Voluntary work in Latin America

Voluntary work in Latin America is an excellent way to explore one of the world's most exciting regions for travel and ‘give something back' to some of the countries you visit at the same time.

Learn a language - If you do some voluntary work in Latin America you will often visit places few other backpackers travelling on conventional tours ever venture to - which makes for a far more exciting ‘off the beaten track' travel experience. What's more all of Gap Year For Grown Ups ‘Voluntary work in Latin America' programmes give you the opportunity to learn Spanish (or Portuguese in Brazil). Learning some of the local language during your voluntary work in Latin America means you will get so much more out of the experience - locals always greatly appreciate your efforts if you speak to them in Spanish and it generally makes life far easier when you are travelling through more remote areas.

Voluntary work in Latin America is also a great way to meet both other like-minded travellers and local people. When you do voluntary work in Latin America you work closely with local people on a daily basis - meaning you get to know them on a far more genuine level and gain a much more balanced understanding of their culture and way of life. Aside from being an excellent way to fully experience local culture, if you are taking a career break voluntary work in Latin America also has practical benefits too. The new skills and experiences you acquire during the course of your voluntary work in Latin America greatly enhance your CV and illustrate to potential employers that you used your gap year constructively.

Above all, however, voluntary work in Latin America is all about making a positive contribution to places you visit on your career break. It's always important to remember when you are travelling that you are in an extremely privileged situation that many of the local people you meet could only ever dream of experiencing. By choosing to do some voluntary work in Latin America you are giving up just a small part of your time to help those less fortunate than yourself.

In order to provide just a brief idea of the diverse range of projects you could get involved with if you do some voluntary work in Latin America here are three examples…

Voluntary work in Latin America - Bolivia

If you like the idea of travelling to one of Latin America's less visited countries you could opt to volunteer at an orphanage in the Bolivian city of Sucre helping to care for abandoned children.

Voluntary work in Latin America - Guatemala

If you are passionate about animals you could volunteer at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre in Guatemala helping to rehabilitate wild animals who have been rescued from black market smugglers.

Voluntary work in Latin America - Peru

One of Latin America's most popular destinations (and deservedly so) is the ‘lost' Inca city of Machu Picchu in the stunning setting of the Andean Mountains of Peru. Volunteers on GYFGU's ‘Machu Picchu' project help campaign for improved working conditions and rights for the porters who help transport tourist equipment such as tents on the Inca Trail.

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