Program Reviews

I had an amazing time working with Safe Passage in Guatemala city. The program allowed me to improve on my skills in the areas that I was particularly interested in, as well as create beautiful connections with the staff and community members involved. The community that Safe Passage works with is a very challenging environment, and the volunteer program provides so much support that I felt safe and encouraged the entire time. Donnica was an incredible influence on my time there, she provides such positive and supportive energy, I couldn't have has such a wonderful experience without her.
I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in a challenge where they can provide immediate impact and be involved in a real community.

Safe Passage has given more to me than I have given to them. I first came to Safe Passage in January 2017 thinking I would only be there for six months. Almost two years later, I am still in Guatemala, working with Camino Seguro, living a life I never imagined in the best way. In this time, I have gained so much knowledge about the resilience of the community where I work and the abilities of myself as an individual. The staff and volunteer here are so fun and supportive, and the students that I work with as an English tutor ensure that no day is ever boring. It truly is an experience that has helped me grow in a plethora of ways.

This volunteership has introduced me to a world so different from the one I grew up in. The Basurero in Guatemala City represents a humanitarian crisis, and volunteering here has brought me in direct contact with the parents and children of the local community. In working with them as a maths tutor and primary classroom assistant, I have learned how much can be achieved when we put our heads together, and how the human spirit will fight whatever odds. The volunteer team and staff are a collection of caring, gritty individuals who have been a pleasure to work alongside. I feel like a much stronger, experienced person as a result of my time here.

I am currently volunteering at Camino Seguro and I have loved every moment. They have a great saftey network established in the area that you work which is important as the community can be a dangerous place. There is such a huge ammount of support when you need it, and the project is so fulfilling to work within.
You are able to adapt what you are doing to all your skills and they are very flexible.
My spanish has improved immensely as you work with mainly Guatemalan employees, this experience has helped me move from a beginner in spanish to intermediate within a couple of weeks.
I also love living in Antigua as it has such a vibrant and fun community.
Thanks for having me Camino Seguro!

I worked as a long-term volunteer with 2nd / 3rd grade children at Safe Passage from July 2005 till July 2006. Since then, I have visited the project several times for shorter periods in 2007, 2008 and 2010 and each time was amazed by the rapid progress of the organization and the children that it takes care of.

Main tasks of the volunteers include assisting the Guatemalan teachers in their respective classrooms (helping children with their homework, organizing art lessons, workshops, games, etc.), teaching a particular age group in the highly interactive English program, organizing sport lessons in the Sports program or taking over long-term roles such as IT teacher or responsible of the project’s library. Volunteers receive a formalized training at the beginning of their stay and are placed to make best use of their capabilities.

The personal impact volunteers have obviously depends on the length of stay – long-term volunteers are able to develop a much more personal relationship with their colleagues, the children and their families, meaning that their guidance and help – especially in difficult periods – becomes extremely valuable. At the same time, short-term volunteers introduce fresh ideas, offer new perspectives and are absolutely necessary to “keep the project going”. In any case, the volunteering experience at Safe Passage is extremely rewarding – teachers, children and families are very welcoming and open, the working atmosphere (with extremely motivated volunteers and staff from all over the world) is great and realizing how little it takes to contribute to making a huge difference in so many lives is a great lesson by itself.

During my various visits, I have witnessed constant improvements of the program: It nowadays not only targets children, but also their families and the entire community – parents can join the literacy program and community events are organized throughout the year. Furthermore, normal school education is complemented with sports, art and health programs; violence / drug prevention programs and professional psychological support for some of the children are other very important components that have been added in recent years. Even more impressive is the personal progress of many of the kids enrolled in the program – it is great to see how some of them develop into real personalities and young leaders in their community and finish school with ambitious plans for life.

From a donor’s perspective, it would be nice if the impact of the program (number of students graduating, etc.) could be measured on a regular basis. While personal accounts and stories are certainly inspiring and important, impact metrics would help to make the work even more transparent.