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Venezuela is a country not yet discovered by the big crowds. Doing volunteer work here is a good way to get to know this hidden jewel. Dos Manos Travel has a great volunteer option in Santa Elena, close to the Brazilian border. Signing up for this project means helping out in community activities and nature projects for kids and adolescents. These young people would otherwise lack educational and creative opportunities. The help of the volunteers makes a huge difference in their lives. Apart from a great help to the kids you will also be of tremendous assistance to the schools. Your help raising environmental awareness and gender equality is much needed.

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Always wanted to do something useful in a foreign, sunny country? Why not go to Mexico! In San Cristóbal de Las Casas there is a social service organization that works with indigenous children and young people (aged 0 to 20). They are in situations of risk and exclusion, from a rights – and gender – perspective. Through various programs that support the promotion, protection and exercise of their rights, the project tries to improve the quality of life of indigenous children and young people. Apart from this, the organization educates the local population about the need to respect the rights of children and youngsters. Also the organization is involved in research, network building and lobbying activities.

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I worked as a volunteer in a psychiatric hospital in Cusco (Peru) that offers health care for outpatients, temporary inpatients and residents. Most of the time, I worked with a group of temporary inpatients, with schizophrenia, personality disorders and depressive disorders. I had the opportunity to work together with a psychologist; my working hours were Monday to Friday, from 9 am until 1 pm and I spent one month volunteering here.
In my home country (the Netherlands) I just finished my master in medical psychology, so I had experience with patient contact. However, I never worked with psychiatric patients, which made volunteering in this hospital in Peru there a totally new experience and a great opportunity.

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Many call it a life changing experience and the biggest adventure of their lives. Coming home after weeks of volunteering in Latin America there are so many stories to tell. The long flight, the incredible nature, the kind local people and so many different indigenous animals. There are plenty of volunteer options to choose from. You can opt for a social project, working with children, working on a health volunteer project or working with animals. So many possibilities that you might get lost picking the one that suits you best. In this blog, more info and details about the wildlife rehabilitation center and zoo in Nicaragua where volunteers are needed.

The rehabilitation center in Nicaragua started about 15 years ago and has now received over 7000 animals. More than half of them, around 4000, have been set free. Most of the animals are former pets that were brought to the center by the owners who could no longer take care of them. Others were captured by the police because of illegal trade. The center nurses all kinds of animals. Among them jaguars, puma’s, wildcats, crocodiles, nose bears, monkeys, parrots, toucans and hawks. Ideally, the animals are returned to the wild after having recuperated at the center.
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This article is the second part of the interview with Emma, one of the founders of the childcare center in Bolivia ( the first part is here.

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.
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My volunteer experience really began before I even started my work. I decided to volunteer in Buenos Aires, Argentina to improve my Spanish and give back to the world. I think that this is something that is very important for everyone, especially young people to do in their lives. I prepared for volunteering at the project by spending some time living in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina and exploring everything that it has to offer. It is full of food, such as great steak, and culture, such as the famous MALBA Museum. I also prepared by studying Spanish at AMAUTA Spanish School and what I learned was very useful as a volunteer!
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A fantastic project in the second largest city in Colombia, this venture was founded to provide children affected by poverty, addiction and violence the opportunity to participate in sports, recreational and cultural activities with an aim to guide the process of social integration.

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.
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