Let's Go Volunteer - Volunteer Program in Colombia

I would like to think that I had some impact on the people I worked with. Recent government funding meant that a large number of children from poor backgrounds were getting good quality and nutritious lunches on a daily basis.

It was pleasing to see this and to be able to assist with providing the food to the children, who were so grateful and fun to be around.

Whilst working at the Women's Center I was very inspired to see that a lot of women had already taken huge efforts to turn their lives around. However, I also tried to encourage them to pursue their dreams further and believe in themselves and really hope that this encouragement will help them at difficult times, alongside their amazing determination, to succeed whatever life throws at them.

Unfortunately my ability to speak Spanish is very poor to nonexistent! However, I received excellent support from the staff at the project who acted as translators at the various projects where I volunteered.

I even managed to pick up a few words and phrases but am now keen to learn Spanish in the future to prevent the need for interpreters!

I made a lady at the project that I was very inspired by. Her name was Miriam and she had two young children. She was learning to make a new life for herself and her family and spent time selling food to make money to provide.

Miriam was so keen to learn, better herself and really put some distance between her new life and her difficult background. She was learning to read and write as well as various other skills and she had a really positive spirit that showed that her faith kept her strong and made sure that she whilst she might have been down in the past, she was most definitely not out! Just overwhelming!