal insurance, personal spending money, etc.) are not included. The details and information of the selected insurance will have to be sent and approved by EcoSwell beforehand, as being appropriate.
In order to ensure that all participant expenses are covered, the final financial contribution amount needs to be paid in USD. We do this in order to avoid exchange rate fluctuations from other currencies which may result in not the right amount being paid.
EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Volunteer interns work between 9am to 5pm on weekdays, evenings and weekends are free for you to spend as you wish. The northern coast of Peru has amazing waves, beaches, and towns to go visit, with lots of different activities on offer such as:
– Surf lessons with local instructors in Lobitos. Alternatively, and if you are an experienced surfer, rent one of our EcoSwell surfboards and head out to the waves by yourself.
– Yoga classes
– Swimming with turtles
– Fishing, sea-lion, and whale watching trips with local fishermen
– Trekking and birdwatching in the native Dry Forest ecosystem
– Eat traditional Peruvian food at local restaurants
– Visits to other nearby beaches and towns within hours of Lobitos to explore more Peruvian landscapes, culture & history.
Please note that these activities are separate and are not included in the financial contribution you make as part of your volunteering experience, they are highly accessible nonetheless.
For more information about costs, please visit the financial contribution section on our website: https://www.ecoswell.org/financial-contribution