Email Address

info@mercytechmission.com

Phone Number

(250) 462-0578

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Volunteer at Mercy Tech Mission

Changing Lives, One Skill at a Time

Needless to Say

Our Volunteers are Vital

The work of Mercy Tech Mission is done by small teams of volunteers working under a team leader.

MTM volunteers are people with years of experience in a given profession who want to do something more with their trade. They are willing to travel to developing countries, to live in less than 5-star accommodations, and to be part of a team that is there for one reason – to serve others.

MTM volunteers are enablers who love to help others do what they do. While at times it’s tempting to step in and “do it right,” they realize that their students learn best by doing the work themselves under the guidance of mentors.

The work of MTM is constantly growing, and new opportunities are opening up all the time. To find out more about where we serve and the time commitment that may be required as a volunteer, please contact our mission director and founder, Rick Cogbill, at info@mercytechmission.com.

Some of the typical trade skills that are currently being taught by Mercy Tech volunteers include:

Other opportunities for skills training are available depending on the training location. Please contact us if you have an employable trade skill that is not mentioned here.

Join Us!

Apply to be a Volunteer

The goal of Mercy Tech Mission is to improve the living conditions of those living in poverty due to lack of adequate education, especially in Third World countries. We do this by taking teams of skilled and experienced volunteers from the trades sectors to developing countries where they can teach their employable skills to the local people. We believe in “Changing lives, one skill at a time”.

To be able to teach a trade or skill to someone else, it is critical to first know it well. Therefore, it is important for MTM to understand the skills, talents and experience levels of our potential volunteers. In order for us to make the best and highest use of time and resources as we serve overseas, we ask that you complete the following application form to the best of your ability.

To volunteer for an upcoming trip, please fill out our Volunteer Application Form.

Have a Question?

Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the question below to expand the tab and see the answer.

Our largest training location is in Eswatini in southern Africa, where we partner with Heart for Africa at Project Canaan.  We have also sent teams to Mozambique, the Baja in Northern Mexico, and also to Cambodia. New locations are constantly being considered.

The African trips usually last 4 – 6 weeks, due to the distance and the time involved in travel. It may seem like a long time, but a full week can be taken up with just travel alone.

Trips to the northern Baja in Mexico are generally for one week, which is great for volunteers who are unable to be away for an extended period of time. Please consult the current list of upcoming trips on our Volunteer page to see which trip might suit your schedule.

Trip costs can vary depending on the time of year (high or low season air travel), the size of the team, and the area to which you are going. For example, a one-week trip to the Baja will be considerably less than travelling to Africa for a month or more. For detailed costs, please send us an email indicating where and when you’d like to volunteer. You can contact us at info@mercytechmission.com.

Mercy Tech Mission relies on donations to fund its work in developing countries, therefore we ask that those who volunteer be willing to assist in raising the funds needed for each trip. Volunteers themselves may also donate funds towards the proposed trip, and all cash donations made to Mercy Tech Mission from Canadian sources to carry out its objectives are eligible for a tax receipt.

Please note: Although volunteers are asked to take part in the fundraising campaigns for their particular trip, in keeping with CRA guidelines, all funds raised are considered donations to Mercy Tech Mission, not to an individual. Therefore, if a team member is suddenly unable to take part on a mission trip due to illness or some other unforeseen event, the funds they have helped to raise are not refundable. Instead, the funds will become part of general MTM operating funds and used for the goals and objectives of Mercy Tech Mission overall.

MTM primarily seeks volunteers who have their trade certification or other educational degree relating to their chosen career, accompanied by a significant amount of practical experience. But while trade certification is important in helping us evaluate your skill level, what matters most is that you know your trade, and know it well enough to teach it to someone else. The students we are training rely on us to provide them with solid skills that will enable them to do the job properly.

In short, no. MTM will consider all applicants for volunteer work, regardless of nationality, race, creed, or religious belief. While Mercy Tech Mission is a Christian faith-based organization, and its employees and leadership team must agree with and adhere to its statement of faith, the Mission does not require the volunteers who take part in MTM projects to necessarily belong to that faith.

We do ask that all who operate under the banner of Mercy Tech Mission (both staff and volunteers alike) to adhere to the Code of Conduct rules laid out in our Volunteer Application for the duration of the time for which they are personally involved with the mission, especially for the time during which they are in the host country working on a project.

Many countries in Africa are fairly stable, yet political unrest can break out at any time anywhere in the world. Volunteers with MTM must realize that travel to any foreign country (including Mexico) has its own inherent risk and some parts of the world more so than others. That being said, MTM will not knowingly send a volunteer team into an area that is unstable.

It’s also important to acknowledge the possibility of coming in contact with communicable diseases, such as AIDS, malaria, etc. Healthcare around the world is improving, but it can be limited at times. Therefore, it’s important to have adequate medical insurance in case emergency air transport to South Africa or Canada becomes necessary. Further advice on medications and vaccinations, as well as travel guidelines, will be given to those who are planning to become part of a Mercy Tech team.

Our living accommodations are generally provided onsite by the hosting organization that we are partnering with, and therefore can vary somewhat by location. In Eswatini, volunteers are hosted by our Field Directors, Ross and Laurie MacPherson and will stay in our guest house on Project Canaan, which has all the amenities of North America.

In other locations, we will generally make use of local hotels where available. Further details will be provided during the application process.

Good question! At Project Canaan in Eswatini, our new 8,000 sq. ft. trade school (due for completion in fall of 2023) will be focusing on auto and heavy duty mechanics, as well as body work and painting. But we also assist with welding and fabrication, machining, electrical installation and many other skills.

Beyond the trades, our students are also in need of life skills, such as managing finances, small business skills, family life and more. We are always open to new ideas, so send us an email with information about what you feel you can offer, and we’ll take it from there.

Have a question about Mercy Tech Mission and its work that’s not answered here? Please email it to us at info@mercytechmission.com. We appreciate your interest!