There is a new project you can be part of. It is a Summer Camp for 30 young children aged 6 to 15 years old at Colonia Villa de Mayo, a suburb in the north-west of Buenos Aires.Being usually working at the Voluntario Global Communication office, where we do a lot of M arketing research, write and discuss articles and manage Voluntario Global’s social media and blog, it’s hard to get in touch with the people that benefit from the different projects. This volunteer experience, however, encourages you to directly interact with the people we support.
To get to Villa de Mayo you have to take the subte, then the train and walk for 25 minutes to the Camp. It took almost two hours to get there. At the end of the commute we reached the community center to be very warmly welcomed by a crew of five employees. The atmosphere at the institution was very friendly, as were the members of staff. The people were very open-minded, it seems they have the ability to make everyone feel good. With people like them it’s a piece of cake to get integrated.
One by one the kids arrived at the house, the official start of the summer camp was at 14:30. All the people gathered in the biggest room of the house. After the greeting they were divided into several groups according to the different activities they could do. There was one room where the children did handicrafts, another room with several computers (just the older kids were allowed to use it), and an open yard where the kids can play tennis and basketball and have fun in a big swimming pool, that seemed to be the most fun things to do for many of them. In every little playground there is a responsible woman in change. They look after the kids and help them in case they need assistance. The women who work in the institution are very nice and always listened to the wishes of the children. Volunteers are always needed because there are many children to take care of and it’s almost impossible for the women working there to give everyone the attention they need. Moreover, volunteers can help in different ways and do the things they like most. So it is up to the volunteer capacities if he or she is more into outdoor activities like tennis or basketball, or inside activities like board games or handicraft. At the end it is impossible not to feel as though you are having an impact on their life. The first volunteer on this project was more than happy, being able to help the crew and spending a hot day near the splashes of a swimming pool full of happy kids. Even not talking perfect Spanish he manages to get along with everyone. It’s not necessary to say that the kids had an amazing time during his time at the summer camp.
Unfortunately is it not possible for one volunteer to look after all the children at the same time so more volunteers are hardly needed. This volunteer experience is a life time opportunity to get quality time with kids, see their changes and be an influence in their lives.
