Projects Abroad - Internships in Argentina

A friend and I, both German High School Graduates in 2018, did the Law and Human Rights Internship at Projects abroad in Cordoba, Argentina for 2 months.
As one should know, Internships/Projects that cost that much money and are given out at almost no requirements are obviously offered by companies that are not non-profit or somewhat socially oriented at heart. Therefore we did not expect to be given a lot of responsibility. Nevertheless we opted for this organisation because we wanted a safe and well-organised trip, because of our young age and the far distance.

For that matter, the Project did meet our expectation.
Our main activities were voluntary work such as helping homeless people in cooperation with a local NGO and a church community. Depending on your effort, you could really build up relationships with some of the homeless people, get to know them and brighten up their days. You can also show initiative and bring in your own ideas, we for example rehearsed small sketches with some of them.

However, your individual impact to change their "human rights" situation was basically not existent, especially for unprofessionals and people who stay in the project for no more than a few weeks. So it was mostly practical and standard volunteering.

If you had an academic background (currently studying or finished degree), only then you could do research on cases in cooperation with a local human rights NGO. But even there, the other volunteers told us that most of their work on the cases was rather unneccessary, the organisation was intransparent and their impact was limited as well.
This leads to our final conclusion and suggestion that the human rights internship (law in the name is misleading) is suitable for high school graduates like us who seek to dive into a new culture, learn a new language (living in a host family was great in our case and in general) and make friends with volunteers from all over the world. If that in addition to safety in a new far-away country is what you want, then this is definitely more given by the project than by simply traveling.
BUT if you are a qualified students or professional and want to have responsibility concerning the law and human rights situation, want to apply your academic skills in an influental organisation, then you should not "buy" this internship and probably none offered at projects abroad.

In fact, you pay more than 4,000 USD for 8 weeks, of which solely an unreasonably small amount goes to both the host family and the maintainance of the more or less charitable projects. Keep in mind that what they are doing is business for money.
One example: Another project they ran in Cordoba was "teaching English". As English education in public Argentinian high school is pretty poor, you might expect volunteers (in our case: one experienced 60-year old Australian English teacher and two native Americans) to help those students. However, ProjectsAbroad pays a private and very expensive English institute, to take these volunteers as nearly unneccessary asstistants. This is outraging.

Another desaster happened to a friend of us, who after Argentina went to Bolivia to another project with ProjectsAbroad. She had a background of cutting her arms, but has stopped entirely years ago. Therefore she had to do a mental health test in Bolivia, because she was going to work with a vulnerable group of young criminal girls.
She passed the test. For some reason Projects Abroad said that her scars, which she had to cover and always did except of one small accident, would be a bad "role model" for the girls. Without a warning, they simply kicked her out of the project. No discussion.
We think that is unacceptable, especially because they did not show any simpathy with her, although it was obvious that she was hurt by being kicked out.

These two examples show once again that the purpose of projects abroad, despite cooperating with some more or less legit local NGOs ad non-profit organisations, is simply business-oriented. This problem does not especially apply merely to ProjectsAbroad but in general to most voluntourism projects.
We don't want to say we did not enjoy our time in Argentina as part of our gap year, we don't regret it as we learned a lot and had a good and fun time. Still we would not do a voluntourism project again.

My experience with Projects Abroad in Argentina was absolutely incredible! From my first point of contact with them, I was sure I made the right choice, and felt supported every step of the way. Upon arriving, I quickly felt at home with the Human Rights and Law team and the rest of the members in the office. The field placements were truly unique and meaningful. I wouldn't change anything about my experience, except for maybe the fact that I wish I could have stayed longer. My host family was incredibly welcoming and my coworkers made every day worth it. It isn't easy to work in Human Rights and Law; nevertheless I would recommend this to anyone willing to try. I felt as if though I was able to make a small difference every day, and gained as much back. Since returning home, I constantly refer back to my experience and have taken it forward with me every day since.

I spent a month in Córdoba, Argentina volunteering in Project Abroad's Law and Human Rights program, and it was such an enriching experience! I had always wanted to travel abroad while at university, but my class and extra-curricular schedule did not make it possible. Spending a summer with Projects Abroad (PA) was a great alternative. The Law and Human Rights program gives you great exposure to human rights at the grass roots level, and living and working in Argentina really helped me to improve my Spanish. As a Political Science and Spanish major, this project was the perfect combination for me. I learned so much about the political struggles in Argentina and also feel like such a stronger Spanish speaker now!

