Projects Abroad Volunteer Programs in Argentina

I went from October-December (November has the best weather in my opinion) to do a childcare and teaching English project. In the morning I would go to a nursery on the outskirts of the city and help the teachers to give the children breakfast, organise craft projects and help with supervision at break times. I had lunch at home and then went to an English institute where I worked as a teaching assistant.

My host family lived in the suburbs which was perfect as it was a 10 minute walk to the park and we were only a block away from a main road with lots of bars and restaurants. I really liked them and one of the highlights for me was that there were two other volunteers living in my house who I got to know really well. I also enjoyed spending time with the other volunteers and even though we all did different projects we saw each other at least once a week for our socials which the Projects Abroad staff really put a lot of effort into and this made such a difference as we all got on so well and could organise trips to nearby places at the weekend.

The only thing I think I would change would be that I only worked at a public school one day a week and the English institute where I worked four days a week had fairly privileged students. However, I really enjoyed my afternoons at the institute as the staff were all lovely and one of the teachers has already come to stay with me in the UK!

I spent a month on the care program in Argentina and it was really an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life! Not only was it enjoyable but it was a huge learning experience in many ways: a new culture, being exposed to the language, working with children and living with a host family. Each day we would spend time at a day care centre, overseeing children and helping with their daily activities, and in the afternoons I had a Spanish lesson and usually finish with a fun activity in the evening. On the weekends we would also go on cultural excursions eg to national parks (beautiful!) or the inner city for example. I was never bored during my time there. The staff were all so friendly and helpful and overall I had a wonderful time.

Volunteered in a paediatric hospital in Córdoba, Argentina. Worked in various departments, such as A&E and dermatology. This was a great opportunity for me to sharpen my intra-personal skills, like communication and problem solving, since I worked within teams in an environment, which is very different both economically and culturally to the one in the UK. Also, I built quite a lot of practical experience, which helped me build my CV.

As the healthcare system in Argentina is quite different to the one in the UK, many people who are on the poverty line struggle to afford basic healthcare and by the time those patients are seen by specialists, the disease is at an advanced stage, which would not be observable in the UK. Therefore, you would be able to see many communicable diseases at advanced stages.

During your time in Argentina, you will be placed in a local host family, where you can meet other volunteers. Argentina is a very beautiful country and there are plenty of places to explore and travel around, sights like the Iguazú waterfall found on the boarder with Brazil or historical sights like Che Guevara's local house.

For 6-months I volunteered with Projects Abroad in Argentina. During the day I worked in a materinty hospital and once a week in a children hospital, additonally, twice a week in the afternoon, I thought adults english. Projects Abroad supported me in every step of the journey, including changing host families, looking for more volunter opportunities and for activities to do on the weekend. During my time I was never bored and enjoyed every minute of my experience to the fullist. Even when times got rough and I was sick Projects Abroad was there for me and a staff member brought me to the hospital any waited with me at 3 am in the morning for 4 hours. If you are looking for an amzing opportunity to volunteer, I can only recommend Projects Abroad.

I spent less than 2 months in Cordoba, Argentina, volunteering in the children's hospital Niño Jesus (in the medical program) and in the girls' jail and foster home (human rights program). A part from the practical sides of my experience, it's been certainly life-changing for me, I was blocked in that moment of life, couldn't get ahead with my studies or figure out what else I'd want to do. This cultural exchange (for me it's mostly this aspect I value after 4 years) allowed me to shift perspectives on the world and on my life, and helped me to move on. Besides blessing me with incomparable longterm friendships: I'm regularly in contact with my host-mother who has become like an overseas aunt to me and I have to dear friends that I still meet up with once in a while. But of course the human aspect is also a question of good luck, as always.

As far as the volunteering work is concerned I have mixed feelings: the medical "internship" was not so exciting for me, coming from medical school most things weren't new to me and the aspect I loved most was the interaction with patients, observing the social and cultural habits of the families. I wasn't able to do anything practical, but that is normal in hospitals where nobody knows you.
Therefore I'd recommend the medical program mostly for whom has just graduated high school and is curious about the environment. Just know that you'll only get to watch.

That's also the reason for which I especially loved the work with the girls, both in the foster home and in juvie: we organized games to play, dance sessions, we taught the older ones how to write a CV and we always brought Coke and snacks. I loved spending time with them , learning about their stories and struggles and thinking that I had made their afternoon a bit brighter.

