"If anybody is looking for a place to volunteer in South America, look no further than Proyecto!" - Kathryn, United States

My final day of volunteering has come to a close and I leave for the United States tomorrow night. But before I finish this journey, I wanted to write one more post about the amazing organization that I have been volunteering for. 

That organization is Proyecto Horizonte located in Ushpa-Ushpa. They focus on healthcare, education, and local development.  I have been working with the education aspect by teaching English classes at a local school to students between the ages of 11 and 17. What amazes me about Proyecto is their dedication to improving the lives of the people in the community.  They want everyone to be educated and not just on science and math but also on living a healthy lifestyle. I have enjoyed getting to know everyone that works in the physiological department, the youth club, and the educational department. 

Another aspect of Proyecto is the volunteers that work there. During my time here there have been volunteers from the United States, Cananda, Germany, England and Bolivia. Volunteers travel from all over the world to work with this organization. Some stay as long as a year, while others volunteer for the summer. Each person has a different story but also comes from a different culture. During one conversation I am likely to hear English, Spanish, and German. One of the things that I will also remember about Proyecto is the chance to meet people from all over the world. 

I loved Proyecto ever since reading about them online before I came and when I was talking to the volunteer coordinator.  Although my first two weeks in Bolivia were an adjustment, the people at Proyecto supported me every step of the way.  Because of this organization, I have been able to learn about and appreciate the culture of Bolivia. If anybody is looking for a place to volunteer in South America,  look no further than Proyecto. Just do me a favor and know more about Bolivia and the city of Cochabamba than I did to try and prevent culture shock. 
The link to their website is below if anybody is looking for more information about this amazing organization. The website has information about volunteering, donating, or buying products from the local women's group. Feel free to email me or let me know if you have any questions as well!
http://www.ushpa-ushpa.com/

- Kathryn, United States

FLOWERS, GIFTS AND TEARS

Katia, a volunteer from Canada, writes about the celebration of Bolivia's National Teachers' Day that took place yesterday at one of the schools in Ushpa-Ushpa:

I chose to volunteer for Proyecto Horizonte mainly because of the numerous opportunities of involvement that are available to the volunteers. In the mornings I work as an assistant to the teacher of Inicial B, and I teach English to the elementary school students of the Unidad Educativa Rene Barrientos, one of the schools supported by Proyecto Horizonte. In the afternoons I go to the office of Proyecto Horizonte to help with administrative tasks and marketing. Although it is quite challenging, working with the kids is definitely one of the most rewarding experiences. Two months and a week into my volunteering at the school I have developed close ties with the kids of the Inicial and the children I teach English to. Yesterday the school celebrated Bolivia's National Teachers' Day. The parents and the kids arrived with gifts and flowers to thank the teachers for their hard work on this special day. I did not expect to receive so many flowers from the moms and my students. They also gave me two beautiful scarves and a very pretty jewelery box. I was very touched to see that they were so appreciative of my work even though I am a volunteer and not a qualified teacher. The kids and the moms were coming up to me giving me "besitos" and their best wishes. It almost brought me to tears. There were no classes held on that day. The teachers and I had the privilege to enjoy folcloric dancing prepared by some of the students. We were also served salteñas and coca cola. I was excited to find out that I was invited to a teachers' lunch held the following day. There are no words to describe how special and grateful I felt that entire day. The big hearts of the moms, the kids and the teachers of the school as well as those beautiful moments will forever be engraved in my memory.