After all, I was miles and miles from my home in New York and yet I felt right where I belonged. 
Program Volunteer Bolivia
Project: Volunteer Teaching English in Bolivia
I am happy to have this opportunity to share my story. If there's one thing I regret, it's not having enough time to do all of the things I had hoped to accomplish in Santa Cruz.
My Host Family: I could not have asked for a better place to stay during my trip to Bolivia. Senora Kattia and Senor Alvaro have a wonderful home and family that immediately welcomes you. The meals served are delicious, the bedrooms are comfortable and the house is always clean. But the best thing of all is the family.
Kattia is always smiling and loves to share stories with the volunteers.
My Host Family: I could not have asked for a better place to stay during my trip to Bolivia. Senora Kattia and Senor Alvaro have a wonderful home and family that immediately welcomes you. The meals served are delicious, the bedrooms are comfortable and the house is always clean. But the best thing of all is the family. Kattia is always smiling and loves to share stories with the volunteers. The three little boys were the brothers I have never had. Little Sergio was always sleeping peacefully while Joel was always running around, especially when it rained. Cristian is an athlete, very intelligent and was always laughing with me. He was very determined in everything we did together, whether it was playing volleyball, learning English words or taking photos with my camera. The entire family was so respectful and loving that I grew very close to them in a short time. We are still emailing to this day. After all, I was miles and miles from my home in New York and yet I felt right where I belonged. The feelings of safety, security and happiness that Kattia's family provides are unrivaled.
My Work: I spent my mornings working at the orphanage in Santa Cruz. With the ease of a short walk from my home, I eagerly awaited work each day. The children at the orphanage were all so adorable that I never wanted to miss out on a new experience. I'll never forget little Teodoro's tiny hands on mine or how Josoy always finished his plate first and begged for seconds with the most innocent eyes. I liked to bring some gifts from the market to help with the children's education. Play-dough inspired their creativity, soccer balls filled their interest in sports and "Simon Dice" taught them their body parts. It was so rewarding to know you were making an impact on these children's development in life. Seeing them smile or getting a hug at the end of the day was worth any ounce of frustration that came along with teaching. I hope more people will visit and work with these children to give them the love they deserve to have.
Afternoons were spent teaching English and Athletics at a local school. Creating fun and interactive lectures for a class of eager students was both demanding and exciting. With a schoolyard of children running around, organization was stressful. It was important to have enough volunteers to be able to run the programs successfully. Once organized, running games of volleyball and soccer was extremely entertaining for the children. Some of the other male volunteers I worked with even designed soccer teams and games for the kids to compete in.
I am happy to have this opportunity to share my story. If there's one thing I regret, it's not having enough time to do all of the things I had hoped to accomplish in Santa Cruz. I hope future volunteers will recognize the need for proper health and sanitation in the children's communities. Cleaning up the schoolyards and playground would really help the safety and well-being of the students. Helping provide hand soap, clean towels, and cleaning supplies to the orphanages would eliminate many of the infections the children have developed. Above all, your education for healthy-living, time and care will be directed where most needed.
Jamie Posa
