Despite already being deep in the 21st century, there remains a worldwide trend associated with volunteering. As you scour the internet for volunteer opportunities, you will undoubtedly come across an image of a smiling 20-something girl with a child in her arms. While there is nothing wrong with a twenty-year-old girl, fresh out of school, embarking on an adventure and benefiting the lives of others, it's important in this day and age to break down this stereotype. Volunteering will only ever reach its key objectives if a wider range of people participate, bringing their diverse skills and experiences to make a difference to a community. In this way, it will be possible to break down the barriers that exist in certain communities as well breaking the barriers which plague the current stereotype surrounding volunteering, all while entering into a new age of diversity .
One of Voluntario Global's most significant projects is currently helping to change this situation. Functioning as a kindergarten, an organic garden, and a soup kitchen – three very important components for a happy and healthy community - it welcomes volunteers from all over the world, boys and girls, young and old, to work in each area of the project. Today’s focus is on two volunteers, James and Paul, who are going to provide an insight into the wonderful world of the soup kitchens!
They may be from opposite sides of the Atlantic (James is from the USA, and Paul is from Ireland), but here in Buenos Aires they are working side by side as part of the soup kitchen team to supply meals to the local community as well as to those who are homeless. Every day they work with a group of about ten ladies who are from various provinces in Argentina as well as countries such as Paraguay and Bolivia, so it’s always an interesting mix! In fact, one of Paul's favourite things about the soup kitchen is the energy that everybody brings! What's great about the project is the diversity of the women in the kitchen and the diversity of the volunteers too. Despite being different nationalities, Paul and James also belong to different generations, so they arrive to the kitchen each morning with different ideas about how best to approach the day.
This is vital for the ladies in the soup kitchen, because no day is the same and the tasks are constantly changing. They have to cut, chop, clean, peel, slice, wash, dry, serve... the jobs are endless! Every task has to be completed to ensure the smooth running of the project, so the women welcome a variety of volunteers with open arms. Diversity is essential for them!
Here, James is working hard peeling potatoes. It might not seem that difficult, but tonnes and tonnes of potatoes are to be peeled, so it becomes almost a workout for him!
Paul worked so hard on his first day in the kitchen that he managed to break a potato peeler! Today, he was in charge of measuring out quantities of food to give to the locals so that they could cook it later in their own homes. It’s a great way for them to be sustainable, and this is just one example of how important the soup kitchens are to the community.
But the volunteer's work does not just stay within the walls of the kitchen. Some people like to eat in the dining hall at the project, so it's important to set up all the many tables and chairs before they arrive.
Throughout the day, the volunteers have to keep on top of the washing up and drying up as well. Since there is so much food to cook for so many people, it’s vital that there is a constant supply of clean pots, pans, plates and cutlery! Once all the hard work is done, the volunteers and the ladies are able to take a well-earned break! They all sit around together and tuck into a hearty meal – today’s menu included soup, fried eggs, a lentil and meat stew, a filling pasta dish, and a rich chocolate dessert. Lunchtime is a great opportunity for the ladies to quiz the volunteers on their lives, and in turn the volunteers are able to learn about the ladies’ lives. It’s a great cultural exchange and the perfect opportunity for the boys to practice their Spanish as the women in the kitchen speak very little English. According to James, the language barrier isn't a problem in the slightest because "laughter is the universal language" in the soup kitchens!
Both Paul and James point to the energy, laughter and relaxed atmosphere as being some of the best parts about participating in the soup kitchen project, so it's evident that they're really enjoying their time here as volunteers! In return, the women greatly appreciate the time that the boys dedicate to helping them. Volunteering organisations need diverse volunteers like Paul and James. They also need 20-something girls who have just finished education. Essentially, anybody who is dreaming of volunteering should apply to volunteer! If you are already in that mindset, you are exactly what projects need. Age, gender, language and nationality are completely irrelevant - the only requirement is a willingness to help, share, and ultimately make a difference.
On the day that Armin would turn 31 years old, we would like to share some information on the progress of the awarded grants to the young people in the neighborhoods so they can learn and exchange with other realities, be and make the change.
