Two very different groups in Jamaica share the same problem: a shortage of experienced people willing to share what they know. Young people transitioning from school into careers often have no professional in their network to ask for honest guidance. Small and medium business owners — from market vendors to growing local companies — are usually building everything themselves, with no one who has already solved the problems they’re facing right now.
Our mentor volunteer abroad program puts your specific experience directly into one of those gaps. You’re matched one-to-one with a Jamaican youth or business owner whose goals genuinely fit your background — not a generic group session, but a real working relationship built around their specific situation, whether you join us in person for one to two weeks or mentor entirely online.
In-person mentors stay at Barnett’s Homestay in Portmore, St. Catherine for the full one to two weeks, meeting their matched mentee in Kingston and St. Catherine. Virtual mentorship is open to mentors anywhere in the world, matched with a Jamaican mentee remotely.
This program is designed for established professionals, business owners, and executives with genuine expertise to share — not a general volunteer audience. Whether your background is in business, finance, a trade, education, healthcare, or another field, there is a mentee whose goals could benefit from it.
You’re matched to one of two mentee tracks based on your background and interests, in either in-person or virtual format:
A youth mentor volunteer abroad works with Jamaican teens and young adults navigating the transition from school into careers — a transition that’s genuinely difficult here, as it is in much of the Caribbean, when there’s no professional in your network to ask for honest guidance.
A business mentor volunteer abroad works directly with a Jamaican small or medium business owner — market vendors, growing local companies, and everything in between — on whatever specific challenge is currently in their way.
This program is built around real professional or entrepreneurial experience, not a minimum age alone. Most mentors are 25 and older with several years of relevant experience, though what matters most is demonstrated expertise in your field. Once your application is accepted, submit the following:
Before you’re matched, we ask you to outline your specific expertise and what kind of mentee would benefit most from it. Mentorship volunteer abroad works best with a clear focus — a vague offer to “help with business stuff” matches far less effectively than a specific offer like “help a food vendor formalize pricing and supplier relationships.”
Skills-based volunteering abroad — sometimes called “experteering” in the wider volunteer industry — differs from general volunteer work in one key way: the value you provide is your specific expertise, not your hours. A single well-matched conversation with the right mentor can move a mentee’s situation further than weeks of generic support.
Your Project Advisor accompanies you to meet your matched mentee on day one, with a structured introduction covering their specific goals, current challenges, and what they hope to get from your time together. From there, the schedule is built around your mentee’s availability and priorities.
A virtual mentor volunteer abroad typically commits to regular calls — often 30 to 60 minutes, every two to four weeks — over an initial three-month engagement, plus message-based support in between. You set the cadence with your mentee within that general structure, entirely from wherever you already are.
No. Your one to two weeks at Barnett’s Homestay (in-person track) or your active support period (matching only and virtual tracks) is when we’re most hands-on, but we never force a hard stop between a mentor and mentee. Once your formal program concludes, you keep indefinite access to our mentor-mentee platform to message, schedule calls, and stay connected with your mentee for as long as the relationship is valuable to both of you. You also receive an official Mentor Volunteer Certificate signed by our Managing Director.
Cash for personal activities and weekend excursions
By paying the enrollment fee, you are guaranteed a placement within our project and your dates are secured
Placement Only Enrollment Fee
One-Time Fee
1-Day Enrollment Fee
Start at
$150
Full projects include accommodation, meals, transportation and in-country support
$1,210
Total
$2,800
Total
$795
Per Additional Week
within an organization in Jamaica where you will volunteer or intern
at your project work site to support your project and make an impact
Di Real Jamaican membership is a mini course that teaches you about Jamaica
Full breakfast and dinner each day, and we cater to all diets or allergies
Live like a local in a shared dorm or private room with modern amenities
Daily project transfers and airport pickup and return
before your project begins, during your project and after you depart.
Throughout your project, enjoy outings to museums, ice cream, beaches & more
Project certificates & verification of your work hours after project completion
Shared dorm or private room with A/C
Clean bathrooms with hot shower
Free cable TV and Wi-Fi at your homebase
Secure home with cameras & panic button
Quiet family homebase to live like a local
Clean towels, washrags, pillows & bed linen
Rooms and common areas cleaned daily
Nightlife like games night & cooking classes
Welcome giftbag with goodies from JIP
We handle the matching process and confirm your mentee. For the in-person track, flights, accommodation, and daily transport are arranged by you. Includes 3 months of active support and guidance from your Project Advisor, plus indefinite access to our mentor-mentee platform afterward — we never force a hard stop on the relationship.
Here is the structure and support in place:
When you are ready to apply, our enrollment process is built around understanding your expertise well enough to make a genuinely good match. Our team is always just a quick call or message away.
Read this page carefully. Think specifically about what you’d offer a mentee — the more specific, the better the eventual match.
Read about Jamaica International Projects, browse reviews from past mentors, and check our FAQ.
Consider whether an in-person engagement of one to two weeks or an ongoing virtual mentorship fits your schedule and goals better.
Reach out to our team and we will pair you with a Project Advisor who will review your background and talk through the matching process.
Complete the application form, including your area of expertise, your preferred mentee track, and your preferred format. We respond within 48 hours.
Schedule a virtual meeting with your Project Advisor to discuss your background and the kind of mentee that would benefit most from it.
After your meeting, you receive a personalized offer email with your total cost and a breakdown of what is included.
Pay your enrollment fee and program tuition (if applicable) to begin the matching process.
Once payment is confirmed, gather and send the following:
Once your documents are confirmed, we hold a short call to introduce you to your matched mentee’s background and goals before your engagement begins.
Confirm your passport is valid for your full trip, check visa requirements for Jamaica based on your nationality, purchase travel medical insurance, and book your flights into Kingston.
Confirm all fees are paid and documents submitted. Your mentee is ready to meet you.
No. We never impose a hard stop on a mentor-mentee relationship. What is time-bound is our active staff involvement — 3 months of guidance and check-ins for the matching only and virtual tracks, or your one to two weeks at Barnett’s Homestay for the in-person track. After that, you keep indefinite access to our mentor-mentee platform to continue the relationship for as long as it’s valuable to both of you, with optional extended support available if you want it.
Your Project Advisor reviews your professional background, stated expertise, and mentee preference, then identifies a Jamaican youth or business owner whose current goals and challenges genuinely fit what you have to offer. We don’t assign matches by availability alone.
Both have real value, and many mentors choose virtual specifically because it fits around an existing career. In-person mentorship allows for more immersive, sustained engagement and on-the-ground context; virtual mentorship allows for longer relationships sustained over months without travel.
There’s no formal credential requirement, but we do expect demonstrated professional or entrepreneurial experience — a resume, professional references, and a clear statement of your expertise area are part of every application.
Most mentors work with one mentee per engagement to keep the relationship genuinely personal. If you have capacity and interest in mentoring more than one person, talk to your Project Advisor about options.
For the in-person track: flights, daily lunch, personal spending money, optional weekend excursions, travel insurance, and visa fees where applicable are all outside the fee. The virtual track has no travel-related costs at all. A full breakdown is included in your offer email.
Yes. Corporate groups and companies looking to offer this as an employee engagement or professional development opportunity are welcome — contact us to discuss group coordination.
All Year Round
4 Weeks and up
Placement Only and Virtual Projects
After you apply we will confirm availability and whether you are accepted within 48 hours.
Enroll in the project format you want below. Full Projects and Trips have payment plan options available.
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