1) Women Empowerment Org. in Tanzania
A registered non-profit non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the town of Moshi, Tanzania. They support marginalized women and their families in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania to achieve economic stability and gender equality. The organization provides opportunity for women to participate in economic development through expanded access to micro-loans and training necessary to run small businesses, use legal assistance and counseling related to domestic/sexual abuse, property, and divorce, and to gain and sustain economic and social security as well as develop leadership skills to promote social justice, health, and education. Lots of opportunities to do meaningful work for interns.
2) Ayurvedic Center in S. India
A traditional Ayurvedic treatment center in Kerala, India. They promote the knowledge and practice of traditional Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidya, the oldest systems of medicine on the planet, rooted in Nature. They encourage sustaining relationships among women from East and West with Kerala’s medicinal and nutritive botanicals. Many of the medicines and medicinal oils used are made by hand at the center. They are also in the process to develop an outreach program to inspire younger Malayalee women and girls to maintain the traditional healing and medicinal plant stewardship practices their mothers and grandmothers have always been involved in, but which are now slipping away. These practices are important for ecological, medical and even emotional reasons. The visible support of this idea by college age western girls would truly be listened to, and be particularly inspiring to their target group.
3) Rural Development & Education in India
A non-profit, non-religious organization developing basic services for rural and tribal areas in India: health care, education, conservation & agricultural work, vocational training, and housing assistance. Self-supporting volunteers participate in daily activities and offer whatever skills they may have. One month minimum stay, contributing $5 a day towards food & accommodation. Volunteers will be living in remote, rural villages, sometimes without electricity and running water, and eating simple vegetarian meals. There are ongoing projects throughout northern India. 'Development tourists' are not encouraged to apply.
4) Herbs & Healing in Guatemala
An opportunity to study with a curandera or medicine woman in northeastern Guatemala. Learn about herbs, plants, healing, and gardening. The cost is ~$90 per week, for homestay, food and apprenticeship. Located in a small village near a lake an hour or so from Tikal. Located close to a very good language school where one can study Spanish intensively for $700 per month - inclusive of homestay, food and tuition.
5) New Zealand Retreat and Healing Center
A spiritual center and sanctuary nestled in the bush covered hills of the Coromandel Ranges in New Zealand. A charitable trust that has been established for the exploration and awakening of consciousness, the unfolding of our creative and healing potential and realisation of our essential Unity. They offer courses in many fields- voice and movement exploration, bodywork, meditation, yoga, men's and women's courses and a wide variety of programmes in the creative and healing arts. It is also a training centre for Hellerwork, Healing through Sound, the Cranio-Sacral Therapy, T'ai Chi and the Dances of Universal Peace.
