Voluntario Global

Voluntario Global is building an Ambassador Community with a group of selected former volunteers who have previously given of their time, knowledge, and  effort to help the organisation to support and develop its sustainable development initiatives and collaborations with different projects in South America.

We are more than happy to introduce our first ambassadors around the world            Soon we will have a special page with their information, activities and contact details of them in our website.

Michael Mekhael 
Michael is an exuberant friendly volunteer from the United Kingdom. When working for Voluntario Global he volunteered in the extra-curricular English school in the rural town of Pablo Nogués on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. After his Argentine adventures, Michael returned to England to study Biochemistry at the University of Birmingham and is enjoying himself greatly! In his spare time Michael enjoys watching (a lot) of films and drawing.

Plymouth  / Birmingham, UK

Arpine Hovasapian 
Arpi is a doctoral student at University of California, Irvine and is studying towards a PhD in Psychology. She does research on emotions and memory and plans to be a college professor one day. Arpi spent a summer in Argentina teaching English with Voluntario Global, which strengthened her interest in the non-profit sector. On her spare time, she likes to travel, dance tango, and practice her Spanish.

Irvine, California USA

Ana de Velde Harsenhorst
Ana Lucinda de Velde Harsenhorst is a 22 year old Dutch student that volunteered for VG in 2012. She greatly enjoyed the work and would like to continue contributing by being an ambassador. Right now she is doing a master in International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam, where she also finished her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Andrew Furness 
Andrew volunteered with VG in 2011-2012 in the communications team. He is currently back in University of Liverpool studying Spanish & Politics graduating in 2013. A keen Tennis Player and a huge interest in music. Andrew also enjoys writing as a result of his work on the VG blog and you can see some of his recent articles at www.aceliverpool.co.uk

Liverpool, UK

Bernadette Hoste

Bernadette is a French teacher for children and adults. She studied Social Sciences at University in Brussels. She loves teaching, travelling, meeting friends, going to the cinema, learning languages. She has a passion for dogs. She is the volunteer who keeps coming back every year to volunteer in different projects in Buenos Aires.

London, UK

Ryan Long 
Ryan graduated from the University of Minnesota in May of 2013 with a degree in Spanish Studies and Applied Economics (focused on the environment). In his spare time he enjoys playing guitar, exploring the Midwestern USA, hanging out with friends, fishing, reading, and traveling. From teaching english in Buenos Aires with Voluntario Global, to his travels throughout Central America and Europe, Ryan relishes the opportunity to speak with others about his experience with voluntourism through Voluntario Global.

Minneapolis, MN, USA

Lisa Andersen
Lisa loves the diversity of South America, and after traveling throughout the continent, she decided it was time to spend some time exploring a smaller area. This decision brought her to work on the Voluntario Global’s communications team for four months in 2011. She graduated from university in 2012 with a masters degree in Culture, Communication and Globalization and currently works as a language specialist with Booking.com in Copenhagen where she lives

Copenhagen, Denmark

Tessa McLean 
Tessa is a Chicago native with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. After graduating from the University of Iowa she ventured to Buenos Aires, Argentina to pursue her love of the Spanish language and further her experience in communications work. She spent five months working with Voluntario Global, volunteering and working with the communications team. She now works as Editor at GirlsGuideTo.com and is excited to be with another dynamic and rapidly growing company.

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Steven Page
Steve studied Spanish and French at university and worked in advertising and market research before gaining a post-graduate teaching qualification. He has been teaching Spanish for 16 years to students aged 11 to 18. Steve has supported VG since 2007 and has volunteered three times in 2008 09 10. Some of his students have returned on their own to volunteer in 2010, 20 11 and 2012.

Portsmouth, UK

By Max Brenssell

The popularity of volunteering

Nowadays, there are many explanations as to why volunteering is so popular. One important aspect is the role of the media. In today’s globalised

World, it is very easy to obtain lots of information. For example, we read daily of the poverty in South America, famine in Africa or war in the Middle East. This rising social awareness results in the readers’ urge to try their hand and reform.

But volunteering may not only be motivated by altruism, its advantages are multifaceted. Doing volunteer work has, for example, become an important election criteria for universities and is generally considered helpful to improve your CV. Also, as for the majority of university courses you will have to complete an internship, many students consider applying in NGOs.

Jeremy, for example, a student from Paris who is currently volunteering at VG, says that he enjoys diversifying his compulsory internship by simultaneously helping other people.

