Fundación Aldeas De Paz - Peace Villages Foundation

ALdeaz de Paz es una organización muy solidaria. Llevo 2 semanas en la fundación y desde el primer día me sentí muy cómoda. Llegué aquí sin hablar ni una palabra de español, pero dos semanas después, gracias al curso de Antonio y a fuerza de practicar, empiezo a entender y a relacionarme con los dominicanos. Aún así, me resulta más fácil hacerme entender en inglés. Es una gran ayuda que nuestros coordinadores hablen este idioma. En cuanto a mi trabajo aquí, el programa de periodismo multimedia es realmente interesante. Hay mucho que hacer y mucha libertad para proponer contenidos. El programa se centra sobre todo en la comunicación. Como estudiante de periodismo, me gustaría poder hacer más contenidos periodísticos que de comunicación. En general, Samaná es una ciudad muy agradable y nuestro alojamiento es muy bueno. Estoy más que contenta de pasar 2 meses con la asociación Aldeas de Paz y de contribuir a algo bueno en la República Dominicana.

It was a nice experience to see how a local NGO works. I got a good insight in what to take into consideration when new volunteers are coming or when there are problems with the colleagues or the projects. But during my time, I met many motivated people that are eager to improve the projects and want to work on the impact of the foundation. All in all, I had a great time in the Dominican republic, met wonderful people and was able to see the work of a local NGO with all its opportunities, challenges and thoughts that are behind it.

Esta semana fue mi primer semana aquí. Me quedé en a la vida y la rutina rápidamente, aunque esta mucho diferente a Inglaterra. El personal del Fundación fue fantástico al contarme sobre la cultura y la forma de vida aquí. Durante la semana, trabajé a la escuela y quise trabajando y jugando con los niños, y los conocí a medida que avanzaba la semana. ¡En general, fue en entretenido y apasionante semana!

I’ve enjoyed every day here in Las Terrenas. Thanks to the Foundation I had my „apartment“ in the middle of the city and after a few weeks I felt like I built a new home. With the other volunteers living beside me, we’ve built some great friendships. Casa Regular is (with the new kitchen equipement) a cool place to live. The owners are always happy, here to help and great people. My coordinator Nacho and the marine conservation project manager Noel both have a big heart and brought a lot of energy into my time here. They’re here for the volunteers 24/7 and are always happy to help. So a big thank you! Because I was the first volunteer in the program „Multimedia & Journalism“ in Las Terrenas I didn’t get here with a lot of work, I was happy to also join the marine conservation program because without that I would’ve had a lot of free time. However, my stay wasn't any worse because of this, it just surprised me a bit at the beginning. Obviously it’s also my fault because I didn’t come up with new Ideas or work.

On Wednesday evening I landed in Santo Domingo, where I spent a night and then took the bus to Las Terrenas the next morning. The first impression was different than expected at first and my Spanish was initially insufficient and I expected that I would get along better with English. However, Spanish could be quickly refreshed in the Spanish lessons with Bernado. In las terrenas was my first impression: It is very different from Germany and very loud. But the people are very happy and friendly. I also like the marine conservation program very much and diving is a lot of fun. The diving instructor is also very funny. However, you have a lot of free time and only go diving 1-2 times a week and otherwise have time off. I had expected more alternative programs here, especially when it rains and you can't dive for a week.

I am Lisa and I spent two weeks volunteering for and with Aldeas de Paz in Samanà. I was part at the youth care project. Although I was only two weeks there it was an experience I will definitely never forget. My reason to go to the Dominican Republic was because I wanted to get to know a new culture, country and lifestyle. I have choose this project because I love children and want to have kids in the future but I wanted to expierence how kids’ lifes are in an other parts of the world and what it is about to work with kids with disabilities. What I take with me is for sure is that kids in Europe/Austria who have disabilities nearly have all chances which are possible. Before I went to Dominican Republic this was nothing special for me, now I am thinking different about that and wish that this could also be in the Dominican Republic because in my opinion every child should have the same opportunities for his/her future. Besides I take with me that people in my home country are much more stressed, take things very serious and in general many of them aren’t very happy about their lifes. In my opinion there should be a mix between both lifestyles and maybe people around the world would be happier. I really liked the services provided from Aldeas de Paz! Before I arrived I was in contact with the volunteer coordinator what gave me a good feeling. I also appreciated it too that the coordinators provide a tours through Samanà to get to know the city.

