Life With a Host Family

July 02, 2012

Abriendo Mentes, Costa Rica
Addison Hill

 Deciding whether to live with a host family or in a private apartment is a decision all Abriendo Mentes volunteers face. Both have their advantages, so it can be a difficult decision. I recently spent three weeks living and volunteering in Potrero and chose to live with a host family. I hope that my experience can be helpful in deciding which option is a better fit.I was fortunate enough to live in the heart of Potrero, close to everything. I was lucky to have a house so close to the center of town because the location of host families varies. My family consisted of a grandmother, uncle, mother, and two children. They had several pets like cats, dogs, and birds. I slept in a separate bedroom with a fan to...

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AM’s First Annual Career Fair

July 02, 2012

Abriendo Mentes, Costa Rica
Addison Hill

 Last Thursday, May 3rd, was a special day for Abriendo Mentes and community members alike. We hosted a career fair in the Salon featuring stations with various career representatives. The kids broke into small groups and rotated throughout the stations, talking to local adults about their careers and asking questions. (There were even prizes for correct answers at some stations!) There were many different options for the kids to learn about, including a dentist, a nurse, a teacher, a nutritionist, a hotel manager, and a chef. Our own volunteer, Carolina, was the nutritionist representative and was able to put her expertise to good use by talking to the kids about healthy food options. She had an interactive presentation that focused on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and choosing healthy...

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Friendly Culture of People

July 02, 2012

Throughout my stay here in Ghana I have yet to wrap my mind around the friendly nature of the people. Everyone that I have come into contact with has taken the term “southern hospitality” to another level. Of course they have crooked individuals like any society does, but over all they are some of the nicest people you could meet. In public if some is seen in need of help people stop to assist instead of idly waiting by. On occasions I have stopped to ask for directions, and no one ever gave me the cold shoulder. I was either given directions or the person stopped what they were doing to take me where I was going. Whenever some starts to eat something, no matter how small it is they...

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Langauge of Love

July 02, 2012 | 1 comment

Asociacion CREAR, Costa Rica
Debra Fox

Being a teacher , I was extremely excited to get involved with CREAR because I knew that their programs were right up my alley.  I remember being excited and nervous going to my first program that I was supposed to lead...in Spanish! I was new to Samara, new to CREAR and most importantly, new to Spanish. It didn't take me long to realize that kids are kids, no matter what language they speak.I was working with the little guys (grades 1-3) along with another volunteer.  We had a great time coming up with ideas for programs that we thought the kids would enjoy.  I would practice how to say things like, "first we are going to cut" in Spanish on my way to program.  In the end, it didn't matter....

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La Lloma

July 01, 2012

Casa Verde, Nicaragua
Sara Bernard

It’s been a packed week of introductions that feels (of course!) like so much longer than a week – introductions to Limon’s elementary school and preschool, to the local community, to Nicaraguan history, to the organic compost and garden at Rancho Santana (a local foreign-owned resort which is, I understand, also starting its own recycling program that I hope will eventually grow into something that the entire community of Limon can use!), to gorgeous beaches, stunning forests, broiling sunshine, slashing rain thundering on corrugated tin roofs, the roaring croak of howler monkeys and, once the rain stops, the elated squawks of insufferable roosters. (I’ve learned that I will definitely be awake each day at 5am listening to their orchestra. I know the tune playing at my host family’s house pretty...

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First Day in Nicaragua

July 01, 2012

Casa Verde, Nicaragua
Sara Bernard

I’m not sure I’ve ever been so warmly and gently welcomed to a foreign country as I was to Nicaragua. Amie was at the airport with David, a sweet-tempered driver for a company called Nica Roads who was devastated that, halfway into our drive, he unavoidably slammed into a dog with a sickening thud and sent the poor thing flying (but it feels frustrating to call it a “poor thing” when it ran out so deliberately across the road in front of the car at such a speed… it was impossible to swerve). We drove to pick up two others in Granada, a colonial town with moldering old cathedrals and brightly painted hacienda-style homes surrounding lush courtyards along cobblestone streets. We had lunch at a spot where I learned that...

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Progress Report #1

July 01, 2012

Honduras Child Alliance, Honduras
Katherine Olden

In just a few days, PASA workshops (the Spanish acronym for Promoting Improved and Sustained Learning) have gone from being a potential to being an exciting eventuality. Despite some trouble getting to El Porvenir (missing flights) and a day of school closures lost to a teacher work stoppage (in remembrance of the coup three years ago), I managed to turn only three full working days into successful first steps in setting up this pilot project.It wasn’t easy, and I could not have done it without the wise advice and help of several people from Honduras Children. In all, I was able to: meet with and gain the support of the district’s superintendent and several important community leaders, arrange for the use of the municipal...

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In Sickness and In Health

June 30, 2012

Ghana ACT, Ghana
Molly Ortiz

Bout a week since our last post--time for another update! Annelise and I are still having a blast, experiencing new things everyday, and treasuring every moment here in Ho, but I have to say there were a couple of days this last week that we both wished we could've pushed the fast forward button. But let's start with the good stuff! Last Saturday we went on a daytrip to a stunning town, high in the mountains, called Aburi. We traveled with the other volunteers, as well as our Ghanaian friend, Linda, who cooks for our house everyday, and another volunteer from the US, Mike, who works right across the street at an orphanage. Funny sidenote, Mike is a VMI alumni. Small world! Anyway, we all left bright and early as...

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Chau Pibes!

June 30, 2012

Voluntario Global, Argentina
Taryn Cutrona

 My 4 weeks working at Los Pibes, the community center in La Boca, have flown by. It just seems like yesterday that I was walking into the community center and getting a personal tour of the different parts of the building and getting introduced to the wonderful people that work there. I have enjoyed developing relationships with the kids, and even have drawings and little gifts they have given me. Although I wished I had more than just 4 weeks to volunteer and become even closer with the kids, I have loved every day I have spent with them. I have put together a short video about the community center. You can watch it below!Enjoy!

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Banku, Fufu, and FanIce... Oh My!!!

June 30, 2012

Ghana ACT, Ghana
Annelise Madison

 Wow! We've had another eventful week here in Ho--so eventful that the U.S. Embassy in Accra has issued a traveler's advisory for our area. There has been some Muslim riots in a neighboring village, and a few lives have been tragically taken. Fortunately, the violence has been isolated and we have not been affected by it. There has been some violence in Ho, though. Just down the street at the market, a police officer shot a man who attempted to rob a shop. The other shoppers turned against the officer because they thought he had shot the man for no reason. Due to this incident, the police have had a heavier presence here lately. The police depo is across the street from our house, so we feel pretty safe.We have...

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