A further reason for the popularity of volunteering could be the rising youth unemployment in developed countries. Due to the recession and economic decline in many countries around the world, many young and motivated people are unable to find a job. Therefore, the young population has the enticing possibility of volunteering at their fingertips.

70% of volunteers are female

According to a recent data gathered by Voluntario Global, it is possible to confirm the long-term persistence of this trend. In 2011, 72% of volunteers were female and in 2012, 84% of the volunteer applicants were female. Approximately 70% of volunteering women are between 18 and 25 years of age, indicating that they have recently, or almost, completed their academic education and are likely to be unemployed, or generally uncommitted.

Is volunteering a female activity?                                                                                     But why do women seem to prefer volunteering?                                                                Again, there are various possible reasons.

Do women generally have more spare time than men?                                                              In Western societies, unemployment among women is not usually higher than among men. The only exception is in Arab states, where on average only 28% of the workforce is female. This means indicating that women do not generally have more spare time.

Is it possible that women prefer it because they have a greater sensibility towards the needs of others?

From a historical point of view, it is possible to argue that, in most societies, women have had the task to raise and care for the children. Therefore one could conclude that women have more of a natural tendency towards helping others than men do.

Furthermore, education has only in recent years been standardized for boys and girls. In systems that offer gender-specific education, girls may still be taught more towards working in the service sector. This consequently affects the employment in the educational sector, resulting in the majority of employees being female. This is especially true for nursery and primary schools, or more generally jobs involving the supervision of very young children.

In this period of early childhood we absorb all impressions we receive from our environment, as our personality just starts developing. Thus, it can be argued that at an early age we already learn to recognize helping others as a female attribute.

Nevertheless, it is still difficult to pinpoint the reason why there are more female volunteers than men. Maybe this issue needs to be evaluated from a different point of view.

Instead of asking why women seem to prefer volunteering, one might wonder why men seem to prefer not to volunteer. Once more, there is no simple answer to these questions on gender in the social structure of society. However, an important aspect might be the conservatism of our societies. Argentina, for example, is frequently described as a “macho-society”, but this expression can equally be applied to many other countries.

According to volunteers interviewed, men will usually be expected to work and provide for their family in their home country. This may put pressure on young men to start a career rapidly, so as to begin earning money.

This thesis is supported by the fact that almost 70% of volunteering women are between 18 and 25 years old, an age distinctive for laying the foundations of a successful career.

Ironically, as previously mentioned, volunteering is likely to help you improve your CV, enter a good university and ultimately benefit your career.

Overall, it is not possible to determine one specific reason for female predominance in volunteering. A symbiosis of human history, our education and the structure of our society all contribute to why the large majority of volunteers are women.

Perhaps the final question is, why do so many men do not appreciate or recognize the long-term benefits and advantages they might receive from volunteering?

www.voluntarioglobal.org

By Benjamin von Wyl

Vallegrande borders many cultures, making it a blend of various heritages. Nearing Santa Cruz, Vallegrande is at the frontier between eastern and western Bolivia. The people of western Bolivia are more influenced by Quechua- and Aymara-heritage, while the people of eastern Bolivia have a deep connection to Guarani- and Chané-culture. The eastern departments are known for being self-governing and having difficulty identifying themselves as Bolivian, and are known as being a quieter people. Conversely, the people of the western departments are known as being chatty and outgoing. Vallegrande is the result of a mingling of these cultures, and is proud of their roots.

I arrived in Vallegrande around midnight after five hours in a shared taxi, which gave me my first taste of crazy Bolivian road conditions. The first few days were difficult, but luckily the people were very welcoming. They are very laid back at “Casa de la Cultura,“ only asking people to put in the amount of work that they want. The woman working at the museum, Doña Haydee, for example, sells bread every morning at the market between 6-9 AM. If there are a lot of customers at the market, the museum opens later. No pasó nada! If there is a public holiday, and Doña Haydee is in the mood, she’ll open the museum as well. One shouldn’t be in a rush in Bolivia. It has been interesting to join this kind of laid back society and still be impressed. It is so easy to start something here – if you want to teach English, if you want to discuss history, if you want to teach an instrument, if you want to teach drawing, if you want to form a theater group, just do it! People are extremely motivated to learn, to be creative, and to share and as soon as you gain their trust, you can experience magnificent moments!

In my five weeks I have had some incredible experiences: being a part of a traditional market, exploring Santa Cruz, visiting abandoned stone mills, viewing Inca relics, surviving a twelve hour-drive on the back of a Jeep, experiencing landscapes which feel untouched by humanity – that give you an idea of the earth 10 million years ago. I feel that I could have written a 500-page novel and a paper on Bolivian anthropology, politology and history instead of shortening all of my outrageous, weird experiences to one blog article – but I hope you get a small impression of this fantastic place.

