Frequently Asked Questions on Volunteering for Mothers Without Borders

Q. Where can I volunteer for Mothers Without Borders?
A. In Zambia.

Q. Who can volunteer?
A. Our volunteers range in age from 12-72! They have been students, doctors, teachers, moms, dads, boy scouts, social workers, nurses, mechanics, librarians, grandmothers and dentists. And many more too numerous to mention! If you are under the age of 18, you will need to have a parent accompany you; this is a great experience for families!

Q. What type of volunteer opportunities do you offer?
A. . We offer Service Expeditions. They are 15 days in length and the dates are determined by MWB. Team members are selected by our Expedition Leaders. A team is typically made up of 15-20 men, women and teenagers. Expeditions travel together, work together, stay in a boarding house or in a dorm at one of our program sites and share meals together. The team is led by experienced Team Leaders. We arrange travel, housing, meals and work sites. For more details, download "Volunteer Info (PDF)".

Q. How do I apply to be a team member?
A. You can apply by downloading an application - Application for Volunteer (PDF). After you complete the application, mail it to our American Fork headquarters. All applications are reviewed monthly and you will be contacted by a team leader, usually within 30 days of our receipt of your application

Q. Is there a deadline for submitting applications?
A. Not really, but the teams fill up quickly so don't delay. We begin to review applications on Sept 1 for teams leaving the following Spring and Summer. We begin selecting team members around October 1st so applicants have adequate time to prepare. You can apply at any time during the year, but please note that we don't begin to process applications for the following spring and summer until AFTER Sept. 1st, so don't worry if you don't hear from us before then.

Q. How often do you schedule expeditions?
A. Typically we offer one trip in the late spring and two to three in the summer. The schedule varies from year to year; please check the website for current postings.

Q. What types of things will I be doing on an expedition?
A. Some activities our volunteers have participated in include:

• Teaching music, art, recreation, hygiene, first aid, and HIV/AIDS
• awareness/prevention to children
• Conducting medical screenings in villages
• Simple construction projects like building a one room school
• Building raised gardens and teaching square foot gardening, food
• preservation and nutrition to women in villages
• Assisting villagers with agriculture, painting, plumbing, and simple
• household repairs
• Holding, feeding and caring for preemie babies in the hospital
• Training village members in water & sanitation, literacy, sewing,
• knitting, crocheting, small business and retail opportunities

Volunteer tasks are matched with the interests and expertise of team members so each expedition may have a slightly different focus.

Q. How much does it cost to volunteer?
A. The cost of the trip will vary a bit depending on your airfare, which fluctuates from year to year and season to season. The cost is broken down as follows:

• Airfare
• $100 per day for ground costs, which will cover transportation, lodging, work supplies, food and water.
• $500 program fee - this money goes directly to fund the projects on which you will be working.

You may elect to add on an adventure experience such as a safari or trip to Victoria Falls at the end of your trip at your own expense. We can give you the names of several local travel companies to assist you if you choose this option.

Other costs you will incur that are NOT included in the above fee schedule: passport, visa, shots, & souvenirs.

Q. How do I raise money for my volunteer experience?
A. We will provide a sponsor letter which you can give to friends, family, businesses and co-workers. MWB is a 501 (c) 3, non-profit corporation. All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. 100% of the money raised in your behalf goes towards your trip costs. Some volunteers have held garage sales, car washes, service auctions, and fun runs to cover trip costs. Others have received funds from local Rotary, Lions, Kiwanas and other service clubs.

For more information, please email mail@motherswithoutborders.org