Description

Located in some of the world's most beautiful and remote areas, small coastal communities are often marked by poverty and a lack of access to the basic essentials of life that many of us can take for granted. Clean drinking water, sanitation, and basic health care are often beyond the reach of many coastal communities in the developing world. Small coastal communities are also particularly vulnerable to natural disasters like hurricanes and tsunamis and they are often over looked during disaster relief efforts which tend to focus on easily accessible areas with larger populations.

While there are numerous international aid organizations who intent upon assisting the developing world, these large aid programs tend to spend the majority of their budgets on research projects, equipment, and administrative overhead. All too often local villagers see little, if any real-world benefit from these projects despite good intentions. SeaAid takes a different tack by providing aid and assistance directly to coastal communities in need via the use of private and corporate yachts and hard-working volunteers. No middlemen, no government corruption or bureaucracy - just direct aid to the people who need it the most.

The underlying philosophy at SeaAid is that collectively small deeds can make a big difference in people's lives. For example, the World Health Organization states that limited access to clean drinking water is one of the primary causes of disease and illness in the developing world - particularly for children. Yet for only 5,000 USD and 2 to 4 weeks of volunteer labor, SeaAid can design, deliver, and install a solar-powered water distillation system that can provide a small village up to 400 gallons daily of clean, fresh, and safe drinking water! Just a few thousand dollars can dramatically improve the lives of those living in a small coastal community.

By utilizing our exclusive network of boaters, anthropologists, ecologists, and other professionals who work directly with coastal communities worldwide, SeaAid can identify communities in need of aid. We establish personal contact with trusted community leaders, and ask them what we can do to help their community. SeaAid's Microdevelopment Project Coordinator provides the host community with detailed plans of 10 to 20 low-tech and low cost projects that have been successfully implemented in other villages. We then build the project of their choosing, teach the local people how to operate and maintain the project, and then we move on to our next project. Our goal is to leave the community with a renewed sense of pride and accomplishment while simultaneously reinforcing their independent and self-sufficient nature.

Qualifications

Volunteer crew require basic boating skills--project volunteers require no special skills but must be capable of 4-8 hours of physical labor per day in equatorial climates.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

USD 1,000

Cost Includes:

• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Living stipend

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Age Range

7-80

This Program is open to

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

Typical Living Arrangements

• Other

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups of 4-10

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Phone/Video Interview
• Resume

SeaAid's Mission Statement

SeaAid is a Nonprofit Organization committed to assisting coastal communities worldwide. By working collaboratively with community members, boating enthusiasts, and development professionals, SeaAid seeks to promote cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability through the implementation of community-based service projects that provide direct aid to coastal communities in need.

Year Founded

2005