Why did you decide to volunteer with DWC in Guatemala?
Carla: I had previously volunteered with DWC in India, and my experience was nothing but positive. Having already experienced the volunteer role, I wanted to go further and take the position of Team Leader, where I would have a broader range of responsibilities.
Guatemala, being the first country to establish what is now a long-lasting and successful partnership with DWC, seemed like a logical choice given that it was my first time leading a trip. It was also a part of the world I knew nearly nothing about and was interested to learn more while simultaneously helping serve some needs of local less-developed communities.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Carla: Originally, our group had planned to do a combination of hands-on work (building a house for a local family) and additionally help out with local students in schools. However, the plan changed significantly when 5 days before our scheduled departure the community suffered from a volcanic eruption shortly followed by the impact of Tropical Storm Agatha.
The combination of these two natural disasters in such a short period of time meant that the community of San Miguel Duenas, where we were supposed to be working, had witnessed serious damage and we therefore adjusted our work to accomodate their more urgent needs. As a result of all of this, our group's day to day activities were widely varied and included anything from repairing damaged homes to cleaning out river dams which were blocking drinking water.
Whenever there was a shortage of work, many of us chose to help out in classrooms or simply play games with kids from the community. In the end, we helped to rebuild at least two different houses, repaired a school roof, and many other smaller scale tasks.
How has this experience helped you grow personally and professionally?
Carla: I can say for sure that my experience with DWC in Guatemala has gave me knowledge and skills that I could have never learned in a classroom. From an employers perspective, this type of experience looks very unique and demonstrates personal capabilities that our different from other experiences. This type of work not only gives students an edge academically and professionally, but undoubtedly changes your personal character as well.
I know that after working with DWC in both Guatemala and India, I am much more confident in different aspects of day to day life, and additionally adapt much easier to unfamiliar situations. I strongly believe that this type of volunteering can be life-altering (in a good way!) for almost anyone and will only bring further positive experiences.