Meet the new Volunteer Coordinator Team in Guatemala

Introducing our new Volunteer Country Coordinators in Guatemala – Candy, Toño and Nina!

 

One, Two… Tree! extends a warm welcome to our new Country Coordinators for our project in Guatemala –Candy, Toño and Nina!

 

Candy and Toño are natural from Lake Atitlan and both call Santiago, the beautiful lake town where One, Two… Tree! Guatemala is based, home. Having grown up in Santiago, Toño and Candy are always eager to get involved with projects that support their community. So, when the prospect of joining the One, Two… Tree! team as Volunteer Coordinators presented itself, they were more than happy to come onboard!

 

Nina is from Germany and ventured to Santiago to volunteer with One, Two… Tree! as an English teacher in early 2023. She quickly came to love Santiago, as was keen to join the Volunteer Coordinator team to continue to support the project.

 

 

 

Introducing Candy:  Volunteer recruitment admin and support

Candy is our very talented local volunteer who’s been working with us for a while now. She started off as a student  at our learning centre and six months later started volunteering as an English teacher. She’ll be managing volunteer recruitment, engaging with prospective volunteers to share information about the project, answer questions and arrange interviews.

 

Candy will also arrange your accommodation and transportation, ensuring details are up to date and quality is provided. Because she has grown up in Santiago, she knows almost everyone! 

 

Since she’s done fab work as a teacher, she’ll be assisting with the organization of group and team-building activities outside of teaching time, so that you experience different facets of  your stay in Santiago Atitlan. 

 

What excited you about joining the One Two Tree team?

 

As an indigenous Mayan woman, I want to set a good example for my community. Because of this, I am committed to supporting initiatives that empower people, improve access to education and that encourage and enable people to pursue opportunities. Being part of the One Two… Tree! team will enable me to contribute to such impacts within Santiago.

I also love to learn from and about other cultures. The One, Two… Tree! team is diverse, and when volunteers talk about the places they come from, it is a very emotive experience for me as I can travel through them. One of my greatest pleasures is making friends from all around the world, as I firmly believe that once you truly get to know and appreciate other cultures, barriers and stereotypes start to be challenged. Cultural exchange holds tremendous significance in combatting racism, and that’s another aspect of why I’m so passionate about being a part of One, Two… Tree!

 

Introducing Toño: Financial admin and learning Centre management

Toño worked for many years in Guatemala City and is now back in his hometown. We also met Toño as a student last year and he was very keen to join the One, Two… Tree! team this school year. He’ll be managing the budget and reporting to One, Two… Tree! which is paramount to keep the organisation afloat!

 

He will also be the point of contact with school headteachers, coordinating to understand the grading system, school timeframes and schedules, ways of working through the year and specific topics to teach, keeping regular contact with schools throughout the year to understand progress and solve any issues as they arise.

 

Taking advantage of his former training as a teacher, Toño will coordinate classes at our learning centre aimed at children, teenagers and adults within the community. He will also  identify and establish collaboration opportunities with other local NGOs and community projects. The perfect man for the job!

 

What excited you about joining the One Two Tree team?

 

I was a student with One, Two… Tree! last year and saw first-hand the real-life impacts the organization had in Santiago and was impressed by what students were able to achieve by improving their English. Joining the Volunteer Coordinator team provides me with a unique opportunity to support my community in a meaningful and practical way. I’m looking forward to  helping One, Two…Tree! grow and working with the community to provide people with opportunities to learn English and improve things.   

 

Introducing Nina: Volunteer induction and training/support, curriculums

Nina was looking to volunteer teaching English abroad and she found us! She has been doing a wonderful job as a teacher over the past 3 months so has great first hand experience of what life “on the ground” is like as a volunteer. Once you have arrived in Santiago, Nina will be carrying out the induction, helping you settle in, explaining roles and responsibilities, providing background information, showing available teaching materials and talking you through the methodology followed in our classes. To ensure that everything goes according to plan, Nina will keep the induction material up to date, embedding feedback from past volunteers.

 

We all want your experience as a volunteer in Guatemala to be memorable, so Nina will oversee the preparation of teaching material and supervise teaching quality in the classroom, offering mentoring to ensure that you flourish in your English teacher role. If you think you’ll be a little anxious when you start teaching, don’t worry! Nina will support you to allow you to develop confidence and learn by example. She will also coordinate more experienced volunteers to co-teach with as necessary for large classes  As you can see, we will go hand in hand with you until you are ready to fly! 

 

What excited you about joining the One Two Tree team?

 

I have taught German for several years, and I learned to speak English as a young adult. I’m also currently learning Spanish. These experiences have ingrained in me a deep appreciation for the worlds and possibilities that languages can unlock. I’m eager to use my skills and love of developing connections and community to help One, Two… Tree! build on its achievements of 2022 and deliver positive outcomes in Santiago.

What’s in store for One Two Tree and Santiago for 2023?

This year, we will endeavor to boost the positive impacts of 2022 and we will do this in 5 keys ways:

–    Support 5 public schools to deliver English language programs to students in grades 4th to 6th;

–    Deliver kids, teens and adults English language programs at our dedicated learning centre;

–    Collaborate with and local cooperatives and organizations to promote and support their work;

–    Increase the number of volunteers and the length of the stay. This includes recruiting and upskilling volunteers from within the community, and

–    Continuous review and improvement of the curriculums we use to deliver our programs.

 

 

What’s something you would say to someone who is thinking of joining our free volunteer program?

One of the most beautiful things you can do is empower people with knowledge. Same way someone shared that knowledge with you, keep the ball rolling. There is a saying that goes, “We are more powerful when we empower each other”. We promise you will feel pretty empowered too and you will learn way more than you teach. While not without its challenges, everyone who volunteers with One, Two… Tree! has the capacity to positively contribute here in Santiago and further away as we all take with us the beauty of volunteering and building together wherever we go.

 

What you do, even if it seems small, can have such a big effect. So, we encourage everyone thinking about free volunteering teaching English in Latin America or abroad, to take the leap and apply to join us!