Overview
Got a lot to give?
If so this is the perfect project for you with an unbeatable opportunity to make friends and make a difference. Despite its bright modern cities Argentina still has lots of orphaned children in need of a little love and attention as well as access to educational opportunities through English language lessons. There will be plenty of time to do what children do best and it won’t be long before they rope you in to all sorts of sports, singing, dancing and drama!
Trip Highlights:
Making a positive impact on these children's lives
Exploring the local area at the weekend - Igaucu falls anyone?
Getting to know your homestay family. Probably the best way to understand Argentian life
Fast Facts
Project Information
- Project Duration: Min 2 weeks - Max 12 weeks
- Project Costs: US$ 1429.00 for 2 weeks, US$ 330.00 for every week thereafter
- Location of project:Various locations within Posadas
- Arrival Airport:Posadas (airport code PSS)
- Activities:Providing general care and assistance in looking after the children. This will involve playing games, teaching English & basic life skills
- Working Hours: Flexible; usually 6 hours per day, all other time is free
- Getting to the project:Dependent on location; around 30 minutes bus ride (budget approximately US$15 per week)
- Requirements:Minimum age 17
- Other:Semana Santa (Latin America Holy week) will be from March 26th to April 4th 2010 and April 15th to April 24th 2011, you may have some disruptions to the placement during this time
What's Included
- Accommodation:Shared room in homestay or guesthouse
- Food:Breakfast and dinner
- Airport Pickup:Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you're arriving early!
- Training:In-country orientation
- Support:Pre-departure helpdesk, Local in-country team and 24hr emergency support
What's not included
- Flights, Insurance, Visas, Return Airport transfer, Local Transport, Food (lunch not provided)
Itinerary & Details
As a volunteer at one of the homes for orphaned girls and boys, you can make a real difference to young children's lives by providing support through education and English language lessons. You may also generate creative play through games, sports, singing, dancing and drama. There are even opportunities to participate in health awareness and nutrition programs, as well as handicraft workshops. Through all of your efforts, you will help to foster a sense of dignity in the girls and boys through the work they achieve.
The project only has few members of staff to carry out all the duties of the home, and so volunteers are needed in all aspects of running the home. The main reason for volunteers at the project is to spend time with the children and help plan activities with them. Volunteers might also help with cleaning duties, getting the kids ready for school and help during meal times.
Foremost, volunteers must have a love of children and be committed to working with them. You will need to be flexible and willing to roll up your sleeves and jump right in! A pro-active attitude is essential, and any skills that you have in any area working with children, from sports and music to drama, art or fundraising will be more than welcome. You should be able to speak some Spanish, preferably to an intermediate level. If you have basic Spanish and are willing to take our optional add-on Spanish lessons, this would be sufficient.
i-to-i volunteers get involved in a number of activities involved in the running of the home. You could be helping the children to get ready in the mornings, assisting on various trips, homework, teaching English, and organising recreational activities. The people who run the centres are interested in providing the children with the opportunity to meet people of other cultures, and so she hopes to encourage cultural exchange by hosting volunteers at the home. As the centres have very little the is the opportunity to help in renovation and maintenance to provide the children with a more safe and enjoyable place to stay.
The centres are all based in the lively city of Posadas, population 250,000. Posadas boasts interesting markets, friendly cafes, cinemas and museums, and there will be plenty to do on the weekends. The mystical Jesuit ruins of San Ignacio Mini are 34 miles to the east of Posadas and are a must see while you are there.
You will be staying in a comfortable homestay or guesthouse in Posadas.
Volunteers should fly into the airport at Posadas (PSS) on the arrival date. If arriving early a pick up can be arranged for a small fee, please contact i-to-i for more information.
What exactly do i-to-i provide?
It may seem like a strange concept to pay for your volunteer experience. You'd be right if you think you shouldn't and the truth is you actually don't! Your placement is free; it's the benefits around it that you pay for. It's important to note that i-to-i is a travel company and not a charity. We provide a professional travel service. We are responsible for finding and assessing worthwhile projects across the world, preparing you fora the volunteering experience and supporting you whilst you're there.
Here’s some more information about what your placement fee covers….
Project sourcing and assessment
We work with hundreds of locally run partner projects around the world and are constantly sourcing new opportunities. We visit all projects to check that they are worthwhile and legitimate and we also conduct a thorough safety assessment before we'll send volunteers there. More
Expert help-desk
Almost everyone who works for i-to-i has traveled extensively or worked overseas. This means we're a goldmine of information; we're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Thorough project briefing materials
Once you book on to a project you'll receive a Welcome Pack that contains loads of general information about volunteering, about your chosen country and how to have fun and stay safe. We'll also give you advice on visas and inoculations.
