VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

 

Sandra Dayton,  founder and Ana Luisa, president of Lu’um K‘aa nab, a Mexican non-profit organization, have brought people together for years, enjoying the rich fauna and flora, learning the history of  the culture and  traditions of the native people of their area.

  A long term vision of Lu’um K‘aa nab has been to host volunteers from other parts of the world, enabling them to share their wealth of wisdom, knowledge, friendship and compassion with the local people of the community.

 We now are prepared to handle volunteer programs and offer uniquely custom designed programs for your group of volunteers for a rich and rewarding vacation in this beautiful environment.

 

                             We look forward to having you become a part of our

                                          exciting and unique program!

 

 Our first group we hosted in  2006 was with Amistad, a non profit organization connected with University of Pittsburgh

 They offered a volunteer program to The Waldorf School,“ Seniors”,  San Fransico, Ca.

 The property of Lu’um Kaa nab suffered quite a bit of damage from  Hurricane Wilma last October and we still had some clean up work to do so we needed all the help we can get.

We also wanted to create a small playground for children who come to visit

For 3 days the students worked with Luum K aa nab.

 First day

Lu’um K aa’nab property

 The group was split into several groups

 The guys went with our Mayan Jungle expert Don Candelario, who has been living and working in the jungle for 50 years! He took the guys to find tree trunks to bring back to Lu’um Kaa nab to make a swing.

 Canderlario, their guide, took them into the jungle, and along the way explained many uses of the tree and plants. They learned how to use machetes and which trees to use for posts.

 Students came back a couple of hours later carrying tree trunks, exhausted, proud and hungry!

 Another group helped pickup debris and plastic that was still lying around from the hurricane

 The girls helped reconstruct the Labyrinth that had been partially destroyed by Hurricane Wilma

 They were given coas (Mayan garden tool) and taught to use them, and planted Maquey Morado,

 used as a protection plant and grows wild in the jungle to create the paths for the Labyrinth.

 Ana Luisa came out at lunch time bringing with her a fabulous Mexican lunch prepared

especially for the students

 Afterwards students went to the beach and enjoyed their afternoon in the Caribbean

 

 

Second Day

 

Some of the male students went one more time to look and cut for posts while others stayed behind to begin erecting the swings

The girls finished their work on the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth looks better then ever and ready to use.

 

 Fiesta Time

Mexican Jungle Market    

 Mayan women and their children came and displayed their handicrafts at Jungle Market for the students!

 Sandra and Ana Luisa planned a Maya Banquet with Don Candelario, his wife, Juan, and Luis.

 A half of a fresh pig was purchased and prepared the day before by Candelario and his wife.

  Candelario, Juan and Luis were up at day break to prepare fire in the oven they had dug in the ground. Meat was wrapped in banana leaves and roasted over hot rocks for 6 hours.

 Mayan women  brought a delicious local dish. Stacks of freshly made hand made tortillas were prepared

 Guests were invited.

 

 

                                                  

Many people, lots of delicious food. And not one scrap left over!

 Neighbors hosting a Reggae band sent a group who had played at a Sunday Reggae festival in

 Puerto Morelos  to play for us!

 

 A wonderful and memorable time for all of us. The students joined and sang and danced