The cracks begin to show...

However, these moments of self-indulgence are really only that: split-seconds. The moments actually only ever hit me when I’ve spent less time than I’d hoped for with the students i.e. when classes have been canceled or other school events take priority. When such thoughts do cross my mind, something always seems to happen to make me totally ashamed of having them, like when two of my students presented me with the most delicious homemade bread that had my name baked into it for example. But I’ve quickly learned to recognize the warning signs (or cracks!) and usually, as old and decrepit as it makes me sound, what I need is to just lie down and rest my mind for a bit.

Besides, it’s these tougher times that are so much a part of what volunteers do and strengthen us as individuals. As much as we work to open doors and help makes things better for organizations and individuals, we also feed off the energy we receive in return and that gives us the impetus to keep going. Our experiences can have highs and they can have lows but forums like this also show how similar, but equally unique, the journey is for all of us.

Just last week I met another La Vida Idealist blogger. The opportunity to chat and share our thoughts and experiences was such an incredible boost, and a great reminder of all the reasons why we do this.

Amanda Patterson is currently teaching English and public speaking as a volunteer with Corporation for the Development of Learning (CDA) in Santiago, Chile

This June marks one year of living in Costa Rica as a Children, Youth, and Family Development volunteer. My town is a small agriculture town of about 600 inhabitants in the central-valley mountains where there have been ups, there have been downs, and there have been in-betweens. Life is simple, life is unpredictable, and life is….challenging. This, I have discovered first hand over the past year in a country that struggles to get its footing over a vast crevasse of a rocky cliff between a land of poverty and a land beaming full of tourism.

When I got my Peace Corps placement of Costa Rica, most people couldn’t believe it. “There’s Peace Corps in Costa Rica?” “Oh, tough break,” or “It’ll be like you’re on vacation for two years!” But there is a face of Costa Rica – a face that most people don’t know.

This face of Costa Rica, it’s hidden well. It’s hidden deep in my village where Nicaraguan mothers struggle to afford milk for their children. It’s hidden in broken benches that surround the soccer field and in the tin walls that make up the houses here. It’s hidden in the discrimination between Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans. It’s hidden in the lack of resources in the school. It’s hidden in the lack of productive activities for youth. It’s hidden. Everywhere.

That’s, I guess, where my job comes in- two years working in the youth development sector of this community. And due to the slow process of international development work, I am finally beginning to feel like I am making a difference here, one year later. As a firm believer in the power of images, photography and creative expression to create change, I have used that as a way to empower children and give them an outlet for their hidden voices as the basis of many of my projects. And will continue to do so over the next year.

My time here is long. But my time here is also short. It’s simple; but, it’s challenging. It’s planned; but it’s also incredibly unpredictable. There are barriers of all sorts, and there are rocks in the way. But it’s real, and it’s extraordinary, and I am immersed in it – this lovely country balancing between “developed” and “developing.” This country has stories to tell.

Rebecca Stumpf is currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Copey de Dota, Costa Rica. To read more about her experiences and see more of her photography, check out her website and photography blog. For some delicious recipes, check out her food blog.

I am off to a good start. I have already sold my couch, kitchen table, shelves, T.V., and today I sold my desk and office chair. Things are clearing out quite nicely. Everything that leaves my apartment is weight off my shoulders and one less thing I have to move back to Minnesota to mom and dad’s.

It is so hard to believe that I will be using Spanish as my main means of communication. I can’t wait to learn the language and soak up the culture. I’m sure my world will be rocked and jolted by the drastic change of scenery I am about to experience, going from corporate America to volunteer work with orphans. But my hope, and my, let’s call it my “educated guess” is that it will be a very positive shake for me. And after the recent natural disaster I’m crossing my fingers it’s more of an emotional shaking than a physical one.

Lindsey Chapman is currently a volunteer with VE Global, at Colegio Anakena. For more about her experiences, check out her blog.

Emanuel, a student from Santa Rosa, takes a picture.

I’ll never forget watching my first group of photo students in Solentiname walk away from me to shoot some of their first pictures. I was standing inside of the poorly lit classroom with a massive smile on my face – I could hardly contain my happiness – and reminded them one last time that I would be waiting in the classroom if they needed help with anything. But I doubt any of them actually heard me. With donated digital point-and-shoot cameras in hand, the students walked out of the small classroom building (that used to be somebody’s home) and immediately stopped to take pictures of each other, of the brightly colored hand prints painted on the wall, and of the pathway that led away from their current positions. It seemed as if they couldn’t wait to start taking pictures. It also seemed as if they were looking at the banal area outside of the classroom for the first time.

That was over two weeks ago. Now, I’ve started to give classes to four other groups, including a group of ten students from a very small island with a population of roughly 55 people called Santa Rosa (one of the archipelago’s 36 islands). Most of my students, whose ages range from nine to 18 years old with the exception of one adult student, have proven themselves to be natural born photographers even though the majority of them had never taken a picture before.

