At the big Independence Day party in town, I ran into Alexis, one of the kids from Holy Cross. I mentioned I saw him in pictures from a field trip to the mainland, and I asked how he had enjoyed it. His face lit up and he was all excited to tell me about the [...][...]
Archive for September, 2009
September 23rd, 2009 - 11:27 am § in Belize, Good Ideas, In the Field, Looking for Opportunity, Tips & Resources, Volunteer
Belize Volunteer Opportunities
September 22nd, 2009 - 11:30 am § in Argentina, Around Town
I Sold Out, Dude. Went All Corporate.
Well, maybe not to that extent, but in some respects, I have sold out a bit. This time last year I was starting my volunteer position at La Universidad de Cuenca in Ecuador. Teaching 20 hours a week, the hardest thing was often finding what to do with myself in the down time. And now, [...][...]
Panning for Gold: Plucking Out the Nonprofit Gems
I have to admit, when I first applied to be a volunteer at Common Hope, I was a little wary of a nonprofit that promoted individual sponsorships of children. Upon hearing “sponsorship,” my mind filled with grainy television images of a malnourished child standing in a desert plain while a boomin[...]
Be Careful, Self-Deception Can Cover Its Tracks…
An honest look at my progress at one of the organizations where I volunteer has revealed that I have been deceiving myself into thinking that just showing up is enough. My task is to raise donations via the Internet. I have been unable to setup the website to receive online donations. Currently, we [...]
Ignorance is Bliss
One of the toughest things about volunteering is that, while the most joyful and rewarding experiences of your life will happen, the direction of your life’s path might also change. Once you have seen poverty, and more specifically – extreme poverty, you simply cannot continue to do nothing ab[...]
September 18th, 2009 - 9:39 am § in Around Town, Ecuador, Good Ideas, In the Field, Looking for Opportunity, Tips & Resources, Volunteer
5 Surprises About International Volunteering: #1 – Disorganized Organizations
If you’ve been following this blog, you know that many of the contributors write a lot about the importance of things such as taking chances, putting the pieces together and accepting failure. That got us thinking about the world of international volunteering and our experiences embracing th[...]
September 17th, 2009 - 10:54 am § in Around Town, Brazil, In the Field, Looking for Opportunity, Volunteer
Dichotomies of Rio
Rio de Janeiro is almost always cited as one of the most dangerous places, and at the same time, one of the happiest cities in the world. There is a strange dichotomy here, where the city is constantly divided between the rich and the poor, the booming, yet ‘developing’ economy, and those who th[...]
September 15th, 2009 - 4:03 pm § in Tips & Resources, Volunteer
Yo No Hablo Español
Let’s say you’ve always had an interest in visiting Latin America. You’d like to travel in Ecuador, study in Mexico, work in Brazil, volunteer in Panama. Only one problem seems to stand in your way: you don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese. Or French, Quechua, Aymara, Nahuatl, Creole, Papiam[...]
September 15th, 2009 - 9:33 am § in Argentina, Around Town, Looking for Opportunity, Tips & Resources, Volunteer
Expats for Hire
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[...]