I have really enjoyed my stay here so far. Working with the kids has been really nice. I enjoy practising my Spanish with them as it’s much easier than with everyone else. All the staff have been super helpful with making me feel settled in and comfortable. I also really love Samana, it’s a beautiful place full of very nice people, I just wish the electricity and water wouldn’t turn off! I am looking forward to the next few weeks to get to know all the staff and children better, and hopefully keep improving my Spanish.

Hola, me llamo Maëlle y vengo de Francia. Empece mis practicas con el equipo de gestion y administración de la Fundación Aldeas de Paz el 20 de mayo de 2024 y termino el 26 de junio. Mi primer dia aquí fue tranquilo pero muy bueno. Encontramos a otros voluntarios que nos hicieron visitar la ciudad y fuimos a la oficina para conocer al lugar y también a toda la gente que trabaja alla. También la coordinadora Yessica ya trabajaba todavía en la oficina, ya que ahora es Jorlanny. Jorlanny una buena coordinadora que escucha cuando lo necesitamos y con quien tengo una muy buena relación aunque trabajamos juntas desde poco tiempo. La fundación tiene un ambiente muy acogedor. Todos son tan acogedores, y me siento cómoda desde el primer dia. Cualquier cosa puedes preguntar al staff y van a encontrar una solución para ayudarte rápidamente. Me encanta también que el centro de los jóvenes sea abajo, así pude conocer a niños que son super monos! Me encanta pasar tiempo con ellos. Mi experiencia como voluntaria al principio estaba muy tranquila. No teníamos mucho que hacer en la oficina, entonces estábamos un poco aburridos. Pero después hablamos de nuestros proyectos con Nacho y Jorlanny que estaban muy enthousiaste. Creo que haber tenido más responsabilidades me ayudó a querer hacer mas cosas y eso me gustó mucho. También mezclamos nuestros trabajos con los del equipo multimedia lo que me hizo conocer a otras cosas. Los coordinadores están muy a favor de nuestras ideas, como por ejemplo el proyecto de grabar videos de cada programa para después subirlas en YouTube. Esto me permitirá conocer a nuevos ambientes y también a nuevas personas. Pero creo que esperaba más de esta experiencia. Porque como una voluntaria, me hubiera gustado hacer más cosas en el terreno y que las cosas hagan más rápido y también aprender más sobre el funcionamiento de una ONG. Me encanta la ciudad, es muy local y tranquila. No es muy grande pero me gusta más así. Ahora tengo mis hábitos, y me siento segura. La gente es muy acogedora y podemos confiar en ellos.

The Foundation gave me the opportunity to make a life experience even with my young age (16 years). It was great that all the volunteers lived together in one spot. The hospital program gave me a good introduction into the medical world. The Spanish lessons really helped to revise.

I was very nervous for this trip since I didn't really know Spanish or have ever traveled to the Dominican, but it was so amazing! The coordinators and other volunteers are so supportive and want you to succeed and have the best trip. I did the medical program in the hospital and being able to see the differences between US health care and the Dominican was very eye opening and I learned a lot from them. I am a student in college so figuring out how to volunteer overseas was a little difficult time-wise but the coordinators helped me in the best way they could to make sure I had the best stay. All necessities around groceries, food, and everything are very close to the apartments and you are able to walk everywhere- including the beach, which was very beautiful. The amount of memories and friends I made on this trip is something I will always cherish! If you have the chance to volunteer here, do it!

