Volunteering at Colombia kids project

Rachel Dalgarno Start Date: Jan 15, 2016 - End Date: May 13, 2016
  • Medellín, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia

My Travel Story

by: Rachel Dalgarno Start Date: Jan 15, 2016 - End Date: May 13, 2016
I am helping Globalteer which is a UK registered charity providing volunteer placements working with schools, community projects and care homes in South America and Asia.

The Volunteer Colombia Kids project is based in the Andes mountain range in the vibrant “city of eternal spring” – Medellin.

Colombia is one of the least known countries in Latin America. Following many turbulent years tourism is now a fast growing industry, but very little tourist money trickles down to the country's poorest people.

Our volunteer project in Colombia works with two government approved projects for vulnerable children in Medellin. At the project the children are provided with nutritional meals and a safe place to stay, English classes, lessons in Spanish, arts, music, sports and various types of vocational training. The project also supports health programmes and gives the children access to psychologists as well as providing all the nutritional needs of the children.

Our volunteer project focuses on Colombia's young and vulnerable to assist them in finding a way out of the trap of poverty and to train them in vocational skills so that they can become fully contributing members of their families and society. 

Our projects in Medellin give day care and residential care to more than 60 children from 2 to 17 years old. The projects are located close to each other in a safe residential area, parks nearby where the children can safely play outdoors. Both projects are more like a family home, where the children treat each other as brothers and sisters, and staff and volunteers are their uncles and aunts. Where possible, contact is still kept with the children’s natural family - family members can visit once a week and children can visit their "home" once a month.

The project also supports people living on the streets by providing food, contact and love. The project is respected and trusted by the people living on the streets and, occasionally, when possible, children are invited to stay at the project.

I am delighted to be able to help at the project and ask for any donation big or small to help me cover the cost of materials such as pens, writing paper, crayons etc for lessons with the children. Any money remaing will be donated to Globalteer, thank you in advance! :)
  • Medellín, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia

Updates

2

  • Link To Stories Form Previous Volunteers At The Project

    Stories from previous volunteers about the project in Colombia ✌

  • Flights Booked! ✈️

    Thank you to Glenn and Addie for your generous donations. I have now booked my flights to Medellin! I still need to put lesson plans in place and buy materials for the activities I plan for the children. So please keep sharing my page to help spread the word about what I am doing and more importantly to spread the word about the project itself. 

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