“Dos Manos Latin America” offers a number of volunteer projects in Laeticia, on the border with Peru and Brazil. We have some projects in Medellin, one for streetkids, among others. There are possibilities to work with elderly, or kids in social projects or in educational projects.  After volunteering it is time for you to start exploring the beautiful Colombia.

One thing that you should definitely not miss are the Caribbean beaches of Colombia. Both Santa Marta and the Tayrona National Park will leave you breathless. Beautiful white sanded beaches as far as the eye can see, lovely water temperature and unlimited snorkeling possibilities. Another good beach is Playa Blanca, close to Cartagena. Again white sanded beaches and clear blue water. Make sure you don’t go during the weekend though. At the end of the week you won’t be able to see any of the white sand, because it will just be crowded with local and foreign tourists. Going during the week you should be all right. Stay a few days and experience a tropical night in a hammock, eat fresh fruit while lying on a beach bed and have a good massage from one of the massage ladies strolling along the beach. This is paradise!

Can’t get enough of the heat? Go to Cartagena! This is probably the hottest place you will find in Colombia. The temperature is not too bad, between 24°C and 31°C throughout the year, but the humidity is unbelievable! The yearly average is around 90%, when I was there it was often 95%. For a person that can handle the heat pretty well, the humidity could bring even me down. You will be sweating all the time! Even taking ice cold showers will not help you feeling cool for a long time. Imagine going out and dance in pubs at night! You would expect it to cool down when the sun goes down, but no way. It will be hot at night too. Cartagena is definitely a place where you don’t want to cut costs and choose a cheap hostel without air conditioning. Most hostels have AC, the ones that don’t, have a fan, but I guarantee you, you will want AC! Apart from the heat, Cartagena is also known for its colonial history; you will find impressive old buildings. Last but not least, Cartagena is the place to go if you are in for a sail to Panama and the beautiful San Blas Islands. A group of beautiful islands in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.

My personal highlight in Colombia is a place called Minca. This town with about 1,500 inhabitants is located on top of a mountain, overlooking Santa Marta and the beaches. In this jungly hot paradise there is a lot of hiking to do. Luckily most of the hikes are close to the river, which is a relieve to cool down in. You will be surrounded by hummingbirds, the sound of Tucans and other tropical birds and insects. There are some nice waterfalls to visit. Minca is not crowded by tourists yet, but I’m sure it will grow. There are a few hostels and restaurants and the locals are super friendly.

Colombia, and Cali in particular, is known for its Salsa. There is no way you can go to Cali and not get submerged in the Afro-Caribbean dance. Also there is a vivid nightlife and there are plenty of restaurants serving tasty food. Apart from the parties happening in this city, Cali is interesting for its history too. In the historical center you will find old buildings and sculptures. This city is definitely worth staying a few days.

There is so much to do in Colombia, it never gets boring. As far as I’m concerned, this is a perfect country to do volunteering and travelling!

The post Why you should definitely do volunteer work in Colombia appeared first on Blog - Volunteer Work Latinamerica.

Medellin is the second biggest city in Colombia and back in the 90’s it used to have the reputation as the most violent city in the world, due to the activity of the drug cartel of Pablo Escobar. But now things are different and Medellin has been named now ‘the most innovative city in the world’, due to the dramatic transformations in modern history, the political environment and a network of public parks, transportation, schools, libraries and museums. Now Medellin is a lovely place to visit. It is safe, bright, full of amazingly friendly people and cosmopolitan as cities as Santiago, or Buenos Aires.

However, despite the progress and as in any other big Latin American city, there are still many children affected by addiction, poverty, or violence.

Volunteer Work Latin America – part of the Travel Agency Dos Manos, offers volunteer placements in Colombia and is working closely together with a local foundation for street children in Medellin. This interesting volunteer project in Medellin was founded by the Dutch Ed Veldhuizen and empowers street children through participation in sports, recreational, cultural and educational activities, among others, my music lessons. In an interview, the founder of the project tells more about the key challenges of ‘his’ project for street kids in Medelllin Colombia.

Watch this video of the children having fun at music class and playing football to better understand how the projects run:

Many of the kids who have participated in these classes are teenagers now and studying or have already finished their studies and are working. Unfortunately, it is not always possible for all interested kids to participate in the programs, as the groups would be too large and there is not enough money to hire more staff.

Therefore the foundation for streetkids in Colombia needs volunteers, so more children can join the programs a have a chance of a better future for them and their families. Are you interested? Or do you have other questions or you want to support the project? Please contact VLA.

The post Volunteer work in Medellin Colombia appeared first on Blog - Volunteer Work Latinamerica.

We spoke with Dutch coordinator Ed Veldhuisen about the inspiration behind this project, the challenges that it has faced and the impact that it has had on the lives of so many of the young people in this city.

What was the inspiration behind this project?

I came to Medellin to volunteer with children on the street and instantly realized the difference you can make to their lives.

The activities I organized quickly became very popular with the kids and I did not want to just abandon what was proving to be such a success!

How is the project run at present?

We are working with children from several institutes who participate voluntarily in the activities we organize.

We run an array of activities including regular football matches, ´Cooperation & Communication´ workshops, music lessons, performances and recordings, and even produce a regular newspaper written for and by the children of the shelters.

Which activities are most popular with the kids?

Our soccer practices have been a great triumph. We have two teams with an official league, which has given the kids a lot of focus. They work so hard for the Saturday games!

We also have an annual outing for all the children and volunteers. It is a tradition of the project that really establishes the sense of us all as one big family.

Why do you need volunteers?

All our activities are becoming increasingly popular with the children and this is great – our main aim is to encourage children living on the streets to participate in activities that will eventually inspire them to leave the street behind.

However with the increasing interest comes increasing responsibility! We need all the help that we can get in implementing the all the activities that the children need and deserve.

For example, we are hoping to start our own football competition, within which many of our boys will take leading roles as coordinators and referees. They will receive some money to thank them for their efforts which will be invested in their future studies. However this will not be possible without the valuable work of volunteers.

The kids also develop great bonds with the volunteers which is great for improving their social and interpersonal skills.

What are the key challenges facing the project?

The main aim of the project is to encourage children living on the streets to participate in activities that will eventually inspire them to leave the street behind. However this is not always an easy task. It takes a lot of regular encouragement and positive reinforcement to keep them on track. This is where volunteers come in. They really play a key role in inspiring these children to believe in working for a better future.

Where do you see the project going in the future? Is there an ultimate aim?

We have a lot of dreams to help better our children. We know that they have the potential to go far. We are working on improving the content and range of activities so as to get more children involved. What more could you wish than to give children from the streets the life that they deserve? And thanks to the work of our wonderful volunteers this dream is becoming a reality.

If you would like to become part of this fantastic project visit here

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