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 […]
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. […]
Although he didn’t know it at the time, Ken Kieffer made a life-changing decision to become a Romania Global Volunteer over a decade ago. The attachment he felt to the children on his 2005 service program became an “early warning” of what was to come. Over these years, he’s assisted the experienced nursing staff with the children’s daily needs through […]
Alyssa, a Global Volunteer in Ecuador, reflects on two weeks of caring for children in Ecuador, offering: “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – C.S. Lewis. Today is our last normal day at the daycare. Tomorrow, we’ll be celebrating and saying our final goodbyes. It’s hard to […]
Volunteers prepare food for children in Peru: A journal entry by a volunteer serving at PPA, the largest children’s home in Peru. Today at the PPA (Puericultorio Perez Aranibar children’s home), we are going to help prepare food for children in Peru, and there is much to do. The staff will be fixing food not only for […]
by Tracy Heaberlin Have you ever googled “travel service babies?” I did about 10 years ago, and it led me to Global Volunteers. Working as a health-care provider, I was interested in spending some of my vacation time engaging in short-term volunteerism. Global Volunteers helps provide short-term volunteers on long-term service projects to create, nurture, […]
In the years since Ruth Curran first served as a volunteer in St. Lucia, she accepted a position on our Board of Directors, and thereafter joined our staff as Director of Partnerships. As an author, blogger and organizational behaviorist, Ruth believes things happen for a reason. For instance, she believes the understanding seized from her life-changing […]