Just days before my first class I was having doubts about the role and importance of photography in such a rural area of Nicaragua. I kept thinking about the countless other ways that I could help the community of Solentiname and continuously questioned how photography might help the youth here.

After witnessing the beautiful pictures and even more beautiful smiles on the childrens’ faces as they took or looked at their pictures, my apprehensions withered away. My sense of purpose became clear as I realized the importance of developing a child’s confidence and creativity through extracurricular activities such as photography – especially in a place where extracurricular activities are virtually nonexistent. Another benefit of these photo classes is that each student receives prints of his or her best photographs after completing a certain number of photo assignments. While the students’ photos document their culture, the prints they receive will help preserve memories of their families, friends, and archipelago well into the future.

Well, as the title of this post indicates, I still have a year’s worth of photo classes and pleasant surprises ahead of me. Stay tuned for more!

I’m currently working on a blog where I can showcase the student’s work and share their stories. I’ll include details when the blog is up and running. For the meantime, check out Kids with Cameras, an awesome organization and a great example of how photography has helped a group of children from Calcutta’s red-light district.

The event had to be simple because of our limited resources and short amount of time to prepare. Some of the older children from the orphanage and some of the volunteers provided the music;  we offered cheap food options such as chilaquiles and enfrijoladas; and we spread the word via hand to hand flyering and word-of-mouth. Everyone decided that come what may come of the event – at least we were going to have a good time!

Not worrying about every expense and the amount of people who showed up was a huge help. As the sun shone down, we laughed and played the day away while eating good food and listening to music. The next day we learned, to our surprise, we had helped raise 5,000 Mexican Pesos for the Ixaya School!

It was incredibly encouraging to see how much can be done with pure energy and dedication, and how successful fundraisers can be, even if they’re thrown together at the last minute. And don’t be put off by the idea that you won’t be able to raise as much money in a Latin American country – every little bit helps and it’s great to get the local community involved. Think of a coffee shop that might be down with letting local musicians play a benefit night for the organization you’re volunteering with. Or find a public park where you can do some street theatre, and with a big sign advertising that says the money is going to a good cause, watch your hat fill up.

Anyone have creative, low-preparation fundraising ideas while one’s on the road?

For more tips on putting together a low-cost fundraiser, check out “Need Some Cash? 10 Ways to Fundraise.” For more traditional money-making ideas, check out Idealist.org’s Community Action Center.

As I’ve been working to learn Spanish these last few months, I have found that kids are incredibly good teachers.  They are patient, talk slow, and generally like to share their language with you.  I imagine for kids, who have adults teaching them things all day, it’s rather fun to be able to teach an adult something they don’t know.

Further, kids don’t feel the need to vary their language all the time.  They will use the same phrase over and over again.  The repetition is great for anyone trying to learn a language.  Take for example my students at the school.  I have heard the phrases “Saca mi punta,” and  “Él me está molestando!” so many times that I will never forget how to ask to have my pencil sharpened or to express when someone is bothering me.  Multiply hearing these same phrases all day over the course of six months and you’ll find you’ve learned a lot of Spanish without ever opening a book.

So my words of advice to anyone who is learning a new language – start with the kids!  You’ll learn a ton and probably laugh quite a bit while you’re at it.

They'll keep you on your toes

As a short-term volunteer I find myself doing anything from cleaning up the soon-to-be garden, working with children who have special needs, washing bag after bag of mosquito nets and donated clothing and toys – in addition to the endless amounts of random small tasks. Currently there are about 14 volunteers and because it’s the most volunteers Tashirat has ever seen, they are happily keeping us all busy to catch up on many projects. The work is challenging, but also incredibly rewarding because we all know that we are helping a cash-strapped organization with a great mission to run a bit more smoothly.

I hadn’t had much experience working with children before I came to Tashirat. I want anyone considering volunteering with kids for the first time to know one very important thing: kids can smell a new volunteer from a kilometer away!

Yep, kids are smart. Really smart. And they won’t hesitate to test you. Seeing the perplexed look on your face, they’ll tell you they’re allowed to do just about anything, seeing where you’ll give in and where you won’t. Try to get a clear idea from the organization staff about rules, discipline, diet, schedules, and special needs each child may have. Ask lots of questions and when in doubt, simply say: “Ok, that sounds interesting but let me ask first.” They’ll usually respond with, “Mmm, nevermind.”

It’s also incredibly important to maintain one’s sense of humor. Don’t get frustrated when the kids use up all the limones in the kitchen, claiming they have a cough and need the vitamin C. You’ll feel much better if you instead learn from the situation, mark one up for the kids, and laugh about it later.

