TestimonialsRead below the experiences of Voluntario Global volunteers.
I am currently working with Voluntario Global in an orphanage, in a town just outside of Buenos Aires. My work involves caring for and playing with the fifteen children that live there. The home is an inspirational place to be. The children have been through a lot in their short lives, and so, can display challenging behaviour at times. However, the staff and volunteers ensure that the home is a place where they are able to express themselves in a happy, positive, loving and safe environment.
So, if you are looking for an opportunity to undertake worthwhile work within a community that really needs your help, and with an organization that provides full support from the moment you enquire about opportunities, I recommend Voluntario Global wholeheartedly. I assure you, to be part of it all, even in a small way, is a real honor.
I went to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, to work as a volunteer in the Voluntario Global charity, a community-based organization working with the children and families of the impoverished, shanty satellite barrios of the city. Buenos Aires is a city of immense contrasts, most notably in the very unequal distribution of wealth. Voluntario Global is a charity organization created and run by the community who best understands the problems of the area and the help needed to improve the lives of the children, young adults and their parents who live there. It is a charity that exists and grows solely through the efforts of local and international volunteers.
Recently, my husband and I decided to spend our holiday in South America. Typical holidays for nature lovers like ourselves normally include trekking, horseback adventures, sleeping out in tents, and walking amongst beautiful scenery. However, during our vacation we soon came to the realization that next to the beautiful scenery and the 4 stars hotels lie shanty towns, slums and poverty; so when I saw a poster for Voluntario Global I decided that I wanted to help. I first started working with children, helping them with their homework and playing games with them. My goal was to share my experiences with those children, to see them smile, to give them a better start in life and to help them become aware of another reality that could be theirs. Not long after I started, I immediately discovered that I loved volunteering. The children made me realize that I could do something to change the world, even if was only a small step!
Rebecca & Gary will join us on November. They have created a web site to share with family and friends their volunteer work and experience. Thanks for being so enthusiastic! We can follow your testimonies http://latin-travels.webs.com/
I came across Voluntario Global when I started studying in Buenos Aires, and I worked with them for almost a year. Then, in 2008 I had the chance to go back to Buenos Aires and worked with VG once more --- an amazing experience! The people involved in this organisation work extremely hard and are 100 percent dedicated to what they are doing. They are people I admire, yet are completely professional in their work. Getting to know the people connected with VG, the areas they work and the different organisations they help, has, without a doubt, given me the moments I'll best remember about Buenos Aires. As a volunteer, not only will you learn a lot about Buenos Aires and its different communities, you will also get to know a lot of fantastic people, have lots of fun, and learn lots and lots of Spanish. The experience is so rewarding I can guarantee you that you will not regret it!
My favorite part has been watching the kids begin to trust me and let me teach them and learn from them. At first they really tested their limits with me and it was overwhelming, but after they realized I wasn't going anywhere soon, they really began to warm up to me. I have learned ways to communicate with them and teach them basic skills that can help them in various activities. The teaching and learning that occurs on the behalf of the kids and the volunteers has definitely been my favorite part of being a volunteer.
There are two things that I love most about volunteering at Hogar Querubines: When I can put a smile on the kids' faces, and when they put a smile on mine. Watching the way they care for each other, and the way they have welcomed me into their home has made me feel so much a part of the hogar. I couldn't be more thankful for that. Not every day is easy and all smiles, but I always feel like I'm making a difference (as corny as that sounds). Whether I'm helping the little ones get ready for jardín, talking to the older girls about their crushes at school, or washing pots and pans, I know I'm helping in some way, be it tangible or not. They are a great group of children, looked after by generous, loving, saint-like women (Celia, Valeria, Ana, and Ada). I dread the day I have to say goodbye to these wonderful people.
Being a part of the communications team was a great way to begin to understand how a nonprofit organization works. I was able to use my skills from my journalism degree to help Voluntario Global grow and expand. I loved being able to become closer with the Voluntario Global team and take part in many communications projects. I was also able to volunteer, making the experience all the more fulfilling.
Meeting the people there is easily my favourite part about my time in both projects, I never imagined such a warm welcome and to be made to feel so much a part of the projects. It opened my eyes to the poverty in Buenos Aires but I also found the fight and drive of the people in the Comedor inspiring and motivating and the love and joy of the children in Casa Vela very touching.
For me, volunteering continually shows me how much more there is out there then just the comfortable world I live in. I wonder if I really help the kids, and I hope that I do, but I do know that any time I can let the full time women rest for even just a minute, that is one more minute they can give to one of the kids. For me, it's meant a chance to to play and work with kids, which I love.
Coming to Buenos Aires to volunteer meant an opportunity to make a difference to someone's life. I didn't want to set my expectations too high but I was far from disappointed from my experience.
I admit I was a little worried that my 'below basic' Spanish would be a hindrance but I was placed in an after school English academy in a poor area of the city. Although the academy is small, the kids have widely varying abilities and it was great to be able to take small groups and really be able to give them all my attention and help. The kids responded really well to the encouragement and even though they weren't always able to concentrate on the lessons they loved trying to ask questions about my life at home!! I was even asked to give a lesson on nutrition, the first the kids had ever had. Just to be able to give them the idea that there's a world out there beyond Argentina and they're capable of seeing it was amazing.
I feel I had a really positive experience and at the very least made the kids smile. I was made to feel incredibly welcome and felt privileged to be able to spend time with the staff and students of Pablo Nogues.
The first time I stepped into the Comedor Los Pibes I noticed open doors everywhere. Not only between the rooms and floors of the building, but also between the people and in the way I was greeted by the community members. Thanks to this welcoming atmosphere, my time as a volunteer has been just great. I made new friends, learned heaps about this social organization in La Boca and laughed a lot - and all of this in castellano, which has helped improve my language skills!
I volunteered in the kitchen in a community center in La Boca. I was assigned this kind of work because I wanted to improve my castellano skills and get insights into the Argentine culture. For me, it was a very fantastic experience! And since I was the only foreigner at the time and no one else spoke English, I had to improve my language fast. It was a bit difficult at times (especially when the women were talking together because they talk really fast, and if you don't understand the context it is difficult to be a part of the conversation), but overall everyone was very patient and friendly.
The good thing about kitchen duty is that you can still manage the job even though you don't speak Spanish very well I got to know the women in the kitchen since we cooked for the whole community center for lunch, served lunch and then afterwards we all ate together, which was a nice experience. The kitchen was situated in the middle of the community center which meant that I also got good insight into the other activities there. Many people came and talked to me each day even though they were not connected to the kitchen. They were just being curious and very nice. The atmosphere in the center from the first day was very friendly and I felt very welcomed.
I arrived in Buenos Aires without speaking any Spanish and with no idea about how my project was going to be. After three days, I started my project with a kindergarten an hour outside of the city. I loved the kids from the first day, and the woman who was involved at the project was very helpful. They always made sure to speak slowly and clearly so I could understand what they were saying.
Kids use simple words; they can teach you the names for the colors, how to count and so on. The best thing is they love to play crazy, funny games. Working with kids is definitely one of the best ways to learn a new language.
Working in a suburb and living in the city has given me the opportunity to become familiar with parts of the city that most foreigners don't get to see. It also gives you a better idea of the different lifestyles people live.