TEFL training
If you are volunteering on a Teaching project then a 60-hour Online TEFL course is included in your placement fee. This is an internationally recognised and accredited certificate that will help you to make the most of your time overseas. More
Airport pickup
It can be pretty daunting arriving in a different country for the first time - especially after a long flight! If you arrive on your project start date, there'll be a welcoming face at the airport to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Arrival orientation
Soon after you arrive you will attend a thorough orientation with our in-country team. This is to cover important safety and security information. You'll also get some tips about sight-seeing options for your time off and maybe even learn some of the local lingo!
Accommodation and meals
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are even included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard. More
Local in-country coordinators
Your in-country team will arrange a pick-up for you at the airport and will conduct your orientation upon arrival. All coordination teams are English speaking and are locals of your destination country. They won't be at your project every day, but will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week if you need them. More
24/7 emergency support
Aside from the local support from your in-country team you'll be given access to a 24/7 emergency phone line manned by our response team in case any problem should arise while you're overseas. We also hire crisis management professionals to be on hand in case of a situation that requires additional expert support. More
Ongoing training
The safety and security of our volunteers is paramount. For this reason we provide ongoing crisis management and emergency response training to our local teams around the world. We also fly in our in-country coordinators to the UK regularly for thorough training to help them offer the best safety to the thousands of volunteers they support each year. More
Supporting our projects
We don't fund our projects directly from the project fee that you pay us. Instead we choose to support a number of projects every year through a grant scheme for tangible long-term initiatives. In the last 3 years we have distributed over US$250,000 to our most needy projects to help them in the great work they do.
Recruiting people like you
We make no secrets of the fact that part of your placement fee is reinvested in to recruiting volunteers just like you! The volunteers recruited in one week will typically deliver over 2000 man-days of service. The difference this makes to projects overseas is immeasurable. Many of our overseas projects rely on assistance from international volunteers, so it's necessary for us to put together brochures and websites to find the people who can support them. This recruitment process is vital to ensure programs have a constant stream of reliable volunteers.
The intangible benefits
Volunteering through a company like i-to-i has a lot of intangible benefits to developing overseas communities and the individual projects that we work with. To find out more about our placements. click here
Next Steps
What we will do after you've booked:
Once booked on you will instantly receive a welcome email confirming your booking with access to your online account
We will send a Welcome Pack in the post containing further information and a t-shirt, the information in this pack should answer most things you need to know
Teaching customers will receive an email introducing them to their Online TEFL course
Community Development and Teaching customers will be requested to complete a police check (where relevant)
We will contact you if we require anything else e.g. CV/resume for some projects, doctors note for medical conditions etc.
We will prepare for your trip and send you an email with confirmation of your project and accommodation 2 weeks after you've booked
We will ask you to complete your forms and pay your final balance if they are still due when required
We are available for any questions you may have on 800 985 4852 or support@i-to-i.com
What you need to do after booking your place with us:
Book your flights
Arrange suitable travel insurance
Fill out some extra details through our online interface:
- Application from
- Travel details
- Insurance details
- Medical information
- Emergency contacts
Complete your police check if requested
Do your Online TEFL Course (where relevant)
Make final payment at least 90 days before you go
Make sure you have a visa for your trip if it's needed
Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
Read all details and prepare as much as you can for your trip
Take contact details of the in country team and where you're going in your hand luggage - just in case!
Get on the plane!
Flights & Insurance
Insurance
It's important that you get adequate travel insurance for your i-to-i experience and as many of you will be working this often means standard policies won’t work. The good news is that no matter where your coming from we have already found a policy to suit you.
The best time to get your insurance is when you book your project as this means you can get a fully tailored policy exclusive to i-to-i, just ask your consultant for further details at the time of booking.
EU Customers – find out more here >>
Australian customers - find out more here >>
All other customers - find out more here >>
Flights
As with insurance we advise you get these booked as early as possible to avoid high prices and to make sure you arrive on the right day. The i-to-i team is right up to date with the best deals no matter where you’re flying from; their insider knowledge could save you some time and money.
