Batty's Blog - Volunteering with ICS Tearfund The Online Blog of a Travelling Charity Volunteer

It seems like my time here has flown by so quickly. Within a few short weeks I’ll be returning back to England and saying goodbye to the beautiful city of Cochabamba and also the amazing people I have met.

While in Cochabamba, I have had the privilege to work within a project that holds some real gems; Freddy, Sandra, Libertad and Jakie; The staff at the Centre I’ve been working at – Centre Motivation. Right from the beginning they have made us feel more than welcome.

Despite the language barrier, as the weeks have gone on we have built some really good and solid relationships with these wonderful people, relationships that I will treasure forever.

Everyday we are greeted by a happy, loving and motivated team who are very passionate about their work and this shines through.

John and I have been lucky enough to have a real hands on experience in the centre, experiencing the rough with the smooth. I have seen for myself that the work the team does at the Motivation Centre can be very challenging at times, yet they continue to persevere with a love for their work which is truly inspiring!

Working out on the streets with Freddy has been a favourite past time of mine. The young people living on the streets are so warm to Freddy. It shows he is very good at his job and has built some great relationships with these kids.

When working in the centre we have also been very lucky to spend time with some delightful young women and their beautiful children who attend the centre. As time has gone by and as the Spanish has improved, we have managed to build relationships with them and begin to get to know them better and a little of their stories.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, there has been a particular family that have really touched my heart. Each week we have continued to see them at the centre and as time has passed I have grown more fond of them.