Day of the death is an old tradition in Mexico. The ancient Mexicans used to invite their dead to dinner in the month of August, during the corn harvest season.
After three weeks volunteering at one of Voluntario Global’s kindergarten projects, getting to know the children and helping the staff, our volunteer from New Zealand, Brierly, reached the end of her time in Buenos Aires.
“How do you say ‘my name is…’ in German?” “What do you call this drink in French?” “In Spanish do you translate the name of this film?”
Interview with our Volunteer Emma as she Finishes her Time Working with Children
Written by Emma Kelly
We caught up with our English volunteer Emma after two weeks volunteering with children to hear about her experience and get some advice.
In August 2016 I decided to try Voluntario Global’s Teach English Project in Buenos Aires for 3 weeks. I have always wanted to do volunteer work overseas and as I already had a basic level of Spanish I thought this would be a great place to start.
Upon arrival I was greeted with a stunning city full of life with European-style architecture, a vast avenue with a view as the eye can see, vibrant restaurants and nightlife, tango shows that break out in front of you, packed subways, breathtaking nature reserves and busy street markets. This then, would be the perfect backdrop for my volunteer project.
As you arrive at Voluntario Global, you are initiated into the program by signing your local flag on a mural on the volunteer house walls filled with the messages and names of hundreds of other volunteers, past and present. The next day my project took me over an hour out of the city to a lovely little ‘barrio’ called Ciudadela. It’s small and out of the way but I found the town quite charming and it felt like a genuine suburb away from the glitz and glamour of a capital city. There I was introduced to the team at the English school that operates after normal school hours for students of all ages.
I had 4 main classes aged from about 6 to 18. As this school was a new partner of Voluntario Global, I was lucky to have the honour of being the first Australian that many of the children had met. We began each class with a session of questions from the students about Australia and myself. I answered most questions which included from food, sport, leisure, entertainment, technology, slang, politics, geography animals, and more. I then asked each question back at the students and in no time at all, the students and I had a fair understanding of what life was like in each other’s country.
In one class we even had local snacks and drinks from Argentina and the older students and I shared a ‘mate’ in the garden under the stars as the teacher and students explained the significance of this important drink.
After the introduction lessons I set about helping the students learn, either by assisting the teacher with pronunciation and examples or by actually teaching the lesson myself. In some cases I was marking papers or homework or answering any questions about the classwork for the students.
I found myself being challenged and pushed to find ways to explain things with my limited Spanish knowledge but having that basic foundation in Spanish allowed me to explain how rules in one language were similar or different to the other, especially with the younger kids.
I realised quickly that to teach is to learn. I found my Spanish improving with every class that I taught and the skilled staff actually helped me learn more about the English I use every day.
On my days off I was able to explore the city and try local cuisine such as Asado, choripan or the Argentinian style pizza. I went out to some night clubs, bike tours, kayaking, tango shows and explored the iconic areas like the wealthy Palermo, the Recoleta Cemetery, the Abasto Shopping mall with it’s indoor theme park, the colourful Italian barrio La Boca and more. I even took a day trip to on the fast ferry to Colonia del Sacremento in Uruguay. Even after 3 weeks I can honestly say I haven’t seen all of this city.
After some of my classes as I travelled back to the city I would stop and have a ‘pancho’ (hotdog) and a beer at Sarmiento station with all the locals, watching a futbol game on the TV and grabbing a bite on their way home from a busy day at work. I found that basic Spanish (or ‘castellano’ as is the local dialect) is almost a necessity in Buenos Aires as most locals do not speak any English. Indeed, the students at my school spoke more English than some of the residents of the volunteer house.
Back at class the students were genuinely interested in what I had seen and done in Argentina. In asking me, the students also told me more about what they like to do. I also got great tips on where to go, what to avoid and different ways to integrate myself into the local lifestyle. As a guy who has travelled to about 80 cities across 13 countries I am no stranger to new faces and new places. I still love travelling, but as I visit new countries, some of that initial element of surprise and wonder at seeing new beaches, clubs, buildings landscapes and statues has been lost on me. Little did I know that I would get that wonder and surprise back in Buenos Aires.
