Testimonial Colombia Cartagena

1- How were the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in- country?
The local coordinator was very friendly and helpful. He picked me up on the airport, showed me the foundation and how to get there by bus. If I needed anything I could always ask the coordinator, he was always very service minded and friendly. I felt very safe and welcomed.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

Program: that it was hard to communicate with the children.

Host family: that it would be very hard to travel without any Spanish knowledge.

Country: I felt a lot safer than I thought I would, and what also surprised me was the friendliness of the people.

3- What was the most challenging thing you experienced?

Program: figuring out what to do, and how to be most helpful.

Host Family: sometimes it was hard to understand everything they said, Spanish is definitely a huge advantage

Country: security. Even though I felt safe, it’s a different culture and country than Norway, where I am from. I couldn’t walk alone at night and had to be very aware of my surroundings and items at all times.

Volunteer in Colombia

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations)

1. Learn as much Spanish as you can prior to leaving! It will make your experience so much better!
2. Bring light clothing, such as light cotton pants etc.
3. Bring a positive attitude. The culture is different, but very enjoyable as long as you have a positive attitude :)

4. travel light, you don’t need to bring a lot of things.

6- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):

I really enjoyed working for the ABV program.. I was an assistant at a foundation for children. sometimes I was a bit unsure what I should actually be doing. But as I just went with the flow, I adapted to the everyday life of the foundation and learned that the most important part of my job was to care for the children and give them the attention and love they need. I worked every day from 8 am until 1 pm, and although it was only 5 hours it could be very tiring as I was always around many kids and loud noises.

I worked with a group of 20, 2 year olds, and as my Spanish wasn’t the best, in the beginning, I had some trouble understanding them. However, as I improved my Spanish it was a lot easier to communicate and connect with them and that definitely improved my work experience.

It was a very giving experience and I am very happy to have been a part of the program. It was very good to see that foundation like this exist and gives poor children an opportunity to learn and to play with other children. They also eat nutritious food, and they all seemed very happy to be there. I would definitely recommend this program to others!

7- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security, friendliness, quality others:

My accommodation was great. I had my own room, with air conditioning, and my own bathroom. I also had access to internet at home.

The family I stayed with were super welcoming and kind people. I felt like a part of the family and if I needed anything at all, they were always there to help. They also took me places around the city in the weekends and in the evenings. They were all super friendly people!

The food was also great. My host mother cooked delicious Colombian food and made the best fruit juices. If I wanted anything else, all I had to do was ask and they would get it for me.

Gap Year Colombia

8- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:

Program: my favorite part of my program was probably walking into work in the mornings and have all the cute kids waving at me, calling out my name like they were happy to see me. That definitely put a smile on my face.

Host Family: my host family was great and it’s hard to choose one favorite memory. But I really enjoyed when my host family invited my family over for dinner and we all had dinner together, talked and played games. I also really enjoyed when my host brother took me to Playa Blanca and we spent the day relaxing at the beautiful beach.

Country: I loved Colombia, so it’s hard to point out one favorite thing. However, I love how everyone is so friendly and happy people. It’s very easy to make friends and to have a good time.

9- How was the ABV USA support prior to traveling? (who helped you, emails, phone calls, chat online, how fast did you got an answer, did you got all your answers)

As my mom did the reservation, I am not able to answer this question. 9.1- What do you think about the reservation system online?

Other Reviews to read

Volunteer Safety

Volunteer Insurance

Volunteer in Colombia

1- How were the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in-country?

Excellent – I didn’t need much support but felt it was always there if needed. I was accompanied to and from the foundation on my first day to learn the route on the local bus and shown around the City Centre on my first weekend which was very helpful.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

Program: How efficiently the foundation is run and how well equipped it is. I experienced training afternoons and a day out at the Centro de Convención where the teachers and students performed various dances and plays. It was overall a lot more organized than expected.

Host Family: Nothing surprised me, maybe that I was lucky enough to have air con!

Country: Cartagena is very lively I perhaps wasn’t expecting so much noise in the street in the Neighborhood where the host family is.

3- What was the most challenging thing you experienced?

