I have been volunteering with VE Global for the past 5 months, as a volunteer in a residencia, and will be continuing my work with VE in the office for the next month and a half. My work over these past few months have been so fulfilling for me through my work in the residencia. My first reasoning for travelling to Chile was to gain independence and to gain experience in a foreign country. However, within my first few weeks of working in the residencia I realised that to make sure that the girls get something out of our time together is the most important thing and if I do too then that is just a bonus.
My experience in Chile and working with VE has been one of the best in my life to this point. My work in the residencia, whilst during my time I couldn’t see the differences I made, it all accumulated to a fantastic moment at the end of my time working with the girls. The last day in the residencia made it all worthwhile. The cards and gifts showed me how much they appreciated what I had being doing with them over the past few months and made me feel like I had achieved something very special during my time with them. The connection between myself and the girls there had been growing throughout my time with them, I felt like I had become the older, funny, and a little bit crazy brother to all of them.
It has been great for me as a volunteer to have some responsibilities in the residencia and as I start my new work in the office it will be great to see the other side of VE. However, what I appreciate the most about VE is the support that they have provided me over these 5 months or so, you can talk to any at the organisation about any problems you may be having, whether that be as part of your work or just about life in general. Someone will have experienced the same or similar things and will help you work through whatever problem you may encounter.
Working in VE has been a life changing experiencie! A non profit org working for the benefit of children in Santiago de Chile... It has been a great opportunity to get in touch with a different culture, to know people from all over the world and to give our best effort to give the kids an opportunity as we receive a life changing experience
I am very impressed with the VE Global Organization! The whole team of interns, staff, and volunteers work incredibly hard, and donate a vast amount of time and energy to the mission of the organization. The mission of VE Global is achieved on a daily basis with the help of dedicated individuals and donors, and the organization reaches an incredible amount of children and adolescents in need of resources and aid.
VE global is a great organisation to volunteer for: not only do they give you great training and thoroughly prepare you for volunteering, but they provide a great support network. The work they do in their partner organisations is brilliant- the children really appreciate what VE volunteers bring, and the art and sport events that they organise are so much fun. I, as a volunteer, love participating in the work they do and feel like we are all having a positive impact in the childrens' lives. VE global's mission is really worthwhile and they are doing a great job at carrying it out!
I came to VE in september 2013 as a full time volunteer. I was immediately hit by the supportive community and team who go the extra mile to help out both volunteers, the team and the partner organizations VE works with. My plan was to stay for 6 months, but I soon had a taste for the work and the need to be able to help grow this organization to be able to implement their great programs with even more children in situations of social risk here in Chile. As program Director I´m more motivated than ever to help support the volunteers from before they even arrive in preparing for their trip, through to when they join out even more global community of ¨antiguo¨ volunteers who continue supporting VE as ambasadors, striving for social justice.
VE Global as an organization is well organized and reliable. There is a lot of support available to the volunteers, a community of people helping you during your stay in Chile. I've met a lot of wonderful people who have the will to work towards equal opportunities for all children. VE Global's strongest points are its responsibility and transparency, I feel that the work is based on good values. I definitely recommend!
From the very first day, I was impressed with VE Global’s two-week orientation process. Their commitment to developing their newest team members through transparency, honesty, availability and open conversation made me feel immediately comfortable. Not only did we get a blast of business-operations information, we also received lessons from healthcare providers (health and safety -especially earthquake- in Santiago), psychological counselors (emotional wellbeing and culture shock in a foreign country), a midwife (sexual, reproductive health and rights in Chile), education professionals (working with difficult children at social risk), and even a lecture from a Chilean History Master’s student. I am already impressed with VE's on-boarding and can't wait to start my volunteering experience here in Santiago!
From the beginning of my time in Santiago, I was warmly welcomed by the VE community. I work in a boys' home and have gotten to know each of the boys over the months that I've spent here. It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to be in their lives- from planning cooking, science, and reading activities to helping with homework or taking them on paseos outside of the hogar! I have really gained insight into how these homes relate in Chilean society.
VE Global is a gem of a nonprofit in Santiago. With a great staff and countless classes of incredible volunteers, it is a unique place that fosters strong individuals - both the kids volunteers work with and volunteers themselves. Above all, the kids we work with have the most strong and beautiful personalities, and it is an honor to learn from them. VE Global is the door into that world: it connects international volunteers with these children and helps the volunteers with their tough work every step of the way. It's general great vibe and organization are also rare in the nonprofit world. This is an organization that will have a lasting (and hopefully expanding) impact.
I arrived to VE as a full-time volunteer over three years ago and I haven't left yet! I've been working on VE's staff for the past three years and have never had a job where I've felt so fulfilled and inspired by my work and my colleagues. VE volunteers are kind, giving people and VE provides them the support necessary to push through the frustrating days to keep providing incredible opportunities for the children we work with. VE is a thoughtful, conscientious and effective organization and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it.
I just started working for VE and have been very impressed with the level of training provided to the volunteers. I have volunteered extensively with different organizations around the world, and my experience has been that you're typically just thrown into the mix and must fend for yourself in challenging situations. VE provides an extensive orientation and really prepares volunteers before they are placed with their organizations working with children. Furthermore, volunteers receive a great deal of support during their entire stay with ongoing training, meetings, and outlets to share the challenges and benefits of their experiences. VE is a great non-profit to volunteer with, especially if your interest is impacting children's lives. In my work so far, I have seen that volunteers come away just as impacted as the children with whom they work. It's an amazing organization to be a part of!
I am currently volunteering with VE and I work at an institution where 17 young girls live in one house (each one of these girls has either been neglected or physically/sexually abused by their families). It is really tough work each day, but over the last few months I have grown to really love these girls. It still surprises me how much these girls have overcome and how they are even able to function in their daily lives. I learn something new from these girls each and every day. I am so happy that I found VE and feel so fortunate to be allowed into the lives of these 17 amazing, sweet, intelligent, beautiful girls' lives.
In my volunteer work with VE, I had the opportunity to work in three types of institutions: a daycare, a school for kids with special needs and a community outreach centre, all geared to meeting the needs of kids living in high risk areas of Santiago. I was able to implement various educational and recreational programs, run by VE, with the kids in the hogars and help to organize celebration days for the kids at the end of the various programs (art festival, carnival etc). I also had the chance to use by background in social work to design trainings for volunteers on various issues that they face in the institutions in which they work (ie behaviour management, social skills training etc). Overall, I feel that VE has provided me the opportunity to use my skills and truly contribute to the kids and the institutions in which I work.
Volunteering for VE has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I spend 2 and a half days a week working in a children's home for boys who for different reasons (often sexual abuse or neglect) cannot live with their own families. I help them with their homework, organise workshops such as cooking or art and generally try to be a loving, supportive mentor, providing them with the individual attention that they lack. I also volunteer in the VE office as Marketing and Communications Coordinator, this gives me the chance to learn new skills and get more involved in the running of the organisation. VE works on a tiny budget, re-using everything it has, placing wonderful volunteers in understaffed institutions where they can really make a difference. Almost everyone from my volunteer class has stayed longer than they first intended because the relationships we build up with the children are so strong it is hard to leave! Luckily every 4 months a new group of volunteers arrive so the work of VE is as consistent as possible.