I realised over my 3 weeks as I did the daily commute on the packed trains, ate street food with the locals, taught lessons, saw the street art and graffiti, listened to the staff and students explain their interests and discuss all their national issues and culture that you can’t truly understand another culture until you become a part of it. By getting amongst the people in non-tourist areas and trying to understand how other people learn whilst teaching your own language, you find that you connect with people and understand the culture so much better than just seeing the typical “most important landmarks in the city” This latter has been the norm for me in past travels and I prefer this new experience much better.
To teach is to learn in Buenos Aires. With Voluntario Global you give your time, money, knowledge and experience to complete strangers and what you get in return in the most in depth experience of a foreign culture you will ever get, plus new friends, great memories, better language skills and a motivation to do more with your life and help people. The people of Argentina are proud, strong people who go out of their way to help you and have no limit to their compassion and kindness. I will certainly be back in South America and I can’t wait to try another experience with Voluntario Global someday. I fully recommend this project to anyone who wants a challenging but rewarding experience.
Our volunteer from the USA, Adriana, leaves us this week after 2 months volunteering at one of Voluntario Global’s projects working with children. We decided to visit her at the project in her final few days to talk with her and reflect on her time volunteering.
For Adriana, the highlight of the volunteer journey has been meeting and bonding with the kids. Volunteering five days a week for 8 weeks, she has really connected with the children at her project and has become very close with them. She has loved learning about the culture here in Buenos Aires through volunteering and admires how much time everyone spends outdoors. Dancing, ball games and origami- Adriana recommends everyone spends some time volunteering with children!
Volunteering with children is very rewarding, giving volunteers the opportunity to help children and teach them new skills. Reflecting on how Adriana’s work has benefitted the children she has met, she told us how she taught them more about the wider-world - about where she was from and all the different countries where other volunteers lived. Adriana also taught the kids English and gave them the chance to practise with a native speaker. Most importantly, however, Adriana felt that she had offered the children a new friend and someone that they could trust.
Volunteering also brings many benefits to the volunteer, for example Adriana told us that her experience with Voluntario Global has given her perspective. She thinks differently about what we need to be happy and the most important things in life.
Finally, Adriana left us with some advice for others wanting to volunteer with children. She told us “the kids are awesome, and be prepared for lots of playing”. She advised that volunteers go into these projects with a very open mind and a positive perspective, prepared for a new culture and a different way of doing things. She also recommended that volunteers put as much time as possible into developing their Spanish to improve their bond with the kids. Adriana summarised “all you need is love and patience”.
The first day as a volunteer in a new city can be a daunting but eye-opening experience. I for one was feeling a little nervous and very excited!
As a communications volunteer I was heading out to visit two of Voluntario Global’s projects to take some photos and experience a day in the life of a volunteer. I was most worried about having to travel around this huge city using public transport- I happen to be very good at getting lost and it was my first time taking busses, trains and the subte here. However, with the help of the coordinator, Milena, and other volunteers I mastered the use of my SUBE card in no time and really enjoyed the chance to see new parts of the city from the window of a bus or train. The journeys were the perfect opportunity to reflect on the projects we had visited, catch up with the volunteers and practice listening to Castellano! Visiting the projects was really good fun, meeting some inspiring, lovely people and getting the chance to immerse myself further into the culture and language. I am really looking forward to many more project visits during my time here!
We also got the chance to have a chat with English volunteer, Emma, on her first day at the kindergarten and John, from the US, on his first day helping to teach English. Emma explained how she was feeling very intrigued and open-minded before arriving at the kindergarten, and really enjoyed her first day, her favourite part being playtime with the younger group (despite a very messy lunchtime!). Emma told us that volunteering at the kindergarten is different to any other experience she’s ever had and she is looking forward to engaging the children in some new activities and helping out more.
John was feeling ‘nervously excited’ on the train to his teaching English project, but settled in right away. He really enjoyed comparing his Spanish language-learning experience with the kids’ English learning experience and having a joke about accents. Inspired by the quality of the staff at the project, he is excited to introduce some new, fun activities to the students.
We wish John and Emma good luck on their volunteer journeys, and hope they continue having lots of fun!
As I was going to Buenos Aires, I planned to visit all the interesting places I heard of and to take as many pictures as possible.
Without fail, every time I walk into the community soup kitchen, I am greeted by a handful of women who remind me of my grandma.
VOLUNTARIO GLOBAL
Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, and offering ideas for further change and development.
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CONTACT
Location: General Pacheco. Buenos Aires. Argentina
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