An Introduction to Chile for Volunteers

Long and lean, Chile stretches down the Pacific coast to the southern tip of South America, with a width of just 177 kilometers (110 mi) but a length of 4,270 kilometers (2,653 mi). Chile shares a border with Peru at its northern tip, and its western edge is shared with Bolivia and Argentina.

While Chile has only a few local volunteer organizations, conservation and wildlife protection efforts can always use a helping hand.Visitors will find modern cities such as the capital, Santiago, and Valparaíso, the colorful seaside town where Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda passed the final years of his life. Amenities and transportation are well developed, ideal for exploring the country’s renowned natural beauty—the steep mountains and green valleys of the Patagonia region or the icy blue waters of the Lake District.

Parque Nacional Conguillío. Photo © Pato Novoa, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.

Chile’s gross national income per capita is the highest in all of Latin America (US$12,280 in 2011, per World Bank). But this high income hides pockets of great need—15 percent of the country’s population lives beneath the poverty line. Of special note is the government-funded and Chilean-based organization, VOFAIR. They work with a number of organizations around the country (as well as in other places across Latin America) that address issues such as community development and education, and charge a minimal fee for access to their volunteer placements.

While Chile has only a few local volunteer organizations, conservation and wildlife protection efforts can always use a helping hand. Volunteers can help restore natural habitats (planting seeds), develop national parks (build trails), or assist with the rehabilitation of illegally trafficked monkeys. Fortunately, there are many placement agencies and international organizations with volunteer programs in Chile.

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Excerpted from the First Edition of Moon Volunteer Vacations in Latin America.