My name is Franzi and I've now been working for the Marine Conservation Program for 4 months. During that time there were plenty different things I've seen and done and I'll split them up into different sections. Accommodation: The Volunteer House at Casa Regular is nice. The owner and his family take care of the house and also clean (sometimes more often sometimes not) the rooms for us. I've slept in the four bed room during my stay and despite from some personal matters it was always a nice time and I enjoyed it a lot. The kitchen could be a little bit bigger as it's sometime crowdy when there are 10 or more volunteers. The location of the house is perfect for the medical volunteers as the hospitals are really close. For us Marine Volunteers it's a little bit of a walk to the beach but I liked it as you can see more of the city. Program: The Marine Conservation Program is, in my opinion, the best program Aldeas de Paz is hosting. You can have a real impact on the environment and take care of the corals and the sea. Even though the diving center burnt down shortly after the moving to another place, we could manage it to still go diving and continue with the program. Also we were planning and doing a lot of trips where also the medical volunteers could join us as well. It would just be nice if the foundation could manage it to make more dives a week possible as it would increase the purpose we're all here for. Coordinators: As I was staying in Las Terrenas the coordinators who were in charge of me were Nacho and Noel. When we have problems or something is wrong we can always call them and when they're not picking up the phone, they'll try to get to you as soon as they can. I would say during my stay in Las Terrenas I gained two new friends in them. Recap: My stay with Aldeas de Paz in Las Terrenas was amazing and as usual not everything was perfect but I still enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad about the experience I made and the memories I'll take with me for the rest of my life.

I spent a total of 6 months in the Dominican Republic and can generally say that I love the country. I went to two different hospitals and then to the dentist. I hoped that I would get a real insight into medicine there and that this would help me decide what to study, but I have to say that this was unfortunately not the case. There was really absolutely nothing to do in the first hospital and we sat there for four hours a day just reading. On average, we had maybe two patients a day, nobody came when it was raining, wie weren‘t allowed to do anything and the hospital was still under construction. After 6 weeks, I was allowed to change hospitals, and Nacho, the local coordinator, made every effort to make the change possible! There were significantly more patients in this hospital. Over time, I was also allowed to carry out tasks on my own and was allowed to watch a surgery twice which was really interesting. Nevertheless, I have to say that a lot is promised on the website, with various medical areas in which you get an insight and that you can help in the ambulance, in the pharmacy or in the laboratory. None of this was the case and even though I enjoyed the work, it was relatively monotonous and not what was promised. The staff at the hospitals have become friendlier over time, but especially at the beginning they didn't really pay attention to you and as soon as you didn't understand something in Spanish, they rolled their eyes and turned away. Working at the dentist, on the other hand, totally surprised me. The two dentists were super friendly and tried to explain everything. I also got to know a lot of different types of treatment, was allowed to see everything up close and was able to assist with everything after just a few days, such as a wisdom tooth operation. I enjoyed working at the dentist's the most by far! Overall, I really liked the accommodation we stayed in, as we lived in the same building with all the volunteers and were therefore able to get to know lots of great people. However, the photos on the rgv website don't match the actual accommodation at all; the accommodation shown is completely different. Nevertheless, casa regular is a nice place and the locals who live in the same building are really friendly. Overall, it has to be said that the communication between rgv and Aldeas de Paz is not really good and rgv never tells you that they are working with Aldeas de Paz so you are really confused at first. In addition, rgv gives you contact details of people who are supposed to be the local coordinators, but these people don't even exist there, only the employees of Aldeas de Paz. The coordinators of Aldeas de Paz, on the other hand, are very nice and especially the coordinator of the marine program, always organizes excursions for all volunteers and takes care of everyone. Spanish lessons hardly ever took place at the beginning, but our coordinator arranged for a replacement and since then we have had a very nice Spanish teacher who gave good lessons. All in all, it was an absolutely unforgettable time in the Caribbean, where I made new friends, improved my Spanish and learned a lot about a new culture and myself but honestly not because of the projects

- good solutions finding from the organisation or the coordinator if you need something - Even tho you sometimes don’t have much to do, the program still are consistent enough - Got opportunities like snorkeling or getting to see the other programs in NGO ´s management - Good communication with the coordinators - I was staying in a four persons bedroom and it was way too much, especially when someone was sick and everybody else was getting sick because we were always in a confine space together.

