Do you want to immerse in a foreign culture without paying a dime?
Our Field Workers spend two years in villages around the world, living no differently from the locals around them. They work local jobs, helping out farmers, carpenters, bakers, and often teach at local schools. When they aren’t eating and drinking with their neighbors, they are spending their time becoming masters of the local language.
The deep immersion changes the field worker. They let go of their preconceptions of what’s good for the community. They start to think like the people around them. This process is a way of acquring humility, and also a way of becoming an asset for the communities they live in.
Field Workers eventually assist local entrepreneurs (we call them impresarios) with making their dreams realities. By the end of two years, field workers are cultural and linguistic badasses who have played key roles in facilitating local projects.
Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:
Here’s the deal. This isn’t luxurious living. We live simply and humbly alongside our neighbors. We sometimes sleep on floors, walk almost everywhere, drink water out of a filter, and occasionally come down with a parasite (or in Africa’s case, malaria). This is not your average job or volunteering gig. But if you want an opportunity to learn how to endure discomfort and become profoundly transformed, and help a few folks in the process, this is the job for you.
Benefits:
- Monthly stipend in addition to general site costs covered (food, housing, internet, etc. — budget is location-based)
- Transportation costs (flights) to and from your site destination
- Annual, in-person team summit with field workers from around the world (expenses covered)
- Extensive in-person training
- Evacuation and medical insurance
- Anti-malarial medication and mosquito nets provided for African sites
Qualifications:
- A desire to better your soul by undertaking a serious challenge
- An adventurous attitude to explore the world and share a meal or drink wiht people you don’t know
- Willingness to learn new languages, make fun of yourself and be made fun of
- Our Field Workers have typically completed at least four years of college
You will spend months 0-8:
- Learning the local and colonial languages (if applicable) (5-10 hours study and tutelage per week)
- Working one or multiple local jobs with your Immersionship partner(s) (12-30 hours per week)
- Creating deep, authentic relationships with friends and neighbors through shared drinks and meals (at least once per day)
- Speaking with FTF’s Director and Field Director (once per week)
- Writing blogs about your experiences (one per month)
You will spend months 9-24:
- Facilitating entrepreneurial projects and performing one-on-one consulting services with Impresarios
- Continuing to build a network of folks who can partner with us, fund us, provide us with additional advice, or just become good friends
- Creating profiles for our Impresarios to illustrate their ideas
- Training your replacement Field Worker who will replace you when you leave