As autonomy is closely related to independence, people tend to immediately think that autonomy is nothing but an individual capacity. Nevertheless, autonomy usually lies in the context to be developed. For this reason, as you can deeply develop autonomy while volunteering, as an organization we have a strong commitment to generate a proper guide and a supportive network for it. We understand your fears and the challenges you face when you decide to be part of a different culture and get involved in a community project. That is why Voluntario Global does a constant follow up before arrival, during your stay, and when you are leaving. We have an introductory talk and we go with you to the project on your first day so you can learn how to move around Buenos Aires, get to know the people you will be working and receive information about the country, the culture, and the community where you will be working. As a social organization, we promote critical thinking and cultural exchange as lines of action, for this reason, we are certain that having information about the context will help you understand cultural differences easily and feel more confident while volunteering to achieve autonomy.
However, as I said at the beginning, we believe autonomy also has to do with your own values and interests. As we understand volunteering as a way to promote community development, it's important to figure out the best way for volunteers to integrate the projects. We know there's no better way than listening to you and the communities, so everyone has a voice.
Volunteering is not something that is fixed, although there is a structure, you won't have someone all the time telling you what to do, so we encourage you to share ideas and take the initiative. Remember volunteering is about two-way relationships, that we build it together and that autonomy takes time. In this sense, we encourage you to be an autonomous volunteer, it's challenging, but we'll never leave you alone.
