Why Volunteer
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Why
volunteer
Everyone is completely different, which is one of the most wonderful things about our world. We’ll help you follow your own path by matching you to a project that reflects your own values and passions. Spend your days playing with kids in the favelas of Rio, nurse injured primates back to health in the tropical forests of Costa Rica, help to empower an isolated jungle community in Colombia or lend at hand at an urban eco-garden in Buenos Aires. The work can be tough and you may find yourself facing challenges situations, but each one will help you to grow. The rewards that you’ll reap will be worth your effort one million times over. You’ll come home looking at the planet with a new pair of eyes.
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making a
difference
Make a difference in Latin America, changing the world one drop at a time.
- Travel with meaning and give something back whilst following your own passions.
- Bring hope to struggling communities and build bridges between cultures.
- Become part of a real community, seeing beyond the surface of your location and getting a deeper understanding of the struggles faced by locals every day.
- Little by little, your own personal contribution will help create a stepping stone towards a better tomorrow.
- Help spark social change, working as part of an inspiring, unstoppable team.
- Get some true perspective and appreciate just how lucky you are in your own life.
- Learn as much from the local people as you teach.Come home with more global understanding and an open-minded world view.
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Get off the
beaten track
- Leave the backpacker trail far behind you and a become part of something meaningful.
- Immerse yourself in community life, getting to know the locals and understanding their struggles.
- See beyond the tourist sugar-coating of cities to the true reality of daily life.
- Spend time in smaller, traditional villages tucked away from the traveler route.
- Feel the buzz of adventure whilst building brighter futures for the next generation.
- Learn from inspiring, passionate project leaders and ever-optimistic, welcoming local people.
- Feel part of a global family working towards social and environmental change.
- Broaden your understanding of different cultures whilst broadening the horizons of others.
- Travel in a way that makes a lasting, beautiful impact on the world.
personal &
professional growth
- Pick up all kinds of transferable new skills.
- Learn to adapt calmly to all sorts of new situations, environments and changes.
- Meet and appreciate very different people by living and working in a real community with other volunteers.
- Go way beyond your comfort zone, face new challenges and build your own confidence.
- Come home with broader, deeper understanding of social struggles across the world.
- Do something that touches your own heart, as well as the hearts of others.
- Get a life-changing experience that will clear your perspective and help you figure out what comes next.
- Prove you can thrive in unconventional setting, something that will shine through on your resume.
- Learn a great deal about your own personal strengths and force of character.
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learn
the language
- Advance really quickly, talking to locals all day long and living in the community.
- Communicate with people from all walks of life and learn about their unique experiences.
- Take language classes around your volunteering hours, giving you the best of both worlds.
- Completely immerse yourself in your new surroundings.
- Come home with excellent new language skills that will stand out on your CV.
experiences we love sharing
how to make sure
you have a great experience
What can you expect from us
4 weeks before your departure and after your final payment, you’ll receive pre-departure information that covers all the bases.
Soft landing: We’ll make sure your arrival goes smoothly and comfortably, getting you off on the right foot. We’ll meet you at the airport or bus station and take you directly to your project. In some cases, this even includes an overnight stay in a hostel before we take you to the project.
24 hour support and emergency line, so that you’ll feel secure at all times. There’s always someone on hand to help.
We have close contacts with excellent language schools for additional Spanish or Portuguese lessons, giving you the chance to pick up new skills while you travel.
What we expect from you
Spanish is the principle language in Latin America, although Brazil speaks Portuguese. If you sign up for a social project, you’ll need a good basis grasp of the local language and we generally recommend taking additional language courses, to benefit both you and your project.
We recommend to have at least some travel experience under your belt, so that you understand the nature of traveling to a faraway country and living in a culture that isn’t your own.
We look for truly committed volunteers who know what they are looking for and how much time they have to spare. Breaking your commitment has negative effects on the programs, local community and your co-volunteers, so this isn’t a risk that we want to take.
If you’re planning to work at one of our animal rescue centers, you’ll need a tuberculosis test, as the disease can spread easily amongst primates.
Police clearance certificate/criminal background check.
You’ll need to be open-minded and flexible. All of these programs are run in difficult places and sometimes things change at short notice, or with no notice at all. You’ll need to be prepared to face a few surprises along the way! You’ll need to be independent, as you’ll find your way around cities and between projects, often taking public transport. More than anything, you’ll need to be a hard-worker. Volunteering isn’t a holiday – it’s a real, working experience in inspiring but tough conditions. Expect a challenge and prepare to put in the hours.
Ask questions
We have all of these answers and plenty more! Don’t be afraid to hit us with dozens of questions in advance. It’s important that you make the right choice and we’re here to help you do exactly that.
Learn the language and adapt to culture
Speaking the language will bring meaning to your experience, boost your confidence and help you really get to know everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! People will appreciate all of your efforts and mistakes are, without doubt, the best way to learn. Just dive right in! It’s easy to schedule classes around your volunteering hours and we can get everything arranged for you in advance.
Be truly flexible
Keep a positive attitude, an understanding mindset and a sense of humor at all times. If you do, you’ll come home wiser, stronger and armed with new skills for the rest of your life. It’s a unique experience that will put you to the test and help you become an even better person.
Work hard and be proactive
As a volunteer, you’ll need to be very independent and proactive. Often, you’ll need to make your own way to your placement by public transport and, when you arrive, you’ll need to be prepared to jump straight into all kinds of situations. It’s all about common sense and using your initiative to handle surprising scenarios that crop up. In doing so, you’ll discover that you’re more capable than you ever imagined! Offer an extra hand when it’s needed, take on tasks outside your own remit where necessary and help out fellow volunteers if you see them struggling with something. Every minute of your time will be really appreciated and contribute directly to improving the lives of others.
Be communicative to your local team leader
Listen & Learn
Adapt
Where do you want to go?
IS VOLUNTEERING A
PASSION OF YOURS?
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