Regarding the ProjectsAbroad team I must say that they were all welcoming and helpful in explaining public transportation, how to get around from our home to our "workplace" and they were available at any hour of the day if we were having problems or doubts.
(I spent my first night at the airport because my tutor got my arrival date wrong on his agenda - but as I said, you need luck and you don't always get some. I didn't get much sleep but nothing bad happened to me, he was dreadfully sorry, over a hot cup of coffee we had a laugh about it and I had my first good story to tell).
Once a week they organized a "social night" (dinner, bowling, cooking class, etc) which was great to get to know volunteers of other programs and get to know the nightlife of the city a little better.
These get-togethers were also a perfect occasion to plan our 1 or 2-day bus trips for the weekends. In those occasions I've been to Buenos Aires (tango), Mendoza (winetasting), Salta (trip to the salt desert) , horse-riding in La Cumbre, hiking in Villa General Belgrano - with the night bus you can actually get quite far.

In conclusion I'd like to urge everybody who has the possibility to travel far, be curious, work with locals, talk to all kinds of people, challenge yourself and overcome your worries about what you could or couldn't be able to do. You have to give it a chance in order to find out! Whatever may happen and whomever you encounter, you'll always go home richer, more openminded and closer to being a "citizen of the world", what we should all aspire to become these days, at least in my opinion.

Good luck and enjoy your adventure!

I was only 18 when I participated to this program. It definitely changed my point of view and my future plans. I'm know becoming a lawyer specialized in youth law because I couldn't stand the fact that such young adolescents have to live in prison as they were just victims of big injustice and left alone. I want know to help them recovering from such situations. To experience such meetings with the girl was me tally hard to bare but also so unbelievable that you want to help them. This experience helped me also to dare facing homeless people. Now I am not afraid of them anymore, I see them as people first and not as poor. Being able to help them fulfill some important document to get insurance was also satisfying because I felt really useful.

Projects Abroad is a great organization that helps you to volunteer abroad. It is truly a unique experience to travel abroad and help a foreign community in some way! While I was working with Projects Abroad this I was in Argentina volunteering for Human Rights. It’s been a great time working with those who often times lack a voice in modern society, predominantly juvenile criminals and the homeless in my case, and seeing the meaningful impact you can have on a foreign community. Through my volunteer work I believe I made a meaningful impact on and contribution to the communities I visited, which is something rare for many travelers.

Besides having a great experience and wonderful selection of programs across the globe, Projects Abroad has an amazing staff. The Project coordinators and Advisers help you to get accustomed to the local culture and guide you throughout your experience. In addition, you are also placed with a host family. My host my in Argentina was amazing and extremely welcoming, having conversations with me about her life everyday and preparing meals. My world view has truly changed after this transformative experience!

I had a great experience in Cordoba, Argentina, and I would recommend it again! I stayed in Cordoba for ten weeks as a human rights intern.

The human rights internship is good for any age or professional level, as it is flexible. We participated regularly in three to four main activities, but we often went to other events and were asked to create our own research projects. My favorite regular thing we did was act as peer mentors for young women in a correctional facility, and my favorite event was marching on International Women's Day in favor of safe, legal abortions and to bring awareness to femicide.

Cordoba is a good city to live in for volunteers with tighter budgets like myself. The city is centered in the Sierra mountains, so there are LOTS of places with day-trip potential nearby, and the buses were inexpensive and reliable. My favorite trips involved hiking--Capilla del Monte and Las Cascadas. In Cordoba, there are art fairs, street performances, and events all the time, as well as some really good art museums.

I would definitely recommend that volunteers brush up on their Spanish! I went with very little, and I was not able to afford PA's Spanish lessons, so I relied mostly on immersion to learn. I learned quite a bit, anyone like me with little Spanish would be able to do it and have a great experience--however having a better grip on the language will give you a more dynamic experience overall. Having spent two and a half months in Argentina I am motivated to learn more Spanish, so that my next experience will be even better. I am planning on taking Spanish when I start school next fall.

I genuinely recommend this project for anyone looking into human rights work as a career, like me. It gives a good, in-depth look at work in the non-profit sector. Additionally, Argentina's past struggles with human rights in the 1970s and 80s gave me context for everything we were working on--it is a good country to learn in and from if you need an introduction to human rights advocacy.