New Service Projects in Cuba: Legal Ways to Support the Cuban People
Volunteering in Cuba offers the opportunity to directly support the Cuban people through meaningful service. Global Volunteers invites you to join exciting new community work projects in Havana, including building a senior social center and revitalizing a music school, while also supporting ongoing programs for women, children, and seniors. If you’re seeking a legal and purposeful way to volunteer in Cuba, this is your chance to make a real impact, immerse yourself in daily Cuban life, and build bridges of friendship and understanding.
New Community Work Projects in Havana, Cuba
Build a Senior Social Center and Support the Community in Marianao
One of the most pressing new volunteer projects in Cuba is the construction of a senior social center at the Missionary Church of God in Marianao, a neighborhood in Havana facing poverty, substance abuse, and the loss of youth to emigration.
The church’s vision is to serve 60 seniors in need. The center will offer seniors a place to bathe, to eat nutritious meals, and to spend the day in a safe, welcoming environment. Volunteers are needed to help scrape, sand, and paint surfaces, assist with plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work, and construct the senior social center.
Help Shape the Next Generation of Cuban Musicians by Improving their School
Another new volunteer project in Cuba focuses on the Mayda Isabel Jorge Music School, named for a renowned Cuban pianist. Here, volunteers assist with painting and light construction, prepping and planting a new garden, and creating a more vibrant, welcoming school environment.
Led by Pastor Alioth, a talented pianist and local cultural figure, this project combines service with music and joy. Volunteers are often invited to local performances, turning each workday into a cross-cultural celebration. Take a look at this clip to see a preview of the local musicians.
Ongoing Work Projects That Still Need You
In addition to these exciting new projects, Global Volunteers continues to support several essential ongoing service opportunities in Havana.
Women’s Craft Cooperative
Join local women as they sew, knit, and craft items like baby clothes, aprons, and accessories to support the cooperative’s self-reliance. Volunteers are encouraged to bring hard-to-find supplies like fabric, thread, buttons, or needles. Share your creative skills, foster friendship, and help women gain economic independence.
Elder and Youth Support
Volunteers are needed to engage elderly Cubans through conversation, games, light therapy, or other requested activities. Volunteers’ support is also needed in preschools, where volunteers assist teachers with activities and lessons for children aged 3–5.
Afternoon English Conversation
In the mornings, the construction, painting, sewing, and elder support projects are arranged, and in the evenings, volunteers engage in English conversation. You will meet with community members who are eager to learn or improve their English skills. These informal, small-group sessions are one of the most impactful ways you can connect with Cubans and support their personal and professional development. For Cuban youth and adults, fluency in English is essential to accessing better jobs, especially in tourism. Global Volunteers provides participants with a Conversational English Teaching Guide, so you feel prepared to engage in English conversation. No formal teaching experience is required — just your ability to speak English and a willingness to engage.
You will help teens and adults improve pronunciation, vocabulary, everyday idioms, practical phrases, and the opportunity to speak with confidence. These sessions often turn into vibrant cultural exchanges, a true highlight of the volunteer experience.
Cultural Engagement and Legal Travel for Americans
Volunteers in Cuba participate in a full-time, 40-hour workweek that includes hands-on service and cultural learning. Because U.S. regulations prohibit tourism, volunteers engage in legally authorized programs under the “Support for the Cuban People” license.
Global Volunteers provides access to a variety of culturally immersive legal activities such as lectures and discussions, guided tours of Havana landmarks, and visits to expanding private enterprises, all of which deepen your understanding of Cuban life and are completely optional (some may require a nominal fee).
According to the U.S. Treasury, examples of legal support-for-the-Cuban-people activities include staying in a private home (casa particular), dining in privately owned restaurants (paladares), and shopping at small Cuban-run businesses (cuentapropistas). Global Volunteers coordinates all of this to ensure you remain compliant with legal travel requirements while enjoying authentic Cuban culture.
Whether you’re helping build a senior social center, painting a music school, assisting elders, or supporting women’s cooperatives, your work in Cuba will be deeply rewarding and memorable. Each volunteer is carefully matched to a work project that reflects their skills and personal interests, based on community needs.
Global Volunteers conducts one- and two-week service programs in Cuba monthly.
To see when you can serve in Cuba and be a part of something special, click here >>
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