Volunteer in Cartagena, Colombia in Social Welfare Programs

I really enjoyed volunteering at the child care program with my mother for the last month .. I was an assistant at a foundation for Cartagenan children. sometimes I was a bit unsure what I should actually be doing the first couple of days. But as I just went with the flow, asked around, I adapted to the everyday life of the program and learned that the most important part of my job was to care for the children, play and give them the attention and love they need. I worked every day from 8 am until 1 pm, and although it was only 5 hours it could be very tiring as I was always around many kids. Then had Spanish lessons in the afternoons.
I worked with a group of 20 kids 2 year olds, and as my Spanish wasn’t the best, in the beginning, I had some trouble understanding them. However, as I improved my Spanish it was a lot easier to communicate and connect with them and that definitely improved my work experience.
It was a very giving experience and I am very happy to have been a part of the program. It was very good to see that foundation like this exist and gives poor children an opportunity to learn and to play with other children. They also eat nutritious food, and they all seemed very happy to be there. I would definitely recommend this Colombian program to others!

The program is really great for people who want to learn or improve their Spanish in an enriching and interesting way. I found that volunteering with the kids required a lot of energy but I adapted pretty quickly and it was very rewarding. One month was a short time to see a drastic change in their skills but you definitely have an influence on them. They would chant my name every day when I would arrive and leave and were full of positive energy. The people in Cartagena are extremely friendly to foreigners and not once did my safety feel threatened, even when I was traveling alone. A Broader View does a really great and comprehensive job preparing you for the trip and satisfying some of the uneasy curiosities you may have about the program, lifestyle, and traveling post-program. The staff is very prompt, accessible, and friendly. I spoke directly with the co-founder of the program, Sarah, and her efforts to thoroughly answer my questions made me feel cared for and confident in the program. Luis, the program coordinator, was the best. He let me have my independence but always made sure he knew what I was doing….which was easy since he lived above me. My host family was A-MAZING! They were too similar to me and I really felt comfortable and felt like I was at home after 1 week there. Freaky! Spanish instruction with Libary was also, wait for it….AMAZING! She is very intelligent, funny, dedicated and wants you to learn and improve. The lessons helped build my skills so that I felt extremely confident to travel alone after the program. Thank you, Cartagena. You have an amazing city full of rich history, great energy and culture. To sum it up, Great Experience.