Menu
Expat.com

Buenos Aires work volunteer

Last activity 12 July 2010 by WynnWoods

Post new topic

billbk

Hi. My 19 yr old son is currently in Buenos Aires taking Spanish lessons. In 13 weeks the program will be finished as well as his living arrangements with a host family.
He would like to stay on past that point.
Can he get a job in Buenos Aires? My wife & I would be willing to subsidize his stay as it would be a great growth experience for him.
The other option would be to volunteer. Again we would subsidize him.
I know there are organizations here in the US that set up & sponsor volunteer opportunities (for a large fee).....but since he is already there, aren't there any locally based organizations that he could go to to volunteer without paying an agency a fee?
If so, what & where are the good resources? magazines? newspapers? posting boards (maybe at the university)? Any particular groups in town you could recommend? He's great with kids.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

bruckerrlb

I have seen advertisments with TEFL schools that basically teach you to teach others how to speak English as a second language, and they usually set you up with housing and what not. I don't remember the name of the websites, but i'm sure there not hard to find. I do know it can be a little expensive though.

ksbrandon

After trying to find free and low cost volunteering opportunities in South America, I was disappointed at how many services I discovered that wanted to charge hundreds or thousands of dollars to place volunteers with deserving organizations, so I decided to build a free listing myself.  If anyone has a charitable organization to recommend, please suggest it for inclusion in my directory.

To check out my listing of volunteer opportunities, stop by http://www.vaops.com

Riki

Hey,
  I am 19 and currently living in Buenos Aires. As far as volunteer organizations, ACORN (an after school program in La Boca) is the only program I know of that has no fee. (They don't have a website, but they do have a Facebook)
LIFE Argentina asks that you only pay for the cost of transportation.
www.LifeTransportation.org
For work,teaching English is always an option. If you would like to work in an institute you will need to get your TEFL certification. There are plenty of organizations fpr this in Buenos Aires.
Its usually really expensive. I used BridgeTEFL and I wasn't especially pleased.
However, if you are interested in teaching English without some sort of certificate, you can post ads on websites like Craigslist, or in hostels around the city.
Also on Craigslist Buenos Aires are help wanted ads from various resturantes/bars/companies in Buenos Aires.

I hope this helps.

WynnWoods

It is ridiculous to pay ANY fees to volunteer.  I will be posting information on my own website: goodmorningba.com in the upcoming weeks.  I know tons of places where you are welcomed with open arms to volunteer with no costs whatsoever.

antsimm@hotmail.com

Where can you volunteer without paying fees

maestra731

I am going to be in Buenos Aires this summer, and am also looking for opportunities to volunteer without paying fees...any suggestions please???

bananabread

Hi Everyone!

Billbk - your son can also volunteer at Conviven which is a community center in Mataderos in the south of the city. It is a free program - here is their site : http://www.conviven.com.ar , the director is Valmir and the volunteer coordinator is Bella.

Also, my parents sent me an awesome care package from Send Love BA which actually bakes and puts packages together locally and delivers. They heard about it from my old study abroad program GIC. I've been in BA for 2 years and it was such a relief to eat real chocolate cake for my birthday and Skippy peanut butter :) here is their link: sendloveba.com

argentinaexchange10

Hi!

I organize low cost volunteer activities for international young people in Buenos Aires, the fee program is 150 pesos for the first month and from the second month 50 pesos. Check out the schedule in argentinaexchange.com/ong.html and select the activities according to your availabilities, interests and skills! Sign up and get various discounts and free pass with your Argentina Exchange membercard!!!!

Club Union de los Pibes

Hi
When I first arrived in Buenos Aires a few months ago, I found this thread and followed up on the volunteer organisation "ACORN" that Riki mentions. I found that ACORN is now operating as 'Club Union de los Pibes' and it is still a free volunteer project in Buenos Aires. The club has a facebook group and a blog page with more info/contact details at: http://uniondelospibes.blogspot.com/p/find-us.html

I have been volunteering at the club for the last 3 months and I have loved it. The kids generally come from difficult backgrounds so things aren't always calm or easy but it's somewhere where your help can certainly make a difference. Being a small project you can get really involved if you want to. For example, I have been teaching some English classes, I helped with two fundraising events and I have recently taken over some of the admin for the club.

The club relies solely on its volunteers, for fundraising, and to keep the club going by giving up a few hours of their time each week to spend with the kids. Club Union de los Pibes asks only for your time and commitment to help provide a safe and stable environment, for a few hours a week, to children who often know very little stability in their daily lives.

If you'd like to help out at the club, don't hesitate to get in touch with them because I know they really appreciate any help that is offered.

I hope this information is useful!

WynnWoods

I sponsor volunteer / charity work every year around Christmas.  Typically I work locally such as last year I sponsored  a family in one of the worst villas in the provincia which included 3 generations.....  However, I do some things in the provinces occasionally as well.  For instance 3 years ago I went to Santa Fe and worked with the Toba community there (an indigenous people) after the flooding that year.  There were over 4 million hectares underwater at one time and over 70,000 people were in refugee camps.

I will be more ambitious this year as I have more time to plan.  I will be putting up posts once I get everything lined out, and once it gets closer to the holiday season.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Buenos Aires

All of Buenos Aires's guide articles