Volunteer Blog

Dr. Ofir and Dr. Estelle (almost)

Hey, we are Ofir and Estelle, two volunteers from Israel.  We spent two wonderful weeks volunteering for the "Angels of Hope Foundation" in the Chapare region in Bolivia, and we want to share our experience with you...

We have been married for almost 2 years and we are now travelling in South America after graduating from medical school in Israel (almost doctors).

At first when we got to Villa Tunari, we didn't plan on staying there too long.  We had thoughts of volunteering in a hospital elsewhere in Bolivia where we figured we could help more professionally.  Still, for pure curiosity, we visited the project and the minute we saw the people and the amazing things they do there we knew that we were staying.

During our volunteering period we worked in the Clinic at the school, with the local doctor, Dr. Ramiro.  The clinic gives free medical attention to the kids in the school, their families, and basically to whom ever needs it.  Professionally speaking the work in the clinic was very interesting.  We were exposed to tropical and third world medicine, things that we don't usually see in western world medicine.  We helped tend to patients with malnutrition, typhoid fever, dengue fever, various skin infections, other infectious diseases and a lot more.  We also helped in the general work of the foundation like feeding the kids, riding the bus, helping in the construction work etc.

We had an amazing experience, getting to know the kids, seeing the way they live, getting to know their families and trying to help them in any way we can.  If you have any questions about our volunteering  period, we would be more than happy to answer you.  Our e-mail addresses are: alalufo@gmail.com and estelle_seyman@yahoo.com.