Program: Multitasking when working with the young kids, as they are so small it’s important to always keep an eye on all of them. Secondly, you are not allowed to pick up the children which I found very hard resisting!

Host Family: Getting used to the breakfasts, they are very different! Sleeping through the night whilst there is loud music playing on the street outside.

Country: using the local buses and knowing the routes.

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations)

1. No shorts allowed at the foundation- I found linen great for staying cool.

2. To go to Playa Blanca without booking on to a tour with lunch etc

3. Use Uber – I always felt very safe

Volunteer in Colombia

5.1- Other things volunteers should know before coming here:

(that’s not in the orientation guide)

a. The foundation has air con and lots of fans so you won’t die of heat.

b. The host family is a 25 min taxi

c. There are plenty of shops etc so you can buy most things here.

Most of the food is fried

6- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):

My experience has been amazing, the month has definitely flown by. I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier host family, Elena has really made me feel at home. Her cooking is excellent, once she found out all my favorite foods she really made an effort to cook them for me. I love the neighborhood and experiencing authentic Cartagena and the old town is so beautiful I will definitely be coming back. The program is wonderful I really connected with the children and overall had a very rewarding experience I will miss them very much and Everything else about my time here.

7- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security, friendliness, quality others:

Accommodation- basic but homely and sufficient

Meals- varied, large, quite bland and no spice in anything.

Security- fine, I always felt very safe here

Everyone is exceptionally friendly.

8- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:

Program: walking in every morning and seeing their tiny faces!

Host Family: everything, and Elena’s fresh juices

Country: the heat, scenery, people

9- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling? (who helped you, emails, phone calls, chat online, how fast did you got an answer, did you got all your answers)

Great I received many emails and always got an exceptionally fast response.

9.1- What do you think about the reservation system online?

Great, very easy

9.2- How did you find Abroaderview website (keywords, search engine, word mouth to mouth, recommended by .., other)

Google – I searched volunteer with children Cartagena

10 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Yes

Volunteer Colombia

1- How was the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in-country?

Excellent!  Very accommodating and made sure I was taken care of for my entire stay.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

• Program:  I was solo during the experience, there were no other volunteers where I was.
• Host Family:  They had a dog!  Which I was so happy about!
• Country:  I could drink the water!

3- What was the most challenging thing you experienced?

• Host Family:  At times I wish my Spanish was much better because I would have wanted to communicate with my host family more.
• Country:  Mucho calor!  It was very hot in Cartagena, and I was not used to it.

4- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations)

1.  Prepare for the heat!  If you are coming anytime between July and August, it will be very hot.

2.  You will need to manage your own transportation while you are immersed.  This may mean learning a bus line or two, or other means.  Additionally, you are responsible for paying for this as well, its stated in the website and volunteer guide.

3.  Do not bring cotton clothing.  Everything you bring should be breathable and can withstand hot weather.

Volunteer in Colombia

5.1- Other things volunteers should know before coming here:

a. If you have dietary restrictions be very clear about that in the beginning.

6- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):

The host family and volunteer experience was incredibly kind and accommodating, even though I did not speak the language well.  We did our best to communicate and often used google translate.  The food is amazing if you love food the way I do.  All around this was an incredible experience I will never forget!

7- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security, friendliness, quality others:

The host family and staff were very clear once I was in Cartagena around security cautions I needed to take, such as not using your phone in public, and keeping your items on you at all times.  The accommodations were fantastic!

I had an air conditioner in my room and the bed was very comfortable.  People in Colombia are generally very friendly, and willing to try and speak with you whether you are fluent or not.

8- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:

Program: Niños!  The children were very fun at the school and wonderful to interact with.  It was humbling to see the differences in the resources and education.

Host Family: Walks around the neighborhood and going to the beach.  They treated me as if I was one of their own.

Country:  My trip to Medellin was amazing.  I very much enjoyed that city.

9- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

Sara was my contact, and she was very consistent and answered any questions I had within a day.

9.1- What do you think about the reservation system online?

Very comprehensive, and helpful.

9.2- How did you find Abroaderview website

Search engine and reviews.

10 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Sure!

