Global Volunteers Ecuador Country Manager Maggie Bjorklund describes a trip up the TelefériQo, one of the world’s highest aerial lifts, and one of the many free-time activities available to volunteers on a service program in Ecuador. Quito, the highest capital city in the world at 9, 250 feet above sea level, is also home to […]
“Traveling is a prime way to be rich in what matters. I just returned from eight days in Costa Rica, tired and happy from my first volunteer vacation.” Alison Wiley of Oregon just got back from a week of volunteering in Monteverde, Costa Rica with Global Volunteers. In her blog, she writes about giving and receiving […]
In November 2013, Hannah, Amy, and the Scafidi family on the Ecuador team learned off FUNDAC’s hope to create a sandbox behind Daycare Center #2. Seeing that the children at the center have very little outdoor space to play in, they thought that this was an important project to be carried out and very generously […]
Late start today Tamales slinging. By 10:20 Bus is bringing. Student groups Are pretty swinging. To be fair My lemons winging. With some work The words are stringing. Bus ride home Ideas are springing. Then shopping trip With jewelry blinging. It’s not real ‘cuz I’m sure stringing. Prices good and Cash is king-ing. Time to […]
Traveling has the advantage over video and books because one can use all five senses. I chose three examples of each, one that I will not duplicate when returning home. I see: The bright eyes of UTEQ students fixed on words from an octogenarian lady. Finely trimmed trees in cleanly swept parks. Tiled sidewalks with […]
Overall, it was a really good day helping kids with so much potential in St. Lucia. I’ve been working at Kids Step Early Learning Center, where this morning, we had our daily assembly of singing songs and announcing news. When we switched off into our separate teaching groups, I read a book to the tiny […]
Some volunteers were able to participate in an early morning yoga class offered by one of the volunteers. We met for an excellent breakfast and had our team meeting right after breakfast. Warren drove all the volunteers to their assigned locations. It was a rainy day, but there were periods of clear weather. I was […]
Today was a very good day. I helped with both classes – the babies and the three-year-olds. Hannah, Rita, Olivia, Alexandra, Mark, Amy, and my mom stayed with their classes from yesterday. I am getting to know the babies and the three-year-olds very well and it […]
Already by Tuesday we were starting to get the routine down. The breakfast was the same, the bus ride to the daycare center was the same, but at snack time it changed. It was my turn to take the children to the baños (bathrooms) to wash hands. The nice little line-up had exploded into a […]
A volunteer learns that in working with children, you give and receive in Peru more than you expect. Each day is similar yet unique. We are in a much different place than we were a week ago. PPA now feels like a second home. Today we carried various bags of new toys, books, and school […]