YMCA Colombia

Living and working in Colombia is a beautiful experience for many reasons : people are so friendly, the culture is very interesting, and the experience in general is awesome.

It is a very good opportunity to learn more about the country, but also to learn more things about yourself. I highly recommend it to you if you want to travel and live something authentic with the Colombians.

You will have the opportunity to improve your professional skills while having fun and meeting new people.

I went with the COLead3rs program in 2015 after graduating college as a way to gain experience and travel. I was planning to stay 1 year, and I ended up staying 3 YEARS! Its that good! This is a program that allows you to develop your own skills, learn indefinitely, take responsibility and initiative, travel, and so much more. They cater to the participant's skills and always give support where needed. You have many opportunities to travel, both with work and independently. Colombia is an immensely beautiful country and the people are warm and welcoming.

I cannot explain how much I recommend this program. I made lifelong friends and Colombia is another home to me. If you have any doubts, just reach out. This is an experience you will never regret!

Nowadays most volunteers are afraid to go to Colombia and they are losing opportunities! You will be surprised how beautiful this country is. It is full of waterfalls, mountains, national parks, friendly people and dances. At first I was hesitating about traveling here, but after being here for 6 months, I decided to stay for one more year. And most of my friends did the same, no wonder why. I live near Bogota, so the temperature here is +20• C the whole year. No extra clothes is needed, just jeans, sneakers, a raincoat and a t-shirt are fine.

This is a great opportunity that can be as involved as you want it to be with opportunities to work on other YMCA projects across the country. You work m-f during school hours and lead English activities with kids. People from many walks of life participate in the program and can create lasting friendships and deep connections in Colombia. I met a Colombian roommate and we loved happily together in a beautiful apartment, went out to explore many cities near and far. There is SO much to get to know in Colombia, and Colombians are happy to tell you about it! Vibrant culture full of dancing, the culture is refreshingly not rat-racey. My job was light and fun, I could stay here much longer. My suggestion is to have a bit of money in a savings account, I spent around $800 over six months on top of my stipend to travel a lot. The truth is, however, the stipend is a normal Colombian monthly wage. The history, the nature, diversity, the friendly people, in general the lifestyle are just amazing. Many layers to get to understand such a complex and beautiful place!

Although my experience was rather brief, It was a pleasure working with YMCA, learning about the program and it's workers, and being able to meet all of those involved with the program. They made us feel like a part of a family even though our time in the program was short. Being a part of the schools in Colombia was also a beautiful experience, especially when it came to meeting all the teachers, staff, and students. It was first experience teaching, and I feel it will perhaps be my most memorable one.