Guatemala

A group of us went to Guatemala to help build eco stoves in a mountain community with GVI. I was impressed with the amount of organization that GVI did prior to us going on the trip.I think it is also up to individuals to learn as much about the culture of the visiting country to enable their experience to be the best it can be. Our group was split up for the home stay because of our size but GVI did do everything they could to accomodate us as a group. We enjoyed the home stay with the added bonus of well prepared meals. Our afternoons were spent taking Spanish lessons . We can honestly say that for our trip GVI did all that they said they would. We did have a concern near the end about our last day and a tour that was to be included. Once we mentioned our concerns they were dealt with immediately. I think that each organization is only as good as the people who work for them and we felt that they were well represented by GVI " Joe." We did have spare time on our hands to do what we wished but our field support worker was available at any time if needed and did go out of his way to ensure we had transportation for excursions that we planned on our own time. I have read other comments about the cost of the program. I can only speak for the construction program but part of our costs covered the costs of one stove for a family per volunteer. This was very rewarding for us to be able to personally provide something that would enable families to live a healthier life, provide heat with very little wood and help alleviate concerns for the future with regards to respiratory illnesses,premature aging, and sustainability for the environment.
We were also able to go the market to help purchase supplies for the meal program at a local school which is also supported by Whole Foods. We have worked with other organizations who did provide meals but they were very limited in what was provided. We were able to see the amount of food each child receives and pleased at the variety ,freshness and nutritional value.
I think most people who go on these type of trips need to be flexible, adaptable and realize that each country and culture has a different way of doing things. It is not right or wrong ,, just different.

What amazed me most about my experience with Global Vision International (GVI) in Guatemala was the depth of the organization. Every day on my trip we would uncover new layers--nothing was without purpose and every function we performed, down to how the copy shop where we made our worksheets was chosen, was planned so as to have the greatest impact on the communities we were serving. The explicit goal of the project I served on was to educate the children of San Andrés de Itzapa, Guatemala, yet the project also taught gardening skills to the village women, replanted trees, provided food for the elderly, built stoves for local families and so much more. To this day I still don't fully comprehend the magnitude of what seemed like such a tiny operation.
As for my personal experience, it was definitely challenging. You spend long days at the school teaching children who are too tired and hungry to focus, only to return home at night and lesson plan. But the hours of work was beyond worth it for each and every small success or minute with a child. The kids are so grateful, so affectionate and so willing to learn, but they are also overworked and underfed so patience is a necessity.
To summarize, this is by no means an easy project, but I promise you it will be a rewarding one. Whether for 2 weeks or 10, you will meet people from all over the world, experience a culture different than your own, have a lifelong impact on a group of wonderful kids and be apart of something that is truly great.

My volunteer experience in Guatemala with ELI was amazing! I volunteered with a free clinic in the mountains of Tecpan, Guatemala and lived with a host family for 2 months. My days were spent going out to the rural areas surrounding Tecpan with both the local and volunteer doctors and nurses to provide free care to these communities. On the weekends I was able to travel to many other parts of this beautiful country as Tecpan is a quick bus ride to Antigua, making it easy to travel anywhere! ELI helped me feel well prepared for my time volunteering and traveling throughout Guatemala with Spanish lessons at the beginning of my trip. The support from the staff during my preparations for my time abroad was helpful and thorough, and the support continued during my time spent in Guatemala with frequent email check ins. I would recommend ELI to anyone! :)

