Sustainability in Vallegrande, Bolivia

Vallegrande is a small town surrounded by mountains, 110 kilometers away from Santa Cruz, one of the most important cites in Bolivia.

The Posada in Vallegrande is both a guesthouse and restaurant for tourists and a place for locals and young people to meet. It serves as a meeting point for children and teenagers or small social organizations.

Tourism is the most important source of development of the region; together with agriculture and arts and crafts. However, many young people emigrate to bigger cites thinking they don’t have a future here because there are no universities.

Vallegrande is also famous because Che Guevara’s body was buried here in 1967.

Volunteers tasks

The community needs to be prepared to help in the development of employment opportunities, mainly for young people, in order to avoid the exodus to bigger cities. Volunteers can help with:

Assisting the coordinator with social activities:

• Visit the families of agricultutral producers to learn more about the production and and make sure it is growing.
• Visit, play and spend some time with the children at the orphanage.
• Learning about the region’s responsible tourism activities and help spreading the word.
• Helping with the reception of new guests and taking reservations

They will also collaborate with the following activities:

• Teaching English or helping students seeking advice with their homework
• Assisting with English and Computer courses as well as workshops for children and teenagers
• Supporting the organization of initiatives to raise young people’s awareness of cultural, social and ecological problems

David- Canada

My experience taught me a lot about myself and my ability to overcome barriers such as language and still be successful in engaging the kids in many activities, and helping share a sense of hope with them.