The grant is ultimately what we wanted, a path that opens for young people and allows us all who surround them —VG team, youth group, Su laundry, organizations and volunteers— the opportunity to be part of their dreams and share meetings and planning discussions.
Each grant is an excuse so together we can find the best options; make contact with other countries and date and shape ideas and projects. Moreover, several of the grantees are already making plans to implement its expertise in the neighborhoods for when they return from the chosen experience.
GRANT FOR CRISTIAN
Cristian travels to Bogota, Colombia on January 28, 2015 Over the course of four weeks he will be learning and sharing knowledge in Fundación Organizmo, which designs and trains people to develop sustainable habitats.
This foundation works with sustainable construction and is defined as a laboratory for social housing. They work with each community from their own realities and knowledge to build a better habitat that respects the identity and environment.
Their workplace is a community village where they also build horticulture, agriculture and landscaping workshops: http://www.organizmo.org
GRANT FOR MABEL
Mabel travels to Xalapa, Mexico. But her grant has been postponed until August 2015 because of her work. She works at the Ministerio de Seguridad de la República Argentina, where she joined because of an agreement that the Ministerio has with different social organizations, including Global Voluntary, who claimed that people of the barrios should be part of the security policies and programs of the ministry.
Because of her work, she cannot take time during January as she had planned for his grant. Therefore we postponed it till August —no specific date yet—.
Anyway, the place is already chosen, a rural primary school in El Zapotal will be waiting in mid August 2015. http://www.voluntarioglobal.org/es/voluntarios/nuestros-proyectos/voluntariado-en-mexico/91/programa-de-educacion-primaria-en-xalapa
GRANT FOR SAMANTHA
Samantha is traveling to Quito, Ecuador on April 24, 2015 to attend the World Conference on Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism http://www.ecotourism.org/
Samantha is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism at the University of San Martin and her desire is to focus on local development through tourism as responsible and sustainable integration and mutual understanding.
GRANT FOR XIMENA AND NICOLAS
Ximena and Nicholas travel to Portsmouth, England, on January 3, 2015.
While the scholarship only corresponds to Ximena, Nicholas intends to travel with everyone's help, so we believe we can achieve and confirm his trip in mid-November so they can both travel to The Portsmouth Grammar School.
Steven Page, director of the Spanish area of the school has been involved with VG for 7 years now, and he is working with the school community so this exchange is possible.
It is noteworthy that the school focuses on Latin America reality, promotes volunteering abroad and its students speak Spanish: http://www.pgs.org.uk/
GRANT FOR FEDERICO
Federico travels to Vallegrande, Bolivia in January 2015 with no exact dates yet, as it depends on the holiday he’s assigned at work.
It is important to remember that his grant was made possible when Idalina, who had won the grant, but is not able to travel because of her new job. Fede stopped working in Su Lavanderia Cooperative yet he remains close to the youth group.
We decided together that this experience should be different from the others in order to give him a chance to meet people with a great agricultural tradition in the fertile valley of Bolivia, where the community is organized independently for different social and productive activities. He will visit La Higuera, where Che Guevara was captured and killed. Vallegrande is one of those places that keeps the story of Che within its places and people.
As part of the organic garden project in Suarez, the volunteers have begun to make vertical gardens. This new development has come primarily out of the disastrous soil situation in the barrio. Due to its location close to a waste disposal site, Suarez has had to deal with problems of contaminated soil. Therefore, the new initiative of creating vertical gardens is a way to cultivate plants without being hindered by unproductive soil.
For people with green thumbs without green spaces, here are some helpful tips on how to construct a garden in different places:
- You’ll need to start by collecting plastic bottles, preferably all the same size (2 litres) and the same brand so that the garden is uniform.
- Get together the other tools you’ll need in order to construct your garden – scissors or box cutters, a marker pen, screws, measuring tape, wire, soil, sand, rocks, and seeds.
- From the cap of the first bottle, measure lengthways 5-7cm and mark a line with the marker. Do the same 20cm later (which should be 5-7cm from the other end of the bottle).
- Cut down the lines with you scissors and box cutters and then cut across to join the lines so that you cut out a rectangle shape.
- Repeat this with the other bottles.
