"My volunteer trip was a life changing experience that I will never forget"
When 21 year-old Kevin undertook a six week volunteer placement with Globalteer’s Colombia Children’s project, it was the first time he had travelled outside of his native United States.
Volunteer Story from Medellin
But Kevin was already pretty familiar with the Colombian way of life – he has many Colombian friends at home in the USA, had already enjoyed many delicious Colombian meals and heard many tales of the wonderful Colombian cities of Bogota, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin.
As the oldest of ten children and a regular volunteer at his local YMCA children’s summer camp, Kevin had also pretty much spent his life surrounded by lively, boisterous children, so when the grind of school and work left part of him feeling empty and that he was not living life to its full potential, volunteering with needy children seemed a logical next step.
With his desire to help underprivileged children, and his love of Colombian culture, Kevin was really looking forward to experiencing the “real” Colombia as he set off for Medellin in May 2011.
Here, Kevin tells us all about his experiences with Globalteer in Colombia:
The long road to Colombia.
“To be honest I had never heard of Globalteer before volunteering. But when I was looking for volunteer projects in Colombia, Globalteer’s project stood out to me because compared to other projects in the region the mission statement seemed the most genuine and had the best laid out long term plan for improving the quality of life of the children of the city.
"My journey to Colombia was an exciting experience. It was my first time outside the United States and also the first time in many years that I have taken a plane. My favourite part of the journey was when the plane was descending and I could see miles and miles of beautiful Colombian country side".
Settling into Medellin
"Medellin was nothing like I expected it to be when I got there. I was pleasantly surprised to see how modern parts of the city are. And I was extremely impressed with its modern, integrated transportation system.
"I stayed at the Black Sheep Hostel in Barrio Patio Bonito in the Poblado area of the city. The staff were friendly and helpful, especially the two owners Kelvin and Yadi. Whenever I needed something - directions, or even help with translation the staff went above and beyond to help.
"Getting to the two project sites meant travelling by the metro and city buses. The metro is an amazing above ground train system integrated with local bus lines linking various parts of the city really cheaply and quickly. What I did expect, but I hadn’t realised how hard it would be to see it in person, was the level of poverty some of the children are experiencing".
The highs and lows of volunteering
"I believe that volunteers like me help the children develop a more positive worldwide view and interest in social works projects. I would not say any individual task helped me have this impact on the children but being able to help while having a positive attitude will hopefully help inspire them.
"The biggest personal challenges for me were to overcome the language barrier and become comfortable teaching. I overcame the language barrier by learning how to describe more complex words with the basic words I did know and asking clarifying questions. I become more comfortable teaching over time.
"Initially I also struggled communicating with the locals. At the time I had a very basic understanding of the Spanish language. However, by the time I had left, the language gap was easier to work around by picking up more basic vocabulary and learning how to communicate describing the words I did not know.
"One of the most fun memories of volunteering was the day we went to Parque Norte, a theme park in Medellin, with the children and staff from the project. We spent the entire day riding roller coasters, driving bumper cars and taking simulated flights to Cartagena".
Colombia makes a lasting impression
"On my last day went to the local playground and played games with the children and afterwards I taught English to both the students and staff. What made it special for me was that I integrated a traditional worksheet activity with colouring and a vocabulary game. The staff, students, and I all had a lot of fun.
"It was hard to leave because the children were sad to see me go and I was having such a fantastic time working there. After leaving I felt determined to visit again. My volunteer trip was a life-changing experience that I will never forget”.
After his volunteering trip in 2011 Kevin returned to Medellin for a second volunteer placement earlier this year. He is now planning to return a third time and stay even longer.
“I plan on moving to Colombia in the upcoming year to teach English and while I am there I wish to spend substantial time helping the children to make big strides in understanding the English language”.