Volunteer Spotlight: Neil

By Candice ConradesExperiences, Volunteer Abroad

"This was my 2nd Globalteer volunteer trip..."

Colombia is an amazing place. Our first day with the kids at the project, we took 13 kids to the zoo. Some had never been before. We bonded with these kids and were able to discuss English names of the animals. This set the pace for the week to come. We taught English in small groups, which varied by age. The kids were very receptive and loved to learn. We read stories, used flash cards, drew pictures and labelled the pictures with English names. I know that we made a huge impact on the kids, and they made a huge impact on us too.

Daily, we would walk a group of kids to school and take a group home. When they got out of school, they would run up to us shouting, "tio, tio."  They were so happy to be greeted and on the walks home, I would ask, "what did you learn today?"

The house where these kids stayed was filled with love, hugs and friendship. While there were so many different personalities, the underlying value was love. This is one truly rewarding way to spend a holiday.