IVHQ Community Outreach in Cordoba, Argentina

I had a wonderful experience. I was able to live with a family and view their everyday life style. The volunteers in-house during my stay were respectful and wonderful to talk with. I felt we are all on our own journey discovering our next chapter in life. I would recommend this program to individuals who are thinking of traveling alone for self development.

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Volunteering in Cordoba was a great way to practice my Spanish, because it is not a tourist city, and most people do not speak any English. Living with a host family and other volunteers was an amazing experience because I got to meet people from all across the world and learn about their home countries as well. This was my first time travelling abroad, and IVHQ made it so much less stressful with their organized checklist of things to get done before leaving the country!

From beginning to end this IVHQ program was professionally run. I felt well-prepared, safe, supported and fully engaged in the experience. The self-paces learning and checklists, orientation activities and availability of staff to answer questions ensured that I was well prepared to arrive and start work. The placement was very endearing and I enjoyed learning spanish and about the day to day lives of the community and seniors with whom I worked. This placement is best for someone who has a little Spanish, is self-directed and is willing to be of help in any way possible. I enjoyed playing games, talking and especially using scented creams to massage the arthritic and aging hands of my new friends.

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First of, let me say that I wish I had stayed longer! I feel that everything about this experience makes you want to stay longer, return to Argentina, and help others in need. I loved my stay. It’s a 10/10. I was placed at a center that supports the adult special needs community. Everything about this center was wonderful. They are currently in need of a lot of financial support for sustainability purposes! So, if anyone knows of philanthropic organizations that supports internationally, please direct them to OTIUM for support. Their strength is the human element. So, I was able to see first hand the level of love and care present in all the interactions between staff members and participants- and for that I will be eternally grateful. Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to further my career experience, but mostly for the opportunity.

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Our family volunteering week in Argentina was a great success. The kids practised their Spanish & we loved meeting all the wonderful people - both local team members and the other volunteers. It was all very well organised.

I just finished my first volunteer trip with IVHQ. I do a lot of foreign travel on my own, which saves a lot of money. IVHQ is comparatively expensive to what I usually do, but was well managed and very enjoyable. The best part was being connected to the local family who hosted us. Rather than just being a tourist, I felt like I was a member of the family.

I had a wonderful time in volunteering in Argentina. The accommodation was lovely and spacious. The program was fulfilling and beautiful. The people I shared my house with were great. The food was wonderful and it was an overall amazing experience. It was an incredible adventure and I’m so glad I did it. I felt safe and supported the entire time and I can’t wait to do another program in the future.

Living in an Argentinian family quickly gave me an understanding of life in this foreign country. As I speak fluent Spanish, I was able to talk to the people and learned a lot about their lives there and their worries. Working at a school in a poor neighborhood and the conversations with the teachers were very exciting and warm. As I was there for two months, it was difficult to say goodbye to some of the children, as they got completely involved with me and won my heart with their open-minded, open-hearted and warm nature. I will never forget this experience for the rest of my life.I have received back at least as much as I have given.

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My time in Cordoba, Argentina was so different from regular life but so amazing in every single way. It was a wonderful way to learn and live in a different culture and improve my Spanish. From forming close bonds with the local family and all the other volunteers to gaining healthcare experience and connecting with the doctors and nurses at the clinic, I can truly say that I had zero regrets from this experience, and if I could it all over, I would do it all in the same way. I would recommend this to anyone able to. It is something you will thoroughly enjoy from beginning to end.

My experience in Córdoba, Argentina, has been simply unforgettable. I discovered so much about the country I visited, its people, and their way of life. But more importantly, I also learned a lot about myself. I was welcomed in an incredible way and received so much that giving back felt completely natural. Finally, the organization of the trip by both IVHQ and the local team has been impeccable. I would definitely consider to repeat this kind of experience in the future.

My two teenagers (14 and 16) and I traveled to Argentina and volunteered for a week of our vacation. Our contribution was to paint walls at a local community center/school. More importantly we bonded with the young ambassadors of Argentina (the students at the school) by playing ‘futball’ every afternoon. Our home stay provided everything we could ask… they made our trip smooth. The housing was lovely (our own room/bathroom for the three of us). So many logistics were conquered with the host family’s assistance (including help with a bus reservation when our flight was canceled at a later part of our vacation). The food was worth returning for in itself! Highly recommend this site for future volunteers!