- Now it’s time to connect the bottles together. Take a pin and make 4 holes in your first bottle (two and the top and two at the bottom). Thread one piece of wire through one side of the bottle and another piece of wire through the other and fasten in place with the screws.
- Repeat the steps for as many bottles as you would like in your vertical garden, but space them 12-17 cm apart.
- Fill the bottles with first a thin layer of fine sand, followed by a layer of small rocks and then a layer of soil and plant your seeds.
- You have now made your very own vertical garden! Don’t forget to put it in a place where it will have good access to sunlight!
If you liked this article, you might be interested in the following link: http://blog.voluntarioglobal.org/world-environment-day-new-project-launched-suarez/
On Sunday the Communications Team visited San Telmo to work on their next project – a short film exploring the history and sites of the barrio. The team were also joined by 11 of the other volunteers who took time outside of their own projects to help out.
The day began with a lovely walk in the sunshine from the VG house to the beginning of the weekly Sunday San Telmo market.
Throughout the day, the group stopped at various historical sites and filmed short clips taken from the pre-written script created by the Communications Team. Presenters on the day were VG volunteers Mel, Karen, James, Avni, Paul, Evan, Jess and Sophie. Other volunteers such as Stefanie and Jess provided assistance and technical support during filming.
As the day went on, the volunteers were able to help one of the organization's current social media projects as well as learn more about one of Buenos Aires's most fascinating barrios. They experienced San Telmo's famous street tango, its buzzing market and it's beautiful street art.
The sites visited included the Plaza Dorrego, a square located in the heart of the barrio, the Iglesia San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo, founded by Jesuits in 1537, Parque Lezama, the rumoured site of Pedro Mendoza´s founding of the city in the year 1536, and the Memorial dedicated to 'los desaparecidos', the people who went 'missing' during the country's last dictatorship.
After a long, tiring but ultimately successful day of filming, the group enjoyed a well earned rest, coffee and medialuna.
Keep an eye out for the release of our short film about San Telmo!
Recently, the concept of Voluntourism has been heavily criticised by many who have accused it of being a means in which privileged and socially idealistic travellers can enter less fortunate communities and ‘make their difference in the world.’ They show concern for the ever-growing industry’s treatment of the developing world as a giant ‘playground’ in which the socially privileged can overcome the ‘guilt’ they feel for being on the beneficial end of global disparity. They also fear that many projects, in which the volunteers participate for only 1-2 weeks do more harm than good in often delicate social situations.
Although it is clear that many projects exist that only ever scratch the surface of the effects of poverty, it would be very short-sighted to generalise with regards to other volunteer organizations. The main objective of Voluntario Global is to empower local communities and to create long-term sustainable development programs. The idea is to work with rather than for the community, thus focusing more on development rather than dependence. This therefore rejects the current popular notion that ‘ voluntourism is the new colonialism.’
This mutually beneficial relationship creates a two way learning experience, in which the volunteer takes away from the project just as much, if not more than the local community. It would seem that the organisation’s basis of inter-cultural exchange, is what is lacking in other projects that have been recently criticised for their ‘superficial’ and ‘disingenuous’ approach to important social issues. It is therefore clear that the idea of exchange is crucial in the success of volunteer projects. Not only do the projects exist to benefit the local communities, but they are also a vehicle through which volunteers can gain a deeper insight and understanding into the lives of the people with whom they are working.
Early morning commutes became a common feature in the lives of the girls from the University of Texas who came to Buenos Aires to help in a kindergarten in Suarez. But navigating the Subte, sleeping on the train, and then catching a bus was only the start of their day!
When they arrived at the project, they were greeted by lots of smiles and hugs from the excitable children who came running out of the building to say ‘Hola’. But before the volunteers got too carried away, they had to delegate tasks and decide who was going to do what.
Their work wasn’t only playing with the kids, they were also here to do more physically demanding work such as building and construction, as well as painting and digging. So, one of the first things they had to do was divide up the work between themselves. Some went into the classroom to help the children with their numeracy work, while others dedicated their time to varnishing wood and decorating the walls.
This specific day was really exciting for the children. Two professional dentists visited the kindergarten to teach them about the importance of dental hygiene.