Par Polly Hughes                                                                                                               Traduction par Jerem Guérin

En arrivant à l’étranger, presque tous les volontaires passent par une sorte de choc culturel. Lorsqu’on est complètement immergé dans un nouvel environnement, il arrive souvent de se sentir seul, nostalgique, ou perdu. Cela peut prendre quelques minutes comme quelques jours ou plusieurs semaines avant de s’en aller, mais avec l’aide d’autres volontaires j’ai compilé quelques trucs pour vous qui peuvent faciliter l’arrivée dans un nouveau pays.

1) Parler avec d’autres volontaires

Il est toujours rassurant de découvrir que tous les autres ont traversé la même chose que vous- contrairement à vos amis et famille restés à la maison- d’autres volontaires comprendront exactement comment vous vous sentez et pourrons vous faire des suggestions qui vous aideront pendant les premiers jours.
En outre, vous serez submergé d’invitations à sortir, à voir des spectacles, à goûter des spécialités locales dans l’un des nombreux restaurants bon marché, ou tout simplement à se balader.

2) Interagir avec les gens du pays

La meilleure façon de s’adapter à la vie du nouveau pays est de se faire des amis parmi les habitants locaux. En provenance de l’Angleterre, j’ai d’abord été surpris par la gentillesse des  argentins, il semblait que tout le monde, des chauffeurs de taxi aux caissières de supermarché, s’intéressaient vraiment à d’où je venais et ce que je faisais. Avoir des amis locaux qui vous font visiter la ville n’est pas seulement un excellent moyen de pratiquer votre espagnol, mais c’est aussi le meilleur moyen de voir le côté le moins “touristy” de la ville.

3) Impliquez-vous dans votre travail de volontaire

Plus de temps vous consacrez à votre travail en tant que bénévole, plus rapidement vous sortez du “choc”. En plus d’être un moyen extrêmement utile de passer votre temps, il permet également de vous occuper, aide à oublier la maison, et faire quelque chose de bien permet toujours de se sentir mieux!

4) Apprendre quelque chose de nouveau

Bien qu’il soit impossible de profiter de tout ce que le pays a à offrir, l’apprentissage d’une nouvelle habileté redonne toujours le sourire. Les leçons de danse, par exemple, sont très populaires parmi les volontaires à Buenos aires. Les classes de langue, sont également l’un des moyens les plus efficaces pour lutter contre le choc culturel. Non seulement elles vont vous faire oublier votre nostalgie et vous aider à vous sentir plus concerné, mais encore le sentiment d’accomplissement sert à contrecarrer toute incertitude sur son voyage à de milliers kilomètres de la maison.

5) Partez à la découverte

Il y a toujours quelque chose d’intéressant, quelque chose de nouveau à découvrir, des artistes locaux, des rues typiques, des restaus rustiques, et ainsi de suite. Errer dans les rues, sous le soleil, avec un verre de jus de fruit fraîchement pressé au bord de la route est un moyen idéal pour découvrir la ville et apprendre à aimer son architecture et ses gens sympathiques, toujours prêts à aider un “stranger” perdu.

Por: Margaux Maxwell y Suezy Marins                                                                          Traducido por: Julian Heckmatt

El pasado miércoles visitamos ‘Los Pibes’, un centro comunitario en La Boca, que brinda alimentación, empleo y actividades educativas para las familias del área. Además, el centro da a la comunidad una voz con la inauguración de una nueva estación de radio – ‘Radio Riachuelo’. Ahí entrevistamos a dos mujeres por el Día International de la Mujer. Les consultamos sobre el significado de ser mujer – sus luchas, sus dificultades, sus alegrías y su sentido universal. Nos contaron sus historias.

 Elizabeth de Valle Moreno, edad 38,                                                                     Política Alimentaria en ‘Los Pibes’

Elizabeth, madre de 7 hijos, nativa de la provincia de Salta. Se vino a La Boca y empezó trabajando en Los Pibes hace 9 años. Nos sentamos para hablar sobre su vida como mujer. Al contar su historia, reveló qué significa ser mujer en La Boca, y cómo su experiencia de madre adolescente le enseñó el significado de la maternidad.