My host family was so kind and caring. My home was comfortable and safe, and my host family was experienced with hosting volunteers. The program directors at Projects Abroad (PA) went above and beyond to make sure I was safe and knowledgable about how to get around and what was expected of me. Work was fun but still educational, and I felt that my time there did help the vulnerable populations we got to work with. The Human Rights project taught me a lot about the human rights challenge, but it also taught me a lot about compassion and humility. Weekly volunteer social events help you to make friends with other volunteers, learn about the city, and experience Argentinian culture in a non-touristy way. By the end of my month in Argentina, I could get around the city on my own with no problem. PA is also great in that its volunteers come from all over the world. I got to make friends with people from England, Italy, Canada... It enhances the cultural experience even more!

I gained a lot from my time with PA and found my trip was so worth it. I also felt safe and taken care of. I would highly recommend this program, especially to college students looking to go abroad!

My experience in Córdoba, Argentina as a medical intern facilitated my development as both a student-scholar and overall human being. Being independent in an unfamiliar city, speaking a different language throughout each day, and immersing myself in a uniquely beautiful culture pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best ways possible. My summer internship allowed me to obtain a better understanding of South America, different healthcare systems, and who I want to be in the future, and it changed the way I look at my life and the lives of others.
I specifically chose to work with Projects Abroad because of their holistic approach in aiding developing countries with projects in various fields of work. Throughout my internship with Projects Abroad, all of the coordinators and volunteers were kind, welcoming, and supportive. Everyone working at the Córdoba location is passionate about the community, making a difference, and embracing the incredible opportunities that Argentina has to offer. For a majority of my work, I shadowed physicians and residents at the Hospital Universitario de Maternidad y Neonatología, a public hospital in the center of the city that serves expecting mothers and infants. A typical day in the hospital consisted of shadowing live births, cesarean sections, hysterectomies, mastectomies, and other surgical procedures. As an additional part of my Projects Abroad medical internship, I participated in outreach work in economically disadvantaged areas of the city, and I was also able to take part in some of the human rights activities that supported the homeless community in the city. There were also monthly community service projects in which Projects Abroad partners with another local organization to help the city of Córdoba and its people in some way.
My accommodations and the relationships I formed while in Argentina were absolutely unforgettable. As soon as I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by my host mom, Maria Elena, and some of my housemates. I lived in a quaint, three-story complex in the center of the city that offered everything I could possibly need. Because each volunteer had a different start and end date, I had various housemates from all over the world throughout my internship. For most of my meals, I ate at home with my host mom and housemates, eating delicious, freshly-cooked Argentine cuisine and discussing each of our unique experiences from that day. As I usually did not work on weekends, I fortunately had time to travel around Córdoba and to other provinces of Argentina to obtain a more holistic view of the country. Having the opportunity to see different parts of Argentina was integral to my understanding of the country, and these experiences taught me that each province has its own distinct accent, life, and culture that are well-worth appreciating and embracing. Reflecting on my trip as a whole, I am so grateful for my summer internship and have become a much more independent, open-minded, and self-aware human being, and I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity.

I went to Cordoba, Argentina this past summer on a “two-week special” trip with Projects Abroad. More specifically it was a Care and Spanish trip, which means we volunteered with youth there in the afternoons while taking classes in the mornings. It was an absolutely amazing opportunity. I got to meet so many new people (people from all over the world came together to volunteer there), do so many new and fun things, experience a new culture, and volunteer my time for those less fortunate than myself. It was truly eye opening, as international travel always is.
Projects Abroad did a great job balancing education, experience, social events, and immersion. They orchestrated great “socials” which were nights where all of the volunteers met up to enjoy time together doing something specific to Argentina or the city itself. For our trip we got to have an asado, which is a sort of Argentine barbeque, and we took tango-dancing classes. The classes were also really helpful. There were teachers for all different levels of Spanish (for full immersion or just beginning) and they really care about developing the students’ ability to speak Spanish and speak it well.
I would definitely recommend this organization and country to anyone looking to do something of this sort. I did look into other companies before deciding on Projects Abroad, and though I can’t vouch for those companies, I can assure you Projects Abroad is professional, enjoyable, educational, and an all-around great experience. I don’t even have any complaints about the trip or organization! The only reason I gave the 8 stars for support was because it was a tad difficult getting in contact with the Projects Abroad office in Argentina (not because of them, but simply because of time-zone differences).
If you’re interested in seeing a little bit about the trip in video form, I’ve posted a video I put together to highlight some great parts of this country and trip. Check it out if you’d like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhOk65XUI2E&feature=g-upl