Argentina: NGO Communications Project

Introduction

Background Information

Voluntario Global has been working with many social organizations and communities in Buenos Aires for over 10 years. These organizations include kindergartens, educational centers, and community clinics, thus creating a network of solidarity and collaboration among all and helping with resources and volunteers. In 2008, Voluntario Global, the volunteer organization behind Pacheco Community Center, founded its first Youth Cooperative that is still running today. This cooperative is a laundry center named Su Lavanderia and has employed over 50 young students from poor neighborhoods who were studying at university and so working at the cooperative they were able to have an income without dropping out of school. This experience has inspired us to believe that the Pacheco Community Center can be a valuable part of this network.

What should you expect?

• We are a small 4-people social organization and we do not have professionals in communications, that is why we mostly rely on the work of volunteers. It is very different to work in a context where most people don’t speak English and there is no professional guidance, so that is why we mostly require an intermediate level of Spanish and proactivity from our volunteers (evaluating your work in other contexts does not really tell us anything about your proactivity).
• Organizations are not perfect places. You have to always be open-minded: understand the dynamics that imply working in vulnerable zones and with social communities.
• Work in an independent environment where you’ll have the freedom to come up with your own ideas and be creative. Keep in mind that things may not work the way you want and nevertheless you should have an inventive spirit to find a way through this, no matter the circumstances the projects sometimes have.
• Getting to know local communities, understand their culture, their language, and their realities. This will enrich your critical thinking and your perspective.

What do we expect from you?

Someone excited to work in a selfless way, willing to always help, no matter if this sometimes means things can change and you’ll have to readjust to new plans

Daily Life

What will you do?

There is a huge variety of tasks available to communications volunteers depending on the volunteers’ interests, experience and the activities going on within Voluntario Global at the time. Some of these tasks include:

• Updating the social media sites: Voluntario Global keeps people up to date with its work and spreads its message through the use of social media such as Facebook and Instagram. It is important to keep these pages up to date with recent activities and new volunteers, and communications volunteers can take on this responsibility.
  
• Writing blogs for the Voluntario Global website: Living in the city of Buenos Aires and visiting all the different volunteer projects, there are so many interesting things to write about. Voluntario Global’s website has a blog section for volunteer experiences, culture or current issues and many other topics that you will keep up to date.
• Interviewing: To ensure that Voluntario Global has up to date information on the volunteers, the projects and the coordinators working at the projects, you can take on the role of interviewing people. These interviews may be with current volunteers in English or Spanish, or with people from in the projects in Spanish and may be used in video form, or be typed up and used for descriptions of projects or website information. This will be possible depending on the availability and schedule of the project.

• Translating: The Voluntario Global website uses both English and Spanish so volunteers can help to translate information for the website or for the project descriptions.
• Photography and Video editing: Creating content focused in photography and video; Make interviews, translate, help with  management of our YouTube channel; Create material showing the volunteers work; Explore what Buenos Aires offers and show sites of the city through pictures and videos.
• Extra activities: Assist the communications coordinator with different tasks that involve internal work of the organization such as: design of newsletters, power points, campaigns, etc.

In order to accomplish tasks, it is important that the volunteer possesses initiative, collaborative skills and empathy to join the activities of the different projects.

It is also advisable you bring your own laptop to work more comfortably.

Location and work schedule

The Communications Team will coordinate and run their main tasks in the office. Weekly tasks are organized in one or two meetings each week, usually on Mondays and Fridays, to discuss what volunteers will be doing during the week and to share ideas and proposals.

On day one, you will have an introductory talk with your coordinator in Buenos Aires.

On day two: you will be accompanied to a project, depending on availability, and you will visit the same project during the following days to become familiar with the work of a community organization and what volunteers do there.

In your second week, you will meet the Voluntario Global coordinators to make an evaluation of your first week. This week you will continue to go to the project assigned to you and start working on a communications plan.

On week number three, you will have a general meeting in the Voluntario Global office so you can propose a schedule and tasks for your communications plan (related to the community project you have been visiting). This plan will be evaluated to determine its feasibility and weekly outputs. Additional tasks may be determined.

Travel & Accom.

You will be given easy to follow instructions on how to get from Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza) to the Project HQ in central Buenos Aires. Alternatively, you can add pick up in the airport for $90 USD.

Requirements

• Minimum age 18
• Minimum 2 months commitment – 20+ hours a week.
• Enthusiasm and motivation to work in the development sector at a managerial level
• In order to visit the projects and conduct interviews, volunteers should have an intermediate level of Spanish. If you don’t have that level, you will be assigned other tasks that not require much Spanish understanding.
• English, Portuguese, German and French are also a plus, as they are spoken among the volunteers
• Full travel & medical insurance
• Necessary vaccinations, flights & visas
• It is important that you possess initiative, empathy, and a sense of co-operation
• It is also advisable that you bring your own laptop to work more comfortably

Costs

Accommodation with us is optional. You are also free to rent an apartment nearby if you do not wish to stay at our volunteer guesthouse.

* All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee.
** Places are confirmed with a 15% deposit
*** Check xe.com for the latest currency conversions

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes accommodation (if opted for), project placement, in-country support, and a two-day orientation to Buenos Aires.

What’s not included:

All food, accommodation (unless opted for), flights, insurance, visas (if applicable) and vaccinations. Full support will be provided in getting all these arranged if you opt for premium support.

You should budget around $10-15 a day for food.

Airport pickup available for an additional $90.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators. We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.