Minga House Foundation

I came to Colombia to immerse myself in the Spanish culture. I was teaching at a school in Medellin and it was school vacation. I decided I would spend my break volunteering in the Eje Cafetero region which was on my list of places to visit. For me this was the perfect opportunity to explore the area. What I gained and would learn from this experience would set all my other volunteer work at shelters apart. Jeff Munoz-Perez is the Veterinarian for the government funded dog and cat refugio based in Palestina for the Eje Cafetero region. As a veterinarian Jeff spends his time in what he described to me as two worlds. The first being the refugio where the animals have a history often of cruelty and suffering which he finds an emotional charge to his work as a veterinarian gaining invaluable insight with his work. The other is with cardiac diseases, respiratory issues of dogs, cats and horses. He also works in different clinics doing ultrasounds and domiciliary services and is an avid researcher in kidney disease. Having an active participation in Jeff’s day to day routine at the refugio was eye opening for me and on occasions emotionally challenging. From bathing puppies (the fun part), administering medication, checking the animals health, prepping for surgeries, emergencies, castrations (If you are squirmish at the sight of blood this may not suit you.) and gaining an understanding of the decisions a veterinarian faces including life and death. Being in a rural area means that Jeff not only spends his time at the refugio but the people of the area will call on him for veterinarian assistance or emergencies on their farms. I saw this firsthand, it was warming to see the relationship he has built with the local people, not just the animals and it showed me the type of person Jeff is, and a valuable member of the community. If you are looking for a Colombian bilingual immersion, have a love for animal health and welfare or a medical science background, I highly recommend this program. It was inspiring for me to see the dedication, passion and day to day challenges faced as a veterinarian. I have left with a new appreciation and respect for veterinary science. Living in this beautiful community and spending time every day with Colombian people has given me the most amazing cultural immersion and has left me in awe of this place.

I expected to have an interesting and perhaps challenging time working ar Malecon Cameguadua in Chinchina Colombia. An environmental disaster remediation project spearheaded by two Colombia companies and expandedto include the local community and the local fishing club, the long term goal of restoring areservoir to a viable fishing spot and a bird sanctuary are well on the way t completion. What I didn’t expect was to find a community of long-term ongoing friends and colleagues! I didn’t expect to find myself in the company of preeminent professional birding guides from Colombia, Panama, Argentina, and the United States. Part of my duties there were to assist in the day to day operation and maintenance of a world class birdwatching site, and a local pay-as-you-catch fishing site and that was fun and informative, and an excellent learning experience. But my duties also consisted of interacting with my colleagues, the local community, visiting birdwatchers, and the professional birdwatching guides on a day to day basis. Several times during my almost 4 month long tenure I was asked to do powerpoint presentations for visiting groups of students, teachers and parents from neighboring villages. My biggest problem was my inadequate Spanish, but the staff at Minga house ( more long term friends) and my colleagues at the Malecon were incredibly warm, helpful, encouraging, and welcoming. This was definitely a life changing experience for me. As a new retiree it was an excellent way to start the transition from full time employment to part time volunteer (25-35 hours a week) and it provided me not only with a purpose and goals, it allowed me to develop friendships and relationships that continue. Glen, Stiven, Jaidaber, Dani, and the rest of the Mingo house staff were there whenever needed or wanted for help, advice, assistance, and again the warmth and inclusiveness of the Colombian culture were amazing. When I look at my facebook page today, I see dozens of friends from Chinchina and Manizales. I keep in touch on a regular basis via WhatsApp, and I have already booked a return ticket to Colombia. This time my goals and activities will be different, and I will not be volunteering at the Malecon Cameguadua. However I will be spending time in the Chinchina/Manizales area, and I will be in the company of good friends enjoying ourselves in the beauty and variety of this amazing and ecologically diverse country

I spent two months at volunteering at a variety of places in Chinchiná with Minga House Foundation and I had an incredible time. However, it wasn't until a month into my experience that I found my favorite site that I had the most interest and passion in, the fire station in Chinchiná. More specifically, I spent most of my time in the back of the ambulance responding to calls. Although I am only an undergraduate and have no experience outside of the classroom, everyone at the station accepted me with open arms and were willing to teach me. Everyone at the station were friendly, wanted to get to know me, and made me feel welcome. It is an incredibly welcoming environment to be a part of which made it easier to volunteer/work in. I gained so much experience and discovered my passion for emergency medicine through my work at the fire station, and plan to become an EMT in the U.S. They allowed me to do anything I was comfortable doing with patients. If there was something I was not sure of how to do or uncomfortable, I was not expected to perform it, but they were willing to teach me how to handle/approach that situation when we got back to the station. As time went on, I started to have more responsibility, for example, start doing inventory of the ambulances. All in all, it was a great experience and would love to go back - except next time when I have experience as an EMT! TIP: If you become part of this program, be proactive! You honestly make your own experience here. If you have questions or comments, don't be afraid to ask. At the station, it is easy to get side tracked with all the daily side jobs that have to be done. If you ask, they will take the time to give you mini-lectures/workshops. If not, it is really easy to just sit there and do nothing until you get an ambulance call.