Get INVOLVED

Our vision for the Earthship Pitaya Festival was and continues to be connecting the local population with visiting tourists through art and music.  The festival is a platform to feature local artists and inspire the children, while raising awareness for sustainable living and education within El Carizal.  Through our volunteer programs and community outreach projects, we hope to cultivate a disarming mutual respect between visitors and locals thus providing the foundation for lasting friendships within the local community.  

But HOW...

If you’d like to volunteer with this years festival, or get information about other projects our team is working on please...

CONTACT US

There are many volunteer positions open for the day of the festival ranging from bartending to helping out with the kids area so please specify what area you are interested in. Remember this event couldn’t happen without the support of our volunteers, so please donate some of your time to keep this festival alive.

Give a DONATION

PayPal donations and proceeds from the Earthship Pitaya Festival go directly to the Casa Llanta Fund, a non-profit organization actively involved in the community of El Carizal, Nicaragua as well as various youth projects in the greater San Juan del Sur area. The Casa Llanta Fund helped fund and build the local pre-school in El Carizal and initiated the successful women's co-op locally known as “Condimentos del Carizal”. The Casa Llanta Fund continues to host English Classes at the Escuela Carlos Guzman in El Carizal, and supports San Juan del Sur's school for special needs students called Los Pipitos. These projects rely heavily on donations to keep operating. When making your donation, you can specify which Casa Llanta Fund project you would like your donation to go towards from the list below. A donation without any specification will go to the program most in need. Please note that 100% of your donation goes directly to the project in need.

I. The Jam Project (Now sustainable)

With the support and guidance of the the Casa Llanta Fund (Earthship Pitaya Festival organizers), Rootham Gourmet Preserves (Canada), and the Rotary Club of Guelph South, the women in El Carizal have formed “Condimentos Del Carizal”, or "The Jam Project." You can support the El Carizal community by purchasing the co-op's home-made jam made from locally grown fruit whenever you’re in San Juan del Sur. We are working to get the product up to export quality, but for now, you will have to support the ladies by coming to Nicaragua to be a buyer.

II. English Classes at the Escuela Carlos Guzman in El Carizal ($150 per month)

The Casa Llanta Fund has a strategic alliance the local non-profit Comunidad Connect to host bi-weekly English Classes for students of all ages in the community of El Carizal. A donation toward English Classes pays for the teacher salary, transport, and school supplies for the local students.  Classes are currently twice a week from 2:00-3:30pm, but we are in the process of adding more classes, and more opportunities for learning for the adults of the community. We have hosted several “simple business practices” lessons, as well as English lessons for the women of Condimentos Carizal to facilitate sales to cruise ship passengers and other English speaking clients that the women encounter in town.

III. Los Pipitos, special needs school ($350 per month)

The Casa Llanta Fund pays for the ongoing costs associated with Los Pipitos, San Juan del Sur's school for students with special needs. A donation towards Los Pipitos covers the costs of running the shool bus for the students. Many of our students are limited to wheel chairs and can not attend school if we do not provide for their transport. Los Pipitos donations also pays the teachers salary and for transport to special events such as the Olympipitos (Special Olympics) and Surf Lessons (http://vimeo.com/20496510)

IV. Nica Surf Coach Program (Costs vary per event)

The Nica Surf Coach Program is a "big-brother" type surf program providing mentors and training to local surfers who compete regularly. In addition to regular surf training, workouts, and yoga, the coaching staff instills environmental awareness and social responsibility among the surfers to help them  become community role models. In the words of "Chelo", the Nica Surf Coach Founder and Director, "more help is going to help" protect Nicaragua's coastline and inspire positive change in the community. Donations to Nica Surf Coach go toward competition costs and travel expenses enabling the team to compete in competitions locally and internationally.  These young surfers are quickly rising to the challenge; just watch this video of the recent surf lessons they gave to the local school for special needs students: http://www.vimeo.com/20496510

If you would like to make a donation and help support these causes, please click the PayPal Donate link below.