In some instances it may be possible for accompaniers with certain skills to use these in Guatemala if requested by the community. This would depend on the accompanier's length of stay, the needs of the Guatemalan community and the capacity of the accompanier to share skills. We will conduct an initial Spanish test with you over the telephone before inviting you to training. Accompaniers must be proficient in Spanish when they start work in their villages, but applicants who are not at this stage of language proficiency can study in an immersion program in Guatemala before going to their community. We do not normally consider applicants who need more than six weeks intensive study.
Final acceptance is dependent on a language assessment, which can be carried out in Guatemala.
The cost of Spanish study is normally covered by the accompanier, but many accompaniers fundraise to cover this cost and sometimes the sponsoring community can help. A community or group situation is one in which the people who live in it share important aspects of their lives, such as living quarters, goals, values, spiritual beliefs or social circumstances. If you do not already have a relationship with a sponsoring community, the Guatemala Accompaniment Project will be able to link you up with one which is looking for an accompanier. The match would be made taking into account considerations such as where you live in the U.S., priorities for accompaniment and how long you will stay in Guatemala.