Our final evening unfolded in near perfect Peruvian fashion. Originally, much fuss was made about preparing a proper event to commemorate the past six months. However in the end, drinks, dancing and music overcame formalities and everyone chose to focus on the celebration as opposed to the ceremony.

Now that I finally have a chance to look back, I can appropriately weigh all that has happened. I’m proud that the group of students we taught improved their cumulative knowledge of basic health, heightened their appreciation for the natural environment, and developed new skills to lead confidently within their community. Yet despite all of the documented improvements that our group was able to demonstrate, I am most proud that in an area as isolated as San Francisco, each of our kids and their families were brave and curious enough to participate in a program in the first place. Only now can I appreciate what a radical decision that really was for each of them.

The class certificates we handed out represented the culmination of MEJOR Communities’ first ever youth health pilot program. Much can be said about the hard work we have done, not to mention our in-country coordinators and organization heads back in the States. Yet the real accomplishment has been the incredible leap of faith which the community of San Francisco undertook to allow an unknown group of volunteers into their homes.

I am encouraged that this premier venture has opened up a door between a charismatic group of Peruvians and First World opportunities. Because our great group of kids chose to not only participate but also excel, MEJOR is already preparing the next wave of volunteers and projects which are soon to arrive in San Francisco.

I am currently living in the town of Tumbaco, Ecuador where I am the English teacher at Maria Clara Diaz Mejia elementary school (more commonly referred to as Sendero School). We teach Nursery through 4to de Básica which spans the ages of two years old to eight years old. I am currently teaching English to all the grades except for 3ro de Básica, which adds up to 140 kids.

My aunt owns the school, which is how I was able to find this opportunity. The school continues to grow each year, having started with just 10 kids to its current enrollment of 160. Seeing the school continue to evolve proves to me that my aunt is really serving a need here in the community (tuition at our school is more affordable than most) and that each day her school is making a difference.

I’m also spending one day a week volunteering with FINCA Ecuador, a microfinance organization, in Quito. I am the marketing volunteer there and so I have just been helping with anything they need in the Marketing department. I’m learning more about the microfinance industry through this position and enjoying getting some insight on how the small business sector is developing here.

I’ll be here in Ecuador until the beginning of April. I plan on traveling for a few weeks after I complete my teaching and then afterward I’ll be returning to Chicago. I hope to be attending school in the fall for my Masters in Business Administration, but I am still waiting to hear back from programs.

Hopefully my experiences here in Ecuador will give you all a deeper insight into this beautiful country and what life is like here. Even better, I hope that, as you read about my stories trying to make an impact in this community, you’ll maybe feel inspired to make an impact on yours. Either way, I’m excited to be another voice in this great group of idealists!

I am currently living in Camoapa, a small village located in the central highlands of Nicaragua. I work as the Program Assistant for Hogar Luceros del Amanecer, a project of The Sunrise Foundation. Hogar, as it is affectionately called by the locals, is a small project that serves 22 disadvantaged children (ages six and up) and their families. For the children we offer a home-base, which includes schooling for those in 1st to 3rd grade (those who have passed 3rd grade attend public school), three nutritious meals a day, homework help, health education, psychological services, play time and general life skills education, including opportunities such as cultural dance lessons or learning a trade.

For their families, we provide trainings in various topics (childhood development, family planning, nutrition, etc.) as well as general resource allocation when we receive donations such as clothes or household items. Occasionally, in conjunction with other local organizations, we make visits to smaller surrounding villages to offer various forms of support. And finally we operate an up-and-coming organic farm that we hope will one day be self-sustaining.

I am here because I have an affinity for the Latin American culture, I desperately want to be fluent in Spanish and I want to make a difference. Oh, and I love children. But also, having just graduated with my Masters degree in Public Policy and Administration, I am also excited about the opportunity to learn about the administrative side of project development and community organizing because some day I’d like to run my own organization. At this point I plan to be here for approximately one year, but after that, if a great opportunity presents itself, there is no telling where I might go or what I might do.

Despite the frequent molestias of daily life in a developing country (e.g. frogs swimming in my toilet, bathing out of a bucket, coup d’états across the border), it is the truly remarkable people, the unceasing surprises and the unpredictable adventures that make it all worthwhile. Just the other day, a friend of mine rescued an injured sloth from the hands of some mischievous local children. After paying a visit to the veterinarian, he brought it by the program center as a show-and-tell while en route to deliver it back to the wild. This is the kind of fortuitous event that turns regular daily life into an ongoing adventure for me. I hope that my (and our) future stories, suggestions and/or musings about the meaning of life, or simply the meaning of life in Latin America, can serve as an inspiration for some of you to participate is similar work. For others, I hope they can be an agent for unchallenged reflection. Whichever the case, I hope they are enjoyable. Welcome.