Developing World Connections - Volunteering in Guatemala

“Cii,” said a Guatemalan lady, while just behind her a mariachi band played and her boyfriend kneeled on one knee crying tears of joy. A group of us stood on the other side of the street cheering, as we had just witnessed a marriage proposal. The next day while walking through the town we heard a similar mariachi band. The seven of us instantly began dancing until our group leader, Teresa, said that the mariachi band was there for a funeral. This funeral was for an eleven-year-old girl who had committed suicide because she could no longer cope with the domestic violence she faced at home. This was the first time I cried during my volunteer trip to Guatemala. In Guatemala, mariachi bands are not only used for celebratory events, but also during times of grief. This volunteer trip was organized through DWC, a non-profit organization that connects volunteers to communities in developing nations. Our group worked with Open Windows, a foundation that runs a children’s learning center in San Miguel Duenas. We built a room for a family of six and taught English to elementary school students. This valuable experience taught me many things including cultural diversity and that I can make a difference in the everyday lives of those less fortunate. It also taught me about suffering, especially domestic violence, an issue we often ignore as a society and it ignited my passion for addressing social issues.

Developing World Connections does an incredible job of organizing meaningful trips & the trip coordinator, Thomas, is amazing & always available to answer any of your questions! Volunteering through DWC has been so life changing! It is not only a great opportunity to make meaningful friendships with those that are part of your team, but also gives you a chance to put your life into perspective & understand the significance of connecting with those that have a different background from yourself. Being of service puts one in touch with the needs of humanity and helps one understand that changing the world is a community effort. If you are interested in developing connections & doing meaningful & life-changing work, I highly recommend going on a DWC volunteer trip!

A group of twelve of us volunteered to build a family a small home in the village of San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala. We worked diligently on the project for two weeks. The good parts for me was learning about the country, its people, and how things get done. We left for the worksite at 8:00 and returned about 3:30. We stayed in nearby Antigua - a much larger centre. Breakfast was provided at a nearby café, lunch was in a private home near the project, and dinners was our choice at any restaurant in Antigua. It worked quite well.
Everyone on our team gave 100% while working on the house. We essentially were unskilled and unpaid labourers assisting the bricklayers with supplies and materials. it was rewarding to see this cinder block house (10 x 17 feet) take shape. A regret is that we could not finish it before we had to leave. One concern is that I might have preferred to work on a community project rather than a home for just one family but nevertheless it still improved the lives of a few people in this rather poor part of the country. I feel positive about the entire experience.

volunteering in guatemala was an amazing experience! developing world connections and its partner in guatemala, open windows foundation, were great. we got to do so much and see so much in a short time, and the people i met were amazing. honestly, it was so much fun and i can't wait to do another volunteering trip abroad!

If someone told me pre- Guatemala that I was going to come home a different person, I may or may not have believed them. 3.5 weeks later, after an unforgettable and life changing trip, I now can't fathom my life without Guatemala and the people I met while volunteering abroad.

My experience with DWC was very positive; there were so many opportunities to teach and interact with young children and participate in manual labor projects (painting, gardening, rebuilding a school etc.) The people we met in Guatemala were very friendly and the other youth on the service trip were not only fun to be around but also keen to give back to the local communities we worked with.

I would highly recommend this program; I will forever cherish the time I spent in Guatemala and the adventure I shared with my fellow volunteers.

The experience in Guatemala was incredible, and provided a lot of help for the local community, while simultaneously providing a life-changing experience for our team of university students. After Tropical Storm Agatha hit Guatemala, the community of San Miguel Duenas (where we were scheduled to be building a house) was severely damaged. In the end we did a broad range of tasks, such as repairing homes, repairing schools, interacting with local kids and youth, and generally just helping where we were needed. We were partnered with a local organization called the Open Windows Foundation, founded by an amazing woman who directed our groups work. We were lucky enough to stay in her beautiful colonial house just outside of Antigua, where we enjoyed great accomodation and good meals. Our group was also lucky enough to save some leftover budget money for traveling and we got to see more of what Guatemala had to offer. Overall, we had some struggles and a few hard times regarding the work, but everyone came out of this experience with an extremely positive view.