My incredible 3-weeks in Bogotá with IVHQ

I've always known that I would volunteer internationally one day. I knew I wanted to teach and I knew it would be somewhere in America Latina: the only thing I didn't know was how should I do it. Then, one day, I saw that a colleague of mine was volunteering with IVHQ in Indonesia and I immediately searched all I could about the organization and I understood it would be my best option: they guaranteed me support, a house, food, contact with other volunteers and specific programs for a very decent value (I'm aware that the idea of "paying to volunteer" may be weird for some but, in my case, I knew I was paying for safety and all-time support and, being my first experience, I needed that to be confident enough to do something like this).
In the pre-volunteering weeks all my questions were answered in time and with detail, making me more excited and hopeful for the weeks to come.The volunteering itself was everything i could have asked for. I was lucky enough to meet some amazing volunteers that I will keep in my heart forever, with whom i visited Bogota, went out at night, travelled to other parts of Colombia on weekends, arranged future get-together's... The coordinators were kind and helpful, treating us like family and making sure we always felt at home. The house was always clean and cosy and, honestly, I felt so much at my own house during those weeks that I even miss that bunk bed. And last but definitely not least: the programs. I taught English to young kids and university students, contrasting environments that allowed me to interact with different people and be aware of the different struggles they go through. Moreover, I was allowed to help in other projects, such as the homeless one, and to have all these possibilities was incredibly rewarding.
Therefore, my advice is simple: if you want to volunteer with an organization that guides you through all steps and makes sure you have the most fulfilling experience ever than IVHQ is the right choice for you.