Build Community Development Projects in Central America

Surf For Life is a very popular organization to volunteer with at my place of work, but even still I was nervous about going to Guatemala and a remote village. I am so very happy that I did!

Why was it so great?

1) Staff
-My colleague and I missed our connecting flight to Guatemala (our fault) and arrived late at night to the city, which was concerning. All through it both Surf for Life and the members of La Choza Chula were with us on the phone and booking us accommodations/drivers to keep us safe and happy
-On the trip, you could tell how much everyone cared about the volunteers and the community they served

2) Location/Experience
-Sleeping in a beach hut at our surf camp was one of the coolest things I have ever done. Great food (I am a picky vegetarian), beautiful place and amazing experience. I would love to go back

3) Community/Impact
-Not only were we volunteering to help build a school that will change the community forever, but we also got to interact with community leaders and all of the children daily. I have done volunteer trips before but never felt the same connection to the community we served.

I want to go again and keep recommending it to everyone I speak with. WAY BETTER than any all inclusive beach vacation and so much more valuable. DO THIS INSTEAD!

I can't say enough good things here about Surf for Life. Went to El Paredon, Guatemala to help build a school. The trip was well coordinated and activities well thought out. Our leader, Seth, was the absolute best!

If you're looking for an experience that will immerse you in the culture, this is it. You can travel to all sorts of places and see all sorts of sights, but you really can't experience the culture until you live and work with the people of the community.

To say how good this program is, I had a number of delays in my domestic flights. This resulted arriving in Guatemala Cit incredibly late and missing the shuttle to El Paredon. Surf for Life was in constant communication with me and assisted in finding a suitable hotel for the night and alternate transportation in the morning.

I was so happy with Surf for life last year), that I came back this year, and again, I had so much fun.

what I really love about the program is the great balance between hard construction work, working with kids, and fun in the sun.

would definitely come back!

I was in El Paredon, Guatemala. SFL has an excellent plan for sustainability, and a large amount of community involvement. I donated ukuleles to the community, too. SFL and the partner organization that was in El Paredon were both welcome to me teaching the students how to play the ukulele, too. I felt safe, and had fun!

I spent a week El Paredon, Guatemala in December 2014 and had a beyond amazing experience. We assisted in building a primary/secondary school for half our day and also spent time with the local community doing cultural exchange activities. Cultural exchange activities were with the primary and secondary students who would be using the school. For example, reading time, scavenger hunts, soccer games, etc. We also took a cooking class to learn how to make a local food favorite. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and helpful throughout the trip. Their guidance helped with becoming more familiar with the community and their culture.

Accommodations were amazing, right on the beach and the food was 5 star!

I would love to go back to El Paredon for another project to help the community!

My Surf for Life trip to Guatemala was truly a life changing experience. I had no idea how influential this project would be for the community of El Paredon, but even more so for ME. The early portion of our days were spent assisting in building a school, while the later potions of our days were spent on immersion activities within the local community. The trip wouldn't have been the same without the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the community. Getting to know the kids who would eventually attend the school we were building made the work so much more rewarding. It really is incredible how just a week of volunteer work can help shape a community and oneself so drastically. This will definitely not be my last Surf for Life Trip.

I spent a week with Surf For Life in Guatemala in October of 2015, and can truly say it was a life altering experience. The community development project was building a secondary school for the local youth, but the experience was so much more than just this specific effort. The trip allowed us to spend a significant amount of time with the local youth as well as the entire community and form relationships with the people that the project is helping. This really hit home to build such strong relationships with the people you are helping.

The accommodations were fabulous - comfortable, clean, and right on the beach! Food was also excellent.

Long story short - I HIGHLY recommend you join a Surf For Life trip, and I can promise you once you go once, you will be continuing to join them for years to come as the experiences are truly wonderful.