In the Spring of 2005, I lived and worked as a long-term volunteer in Cochabamba, Bolivia, with Amizade an international nonprofit volunteer organization. The variety of sites and volunteer options offered through Amizade, initially caught my interest and, wanting more first-hand knowledge about the organization, I participated in their short-term program at the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
During those two weeks, I was impressed by Amizade’s commitment to providing a positive experience for both volunteers and the host community, by their focus on sustainable community-initiated projects and by their utilization of capable and knowledgeable local coordinators. I decided I would be well supported in a long-term project and chose Bolivia.
I arranged to live with a Bolivian host family in the city of Cochabamba and was provided daily Spanish tutoring. Of the two volunteer project sites available, I selected CEOLI, a therapeutic and educational center for children and young adults with multiple handicaps, which also provides medical, dental and other resources for families in the community.
Initially, I wondered how I could be of service in this program, where more than 50 percent of the children use wheelchairs or walkers, and where communication is exclusively in Spanish. I soon learned, however, that interacting with children has a universal language. The children at CEOLI, delighted in teaching me Spanish words, and I delighted in introducing them to Play-Dough, Uno and blowing bubbles.
I discovered many ways to be useful in the classroom and began to feel like a part of the team contributing to students’ growth and life experiences. These children taught me the first “truth” of volunteer service and cultural exchange: No matter one’s country of origin, ethnicity, religion, language, physical or mental status, people are more alike than different.
I was inspired by CEOLI’s small staff of teachers and therapists who accomplish amazing things with limited resources. Now, their dedication motivates me to find ways to involve more people with their critical work, whether it’s through volunteering, donating equipment or other materials which will enable more students the freedom of mobility. Through it all, I acquired a greater understanding of another “truth:” Matching needs in one community with resources in another is one of the world’s most pressing concerns.
Before traveling to Bolivia for my volunteer assignment, I decided to spend an additional week touring the country on my own. I found this additional time an invaluable opportunity to meet a great cross-section of people and to experience additional aspects of Bolivia’s vast ecological and cultural diversity. Scheduling my independent travel “before” volunteer work provided an opportunity to become acclimated to the country and to communicating in Spanish.
I spent four days in Samiapata, a small community in a valley between Santa Cruz, my first stop, and Cochabamba, my volunteer placement. In Samiapata, I stayed at La Vispera, a small organic farm with guest cabanas. The owners of La Vispera were most helpful in my transition from the intensity of the Washington, D.C., area to the pace and culture of Bolivia. In addition to facilitating excursions to archeological and natural areas, they arranged an afternoon on a remote farm where I visited with a local family who lives almost entirely off the land.
An unexpected benefit of staying at La Vispera was the opportunity to meet other international travelers: birders from Australia and England, a young couple (Irish and Estonian) on a three-month exploration of South America, a Bolivian Peace Corps worker reuniting with her parents from California and a Bolivian family on holiday. We shared meals, side trips and excellent conversation, giving me a glimpse of how others view the United States, travel and volunteer service. I felt connected to the global community in a new way.
I highly recommend volunteering at the site of your choice with a provision for independent travel time. You may find, as I have, that it is a transforming experience of deepening global awareness.
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