Early Airport Pick-up
If you are arriving before your designated arrival date, we can arrange for an extra meet and greet service for you. For an extra supplement we will be there to meet you at the airport and take you to your orientation accommodation. One additional night a
The cost of this Early Pick-up service is US$ 40.00
A little bit of history…
Settled by indigenous groups since around 10,000 BC, Argentina was marked as an Inca civilisation from the 1480s when the Inca’s conquered the northwest part of the country. In the northeast, the Guaraní tribe flourished while the Pampas and Patagonia regions were home to nomadic cultures, including the Mapuches. The foundations for the Spanish conquest of Argentina were laid down in the early 16th century which culminated in the founding of colonial cities, most notably Buenos Aires as a major trading port. Argentina became fully independent of Spanish rule by 1816 and by the 1860s the country had built itself up as an attractive destination for migrant workers. Buenos Aires’ economy was in full swing and the city’s population ballooned with European immigrants including Italians and Germans. These prosperous times were not without calculated tragedy. In 1879 the minister of war, General Julio Argentino Roca, carried out a process of extermination against the indigenous people of the Pampas and Patagonia regions. This became known as the Conquista del Desierto (Conquest of the Desert).
With not enough industry for the growing population combined with the effects of the Great Depression, the country’s booming economy could not be sustained into the 20th century. It was in 1946 that one of the country’s best known leaders came to power, Juan Perón, who, with the support of his wife Eva (Evita), strove to give greater political rights to the working class and women. But a grim economic landscape could not prevent him from being ousted from power. The 1960s saw social and economic unrest in the shape of political kidnappings and guerilla warfare. In 1973, Perón briefly returned to power before dying of illness the following year. A wave of violence erupted in the country during 1976-1983, a period that is referred to as the Dirty War, whereby the military government sort to rid the country of its opposition and leftist groups using harsh tactics. It’s thought that around 30,000 people ‘disappeared’ during this time. Following its defeat by the British over The Falkland Islands War, democracy returned to Argentina and a civilian government came to power.
A period of seemingly economic well-being during Carlos Menem’s term as president from 1989 to 1999, where the middle classes were comfortable and the peso was pitched against the dollar, was a slight calm before the storm. He was accused of corruption and by the end of his presidency the country was in economic crisis. The country has since been steadily bringing itself back from the brink and toward long-term stability.
Best time to go…
The seasons in Argentina are reverse to those experienced in the northern hemisphere, with January and February the hottest months while jumper and jacket weather is usually July to October. Buenos Aires is best visited when the temperature is mild and the streets are comfortably full; the city’s best suited to autumn (March-May) and spring (September-November), while summer (December-March) sees its streets deserted. During the summer months, beaches and resort towns are busy and Patagonia and the southern Andes are ideal destinations as the days are longer and warmer. A good time to head northwest is during winter (June to August) or spring when it’s drier and cooler. The ski season, meanwhile, runs from mid June to mid October and the slopes are at their busiest during July and August.
January, February and July are the big vacation months in Argentina so expect a healthy flow of visitors to popular tourist spots during these times, together with higher travel and accommodation prices. There are several festivals that are worth experiencing. Carnaval (Mardi Gras) takes place the week before Lent and is celebrated throughout the country and the Gaucho Parade in Salta in June sees Argentina’s own cowboys in full regalia.
Getting around…
Flying is the most attractive option especially for long distances in what is Latin America’s second largest country after Brazil. It’s best to shop around the country’s major airlines for the best fares available. For frequent flyers, national airline Aerolíneas Argentinas offers an air pass with discounted domestic flights but it must be purchased outside of Argentina. Most domestic flights are linked to Buenos Aires; flights from Buenos Aires depart from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), 20 minutes from the centre by taxi and some domestic flights leave from the international Ezeiza (EZE) airport, which takes around 45 minutes to get to from the centre.
Buses are the most popular mode of transport and there’s a variety of bus companies to choose from like Andesmar that serve major and remote destinations in air-conditioned comfort. Security is good and overnight services are available for long haul journeys. Sometimes two classes of service may be available, común and diferencial, with diferencial the better class. Local buses, known as colectivos, are efficient and can get you from A to B in good time. These are usually numbered and the final destination is in prominent view but it can be confusing as the same numbered services may travel different routes so it’s a good opportunity to use your Spanish and check with the driver. Depending on the city, buses may accept coins, prepaid cards or tokens only so it’s best to check before you board.
Car rental is a good possibility for getting around, if on the expensive side. The roads are generally good; like anywhere, it’s the other drivers that you need to look out for. Police checkpoints occasionally stop drivers so it’s good to have registration, licences and insurance details close at hand. Tolls also exist on some highways.
Useful links
www.lonelyplanet.com
Lonely Planet are leaders in the travel guide sector and their website is a great source of travel information.
www.fco.gov.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s website provides up-to-date political news, travel advice and information on visas.
www.aerolineas.com.ar
National airline Aerolíneas Argentinas.
www.andesmar.com
Bus company Andesmar.
www.aa2000.com.ar
Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 runs the nation’s airports and its site includes links to domestic airlines, a flight search facility and other important departure and arrival information.
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