VOLUNTEERING BETWEEN STUDYING VOCABULARY, VOLCANO HIKES, AND BACKPACKING
For Sally and Jacob from England and Ireland, a dream came true: a volunteer assignment in Guatemala. The two 23-year-old students wanted to take a break from studying and get to know Latin America better. So they decided to volunteer with The M Story. This assignment was not only special for them, but also for us, as their arrival marked the first international volunteers in our program.
Undoubtedly, a significant amount of courage is required to start a volunteer journey in Latin America. Even more courage is needed when traveling by yourself for the first time, especially to a country where you don't speak the local language. However, Sally and Jacob were undeterred by this challenge and seamlessly integrated their volunteer assignment with our language course. Thanks to their dedication, our teacher Evelyn's exciting teaching, and her patient approach, they were able to engage in small conversations in Spanish within no time.
During their stay, our first international volunteers not only learned Spanish, but also made life-changing experiences. While diligently spending their mornings learning Spanish, they took on the role of kindergarten teachers in the afternoons, providing English lessons to the children at our child care center Maison Michelle. As you can imagine, the classes were a highlight, not only for the children, but also for Sally and Jacob themselves.
Despite their action-packed days, it was important for us that both of them had enough time to explore the country and its people as well, to really indulge in Guatemala’s culture. Therefore, the two embarked on numerous volcano hikes, went kayaking, attended a festival, and strolled through the streets of Antigua.
A visit to Santa Barbara, with our school class in Suchitepéquez, provided them with a deeper insight into the real life of people in Guatemala. In Suchitepéquez, they actively participated from the very beginning, distributing food to the families together with our volunteers and providing English lessons to around 65 children. This day left an incredible impression on them. Witnessing the living conditions of poor people in rural Guatemala heightened their awareness of the standard of living in the country. Despite the challenging situation on-site, two things stood out to them: the immense joy of life and the children's enormous motivation to learn.
After their successful volunteer assignment, Sally and Jacob left Guatemala with mixed emotions. The stunning country quickly enchanted them. They filled their backpacks with beautiful memories and are certain that it's only a temporary farewell, as they plan to return to Guatemala soon.