“Mujeres y hombres no son iguales. La vida de la mujer es muy difícil – y los sacrificios no se notan bajo las sombra de los hombres – que nos tratan como esclavas”

Esta es la descripción de Elizabeth, una madre soltera, que tiene que actuar como madre y padre de sus hijos. A pesar de estas dificultades, esto es lo que dijo que significa ser madre:

“Yo tuve mis niños cuando era muy joven. Dejé Salta por ellos, por una esperanza de mejor vida para ellos. Trabajando en los Pibes, pude alimentar a mis hijos y a mi misma. No tuve una madre para ayudarme; estaba sola, así que me era muy difícil. La Boca era muy diferente en esa época, este edificio era una industria de motores – nuestros zapatos estaban siempre cubiertos de lubricante. Estoy muy orgullosa en lo que se transformó, es un lugar mejor hoy.”

“Criar a mis hijos aquí fue muy difícil. Yo era madre pero también era niña, así que no entendía lo que la maternidad implicaba. Nunca abandoné a mis hijos, pero pasé mucho tiempo con mis amigos. Cuando crecí y fui mayor, entendí lo que significa ser madre. Es un regalo de Dios y estoy muy orgullosa de ser mujer y tener mis hijos.”

A pesar del peso de su historia, o tal vez en razón de ella, se comporta en forma muy relajada. Nunca para de pensar en el porvenir, y sobre esto también nos habló:

“Mi esperanza es que algún día, todos tengamos casas propias, yo y mis pares. Eso es mi sueño. Si encontramos trabajo bueno y ganamos el dinero suficiente, este sueño puede ser realidad”

Alfonsa Ocampo, edad 71 años.                                                                                          Textiles en “Los Pibes”

Alfonsa es una mujer de buen ánimo, que cosía y escuchaba la radio con sus amigas cuando la vimos por primera vez. Feliz de hablar con nosotros, a sus 71 años, todavía trabaja en le cooperativa de textiles en Los Pibes – una organización política y social que se encuentra en La Boca. Alfonsa también es madre y abuela.

Cuando la entrevistamos, nos contó su historia sobre la lucha de ser mujer y madre soltera. Nació en Misiones, que se encuentra al noreste de Argentina. Se vino a Buenos Aires en el año 1993, y crió a sus 9 hijos sola. Cuando le preguntamos que significa ser madre, nos dijo: “no soy sólo una madre sino también un padre, trabajo como hombre y mujer. Yo fui la persona que se ocupó de todo, y por esto, me siento muy orgullosa.”

La simpática mujer se emociona al recordar la dura vida que sufrió al separarse de su marido y su emigración a Buenos Aires para trabajar. Se sintió realmente sola cuando su hermana con quien vivía murió alrededor de ese tiempo, y no tenia un lugar donde vivir: “no tenia donde vivir. Arrendé una casa pequeña en La Boca, pero no encontré trabajo. Llegué con una mano delante y otra atrás. Hablé con unos jóvenes y, para mi sorpresa, me ofrecieron un trabajo. Eso fue todo, y empecé.”

A Alfonsa le gusta su labor, y lo considera su segundo hogar, a pesar de que ha sido un esfuerzo para ella. Nos dijo esto cuando le preguntamos cuáles han sido sus más profundas alegrías y penas: “mi batalla diaria siempre ha sido el trabajo. He trabajado desde muy joven. Eso es mi lucha. Y mi dicha es mi familia, mis hijas, mi nieto y mis colegas. Los Pibes es mi segundo hogar.

Las historias de Elizabeth y Alfonsa son testimonios de la fuerza que poseen las mujeres de Los Pibes,  centro comunitario de La Boca, Buenos Aires.

By Margaux Maxwell

Día de la Memoria was celebrated in Buenos Aires between Congreso and Plaza de Mayo last Sunday, a national holiday which remembers and asks for the return of those who disappeared during the Dirty War. The same mothers who walked the streets 30 years ago during this massacre could be seen on this day, celebrating, lamenting and fighting for justice – springing forth for their usual post at the Plaza de Mayo every Thursday. During the holiday, people from all over the county held their flags and marched from one monument to the other, drumming, chanting and singing. To be sure, the hands of passion drumming on the street floors of this city come to a full crescendo on this day.

Photo by John Stanley

Photo by Lorna Greene

By Thomas Gruber and David Schweinzer

Seit knapp 6 Jahren arbeitet Voluntario Global mit der Stiftung namens “Chacras de Buenos Aires” zusammen. Der Hauptsitz von Chacras befindet sich im traditionellen portenischen Stadtviertel San Telmo. Seit 2005 setzt sich die Organisation zum Ziel, durch die Umsetzung kultureller, sozialer und umweltbezogener Projekte, eine nachhaltige Entwicklung benachteiligter Gruppen und Gemeinschaften in und um Buenos Aires zu fördern. Ihre Vision stützt sich u.a. auf die Erlangung einer besseren und gerechteren Gellschaft.

