There are a number of options for a working holiday in the tourism sector in a region of your choice throughout Chile, in and around the Chilean capital of Santiago. All work places are located at amazing and unique regions and provide high service and attention to their customers. Chile is well known for its beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities which allow the tourism companies to offer excursions like trekking, kayaking, horseback riding and many other activities. Chile is an amazing country, probably one of South America’s best kept secrets.

The jobs may vary according to the place and the company. Usually the tasks are diverse and handled flexibly. Volunteers can work either in farms, hotels or resorts and travel agencies in Chile. As a volunteer your tasks will include welcoming and attending the (international) guests. This is a good way to practice your Spanish and English language skills as well as your social skills. Also you will make reservations and reply to customer inquiries (phone, email, personally). You will be organizing and coordinating tours, excursions and outdoor activities such as horseback riding, rafting, sight-seeing, wine tours, trekking, hiking, hot springs and biking. Apart from these tasks often there is some marketing and administration to do or – in the farms – taking care of animals (feeding and cleaning) and assisting in other farm work.

To participate in this project you should at least be 18 years old and have an intermediate level of Spanish. Your English level should be good to high. For some jobs, German language knowledge or other languages are an advantage. The job requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to a different working environment and varying tasks. Also you should be tolerant, open- minded and have good social skills. Of course if you chose to volunteer on a farm, you must have affection for animals and enjoy dealing with them and nature. Some project prefer volunteers with a study or background in tourism, international business or a similar field. Whichever option you chose, make sure you have a Travel Insurance with coverage in Chile (can be booked through our organization). Lastly, volunteers should be available for at least 8 weeks; for some jobs 12 weeks. Generally, the durations of the these volunteer projects in Chile vary from eight weeks to six months.

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Emma tells about her experiences and the impact the project and the volunteers have on the local community in Bolivia and how volunteers are needed here.

Can you describe what your overall experience is with volunteers?

We notice that the first week can often be overwhelming for the new volunteers. The children are all asking for your attention and almost no one of the local people speaks English . After two weeks or so, the volunteers are feeling more at home, they understand how everything works, the routines and activities. What also gives them a positive feeling is that they start to realize that the volunteer work they are doing is very helpful. For us it is important that they stay at least one month or longer, because too many change of faces will not have a good effect on the children. But, many of our volunteers decide to extend their stay. We are very often inspired and moved by our volunteers, and we really appreciate it that they are willing to share their time and talents with us. Their presence really creates true benefits for us and also for them. They do great work in our childcare center and they can improve their Spanish language skills while volunteering here in Bolivia.

How do you see the future of the project? Is there an ultimate goal you are aiming to reach?

Our ultimate goal is to give the children the chance to reach their potential in their community, and promote and support them in their rights to do get and keep this potential. We would really like our nursery to grow and also start after-school activities. This would be for the children of 5 year and older, who are going to school instead of our center. They still have the same risks as the other children, because school finishes at midday and for some children there is still an empty home waiting for them when they come home after school. Also, they do not get help with their school work. A risk for our center is the fact that the work in the center is very exhausting for the local women, because they work with many children every day. If they getting sick or becoming exhausted, we will not have other teachers to replace them. This is why we are aiming to create more activities and excursions outside the classrooms. This is good for the children but also for the mothers, teachers and volunteers. These activities include for example yoga, art classes and dance or aerobics lessons. Also volunteers take a part of the pressure these women feel of taking care of so many children.

What can you say about the social implications of volunteering in Bolivia, for example to explain this to a irresolute volunteer?

Volunteering gives you a completely different perspective of getting to know a country, you can get an insight in the real country, in this case the real Bolivia. Tourists almost never get to see this side. During the years, many volunteers, from all over the world, came to discover and learn more about their world, their belonging in society and maybe also about themselves. We have welcomed them into our community and family. During the time they spend in their volunteer work, they were growing sense of belonging and enjoying their discovery of the country at the same time. This is what Bolivia has taught us, a concept from the heart of the Andean culture, namely ‘’reciprocidad’’. This word, reciprocity in English, is about enriching both the giving and receiving person; it is all about giving back. Volunteering is all about this concept too, it can truly create positive impacts on the lives of local people, and can give the volunteers unforgettable memories and learning moments in return.

Here at Dos Manos Travel, of which Volunteer Work Latin America is a brand, can truly recommend volunteering at this project. It is a leading example of a social service that serves as a solution to the problems of poverty and oppression of the indigenous inhabitants in Bolivia, and doing this in a sustainable and charitable method. It has one of the best empowerment and service excellence and is not just practicing an outside-in solution for the previous mentioned problems. Since the opening of the center, the municipal government evaluated the centre two times. The nursery scored really high, and it obtained even one of the best scores of all childcare centers in La Paz. The centre was evaluated by the quality of security, participation of parent committees, the nutritional status of the children, education and hygiene. In 2004 the score was 90 out of 100 points and in 2005 the score was 98 out of 100 points.

The post Volunteer at children’s center in Bolivia (part II) appeared first on Blog - Volunteer Work Latinamerica.

It’s important, however, you realize it does require a bit of preparation and, once you are there, a bit of effort  and dedication to make the most our of your volunteer experience.

We have prepared a few important tips to prepare for Volunteer Work in Latin America  for you that might help you.

• Be realistic about what you can achieve. You won’t be able to move the world. But many different volunteers at different projects and in  countries, are able to make a difference. You’re attitude is extremely important.





• Be eager to learn.  Things might be done differently in South America but it might be interesting to learn, even when you think your own way is quicker, or  simply better. Also, work will vary daily and might even include things you’ve never done before.  Back home, you will never forget the new things you’ve learnt and those will be an important part of your experience and memories.




• Why Volunteer?  If at any moment things are getting hard and you might get confused and feel a bit down, it is important to remember your reasons for volunteering in South America. This will help you to feel better again.




• Be flexible and open-minded. This sounds easy but we all now tha, when the moment is there, it’s not that easy at all. Things are really a bit different in Latin America. Many things happen a lot slower – if they happen at all – and social relations are different and people do not always say what they think. Social situations are very different from yours at home, it’s important you try to understand.

• Prepare your self by talking to past volunteers, read testimonials on the internet and make sure you organize your placement trough an experienced organization with local staff. We also recommend you read about the country and the city where you will be going.




• Invest some time in working on the relationships with the people close to you, either project leaders, local people or fellow volunteers.  The social part of the volunteer work and ‘making new friends’ is an important aspect and if you feel good with the people around you, that will have a positive impact on your work!




• Make sure you  have enough time for yourself, for relaxing , enjoying and traveling, either before, during, or after the volunteer work. You will surely meet other travelers and learn about the great things to be seen in the country of your choice and for sure you will want to travel there.  If you plan enough time for travelling, you do not have to abandon your volunteer work before the original enddate agreed upon and dissapoint the local organization.

• Learn and speak Spanish.  On one hand this sounds so logical, on the other hand, many people ‘forget’about it! People in Latin America speak Spanish (next to local languages and Portuguese (in  Brazil) and if you want to communicate it’s important you speak (some) Spanish.   It will also help you to understand the culture and to feel at easy soon with the people around you and in the country. We recommend you start studying Spanish back home and start your volunteer placement with a few weeks of intensive Spanish immersion classes, if this is possible.

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