They brought with them two animal puppets with mouths wide open to demonstrate how to brush teeth correctly. It was a brilliant opportunity for the kids to interact and learn through entertainment. The grins on the faces of the kids grew even larger, and the volunteers and parents seemed to enjoy themselves too! Everybody was given free toothbrushes!
Once the children had been picked up by their parents, it was time for the big clean-up to begin! The kids are very good at making mess, so the volunteers have to be good at clearing it all away!
Meanwhile, the rest of the girls got to work on the walls of the kindergarten. They painted and added colourful designs so that the building matched the liveliness of the children.
And then, after all the work was done, it was time for lunch. Milanesa was on today’s menu! The volunteers sat down with the coordinators of the project and enjoyed some relaxing downtime.
It was the coordinators’ way of saying ‘gracias’ to the volunteers whose presence provides an invaluable helping hand. They are able to help lighten the load of the coordinators who dedicate so much of their time to the children. What’s more, they provide a great opportunity for the kids to experience different faces and different cultures, an essential part of their education!
The return journey back into the city was much like the outbound. Everyone was tired after the hard working day, so falling asleep wasn’t very difficult. But it just goes to show how much of a rewarding day the volunteers had, and how effective their work is to the project.
There are countless volunteer opportunities out there! If you have ever nonchalantly typed the word “volunteer” into an internet search engine, you will be well aware of this fact. The selection ranges considerably according to country, language, cost, length, as well as type of work, schedule, and involvement. Chances are you won’t find your dream placement at the simple click of a button, you may be required to put in a little bit of research. But don’t get put off – volunteering is totally worth it! So, to try and make your life that little bit easier, we’ve compiled a few tips on how to land the best volunteer placement for your travel experience.
First thing’s first Make use of the volunteer-specific search engines on the internet, as well as social media – there are hundreds of outlets! Omprakash, LinkedIn, GoAbroad, Idealist, and Worldwide Helpers to name just a few. If you’ve been having trouble narrowing down the endless opportunities, these websites may well provide what you’ve been missing as they’re often tailored to helping volunteers find projects. Give them a try!
Search according to your interests If you don’t like sport, you’re not going to apply for a placement to teach football to kids, right? That wouldn’t make much sense. Volunteering is actually a great way of engaging with other people through a mutual passion. For example, if you love knowledge and learning, teaching English to budding young students is a great project to get involved in as it’s likely to engage you and consequently make a big impact on the children. What’s more, many potential volunteers seek to build upon existing skills that they have; medical students often like to work in health projects in order to gain experience and share their knowledge with the community they become involved in, business and marketing students may look to complete internships within an NGO in order to add to their professional skills. Whatever you do, you’re going to want to enjoy yourself and gain from the experience. It’s important, therefore, to prioritise your interests. Find a passion – be it teaching, food, sport – and include those words in your initial search for the best results.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” Now that you’ve decided what type of project you’re looking for, it’s time to move on to the next stage. A big part of volunteering is stepping out of your comfort zone, especially if you’re going abroad. While it’s important to match your interests to a project, make sure you don’t shy away from the unknown. If a project description is perfect but for one little sentence, don’t cast it aside immediately. This could well be your chance to conquer that fear, master a skill that has previously defeated you, and really enrich your travel experience. Considering new opportunities may seem daunting at first, but they will be the things that change you. These unforgettable experiences will stay with you many years into the future – and they’re sure to be great stories to tell to anyone you meet and want to impress!
Do your research! Once you’ve found that elusive yet ideal placement, you have to get a bit serious. In order to ensure you have landed a reliable and established project, you need to do some thorough research. Investigate how your potential project has evolved over time – when it began, who runs it, read some testimonials from past volunteers if possible. Learn all you can about the organisation in general, not just the project you’re hoping to join, by delving deep into their website archives and maybe even asking the organisation leaders any questions you have floating around at the back of mind. Make sure it is the right place for you. If you’re going to be travelling abroad, far from your home comforts and family and friends, you need to be confident that the organisation will look after you and provide you with what you need during your travel experience. The world is quite a big place, and your safety and happiness are paramount.
