THE BASE


Base is where you will live, eat and play during your time on program! It is communal living at its finest. Some call it rustic, others call it home.  Base is usually co-ed bunk style rooms with assorted common areas for eating and relaxing. Read below for more information on what to expect. 

ACCOMODATIONS & FACILITIES

Our base is located in a complex which hosts community trainings. Local community members have access to the other side of the facility during the day, so please remember to be respectful of the shared space. 


Sleeping arrangements: Volunteers and staff will get assigned bunk beds in mixed dormitory rooms. Bunk beds will not have any bedding or mattresses provided, so you must bring your own air mattress or sleeping pad, a sleeping bag or blanket, and a pillow. 


Additionally, we will have some tent spaces available, if you wish to bring your own tent. If so, please, inform the Volunteer Relations Coordinator so we can reserve you a spot. 


One of the bunk rooms

Bunk room

Bathroom facilities: You will have access to shared toilets and showers. The toilets are western style and we have 3 pop-up/portable showers and 1 indoor shower. The water is not heated.

We don’t provide separate bathroom facilities for women and men.  

Communal space: We have a dedicated common space at the base where you will be able to spend time with other volunteers, attend daily meetings, eat your meals, and participate in events. We will also have a designated well-being space for anyone who wants to spend time in a more quiet environment. Please note that consumption of alcohol, loud behavior, and loud music are not allowed in the well-being space.  

Please feel free to bring along some board games, footballs, volleyballs, or any other kind of entertainment.  We also have a basketball court on base for your enjoyment! We encourage you to consider bringing indoor activities for those times when we need to keep inside. 

Kitchen facilities: The kitchen will be equipped with basic cooking equipment such as pots, frying pans, utensils, cutlery, plates, cups, etc. It will be available for you to use in the morning so that you can prepare your breakfast. You can also use it on your days off and in the evening if you wish to prepare your own dinner instead of the one provided. 

We will have a designated storage space where you can keep your food, but we ask that all food be stored in sealed containers. We highly recommend bringing a marker to sign your items. We have a refrigerator at the base for use but me mindful that it is a shared space. 

base Video

Base Tour.mp4

ELECTRICITY AND INTERNET

 You will have access to wifi on base. 

If you need to use the internet regularly while away from the base, we recommend that you have a personal phone with data. You can purchase a local SIM card once arriving in Mexico. The recommended company is Telcel.


There will be power sockets in the rooms available for you to charge your electronics. However, we can not guarantee there will be a socket close to your bed. If you regularly need to charge your device you may want to bring a power bank with you. 


Staff can provide a laptop or phone if you need to contact a family member. Laptops and phones will also be available to anyone in isolation.  If you regularly need a computer or phone for personal use we recommend bringing your own. 


In Mexico, the power plugs and sockets are of type A and B. The standard voltage is 120 V and the standard frequency is 60 Hz. If necessary, please ensure you purchase a power adapter to charge your electrical items. 

FOOD

We provide three meals a day, six days per week. There will be no meal provided on your day off.


Breakfast: Oats, Peanut Butter, Jam, Bread, Eggs, Tea and Coffee


Lunch: Mexican food  with vegetarian options (chilaquiles, enchiladas, cakes, mole, lentils, salads, chickpeas, beans, quesadillas & tortas)


Dinner: Mexican food  with vegetarian options (different types of meat with vegetables, pasta, salads, mole, rice, lentils & tacos)


Vegetarian diets can be accommodated but vegans and those with specific dietary requirements will need to supplement what we can provide with items they bring or source and purchase themselves. You will be able to store personal food items on the shelves but there may not be any refrigerated personal space. You will be able to use the kitchen whenever our chef is not cooking meals for the base.

LAUNDRY

There are no machine washing services on the base. AHAH will wash work shirts for volunteers and staff, and will provide fresh shirts for everyone each day as needed.

You can pay for laundry service in the local town for your personal items. Our team will make sure purple work shirts that we provide are washed. 

Leisure/Activities

You will have free time to relax in the evenings after the daily meeting, after work on Saturdays (a half day), and on Sundays. Our team will also host events/activities on base and within the community  for you to engage in! Events can include but are not limited to game/movie nights, pizza parties or special dinners, competitions, group walks/runs, celebrations, etc.