Nonprofit Empowering Nations is looking for Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking volunteers to dispatch to Peru, Panama, or Mozambique, where they will work to empower the poor.

Business skills are a plus, but the language is the most important, said Empowering Nations director Sarah Carmichael.

"I know there are tons of Spanish and Portuguese speakers on campus, but we haven't been able to reach them yet," Carmichael said. "This is a volunteer organization and getting key individuals who are passionate about this work is so important."

Carmichael's experience so far is that it's just a matter of hooking up with those passionate individuals.

"You have people who've said, 'I really wanted to help, I just didn't know what to do or how,'" she said. "It's nice to be able to give them the how."

In Peru, Spanish-speaking volunteers would work with Eagle-Condor Humanitarian, training and consulting with LDS members who own small businesses. They would also train Eagle-Condor staff to improve their management skills. Volunteers would also help parents to improve their children's education and health.

"The biggest thing is there aren't a lot of jobs," Carmichael said. "They need to create sustainable income so they can survive with their families and be self-sufficient."

In Panama, Spanish-speaking volunteers would start up a new microcredit project to provide LDS members and others with small loans. With loans and training, the people would be able to convert skills into income. Volunteers would also support the office of LDS employment services.

"Since Panama City is a pretty developed city, the outskirts get kind of ignored," Carmichael said.

In Mozambique, Portuguese-speaking volunteers would work with Care for Life, helping families with agricultural business opportunities and evaluating the organization's existing curriculum.

Care for Life would financially sponsor candidates who are qualified to develop and assess curriculum. The classes deal with sanitation, nutrition, AIDS prevention and other practical skills.

"There are a lot of child-run families, due to the impact of AIDS or land mines or other health issues," Carmichael said. "There's a need to train children and young teenagers how to maintain a family and a home."

For many volunteers, this is their first experience serving in the third world.

"We've been blessed with so much," said Mia Larson, a senior majoring in accounting. "I'm excited to help other people."

Carmichael said there are students from a variety of disciplines - accounting, Chinese, international development, English, marketing and pre-med - who will be volunteering this summer.

"I don't know where I would be if hadn't got involved," she said. "It's totally changed my life."

Interested people may apply for any country by following the instructions at www.empoweringnations.org.

Individuals who wish to make a tax-deductible donation to Empowering Nations may do so through the Web site or by sending a check to Empowering Nations, P.O. Box 7310, University Station, Provo, UT 84602.

Donors are encouraged to specify a project they would like to fund, or to choose the Panama microcredit project or the Thailand boat co-op, which are in need of start-up funds.

Empowering Nations is still accepting volunteers to Ghana and Thailand, where no language skills are required, but they have already met their recruiting goals for these countries.



Copyright Brigham Young University 17 Apr 2006