Volunteer with children
As time goes on in Buenos Aires, I meet more and more expats who are living here for whatever reason. Some are students, some work for private companies or organizations, and some are just here for a break from their lives back home. Those in the latter category are often looking for something to do while they’re here, and that usually draws them towards volunteer opportunities. One thing you have to get used to if you want to survive in a foreign environment is networking. You need to go out on a limb sometimes and follow a lead from someone you barely know, whether it be for other friends or work opportunities.
With that thought in mind, let’s take a minute to think about the dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of opportunities to volunteer and do something, in Buenos Aires alone. On Saturday, just through chance, I met a British girl named Gill who is taking a few months off from work to live and volunteer in this city. Several days a week she splits her time between volunteering with two organizations, L.I.F.E. and Conviven. Both programs work with children and offer a way to not only improve the situations of the children, but improve the volunteers’ understanding of Argentina.
The point is, there are so many organizations just like these that aren’t getting that much exposure, and so those of you out there who want to volunteer and do something, whether it be for five months or just for one afternoon, need to start asking around. Chances are you will run into someone who knows a thing or two, and if they don’t personally, maybe their friends do. This is the nature of the world. The best part of it is, even if you yourself can’t commit any time or face time, you could at least pass on the information to someone else who might be interested some day. And this way, the word gets out and the circle continues.
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