In 2011, the United Nations declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child. Its mission is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.” It’s a day when humanitarians worldwide unite under the same goal to highlight, discuss, and take […]
Ethical volunteer vacations combine purposeful service with cultural travel – to the ultimate benefit of local children and families. Global Volunteers structures programs to respect and assist the people who invite volunteers into their communities. The term “volunteer vacations” was coined by travel guide author Bill McMillan in 1993, in “Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will […]
A family home visit in a shanty town outside Lima and a conversation with a displaced child’s grandfather raises conflicting questions for Peru volunteers Jody and David. Our final day of volunteering has come WAY too quickly! I’m honestly conflicted, feeling we’ve experienced so much in such a short time, but at the same time have barely scratched […]
Ecuador Country Manager Maggie Bjorklund describes opportunities to help children in Ecuador with Global Volunteers. In the gorgeous Andes Mountains of Ecuador, South America, Global Volunteers partners with the Foundation of Ladies of Calderón, a non-profit organization that runs two daycare centers on the margin of the city of Quito for disadvantaged families in the […]
by Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar When we think of the benefits of education, we can probably quickly mention the development of intellectual abilities, freedom of thought, and the increase in productivity. So education is valuable in itself (for the sake of knowledge), but also for the benefits it produces (it makes a person freer […]
by Daniel Salazar, Global Volunteers Peru Country Manager. When you volunteer in Peru, you have the chance to significantly change a child’s life. It’s one thing to sight-see in Lima. But there is an opportunity to do more, to get to know the country, the stories, and also actually make a difference in a child’s […]
St. Lucia Global Volunteer Ellen F. settled into her Caribbean Island “home” quickly, thanks to the warm welcome of our host partners and local families in Anse la Raye, St. Lucia. She said the Caribbean community began to feel like home after her first week. Following are a few reflections on a day in the island getaway as a […]
The world over, your professional skills in early childhood education and healthcare volunteer programs abroad can be a lifeline for children and families living in poverty. We focus our development work on children in the first 1, 000 days of life – from pregnancy to their second birthday – because this is when their brains are […]
Steve Wenzel has a huge heart for the disabled, and often orphaned, children who are hospitalized in Romania. There are no words to describe Steve, who has faithfully served these vulnerable Romanian children on 16 Global Volunteers service programs since 1999, and his mother, Lorraine, who has joined him on 5 of these programs. They just keep on […]
Reflections by Jody, on volunteering at PPA, Peru’s largest children’s home. Today was our first official day on the job at PPA (Puericultorio Perez Aranibar) for my husband David and me – and the rest of our team. Personally, the enormity of the facility itself, coupled with the beautiful architecture and the state of disrepair was somewhat overwhelming. […]