My experience

I spent ten months in Neiva teaching English at SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, a network of free, nationwide, vocational training colleges in Colombia), on a co-teaching programme organised by Greenheart Travel in collaboration with an organisation called Volunteers Colombia. I studied Spanish at university, partly because I had always wanted to go to Latin America. The programme allowed me to make that happen with the security of a job, a Regional Coordinator to direct any worries or questions to, and a monthly stipend. They provided lots of help with visa documentation and other heavily paperwork-based tasks such as getting a bank account, which was much appreciated as it was my first time having to do all that (I am British, and had previously only lived abroad in Europe). Neiva is a small, not particularly well-known city, which I liked as it was easy to feel at home in a short time, and hardly anyone spoke English. I loved it because it is hot all year round, and there are interesting places to visit nearby, most notably the Tatacoa Desert (highly recommended). Living there was a world of new experiences and insights in to Colombian culture, as well as a lot of staring at my blonde hair and tall frame, which stemmed from curiosity as to why I was there. I think it's important to be open to being placed anywhere, and to remember that there are pros and cons to each city/town. I probably wouldn't have been able to fund weekend trips with my stipend so easily if I had been placed in a bigger, more expensive city. At SENA I taught young people and adults who were training to work in accountancy and business, subjects which I know almost nothing about, but that was OK because most of the English classes we gave were basic, general English. Occasionally we would do a subject-specific class or activity, and I would have to do my research in advance! I was lucky to work with really supportive and enthusiastic teachers, who understood the co-teaching model (ie. they didn't usually leave me to teach the class alone, or not include me in their lesson planning). Your experience can depend a lot on who you work with, but you shouldn't let that put you off. The most important thing I learnt was how to be flexible and open to last-minute changes of plan, which happen a lot in Colombia.. I fell in love with the country and I am still here more than a year later, now working in Pereira on a different educational project. I would definitely recommend Greenheart programmes as an accessible way to move abroad and experience something new, with support when you need it.