My name is Emma. I was a volunteer with the youthcare and community development program in the fall of 2021. I would definitely recommend this program to someone who is interested in volunteer work. The foundation is working hand in hand with the community to advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities as well as other disadvantaged community members. I like what the program stands for and hope that it can continue long into the future. It is good work with good people. Thank you Aldeas de Paz!

see above, one and the same review for the two girls who a friends!

Wir möchten gerne über unseren 5 wöchigen Aufenthalt in Samaná berichten, wo wir in einem Krankenhaus die dort arbeitenden Ärzte und Pfleger unterstützen. Unzählige Erfahrungen im Krankenhaus wie auch ganz viele Erlebnisse in unserer Freizeit - von Whale whatching über karibisch schöne Sandstrände bis hin zum wöchentlichen Social meeting- Es sind und waren so viele Eindrücke, die uns auf immer im Gedächtnis bleiben werden. Weiters dürfen wir noch kurz betonen, dass die Organisation vom ersten Tag an perfekt funktionierte. Wir hatten das Gefühl hier sehr gut aufgehoben zu sein, Jessica (Betreuerin) wie auch die anderen Volunteers kümmerten sich von Beginn an und während des gesamten Aufenthalts mit großem Engagement um uns. Vielen herzlichen Dank, Sara und Valerie

I worked in the Marine conversation program. I had no diving experience and that was no problem at all. With Daria the diving instructor, I finished my open water PADI license in 1 week. During our work, we explore many diving spots where we monitor the corals. We clean coral fragments in the nursery and learn about the eco system sea You will stay in an Appartement with rooms for 2-4 people, each room has bathroom and fridge. There is 1 washing machine and 1 kitchen for all volunteers. Las Terrenas is a small town with cute stores, sea view restaurants and beach bars. It is a very vibrant city, there is always music. Overall it is very fun. You learn a lot and meet new people. It is a great opportunity.

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience with the people who work for Peace Villages. They were kind and helped me when I had problems. sometimes you had to be aware that you are in the dominican republic as some things do not work as you think. I had a pleasant experience in the hospital and the people there teach you and let you see different things in the work of doctors. not everything worked perfectly but i really enjoyed my time here.

Mi experiencia como voluntaria en el sector de la administración y gestión de la ONG Aldeas de Paz ha sido en general positiva. Mi primer día se desarrolló muy bien, fui recibida por los voluntarios que ya estaban en el lugar, me mostraron la ciudad de Samaná, dónde está el supermercado, la farmacia, la estación de guagua y me acompañaron en los diversos trámites necesarios (tarjeta SIM, banco…). Fui a la playa de Samaná, que está muy linda. Las personas que conocí eran increíblemente amables y acogedoras, lo que hizo que mi estancia fuera aún más agradable. Sin embargo, me hubiera gustado tener un poco más de trabajo para sentirme aún más útil y, las asistencias obligatoria a las clases de español no fueron muy útiles porque tengo un nivel de español "avanzado". El equipo de trabajo es genial, muy sonriente y amable, lo que contribuyó a un ambiente de trabajo relajado. En resumen, esta experiencia me permitió descubrir una nueva cultura mientras contribuir a causas que me importan.

The staff team was great and always offered support, Nacho the coordinator was very nice and was always ready to help. The volunteering work was great but could be improved by adding consistent tasks for volunteers to complete, the hours for the work were very good since we only worked around the morning and the rest of the day we were free to do as we pleased. The living conditions were very simple but i liked that at Las terrenas all volunteers lived together so it was very easy to socialize and make friends with the others. Las terrenas as a town was incredible the beaches and the people were amazing. I loved that everything was not very far from the accommodation so it was very easy to get to the beach or to restaurants.