Out in the jungle to take pictures of the sponsored children
In the beginning of 2004 I flew to to do an 6 month internship on the UMSS university in Cochabamba. I also took lessons to learn Spanish and these lessons included a “cultural trip” to the big Carnaval in Oruru. It was on this trip when I met Brent. We had lots of fun in Oruru and became friends.
Brent told me about the Angels of Hope foundation and soon after the Carnaval, I got to meet Michael. He invited me to come over to the jungle and told me I would have a place to stay. A few weeks later I took a bus down to Chapare for the weekend.
I was quite shocked to see the harsh environment the people of Chapare are living in. So when Michael asked me to shoot some pictures of (future) sponsored children, I was glad I could do something to help. The padrinos/godfathers in the enjoy having a photo of the Bolivian child, they sponsor. There wasn’t anybody around who knew a lot about digital cameras, plus the fact that taking pictures of all the children’s takes a lot of time and effort.
Later on I decided to devote 2 months to volunteer in the project. I took around 200 pictures of the children and their families. Next to that I succeeded Brent as a busdriver for 3 weeks and I suggested to improve the numbering system.
When Brent noted me to check out the updated website in January 2005, I was amazed to see the photos of the sponsor children and the new numbers. I can tell,… it is really worth volunteering for Angels of Hope!!
Volunteer Marinus Kooij The Netherlands, 17th of February 2006
From October 2003 to August 2004 I was a volunteer at the Angels of Hope foundation. During this time I tried to help in many different ways. I taught English classes to the project staff in the evenings. I helped to build the playground for the children. I painted classrooms, and made toys for the children to play with; however, it was not until the foundation needed a school bus driver that I found my place. Due to my new responsibilities, I finally believed that I was importatnt to the project and foundation. I felt as though I was actually making a difference in the lives of the children who rode in my bus everyday. What a great experience it was. I got the opportunity to see how each child lived and come to know them personally. Obviously, it was my duty to see each child to and from school, which generally meant three hours each way on unpaved roads that often caused flat tires. I found myself working twelve hours a day in the harsh jungle environment, and yet I felt more content than working nine to five with all the comforts of the developed world. After my year with the foundation, I returned to the United States only to find that I could not wait to return to life in the Chapare.
Independent Catholic Lay Missionaries:Serving Bolivia's impovereshed people