"I loved every single activity and all of the service we gave! Even when I was not particularly knowlegable in a certain area, it was great to learn more and help everyone else on their projects. I discovered talents and interests that I had no idea I had before. Every single moment was so great. I loved it!"
-Jessica Reeves, Uganda 2007
"I thought that I would just be making a difference in other peoples' lives, but through serving them and working with these people I grew to love them and found that the biggest difference that took place was in my life. This is an experience I will never forget."
Breakfast options vary. Some participants make breakfast at home of eggs, yogurt, granola, cereals, and bread (El Salvador has great bread!) and some participants leave a few minutes earlier so they would be able to stop by a bakery on the way to their project to get breads and juice.
8:00 am
Travel to projects (a few projects take longer time for travel such as Habitat for Humanity, ALPIMED, or Habitat Confien and consequently participants leave earlier for these projects). Typically, travel time from the home to a project will usually be about an hour. Participants generally take buses everywhere they go but a few projects are within walking distance of the neighborhoods our participants live in. During this time, the buses will be crowded. It is a great time to talk to people, practice Spanish, and enjoy seeing how life is, both inside and outside the bus.
9:00 am
Participants start their projects. Project schedules will vary daily, based on the interest of the participants and how many are available or necessary for each project.
12:00 to 1:00 pm
Participants can use this time for lunch and/or travel to the next project. Sometimes participants bring their own lunch and eat it either at a project or on a bus going to the next project. If you are going to be at a project all day, you can also opt to go to a "restaurant" or "eatery" nearby. It is a fun time to experience El Salvador. Lunch will include chicken, rice, beans, cheese, tortillas, soda, etc.
4:00 pm
Participants will usually leave the project they are at to start to travel to the "evening project". On some days participants will teach English., on other days participants work at an orphanage home, where they help with homework and do activities before dinner. These projects don't require all of the participants, so some participants will also use this time to go to the internet café, to make copies, to prepare for lessons and projects.
7:30 pm
Participants eat together. This is also a time for participants to go to grocery stores, internet cafes or spend time with local friends. Participants can do laundry, prepare for lessons, read, relax, write reports, write in journals, make lunches for the next day, or do group activities. On weekends groups often go dancing. Bailamos!
