Homestay Families

Many wonderful families are members of our Asociación TransAmericana. They house volunteers in their homes, providing meals, a bed, and a familial welcome in new guests in their communities. All of the homestay families we work with are committed to the vision of ATRAVES and to helping you become comfortable, well-adjusted and effective. Our families are large and small, young and old. Many are multi-generational, and many have children.

Your host family will give you a place to sleep and as much privacy as possible, but many families do not have a lot of extra space. Most homes have electricity, although many do not have consistent access to running water, warm water or flush toilets. Laundry and dishes are washed and dried almost exclusively by human power, and as a volunteer you are expected to participate in household chores. Your host family will provide you with three meals a day whenever you are home and will accommodate your dietary needs as much as possible. We will work with you before your arrival to match you with a host family that fits you. Remember that accommodations are typically simple, and while it is encouraged that volunteers live with families, those who prefer more privacy and comfort may prefer to live in hotels or hostels, which we are able to arrange.

Most host families do not have computers with internet access. However, depending on your location, there will almost certainly be an internet café close to where you are staying. The same is true of telephone access. Your host family may or may not have a phone that you can use to place calls, but there is likely to be a public phone nearby.

Regardless of your placement, ATRAVES' Nicaraguan staff will check-in with you routinely and be available to you at any time. We help to resolve any conflicts that may arise in the course of the homestay, and help you to prepare for a positive experience during the orientation process.