Do you have to be a graduate to work abroad as a volunteer?

Volunteer work in latin america?

• I am interested in doing volunteer work in south america, but im not sure if im getting into it for the right reasons. I was hoping for advice from people who have experienced volunteer work in south america (please state where u were stationed and how long u were there for). I am 21 and will graduate from university this May. I have always had an affinity for the latin america cultures. The music, the food, the language, the people, the family-orientated life and so on. I am learning spanish but know the only way i will truly learn it is to immerse myself in the language. I.e. spend time in a south american country. I also enjoy helping people out, doing manual labour (although i dont have any professional experience in it), and i love working with children. I have always wanted to visit some south american countries (eg colombia, brazil (portuguese), and cuba, although that is a caribbean country). But i dont see the point in going there just for an extended holiday as i am not the kind of person that likes to go clubbing every night for example, nor do i have anyone that i could go with that could accompany me backpacking. Volunteer work seems to be something i want to do...but im not sure if it seems more appealing than it actually is. Can anyone compare my situation with the situation they were in before they left for volunteer work? Thanks

• Answer:

  I volunteered in Ecuador for three months. I was an English teacher in a few different schools located on the coast in a town called Puerto Lopez. I volunteered during college when I was on summer break. I didn't get any credit, i basically just did it for the same reasons that you want to. I also met dozens of other volunteers and travelers who had volunteered there and in other places. From what I learned, most volunteer organizations are very similar. I lived with a host family and took a bus to the neighboring village everyday and taught kids in elementary and middle school for about 6 hours each day. It was actually pretty informal...I made my own lesson plans. No one spoke English in the town except the other volunteers, but you can learn quickly and be carrying conversations within a few weeks of being there. If you do construction then you might not need to know as much Spanish, but I would recommend studying vocabulary relating to construction. On my free nights I would usually hang out with the family..but on the weekends I would always travel to nearby cities or towns to go to bars and go sight seeing. If you don't want to actually travel by yourself, don't worry. Where I was, atleast, I would always find other english speaking people who were volunteers or travelers who I could hang out with. Although it probably depends on where you go.