I volunteered with GVI last year, teaching Indigenous children in Guatemala. Trying to sum up the experience in one sentence is hard, but if I had to it would simply be that it has been a life changing experience. Not necessarily how I live my life, as it’s impossible to try and physically live life differently when you’re back home in a developed country, but it has changed the way I think and perceive the world. I’m so much more grateful for the things I have; a roof over my head, an education, food and water whenever I like, the opportunity to choose a career, friends, free time to spend with friends! The children I was teaching had very little in terms of material possessions, were working from dawn til dusk with only a 3 hour break to come to school, and had barely enough to eat. Yet everyday when they walked into my class they smiled and gave me a hug! They were so appreciative of every little thing that I did, it really does make you think about what’s important in life and how privileged we really are. It was nice to give something back. It was nice to see that for 3 hours a day, these kids could just be kids. Whether playing football, chasing each other or drawing, they were 8 year olds, not adults. It was a privilege to be able to meet the children, teach them and get to know them.
Away from the school, there are too many experiences to tell you about that I had the chance to do, as I would be glued to the computer for an eternity if I did! Some of the highlights though were living in the beautiful city of Antigua, hiking around Lake Atitlan, learning Spanish, meeting locals, visiting the market, haggling, riding a chicken bus, touring a coffee and macadamia nut farm, climbing a volcano, eating local food, meeting people from the USA, Europe, Australia (lots of whom I still speak to now!) and the infamous GVI BBQ’s on a Friday night (complete of course with the Manteca...)
A note about GVI too, without whom I wouldn’t have had one of the best experiences of my life and met some fantastic people from all around the globe! From the outset they were professional, friendly, approachable, organised and a pleasure to deal with. All the staff from the first email, to the phone calls, to the in-country orientation and to the day-to-day running of the project were fantastic! I would recommend travelling with GVI, as the work they do in the community really does count for something. Although it must go through everybody’s mind, as it certainly did mine, it does seem a lot of money to ‘volunteer’. But when you see that the money you pay actually goes into paying the staff, buying food for your lunches that are prepared by the community, buying fruit for the children at break time, improving the school buildings, buckets of paint to decorate, buying pens, pencils, and of course not forgetting the sacapuntas!, it is definitely worth it. But you’re not just paying for the physical things, it’s the investment of a child’s college scholarship, which means he can then earn more money to support his family, and send his own children to school. You will be investing in a sustainable future, not just putting money into a charity box. The best part for me is that I get to see in front of my eyes where the money goes, and to see the progression the kids are able to make because of it. All this of course whilst meeting some great people along the way and doing and seeing things you never thought you would!
My time with GVI has truly been a life changing experience, I now see the world differently and know what the important things in life are. I hope to volunteer with GVI again, or maybe even work with them at some point! If you get the chance, or are half thinking about going, then go!
Buen viaje!

It truly was a life-changing experience. I saw things that I had never seen before by myself, which I felt was a big positive. It allowed me to be fully immersed in the culture, so that I was the only American or European around. I improved my language skills greatly (went from fairly good spanish speaker to nearly fluent) and developed close relationships with my coworkers and host family. Supervision was existent, but not omnipresent. I was emailed once or twice by an affiliate program in Guatemala. This is also contributed to being immersed in the culture. I almost felt as if I were a Guatemalan in the last few weeks of the program. For value, this program was amazing. Many of the other programs that I looked at costed three or four times the amount of the ELI program. This is a program for those who truly want an experience different from that of the Western world