Das Delta Sanfernandino

Eines  ihrer Projekte befindet sich im Delta des Sanfernandino dessen Fauna und Flora einzigartig auf dieser Welt scheint. Das Delta wird seit dem Jahr 2000 als Weltkulturerbe von UNESCO geschützt. Mehr als 3000 Menschen leben in diesem Gebiet, das nur mit dem Boot erreicht werden kann. Chacras unterstützt die lokale Bevölkerung beim Aufbau kleiner Häuser, die komplett aus Holz gefertigt werden. Das Wissen über spezielle Techniken für den dortigen Hausbau wird von den Anwohner bezogen, sodass diese Häuser nicht innerhalb der nächsten Jahre durch unterschiedliche Umwelteinflüsse zerstört werden können. Seit 2005 wurden 3 Häuser gebaut, wobei bereits 3 weitere auf der gleichen Insel, für das nächste Jahr, geplant sind.

Welchen Beitrag leisten die Freiwilligen?

Die Hauptaufgabe der Freiwilligen liegt darin, Marcelo beim Bau der Häuser tatkräftig zu unterstützen. Jeder kann während der Arbeit unterschiedliche Vorschläge und Ideen einbringen. Sofern Freiwillige auf der Insel übernachten möchten, wird Nikolas zusammen mit ihnen auf der Insel bleiben. Darüber hinaus ist Nikolas auch für die Fertigstellung des Hauses verantwortlich, wobei er sich nebenbei auch um die Errichtung des Bio-Gartens, der im Erdgeschoss platziert werden soll, kümmert.

Sembrando Vida –  Biologischer Garten im Neuropsychatrischen Krankenhaus „Jose Tiburcio Borda“

In der Nervenklinik, die sich mitten in Buenos Aires befindet, hat die Organisation Chacras einen biologischen Garten und ein Gewächshaus angelegt, das den Patienten einen Platz der Entspannung bietet und gleichzeitig ihren Resozialisierungsprozess positiv beeinflusst. Freiwillige von Voluntario Global und auch von anderen Organisationen sorgen gemeinsam dafür, dass es den verschiedenen Pflanzen- und Gemüsesorten an nichts fehlt.

Es arbeiten jedoch nicht nur Volontäre an diesem Projekt. Die Patienten des Krankenhauses selbst nähern sich täglich dem kleinen Biogarten und helfen bei dessen Pflege, das positive Auswirkungen mit sich bringt. Einerseits sind dadurch mehr Menschen um das Wohl des Gartens bemüht und andererseits wird der Resozialisierungsprozess der Patienten unterstützt. Im Grunde wird ihnen dadurch eine sinnvolle Beschäftigung für den Tag geboten. Da sie sich um eine lebende Pflanze kümmern können, lernen sie auch wieder auf sich selbst zu achten. In den letzten Jahren haben bereits einige, wegen guter mentaler Gesundheit, das Krankenhaus verlassen dürfen. Zwei davon helfen noch immer im Garten mit. Neben der Gartenarbeit können sich Patienten auch kreativ betätigen; und zwar im Kulturzentrum welches sich nebenan befindet. Das Projekt von Chacras beinhaltet ebenso den Bau von Häusern aus natürlichen Materialien. Aufgrund des Mangels an qualifizierten Arbeitskräften steht das Projekt jedoch immer noch in seinen Anfängen. Wer gerade dabei ist, diese Zeilen zu lesen und Zeit in Buenos Aires verbringen möchte, dem sei gesagt: Es gibt einiges zu tun und tolle Erfahrungen zu machen

Welche Vorteile bieten diese Projekte für Freiwillige?

Diese Projekte bieten ein unvergessliches Erlebnis für alle, die ein Teil davon sind und es sein möchten und mehr über eine völlig andere Kultur lernen wollen. Sofern du Interesse hast, andere Freiwillige aus der ganzen Welt zu treffen, die ebenfalls neugierig auf etwas völlig Unbekanntes sind – dann bist du genau die richtige Person für unser Team! Das Gebiet rund um den Tigre bietet seinen Einwohnern einen der ruhigsten Orte rund um Buenos Aires, den man als normaler Tourist auf diese Weise sicher nicht zu Gesicht bekommt. Be part of it!