Delve into the culture before you go Finally, before sealing the deal, it’s a good idea to try and understand why you’re needed as a volunteer. Research the cultural climate in which the problems facing your project were created. Learn about the region and/or country, study the current political and economic situations, glimpse into the future. This will help you to become aware of the challenges that await you. If you want to make a difference, you need to understand exactly what work needs to be done and why the issue exists in the first place. Volunteering is a highly rewarding experience; being able to contribute to society and improve the lives of others is a feeling like no other. To turn the experience into a life-changing adventure, we recommend taking a few extra minutes to search with a purpose and to learn as much as you can about your project and its destination. It might well be the difference between a great time and an unforgettable experience. Remember - don't be disheartened if you don't find that perfect project straightaway. Volunteering is itself a commitment, so be committed to your planning. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way!
Meet Eva Brockmann, a volunteer from Germany who spent her time in Buenos Aires helping at a kindergarten. Like many volunteers from around the world, she wanted to improve her Spanish whilst doing something meaningful for the local community. Therefore, her day was full of games, tidying the toy's room, and sticky hugs. Playing time was during the morning, and she was surrounded by books and little "Hola, como estas " during the afternoon.
As many Voluntario Global volunteers, Eva stayed at the Volunteer´s House, a space dedicated to strengthening the volunteer work. Besides having a place for communication and exchange of the everyday work with other travelers, the Volunteer´s House is a place where activities for all members of the Voluntario Global community can be organized!
This kindergarten is located in the south of the city, in an area called Zabaleta, inside the Barracas neighbourhood. Zabaleta is one of the areas with the least resources, its main problems include the lack of a proper sewage system which leads to disastrous floods on rainy days.
At this childcare placement the kids are all different ages, ranging from 2 years to 6. Interaction is a big part of their day - they share between them all of the toys as well as the love of the volunteers who visit them. Being able to play with the volunteers is very fun for them and helps in their early learning and development.
As well as having toys such as dolls and blocks and little cars to play with, the children get to spend their time racing down the slide and kicking a football around. If everything goes as expected, in a near future this institution will belong an outdoor playground to spend the warm springs playing non stop. Kindergartens are a main priority in Zabaleta due to the amount of working parents who are unable to take their kids to work with them. Most of these childcare institutions are organised by people from the community for people in the community. Sometimes, they are just other mums with an extra room who can help their neighbours by taking care of their most precious treasures - those little smiles.
Lunch is served at noon by the local coordinators who ensure every kid finishes their meal while trying to avoid any kind of food fight among them. Volunteers like Eva are always a tremendous help for local coordinators, they collaborate by watching the kids, picking up the plates, and preparing them for nap time. An extra pair of hands is invaluable!
The argentinian expresion "Panza llena, corazón contento" (full stomach, happy heart) couldn´t be more appropriate.
Voluntario Global wouldn't be named Voluntario Global if it didn't offer volunteering experience outside of its main base, Argentina, as well. Apart from projects in Mexico, Bolivia is emerging to be a more and more popular destination for volunteers coming to support the projects of Voluntario Global. For four years Voluntario Global has been cooperating with an economic development project in the village of Vallegrande, located 110 kilometres south-west of Santa Cruz, one of Bolivia's biggest cities. The main purpose of this project is to create a second source of income for the local people.
Despite being a rather small dot on the map of Bolivia, Vallegrande is a popular tourist destination, in particular due to it being the place where the body of the notorious guerilla fighter Ernesto Che Guevara was buried, in secret, in a mass grave in 1967 after being arrested and killed in the nearby rainforest. Tourism, as well as agriculture, is the main source of income that funds the development of the area. The majority of tourists coming to Vallegrande come for the 'experience' and not for a state-of-the-art tourist resort. For many years, local people have tried to preserve the tradition and identity of Vallegrande that forms its unique tourist experience. However, due to a lack of good schools and universities, a large amount of the young population emigrates to the larger cities to pursue their professional aspirations, making it even harder to preserve and advance the town’s potential as an attractive tourist destination. Vallegrande's local economic development project that is supported by Voluntario Global aims to leverage the town’s full potential and enhance the quality of life for locals and tourists alike.
