Experience:
Organisation:
Name: Kate
Hometown: Chester
Destination: Mexico
Project type: Teaching English
Organisation: Lattitude (Gap Activity Projects)
What were your impressions of your destination?
I lived and worked in a Mexican town about an hour away from Mexico City. It was an amazing location, 5 minutes bus ride from a beautiful market town. The area was very rural, but didn't feel cut off or isolated in any way. Mexico was a great country with a fantastic culture and really friendly people.
Was the work interesting and challenging?
I worked in a campsite, teaching English to scholarship students as well as in local schools. I also spent time caring for the kids at the campsite, distributed food parcels, and worked with groups of visiting kids at the weekend, doing outdoor activitiew. The teaching was very challenging, often frustrating as there was very little support from the Mexican teachers, but in the end, a very rewarding experience. Working on the campsite was fantastic, each day was different and very eventful, however, I wasn't so keen on the gardening and farming duties, which included raking up leaves and cleaning out a duck pond.
What was your accommodation like? Did you feel comfortable and welcome at all times?
The accommodation was located on the campsite, in a small dormitory with bunkbeds. For most of the time, just myself and the other volunteer I worked with occupied this, but at times, camp counsellors working with visiting groups shared. Food was provided in the camp dining hall, and all of the staff were considerate and helpful towards us. We made great friends with some of them!
Were you happy with the organisation and the staff that were responsible for you during your stay?
The organisation was good. The staff at the project were difficult to communicate with, and we were often confused about what we were meant to be doing and when. The Lattitude Mexico project manager visited us at our placement, and was helpful when talking to the staff at our placement, clearing up some problems we had. Overall, there could have been more communication, but at no time did I feel cut off from the support network that was in place.
Do you feel that you got value for money on the project?
Lattitude is significantly cheaper than some organisations, and for the 5 months the project lasted for, I felt the price was reasonable. It wasn't very clear where the money was spent, no money went to the project I worked on, but a breakdown of areas where your money is spent was given to all volunteers. However, it is still fairly unclear.
Would you recommend the project to others?
Yes
