Make a REAL difference in Mexico with Love Volunteers!

I was teaching English in a small town, called Temixco, in the state of Morelos, Mexico for four weeks during which I enriched with lots of new experiences that will last for a lifetime.
I had previous knowledge about Mexico as one of my majors at the university was Spanish but learning about a country and being actually there are two completely different things.
Unfortunately what Europeans know or hear about Mexico is mostly the dark side of things, the negative news that spreads across the media, little known about the other side of Mexico that I was fortunate enough to get acquainted with.
The school I volunteered at was a private school, the owner and headmaster lives next door with his family. Maybe this is why the whole atmosphere was so friendly and inviting. There were three preschool classes and six primary classes. I was mainly helping out the teacher of the primary students as I could help more there with my pronunciation. Every day I had lunch with the students at the canteen, I tried all kinds of traditional Mexican dishes. The children were very interested in me and my country, my British pronunciation, the weather there. I joined in the preparation of the performances for the Mexican Revolution Day and also did some pre-Christmas preparation, such as decorating the school. The children are very active here as I noticed, they needed to exercise a bit, so we often took them out in the schoolyard for some fun activities and games to practice pronunciation for example. After these games they could concentrate more on their learning.
During my voluntary work, I stayed at a local woman's resort, named Estela. She is a real Mexican woman, knows a lot about her country and cooks delicious, mostly vegetarian food. In her home, I got to know some members of her family, her sisters, brothers and mother as they have a very close relationship. A few years ago Estela invited the local children in need in her home, cooked them healthy food, taught them English. Although nowadays she's focusing on other projects, she still cares about the community she lives in, helps the local women and children, educates them and organizes interesting activities or outings.
Temixco is a little town, there is not much to do there but Cuernavaca, the capital of the state is just half an hour away. I used both the local buses and taxis without any problem. Although I tried to get back to my accommodation before sunset as it is not safe for a single woman to be on the street late night.
Whoever is thinking about going to Mexico should consider the fact that there are not many volunteers here. My goal was to make friend with local people and stuff at the school. This is why I chose to come here in the first place, to polish my Spanish knowledge and to get to know the Mexican people.
With the accommodation do not expect too much, Estela's house is a bit chaotic but welcoming. There are constantly some kids of work on it. Not all the windows are glazed for example, And when the temperature goes below 15 at night, it can be chilly inside so bring some warm trousers and jumpers. She has two big dogs that are mostly outside in the garden and several cats that come and go in the house. I like pets so I had no problems with this situations, I just want to warn future volunteers who might have allergies.
On the weekends I was free so I tried to explore and see as much as possible. Estela organized trips to some famous places and sights, such as pyramids, natural springs, caves. She very keen to show me how much treasure this country has. I was impressed by the richness of this land.
To put it in a nutshell, Mexico is a very colourful and fascinating country with diverse landscape and amazing culture. I found wonderful friends here, visited many places but one should always has to be cautious, especially in big cities.
Just one more thing to finish, I have to go back there!

I went alone to mexico in january 2011 , i had an amazing experience helping out in a local community with estela, being my host . The city was a three hour bus ride from Mexico,cuernavaca. Each day i worked along side Estela in providing health care and learning for the children of the city. I helped teach english during the evenings as well as playing with the children . Each day a task was set out, from painting and making the centre look inviting . Estela used her home as a visiting centre for the children of the locality as well as tours from all over the usa.As well as having a degree in natural medicine Estela would cook for the local children , teach them english , use her home as a safe environment for the children. I was welcomed as one of her own family and on my days off i would get to visit the breautiful scenery , volcnoes, pyramids, natural springs.

During this stay i forgot about all my stress in western europe, and i returned a more relaxed person, i will return in the next year , i had a wonderful experience.

We learned a great deal during our time as volunteers and guests in Temixco. Estela seems to be gradually realizing and defining her vision of a center for her community. Her center, which is based in her home and garden, offers a place to play, eat, take classes, and use her temezcal (Mexico traditional sweat lodge) for children and adults of the community, the same community she grew up in. Some of the most admirable things she offers are healthy snacks and meals for children who don't have enough to eat at home, a garden and home in which members of this sometimes struggling neighborhood can relax, and free English classes for the community. She possesses a real sense of the realities of the area, as well as a genuine wish to give and help.
The most satisfying activity for Peter and me was teaching English to a group of wonderful kids from the neighborhood. Other tasks included cleaning, painting, and doing yardwork in her center and in the health center of a colleague. She explained that the local orphanage, understandably, prefers volunteers who can commit a serious amount of time as the children take time to build trust and then get attached. She also explained that when volunteers stay a month or longer, she sets up regular and individualized work for them, such as regular yoga classes that one volunteer, who stayed several months, offered to children. Volunteers who are on shorter visits tend to stick to more basic tasks, and help, generally, with whatever small chores need to be done.
Estela's organization is small and new; she is, it seems, still clarifying its structure and breadth. Volunteers should be able to tolerate ambiguity, able to handle a somewhat unstructured environment.
We stayed in the upstairs of Estela's home and center. This provided an inevitable and very enriching integration with her family, almost all of whom live close by and are constantly stopping by. Her brother, who lives next door and is a professional language teacher, gave us personalized Spanish classes. Her mother, who lives down the road, cooked for us, showed us how to make pinatas, and was always welcoming. Her many siblings and neighbors came by and were extremely nice. Estela and the women in her family cooked us authentic dishes. When we expressed interest in a certain neighboring town or site, Estela often arranged a visit with herself or one of her sisters as a guide. We were taken to extraordinary archeological and natural sites, caves, mountains, ruins, and villages.
Estela maintains some very strong convictions. She is interesting, well-meaning, and well educated. However, volunteers should be prepared to accept her views on health, lifestyle, and community. They should be ready for a mostly vegetarian diet and should be aware that there is no alcohol in her home. Volunteers should be flexible and tolerant.

All in all, the experience offered a glance into the lives of the people in this community. We were made to feel a part of this community. These were a very interesting two weeks and a wonderful way to start the New Year.