One of our volunteers, Paul, shares how he was able to fit in time to volunteer with United Planet while on a hiking trip this holiday season to visit Patagonia in Chile.
“I knew I wasn’t going to change the world, kids needed an adult figure to show them they cared and make them smile. That’s what I was there to do” – Paul, volunteer
Santiago, a metropolitan city, is the capital of Chile
Paul, a consultant in Chicago, decided that this year he wanted to do something unique with his December holiday break.
He wanted to hike in Patagonia, an extraordinary region of southern South America acclaimed for its impressive lakes, mountains, and glaciers. Paul set his sights on trekking with friends and guides in Chile’s spectacular and most famous National Park, Parque Torres del Paine.
Yet, along with achieving a life-time goal of trekking in beautiful Patagonia, Paul asked himself what else he could do while he was there. On top of the wonderful experience of travel, Paul also wanted to use this opportunity to help people less fortunate than himself.
That’s when he started to investigate volunteer options in Chile. He found that United Planet offered him the flexibility of a week-long program necessary to accommodate his travel plans as well as the meaningful volunteering and personal challenges he sought.
A few days before Christmas, Paul crossed hemispheres and the Andes Mountains, arriving in Santiago, Chile. He was met with hot sun and smog, a change of pace from the Windy City of Chicago. Navigating Santiago was easy and Paul felt right at home with his beloved home stay mother Maggie Diaz.
New Year’s Eve in Santiago – ¡Feliz año nuevo!
Paul spent the week before his own trek to Patagonia volunteering at a women’s shelter. Paul was nervous at first; he hadn’t spoken Spanish in a few years and didn’t know what to expect. In spite of the language barrier, the children of the shelter welcomed him every day with open arms and open hearts.
Paul shares, “on the second day at the orphanage, about 28 kids came rushing to the front door to greet me. They were like little nephews and asked me if we were friends. They also called me Tio Pablo (Uncle Paul) and clung to me wherever I went.”
The children, who before he arrived were either watching TV or staying in their mothers’ rooms all day, could not have been more thrilled to have a new
Paul took full advantage of the incredible Andes Mountains!
friend. Paul spent his week at the shelter in charge of organizing summer activities for the 28 kids, aged 2 to 12.
At the shelter, the schedule was usually 10-5 with a lunch break. He’d play with the kids all day and then usually spend the afternoon in the multi-purpose room watching a movie, reading, and relaxing.
“Especially because it was Christmas time,” Paul explains, “you realize how much you have; these kids barely have one pair of shoes, and often their families are not able to stay together. Sometimes siblings are split, one goes to the orphanage while the other stays with their parents.” The holiday season called Paul’s attention to just how great the need is for these children.
Life is not easy for the families at the shelter and Paul was happy to be able to bring a smile to their faces. Paul remembers the children’s elation when he gave them some art supplies brought over from Chicago. For them, colored pencils were like a brand new TV.
Unfortunately, due to wide-spread fires in the Parque Torres del Paine, Paul’s trek to Patagonia was abruptly cancelled. Remaining positive and with the help of our in-country coordinator, also named Paul, he still explored the beautiful
Incredible murals in Valparaiso, a city on the coast of Chile
mountains outside of Santiago, visited vineyards, walked through the artistic city of Valparaiso, spent New Year’s Eve downtown, and had a phenomenal time!
Paul, an avid volunteer back in the States, comments that, “all the volunteering I’ve done in the past has not been as personal” when compared to his time in the shelter in Santiago.
Since Paul got sick on his last day at the shelter, he was sadly not able to take any pictures with the kids, but still remembers their time together fondly.
Paul took advantage of his planned vacation time in Chile and made it an even more unforgettable, touching experience, not just for himself, but for the children in the shelter as well.
When asked what he would say to others with an interest in volunteering abroad, he leaves us with these words, “even if it’s just your time, it goes a long way.”
Already have plans to visit Chile or another country and want to try to try to fit some time in to volunteer? Contact us at United Planet to see if you too can have the ultimate trip of a lifetime!
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