Projects that are aimed to support the economic development of Vallegrande are based on five different strategic alliances. Firstly, a so called transformation alliance focuses on using available natural resources and transforming them into consumable goods like liquor or bread that can be sold in markets and local shops. Similarly, the alliance of Artesania aims to create unique works of art that will again be sold at local markets in Santa Cruz or different tourist shops around Vallegrande. The two alliances of alimentation and restaurants especially intend to keep the culinary experience of Vallegrande - including a variety of delicious local dishes - alive and maintain a high quality standard in the restaurants around town. Finally, the tourism alliance has the goal of improving the touristic services offered by providing education and training to the different parties that form Vallegrande’s tourist experience.
Participating in the economic development project, Volunteers have the chance to organize English courses for guides and the staff of hotels or restaurants. Furthermore, they can share their professional experiences if available and support the different strategic alliances in their regular activities. Volunteers help by learning about and raising awareness for tourism and culture in the area. They may do translation work and help the local tourist guides with their tours. Helping students find advice on their schoolwork in the House of Culture (depending on the initiative the volunteer is assigned to) and helping the local farmers with selling their products at local food fairs are other options of engaging in the community.
Volunteering in Vallegrande guarantees exciting insights into the town's community. Volunteers can expect to become an integrated part of the local crowd and will be treated like that as well. This is a place where even small contributions will find high appreciation and leave an essential impact. Closely working together with local people of all genders and all ages will offer a great exposure to the life of the community of Vallegrande. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will bring change to the life of many local people but mostly to your own life. Also, if you liked this story, you might also like: A weekend of colour and salt The importance of teaching language For more information, or to volunteer with one of our projects, visit www.voluntarioglobal.org.
The first two weeks of an adventure abroad can be quite challenging. Different culture, different climate, different people - but the biggest challenge might be the communication in another language. Here are five tips for you how to deal with a language barrier that will probably encourage you not to give up even if it gets more difficult.
Knowing the basics never hurts
Knowing the basics of a language is the least you can do, it will show people that you are trying your best in being understood. Every culture appreciates its own language so knowing the basics is the best way to show respect. Besides, it will give you the basic security that you need. Get a feeling for the pronunciation, the grammar and the most useful phrases and words like "Please" (Por favor) "Thank you" (Gracias) and "Excuse me" (Permiso). Remember, it never hurts to know good manners in more than one language. The best is to write them down, in case you forget. Also, take notes of new words and phrases that you learned throughout the day.
Use your hands and feet
It will happen to you that people won’t understand you. Don’t be discouraged! You can try to show what you want by pointing to it. Use all your communication weapons: mimics, sounds, hand language, even drawing is allowed. Use your creativity towards any complex situation. Always be open and playful and nobody will leave you without an answer; if you try hard people will try hard with you.
Just talk
Even if some words are in the wrong order or you pronounce it differently, even when people ask you to repeat what you’ve said a couple of times: keep talking. It will get better with practice. Don't wait until perfection, languages are never spoken as in your books, not even by natives. People tend to use slang and paraphrasing which is a never-ending story when it comes to know them all. If you just jump into the pool of language somehow you will find your way to say what you want, and if not someone might dive to rescue. The most important thing is not to get frustrated and start all over, this time using your notes as floats.
Get in touch with native speakers
What if I told you that being abroad is like attending the most didactic and interactive class of your life? Yes, having the opportunity to be surrounded by natives is the best way to learn the real deal. So get your butt out of your hostel and go strike ahead to non-touristic activities like workshops, classes or why not a volunteering opportunity?! You know it, native speakers are the best teachers. They cannot only help you with the pronunciation or the right words but also teach you common phrases, sayings and slang words. In addition to that, they know the city and cool places to go to. Don't miss the opportunity of having your study book and travel guide all in once by making friends with locals.
Take yor time
Coming to a foreign country is overwhelming. There are so many new things to see, hear and taste. So many new and different people, behaviour and social ways you have to get used to. Give yourself some time to adapt first, and then work on your things-to-improve-list like your second language. Frustration is your only enemy, don't let it wrap you in its negativity. By the time you feel in your element you will be having conversations or at least a pleasant exchange of coherent sentences.
The most important thing to remember is to not be discouraged. You are only learning by practicing, and the best practice is to get out there, use our tips and talk!
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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