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Pedro and Nati were incredible hosts. I felt very safe in the hostel and they were great about helping arrange recreational activities, transportation, and good spots to eat. The volunteer placement at the school felt like a valuable project and it was truly life changing. I would recommend this to anyone I can!

The past three months I have experienced so much growth in such short time, and I truly can't imagine having spent them anywhere else. I chose to join IVHQ during my gap year after high school, with the goal of personal growth, learning how to make meaningful, as well as being a beneficial part of the community I was living in; I 100% feel as though my goals were accomplished, in ways I could never have anticipated beforehand. From someone who had never travelled alone outside of my country, the nature of this program is such that you have so many opportunities to see a life and experiences I wouldn't have known how to access back home. All through this high experience, there's a great support group and home base with the house and family that you're staying in, and having that availability made the trip so much more enriching. The city of Cordoba has completely endeared itself to me, from the culture and community, but mostly the people who I was lucky enough to share my time with.

I absolutely enjoyed my experience in Cordoba, Argentina. It was absolutely amazing. I had such a wonderful time interacting with the community and the administration there was fantastic. They would always recommend places to visit, and they event took us to a couple places. I will definitely not forget this experience, and I am glad that I chose this as my first experience outside of the country!

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I found the IVHQ program amazing and enriching! It was extremely easy to navigate, simple and thorough, safe and informing, flexible, inexpensive, with lots of options. The people I met along the way were amazing! They have reminded me of the good in people.

I have recently got back from Córdoba after spending 2 weeks there and I already can’t wait to go back! Everything from the host family to the volunteering placements to the local area was perfect. As a 16 year old with no previous experience of travelling alone I was very nervous in the run up to the trip, however my nerves completely vanished and I felt completely at home almost instantly because the family which I stayed with (Pedro, Nati, Julio, Bauti y Martí) are some of the loveliest and kindest people I have ever met who are more than happy to make your time there as special as they can. Lucas, a family friend and a worker, is someone who I now consider a really good friend of mine having spent almost every night out with him. I do think some knowledge of Spanish (advanced beginners and up maybe?) or at the very least a willingness to try and learn little bits why you are there, is required to fully make the most out of your trip as most if not all of the placements are almost exclusively in Spanish. My one big piece of advice is that to get the most out of this trip you really do need to force yourself out of your comfort zone and to try your hardest to make friends with everyone around you ie the other volunteers, the family (although you’ll have no problem with that), the people who you’ll encounter while working, and even some of the locals which you’ll meet if you go to Quepi (the local bar). All in all, IVHQ Córdoba is a trip that I would do 1000 times again if I could and would recommend it to almost anyone of all ages and interests. However the enjoyment you get out of the holiday is entirely dependent on what you make of it. If you choose to spend all of your free time at the house, you’ll have a much worse time than the person who went out exploring the local area with other volunteers!

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Amazing time in Argentina. The host family was lovely and made me feel very comfortable. And they gave us a lot of freedom, but helped us out when we needed it. They made sure we were happy with our placement, and it was a very eye-opening experience to go to some of the placements and volunteer

I had a wonderful time volunteering. I did the construction and renovation program. I worked on building shelters and putting up fences for the shelter. There were new skill sets which I had learned there like brick and masonry. The host family is very warm and welcoming and very approachable for whatever questions and needs you may have. They also showed me how to cure the mate I had bought and they also showed me how to prepare the mate. My favorite part of the trip was having dinner at a full table with other volunteers and the host family and learning about Argentinian culture.

My time in Córdoba was absolutely amazing! I loved every minute of it. The family, the culture, the lifestyle was so great. Volunteering was so much fun. I did the construction and renovation assignment part of IVHQ and I enjoyed it a lot.

We had an amazing pleasant stay at our host family. They were so nice and took good care of us and everyone. The volunteer place was also a great experience with lovely people. I recommend to do something like this at least ones in your life.