Going to a foreign land by myself where I spoke only a little of their native language was a terrifying idea. Perhaps thats why I wanted to do it so badly. There were three things that I wanted to do last summer: volunteer, travel, and meet new people. GVI met my criteria and provided me with opportunities far and beyond what I could have imagined. Like I said, going by myself to a new country was scary. I had my packets of information from GVI telling me what I was going to be doing, where I was staying, who I was staying with, but in reality, I didn't truly know until I experienced it first hand. From the time I was picked up at the airport to the time I was dropped back off there 4 weeks later I felt nothing but hospitality and kindness. Dom, Doreen and all the GVI staff go out on the limb to make sure you have everything you need. My host family welcomed me with open arms and provided me with food, a shower, a place to sleep, and above all else, love. I looked forward to mealtime not only for Angela's delicious and diverse foods, but also for her and Duilio's conversations. My Spanish was flawless, but it was enough for us to be able to get to know each other and talk about our two very different cultures. They are used to hosting volunteers who have little Spanish speaking skills and were very understanding when I could not think of the right word. One thing I really appreciated was them trying to help me improve my Spanish. They would speak slower so that I could understand and then correct me if I said or pronounced something wrong. This is just one of the many things I am grateful of Angela and Duilio for.
My first week in Guatemala I stayed in Antigua where I took Spanish everyday from 8am to 3pm. GVI has a close connection with a good Spanish School in Antigua and that is where all volunteers go for lessons. The lessons are one on one with a tutor. It was a very relaxed atmosphere where we sat outside at coffee tables, coffee and tea were provided and the tutors had a sense of humor that made learning fun. For that first week I had the evenings to do as I pleased and usually spent this time with other volunteers exploring Antigua. We discovered everything the market had to offer and spent some time there. It had just about everything you could think of including food, clothes, jewelry, cd's, etc. Most things were beautifully hand made and the costs were extremely reasonable, even before bartering if you choose to do so. Besides the market there are many other things to do in the area like local coffee and macademia nut farms. Some require a short ride on the chicken bus but I think that is something everyone should experience anyway, just be smart and go with a friend.
Every weekday morning all the GVI volunteers met at the same cafe before heading off to the schools or spanish class. Hearing about the schools in Itzapa and San Andres Jesus made me eager to get there and see everything for myself. When week two rolled around I was more than ready to get going. Even after a week of being in Guatemala, I felt yet again a sense of fear. It just hit me that I was going to be teaching my own class! Dom explained to me that he would teach the first few days or so until I felt comfortable enough to take over. As we I was going to be doing the first few days or so until gave me material to look through and he taught my class for the first few days while I observed and got to know the kids a little bit. Immediately upon my arrival in Itzapa I felt welcomed. Elena, a very active woman in the community, greeted all the new volunteers and she served us lunch everyday. I was showed around the school and then the kids finally started showing up. I had never met them before this but nonetheless, they ran up to me and gave me huge hugs! You just don't experience that in the U.S. I quickly learned how grateful all of them really are and it encourage me to do the same. I guess in a way, teaching them taught me more than I could have imagined.
My 4 weeks there went by extremely fast and it was very hard to say goodbye to my class, my host-family, and of course the other volunteers and friends I made along the way. I would recommend volunteering in Guatemala to anyone and I can only imagine that all of GVI's programs are just as amazing as those based in Guatemala. I will leave you with this quote, "Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely," Rodin. If you want to do something, don't put it off, just go do it and don't hold back. Be open minded and don't take anything for granted. Talk to people, get to know them and learn their culture, it will only help you grow as a person. And help. Help those who do not have the same opportunities as you and show them kindness and care. You will get even more in return. That is the best advice I can give anyone.

The staff members are very warm and always there to help you. They were making positive changes in the village as well as the lives of the volunteers. I felt very honor to be part of it even though I was there only two weeks. You also have time to explore the area during weekend. It is truly worth a trip.

I feel that this experience has really changed my view on happiness in life. It allowed me to realize that importance of happiness and that it can be attained from the smallest things in life. Just a hug from my students at the end of the day meant the world to me and made them feel loved back. It amazes me how happy the kids are when I think about what their reality is like outside of school. The “gifts” I received from my students are the best gifts I have ever gotten and I would not have been able to appreciate them if I hadn’t left high school early. The things I took with me from my experience will never get old and nothing will be able to compare to them. My students are my inspiration to achieve anything in life. I can achieve any obstacle that comes my way with the thought and imprint my students left on me.
Aside from teaching in the schools I met incredible people from all over the world who I still keep in touch with. Every Friday all the volunteers and GVI staff got together for a barbecue it was a great way to get to know the other volunteers and make weekend plans.
Living with a host family was uncomfortable in the beginning and I didn't know where I stood in the house, but after a couple weeks I grew very close with my host family and they made me feel right at home. I would sit and talk with my host mom for hours. To this day I still keep in touch with them as well.
My Spanish speaking was not fluent when I arrived there and my confidence in speaking was very low. Not once did I feel ashamed to speak Spanish if anything I felt motivated by my students, staff, and host families to try my best with Spanish.

I did the short-term English teaching workshop in Guatemala this summer and had an awesome time! The GVI staff is extremely welcoming and helpful and all of the volunteers were really nice. The program is well run and respected in the communities they work in. You really feel like you're making a difference for the children who are really excited for you to be there and really eager to learn, and by staying with a host family you are really immersed in the culture. And you're free to do pretty much whatever you want in your free time; one weekend I climbed one of Guatemala's volcanoes and another I rented a beach bungalow with some other volunteers. I also loved that I got to practice my Spanish. The program seems a little expensive, but pretty much everything is covered and everything there is really cheap. If you’re thinking about volunteering abroad definitely go with GVI, you won’t regret it!

I only went for two weeks but I had the most amazing time, it was my first time traveling alone so i was a bit nervous but I felt right at home as soon as I arrived. The Friday night BBQ's are the best and I miss my kids so much