Description

During this placement you would be assisting with product displays in order to create an appealing shopping environment and to increase sales. You would also help order products to keep the store fully stocked, ring through transactions on the cash register, and conduct inventories. You would assist walk-in customers and provide excellent customer service, while explaining the principles of fair trade and educating them on how their purchase at the store helps to improve the living conditions of families in poverty, as the sales of the products provide a fair and sustainable income to the producers.

The types of items that the store carries are clothing, accessories, children´s toys, home decor, and jewelery. You would be welcome to provide suggestions and ideas for new products or alterations to current products, so that the artisans are able to create the highest-quality products possible that will appeal to tourists in Lima.

It is important to note that this volunteer position is for a minimum o 6 months.

You may have the opportunity to visit some of the communities of artisans in Lima, in order to see their work and observe their lives firsthand. This would help you educate customers on fair trade and promote the importance of supporting the artisans.

You would also be expected to help with cleaning and organizing the store and the storage room on a regular basis.

Highlights

Puente de Esperanza (Bridge of Hope) exists to assist individuals who are living in extreme poverty to form productive groups that can develop sustainable businesses using the values of Fair Trade (solidarity, transparency and self-development). The groups are trained to become an independent, successful exporting association of artisans.

This organization was formed by the Joining Hands Network, an international community development network, after noticing that women in the shantytowns of Lima and rural areas of Peru were producing beautiful products but continued to live in extreme poverty. They operated informally, producing small, varying quantities and lacked direct access to markets outside their communities. These women had no stable income, buying and selling on a very small scale and working in local soup kitchens in exchange for a few meals per day. They recognized that these woman artisans could potentially benefit economically and socially from the opportunity of working with the values of Fair Trade, and the Bridge of Hope project was formed.

The three themes that they seek to address are human rights, environmental protection, and, mainly, economic development. Their goals are to assist in the personal development and business skills development of the group members, and to help develop the communities where the groups are located (ie. providing electricity and internet). In these ways, this organization helps create sustainable alternatives that address human development and poverty so that the most marginalized sectors of Peru become less marginalized and obtain a better quality of life.

Their main means of achieving their aims of human rights, environmental protection and economic development is the operation of local and international fair trade exports. The products created by the groups of artisans are marketed to Europe, North America, and within Lima for a fair and sustainable wage. They also concentrate on capacity building and life skills training for the women they work with, by providing workshops on topics such as Computer Skills, Conflict Resolution, and Self-Esteem, to ensure holistic development of these women.

They have succeeded in creating opportunities for many of the women to send their children to school and achieve a better, more sustainable quality of life. Many of the women have also experienced a higher level of self-esteem and self-dignity. These changes are hard to quantify, but they are the changes that really matter.

Bridge of Hope operates with a very small staff and few resources. Their main retail outlet is a small store located inside a hotel in a touristic area of Lima, where they sell the fair trade products that their artisan groups create.

They are looking to improve their business management and promote the local sale of fair trade products. More sales that the store is able to generate means that the artisans are able to earn a fair and dignified income to improve the lives of their families. It is also essential to educate customers and the public about the importance of ethical shopping and its positive impact on the artisans lives.

A volunteer with business skills and/or experience in retail can support the Bridge of Hope team and artisans by providing fresh ideas for marketing to increase the store's sales and helping to sensitize the public on the importance of fair trade for improving the lives of the poor.

Qualifications

You will need some knowledge of fair trade and business practices, experience working in collaboration with a team, and experience working in retail and customer service.

Minimum Education

High School

Intern Types

• Business Admin, Management
• Economics

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

USD 3,245 for 8 weeks; USD 250 each additional wk.

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Language instruction
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

Upon arrival in country our staff will pick you up at the airport and return you to our Orientation Center for a safety briefing and general country orientation. For this program you are required to complete one - 4 weeks of language training and orientation which is included in the cost of the program. At the end of that week you will transfer to your placement to begin volunteering. Our staff are available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week should you require help of any kind.

Experience Required

yes

If you have a cooperative attitude and are able to learn from others, you would be successful in this placement! You also need to be organized and have a friendly and pleasant disposition with customers.

Volunteer Types

• Business
• Economic Development

Typical Volunteer

We believe everyone can contribute by volunteering. Recent graduates from high school, college or university, professionals taking a career break, recent retirees, individuals or groups who are interested in a change and the chance to enrich their own life and the lives of others. If you are 18 years or older you can apply for any of the placements available. If you are from 16-18 years old you may apply for placements near our Volunteer Abroad Office and Residence, so that we are able to give you more support. Both students and professionals are needed for placements in all our countries.

Age Range

18+

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Dormitory
• Group living
• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of Depends on the placement

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume

Typically The Application Process Time is

24-48 hrs

Basecamp International Centers's Mission Statement

We believe international volunteering promotes cross-cultural learning that helps create global awareness, understanding between cultures and provides the platform for positive change. Our volunteers have taught in schools, provided disaster relief support for the International Red Cross, conducted essential research to improve the management strategies of threatened environments, built homes for impoverished people, provided vocational training and programs for street kids and have worked in co-operation with hundreds of local organizations to distribute aid and improve the quality of life for people throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Year Founded

1998