Fundación Marina Orth

During my time with the Marina Orth Foundation I participated in a wide variety of projects: I taught elementary English classes in two Antioquian public schools, co-planned and taught a course for Medellin public school teachers/administrators, led after school English clubs, participated in curriculum design, translations and the creation of bilingual publications and multimedia presentations.

Despite being a volunteer, I was granted significant responsibility and given the opportunity to propose and develop my own projects. This is an excellent opportunity for people who who want to take initiative and make the most of their experience personally, as well as significantly contributing to the foundation's goals. I saw my volunteer work benefit the communities in which I worked, which resulted in the greatest personal returns I could have hoped for.

I lived with a host family, which gave me insight into the culture (and especially the food culture) that I never would have had living on my own. I truly felt welcomed into the community: I couldn't walk down the street without a student calling "Hola profe!" or stealing a hug. Casual conversations yielded cultural, historical and political insights on a daily basis. The opportunities for learning were endless.

It was definitely challenging, as well. A decent command of Spanish is essential for success, and even so, communication difficulties arose. The bureaucracy and politics of certain projects (whether external or internal to the foundation) could be confusing and frustrating, and expectations were not always clearly communicated. However, I think that the challenges contributed significantly to my personal growth and improved adaptability. The foundation has also implemented additional support services for its volunteers in order to help address some of these difficulties.

This experience changed my life. The opportunity to work with this foundation allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and experience life in an entirely new way on so many levels. I highly recommend it!

My husband and I originally signed up for six months but have enjoyed it so much that we are staying for longer. As volunteers you are included in the decision making process when it comes to the curriculum for your classes which is a lot of fun and great experience. The foundation makes sure that your skill set is utilised which is very rewarding.
We have been made to feel welcome from the beginning and have very quickly made friends with all of the fabulous people who work for the foundation.
The biggest thing that appealed to me when joining the foundation was that the work the foundation does is sustainable. You feel like you are actually making a difference.

I worked primarily in a school in El Carmen (an hour out of Medellin), and also taught some adult classes in Medellin. I cannot say enough about my experience! My host family stay was great (I still visit them each year), the foundation is a wonderful group of people, and I really had the chance to connect with people in my community and make a difference. Medellin is a great home-base, with tons to see and do, but it is also easy to travel to other parts of the country if you are so inclined - people at the Foundation were always super helpful with giving me insider tips on the bests places to visit!

This program is NOT a good fit for someone looking to party it up in South America and pretend you are "volunteering". But, if you are motivated to take on challenges, work directly with a community, and make a difference (plus have some fun working with great people and traveling in an amazing country), this is the PERFECT option!