MINGA HOUSE FOUNDATION
  • MINGA
  • Teach USA
  • Teach Colombia
  • Volunteer Colombia
    • ALIANZA COMUNITARIA CHINCHINÁ
    • Emergency Medicine
    • Children
    • Youth
    • Seniors >
      • Senderos de Omaira Foundation
    • Animal Rescue
    • English Teacher >
      • Chinchina Bilingue >
        • English Immersion Week
        • English Conversation Group
    • Sports and Fitness
    • Community Health
    • Construction
  • Learn Colombia
  • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Facilities
  • Centro Educativo Menfis
Travel with a Purpose!

Minga House 2.0

Mansion Renovation Project

In 2014, we started at Hotel Plaza Chinchina with our first ISL Global Health Team, then in 2016 we launched Minga House.  Now, 15 ISL teams and 204 total visiting volunteers later, we have to decide if we renew our current lease for Minga House @ downtown Chinchina or move our operations to this abandoned mansion from the 1980's Pablo Escobar Era right outside Chinchina city limits.  
What do you think?
We told you that this was your project as much as ours! Remember? Do you think we whould we move?  your opinion?  
- See PROS & CONS to at the bottom of this page -
CURRENT FACLITY
VS.
NEW FACILITY - see pics below

Site survey video by retired Army Engineer, Bart, my best bud since middle school. He has retired after 25 years of military service and wants to throw in with us to do the restoration. He would assume all costs and expertise of upgrades and renovations, as well as project manage the 1-yr restoration project.  The switch to this property would not cost more to our foundation. The only thing that matters is how it would affect the 'volunteer experience.'   
Pros & Cons - for Volunteers Experience!
PROS / ADVANTAGES over current downtown location
  1. Space - indoor (more rooms & more beds)
  2. Space - outdoors (45 acres of coffee fields)
  3. Pool
  4. Jacuzzi
  5. Sauna
  6. Basketball court
  7. Soccer field
  8. 360-degree hilltop city & coffee landscape views
  9. Ability to grow garden
  10. Ability to have fire pit
  11. Ability to have outdoor yoga & exercise activities in own 45-acre backyard
  12. Ability to facilitate coffee farm experience
  13. Ability to have animals (dogs, chickens, even a goat!) - Blackie! 
  14. Ability to host events, to include for our nonprofit friends
  15. Almost endless opportunity for growth and activities
  16. No more chicken smell or all-day music from downtairs supermarket
  17. Can BBQ grill!
  18. Coy pond
  19. Can have construction-renovation projects year-round!
  20. Can create additional revenue to support foundation so we can support more local nonprofits
  21. No more roof leaks & rain floods
  22. Nicer & more recreational facility may attract even more volunteers allowing us to do even more for the community
  23. Can you help us think of other PROs?  Volunteer@MingaHouse.org
CONS / DISADVANTAGES over current downtown location
  1. Not downtown - no more immediate & ongoing access to downtown life, restaurants, park events, parades, stores, banks, coffee shops, La Tarima, and nonprofit partners   
  2. Transportation requirement - we would require a 5-minute public transport ride to downtown available every 10 minutes, @ bus stop 200 yards walk from the house
  3. Transportation costs -  50 US cents each way to central park
  4. Possibly too big? the possible loss of closeness due to having so much space
  5. Possible perception conflict between living in a mansion and doing community service
  6. Facility may be a distraction to the volunteers from doing community service 
  7. Could some volunteers be afraid of not having immediate neighbors? It is very quiet
  8. Mansion will require much more housekeeping & maintenance work & expenses (but this doesn't affect volunteers)
  9. Greater need to cook, which means greater need to clean dishes and travel to town 
  10. Leaving behind a lot of effort and expense spent remodeling of current downtown facility
  11. Can you help us think of other CONs?  Volunteer@MingaHouse.org

Reviews

We love the concept of Minga House Foundation!  
Travel with a purpose! Colombia's Coffee Region is one of the most beautiful places on Earth; and Colombia is the 2nd most bio-diverse country in the world, next to Brazil. I love Colombia, my year-round Spring weather paradise.

Contact Us

Minga House Foundation
Carrera 9 #11-34
​Chinchina, Caldas, Colombia 176020

Colombia@MingaHouse.org

Email Us
  • MINGA
  • Teach USA
  • Teach Colombia
  • Volunteer Colombia
    • ALIANZA COMUNITARIA CHINCHINÁ
    • Emergency Medicine
    • Children
    • Youth
    • Seniors >
      • Senderos de Omaira Foundation
    • Animal Rescue
    • English Teacher >
      • Chinchina Bilingue >
        • English Immersion Week
        • English Conversation Group
    • Sports and Fitness
    • Community Health
    • Construction
  • Learn Colombia
  • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Facilities
  • Centro Educativo Menfis