Program Reviews

Seriously one of the best programs I have ever participated in... the positive impact on Oaxacan youth was amazing! Volunteers truly integrated into the host communities, leading educational workshops, fundraising for projects, and supporting youth-led community based initiatives. The connection with host communities was immediate and I loved learning about the strong indigenous roots. Truly one of the best summers of my life. Oaxaca city itself is amazing, and I would love to return back there for a few months if I could!

As volunteers, we'd wake up around 8 am and walk to a different house each day for breakfast lunch and dinner. The whole community knew that we were present and were very welcoming. The kids were extremely enthusiastic to play and work with us. Difficulties we had were just communicating with the president of the town to gather the materials we needed for the community project, but it worked out in the end. We had a rocky living situation in the beginning but that was also fixed after the first week. Overall, it was a great experience. The community was very welcoming, the town and scenery were beautiful and we had healthy meals throughout the whole trip.

The two months that I spent living in a small rural village in Oaxaca, Mexico has greatly influenced my life in numerous ways. Firstly, it showed me the privilege that I've had in my life. Whether it was the many showers taken with a bucket of cold water taken from a creek that made me realize that not everyone had hot potable water available to them at any time in in a nice clean warm bathroom; the short walk to the latrine that made me think about the absurdity that I not only have a toilet with water in it, but perfectly potable water nonetheless - in my toilet; spending all day every Sunday laboriously washing my clothes by hand while praising the person who had the good sense to invent washing machines and how spectacular it is to be hooked up to a power line that powers many appliances that do much of the work for you; or whether it was listening to my host dad's stories of the hardships of trying to cross the border into the US in order to make money to send it back to his family in Mexico that made me wonder at my good fortune to be born into a middle class family in the United States, I have gained an appreciation for much of the commonalities and hidden (and not so hidden) privileges in life. Secondly I gained a whole new perspective on different aspects of life: what is it about (money or family?), differences in gender roles between our two cultures (in the village there, woman did do all of the cooking and clothes washing for the whole family and men went to work, both were very involved in their children's development - I met some of the best dad's I've ever known there, and they found it hilarious (but accepted) when I asked to cook with the women of the village), people's goals, family relations, etc.

Now of course, not all of it was peachy. There were moments where I missed my family and friends in the US terribly and longed for heated house and my own bed. There were times that I thought my family in the US would be disappointed with my time there because sometimes, stuff didn't get done as fast as many Americans are used to it getting done. And there were times where all I really craved was some good ol' refined sugar and a hamburger. This however would inevitably pass, and taught me to not take for granted my family and my friends.

Yes, there were tough times, and yes, there were times that I laughed uncontrollably and had huge amounts of fun. In all it was an amazing experience that words cannot completely describe, but one that I wouldn't ever forgo if I had the choice to do it again.

Being an Amigo in Oaxaca, Mexico, was one of the best things I have ever done. I was able to meet people and explore their culture, language and different ways of thinking and living in a way that I would never have been able to do without AMIGOS. This experience widened my perspective and my quest for a deeper understanding of different people.

I recommended this to all who have an interest in Latin culture, service learning, and leadership.
While I was there we held educational summer camp classes for kids ages 7-12 about nutrition, health, the environment and natural foods.

I loved the experience but I'm not sure if I would do it again anytime soon. I remember crying the first 2 weeks because I wanted to go home since I was not comfortable in a house with a latrine. It takes some getting used to. Eventually I had to move to another host family which was a better fit host family for me. By the end of my trip I was crying because I didn't want to leave. The first month or two that I came back to the U.S., I was longing to be in the Dominican Republic and found any way possible of communication with my friends from over there. The phone bill even reached the $500 mark due to long distance calls.... Now I look back at it and absolutely loved that it happened but am not sure if I am willing to go through all of that emotional stress a second time. It was definitely a character building experience for me, and the challenge helped me to grow.

My time spent in Paraguay last Summer was something I will keep with me for the rest of my life. I miss it every day and wish I could go back more than anything. What I miss most about it all is the people I met and the relationships I formed. I made great friends with my host family, the people in my community, and other volunteers on the trip. Of course, it was not always easy. I found days (especially when it rained) where I faced extreme boredom, or when I felt like nothing was going to plan. But that's the beauty of it, you NEVER know what to expect. No two people's experiences will ever be the same. I would reccomend amigos de las americas in a heart beat, it was something that changed my life and I can't thank the organization enough for that.

I volunteered with AMIGOS in 2000 in a small community between Neiba and Barahona. I lived with two other high school volunteers from the USA in a small, rural community. We stayed with host families and volunteered with the school and helped to get a project started that would create a communal park space for children to play. The program was 8 weeks long and very hot and dusty! The best thing was that the people were so nice and loving, like our own families. Even though the power went off frequently, the bachata, merengue, and salsa music never stopped flowing! Since then, I've been inspired to volunteer with the Peace Corps and eventually become a Spanish teacher. I still volunteer with AMIGOS, but as a trainer for volunteers preparing to go abroad, and as a board member with my local chapter. This organization has only gotten better over the years since I was a volunteer. I definitely recommend this program to anybody with the desire to get to know the people and community in which they'll live, and to volunteer their time for the projects.

I lived in a small community situated on the side of a mountain at an elevation of about 11,000 ft. A typical day consisted of milking cows, harvesting corn, working with the local children, playing lots of soccer and basketball and engaging community members in discussions about the importance of youth leadership, community development, government and lighter topics such as sports or life in America. AMIGOS is a supportive program that gives its volunteers the freedom to accomplish the most in their respective communities while offering a strong framework for success. I cannot express my love and gratitude for this program that positively altered my life forever. If you are a student looking for adventures, an unparallelled cultural immersion experience and the opportunity to form life-long bonds with people in another country, AMIGOS is the perfect program.

I went to Paraguari, Paraguay for 8 weeks summer of 2011. I had a great time! I worked in a community of about 230 people and my friend and I built latrines, planted trees, ran well over 100 hours of kids educational camps, encouraged participation in a photography project and made efforts to encourage community members to keep their community clean by organizing clean up days and buying trash cans. I had the opportunity to make new friends both in the U.S.A and in Paraguay, improve my Spanish, learn some Guarani, improve my leadership skills and discover the new culture. I am definately excited to volunteer with AMIGOS in the future!