Join us for an amazing Internship in Bolivia!

Rural Development Agricultural Intern Position in Bolivia

 Organization Overview

Etta Projects is a Bolivian NGO dedicated to implementing Public Health projects in rural communities in the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Its work focuses on different areas of public health such as safe sanitation systems, water distribution systems, community health promoters, medicinal plants promoters, sexual and reproductive health, food security, and environment protection. Etta Projects also has a Community Training Center (CTC) “Tekoatí” where in addition to environmental conservation work on the 96-acre forested property, the team also creates model agricultural systems. These systems are pilots for improvement in food security for rural communities & the focus of this internship.

Overview of the Community Transformation Center

Etta Projects’ Community Transformation Center is a place for community training, education and inspiration for the transformation of individuals and communities and sits on the edge of the Amboró National Park. The CTC carries out pilot programs to test innovative productive technologies that will improve food and economic security for rural villages.  One such pilot is our aquaponics system which to our knowledge, is the first model of this kind in Bolivia. We are also experimenting with permagardening, organic gardening, vermicomposting, medicinal beekeeping, and organic shade grown coffee. Our goal is to find sustainable and replicable solutions to food security and environment protection that can be easily transferred to surrounding communities and their families.

Intern activities description

We require a volunteer with knowledge in organic production in different systems.

With his/her help we would like to: 1) validate the technological proposal, solving problems such as the control of the high incidence of pests and diseases to crops in the tropics; 2) support the beginning of the transfer of technologies to the communities.3) help improve the permagardening and organic gardening technologies in our area.

Together with the director & the production and environmental manager, the intern will carry out the following activities:

- Plan and execute organic produce techniques at the CTC.

- Identify diseases and insects that attack/consume vegetable production.

- Identify organic methods to combat/avoid pests.

- Research and test the solutions that may apply to the specifics of the region.

- Improve composting techniques production.

- Test using different seeds to identify the most appropriate varieties.

- Document activities, observations, methods and experiments so that the CTC can continue to improve its production system over the long term.

- Help plan and design the training for local community participants in food security.

Timeline

Etta Projects seeks an intern for a minimum of three months up to one year. The longer they stay, the more impactful their contribution will be (to the community and to their professional life). We provide housing and food.

Contact: If interested send a resume & cover letter with anticipated time frame you are interested in to info@ettaprojects.org