What inspired you to work for Aldeas De Paz- Peace Villages Foundation?
The desire to experiment being in a different, multicultural context where there is space for creativity, enterprise, and a possibility to build an interesting professional training path.
Describe a typical day of work for you.
My day always starts with a good coffee and the weekly and monthly programming, depending on the needs there may be meetings or other special appointments. At the moment, I am taking care of the institutional strength of Aldeas de Paz, and the relationships with other organizations with the potential to start projects, join in action, seek funding, and present our projects for support for our group of volunteers and the team as a whole.
Collaboration is a big part of what we do!
What do you find most fulfilling in your role as a Program director and coordinator in Las Terrenas?
Discovering that the work we do for the people and the community, through invaluable commitment of our volunteers and our projects, is very important. At the same time what we offer for volunteers is an unprecedented personal and professional training experience, which is a great satisfaction.
What makes volunteering with Aldeas De Paz a unique experience?
It is a true and sincere experience where you have the opportunity to get to know yourself more and more and discover your skills. By volunteering you offer your capabilities to benefit others, for example, for people that are not as privileged as you may be. These are the characteristics that make it unique, but there is splendor on the island that makes it unforgettable as well.
I love the work I get to do!
What qualities do you think make a successful volunteer?
To live the experience in full respect of the community and culture that welcomes them. A successful volunteer is one who offers his or her skills and energy for solidarity purposes.
How have your experiences working in other countries influenced your approach to your work now?
The experiences of working and living in other countries gives you the opportunity to better understand others, to judge less about how they live or have chosen to live, and how, perhaps, to be more helpful. In my opinion each culture offers you something to learn, you just have to be ready to do so.
What makes Las Terrenas a good destination for volunteers?
The real destination for volunteers is the Aldeas de Paz Peace Villages Foundation and the projects in which we are committed. The community of Las Terrenas and the unique landscape makes it a great destination for volunteers. It is a place with a very strong tourist connotation; however, it is possible to perceive the difficulty of the local community at the same time. Las Terrenas is an excellent place to observe another culture.
Hard at work
In what ways do volunteers and Aldeas De Paz connect and interact with the community?
Living here, even for a short period of time, allows us to get in direct contact with the community, through our projects. We have a lot of respect for the surrounding communities in which we find ourselves.
Our cooperation and interactions with the community allow us to build a dialogue of peace and respect with them. Aldeas de Paz has a peer relationship with the community: we have a lot to learn and a lot to share at the same time.
We are not here to solve the problems of others but to build a dialogue.
Our goal of this dialogue is to generate change and support activities that can improve living conditions, based on an in-depth analysis of the main needs of the community.
Why do you think it is important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?
Only by traveling and experiencing new cultures one can develop and move forward on a personal and professional level. It is necessary to build relationships with other people and other cultures to get to know them and their needs. If we are able to use this gained knowledge properly, we could achieve growth on both sides.
All smiles
What advice do you have for potential Aldeas De Paz volunteers?
Follow us in our fantastic adventure and take this amazing experience with us in the Dominican Republic!
Are there any new projects or adventures that Aldeas De Paz is currently working on?
We are working on expanding our activities and projects in different areas. A new project in the works, for example, is a community project that is dealing with the eradication of machismo.
There are many possibilities for volunteers who want to dedicate themselves to projects that differ from the ones we already offer. Areas in which the volunteers can work with are the environment and different classes, or almost anything else they can think of.Vito is a 33 year old who was born in the beautiful city Puglia which is located in the south of Italy. He always felt the need to participate in building a social fabric that is more sensitive to issues such as children’s rights, peace, and respect for the environment. He enjoy the spirit and energy of the volunteers and the team of Aldeas De Paz.
