Voluntärarbete och spanskstudier i Argentina

When I came out to Argentina to volunteer for 6 weeks I had no idea what to expect. It was my first time traveling alone and working with children but I soon realized that there was nothing to worry about. I immediately felt at home at the orphanage where I was working and quickly connected with the kids and the carers, despite being far from confident at speaking Spanish and no one on site understanding English! However, my Spanish improved by the day until I was feeling almost fluent and I was fully involved in every aspect of day to day routine. My coordinator at Expanish was really good at making sure I was fitting in at my placement, so I never felt as though I was alone and I had an emergency contact if it had been necessary. It was really hard to say goodbye at the end of the 6 weeks after forming such a connection with the carers, children and other volunteers but I can honestly say it was some of the best weeks of my life. I would recommend this experience to anyone without a moment's hesitation and it's all thanks to Expanish for making it possible!
Sam Tosswill

Trabajando con Hecho en Buenos Aires (HBA), apprendi mucho sobre las problemas que enfrente la gente de Buenos Aires sin hogar, y residentes de bajo nivel economico que son marginados por la sociedad. Con la venta de las revistas, HBA da a estos residentes un medio de ganar un ingreso y mejorar su nivel de vida. Ademas, la organisazion brinda servicios sociales para ayudarles a entrar en el mercado laboral y conocer sus derechos como ciudadanos. Conociendo a los beneficiarios y hablando con ellos, yo vi que aprecian mucho la ayuda del equipo tan dedicado a HBA, y que hace una gran diferencia en sus vidas. Mi voluntariado con HBA fue una experiencia de la ciudad mas alla de lo que se puede ver como turista, y me dio tambien la oportunidad de devolver algo a los residentes que me recibieron tan afectuosamente.
Nurit Bodemann-Ostow, New York