Volunteer Colombia

1- How was the local ABV Coordinator/staff and the support provided in-country?

Excellent, I felt very supported during the program.

2- What was the most surprising thing you experienced?

Program: It is insane to see so many babies in a room all together. Having grown up around the childcare business it was a very different way of running things so it was very interesting to witness.

Host Family: My host mom was amazing and I was very pleasantly surprised at how she included me in the simple stuff such as food shopping and going to the market. I felt more immersed and it was great!

Country: the humidity!

3- Any tips for future volunteers… (clothing, travel, personal items, donations)

1. Bring light but long pants for the foundation! Also, it’s very unusual to see women wearing shorts in Cartagena so I was grateful that I brought a lot of light pants and dresses to explore in. The only time I wore shorts was hiking!
2. Do the language immersion and try to come into the country knowing the basics at the very least! I didn’t find anything difficult to adjust to.
3. Take advantage of the area! There’s so much history and culture to explore and the weekend trips outside of the city are amazing. I took weekend trips to Playa Blanca and Tayrona and stayed in a hammock at both. They were breathtaking​ and Tayrona was the most amazing place I have ever been. You should probably get the yellow fever vaccine before Tayrona. I didn’t and was fine but technically you aren’t supposed to enter the park without it. Weekend trips are a great way to meet other solo travelers from all over the world!
4. Each time I got a 2000 pesos bill I saved it for the bus. I had one strange experience where the man collecting money on the bus tried to take advantage of me by not giving me change. I was able to argue for it but it’s a lot easier to just have exact change, especially if you don’t speak Spanish.

4.-Other things volunteers should know before coming here:

1. Nothing can prepare you for the humidity. The temperatures are normally in the 80/90s which is fine but the humidity is unreal. (check the weather)
2. The water is fine to drink. On the first day I decided to just drink it despite what everyone in the US told me. I didn’t have a single issue and it’s a lot easier than worrying about buying water and not eating certain foods.
3. I got a lot of warnings about cat calling but I thought it existed less here than in the US. Having red hair I would often hear peliroja behind my back and experienced some stares but it never felt annoying or creepy like it does back home.
4. Be careful crossing the street. There are motorcycles coming out of everywhere.

5- Personal Paragraph about the experience (ABV Program Testimonial):

My month in Colombia was absolutely amazing. I loved everything about the program and didn’t have a single issue. The only part that I found difficult was dealing with the heat! My absolutely favorite weekend trip was to Tayrona National Park. It sounds crazy to go hiking by yourself and then sleep in a hammock surrounded by strangers but I have never seen such a beautiful environment in my life.

The experience was breathtaking and is a must! I fell in love with all that Cartagena had to offer. The women at the program, my host family, and the support staff were amazing. Also, the Spanish immersion (lessons) piece was excellent. I am so happy I chose to do it because the amount of time I received in private lessons would be worth $1000s in the US and I felt like it really improved my Spanish. Plus my Spanish teacher was an additional source of support during the program. Overall, my experience was extremely valuable.

6- How would you describe your accommodation, meals, security, friendliness, quality others:

My host family was amazing! I had no issues being a vegetarian, my room was very comfortable, and I felt safer here than where I live at home if I am to be honest.

7- What was your favorite memory of this trip?:

Program: Each day was pretty much the same, but all of them were amazing and I loved working with the kids and getting to know all the women who work there.

Host Family: Visiting the market with my host family! It was a great way to see the culture and everyday life of a lot of people from all around the city.

Country: Tayrona National Park (get yellow fever vaccination if going to this park)

Volunteer Reviews

8- How was the ABV USA support prior traveling?

I always received a reply within 24 hours and everything I needed to know was answered!

9.- What do you think about the reservation system online?

Everything easy to navigate and work.

9.1- How did you find Abroaderview website

I liked the website and found many great reviews online! I hadn’t heard of the program before until I stumbled upon it through a Google Search. I had another friend who was interested in the program when I told her about it and she honestly thought it was a scam, I believe because of the extreme affordability of the program, but she was completely wrong.

10 – Are you willing to speak to other potential ABV volunteers?

Yes, I would love to!