“Pack and travel simply,” the trip brochures hinted. These words intrigued me to embrace a rustic, casual voluntourism trip in Central America. There are many buzzwords in travel–glamping, world schooling, agritourismo and voluntourism. I have done them all now as I just completed my first voluntourism trip. What is voluntourism? Volunteering + tourism= voluntourism. From the time I was in college, I have been fascinated with the Peace Corps. I was curious about it but on another path of marriage and career at the time. Decades later, as an almost empty nester and  travel writer, I discovered a travel program, Discover Corps, which was founded by a Peace Corps volunteer. The sustainable travel principles program was the “voluntourism” themed trip that I was craving.

After decades of traveling as a family, it was now a time in my life when I could travel with girlfriends and experience voluntourism. Not a mission trip but a volunteer trip. Moms are permanent volunteers on a mission, anyway, whether it’s being a homeroom mom, a Scout mom, a team mom, church volunteer, school fundraiser mom, etc. But when first world moms go on a voluntourism trip in a third world country, it’s different. The maternal instinct bonds you to children all over the world and their needs become significant to you. Their needs challenge you to think about how you can help. They are not someone else’s children…..they are all our children.

Guatemala attracts travelers who like adventure, Spanish language schools and service projects. I was drawn to traveling there for the color, landscape and this voluntourism opportunity. The bonus was that there was no time change from Oklahoma, no change in electrical outlets and no visas required. Central America is not that far of a flight from my hometown and yet it was beautifully exotic.

My travel buddies and dear friends seized the adventure and signed up right away. This made it all the better! How surprised I was to discover that my friend has always been fascinated by the Peace Corp, too, 30 years prior when we were both college girls.  Here we were embarking on our 50th year on Earth and trying something new. All  the ladies attending the trip were people who love to help in their communities. Their ideas and vigor were contagious.

Half of our trip itinerary took place in the city (Quetzaltenango, “Xela”) of the school where we worked on our service project. In rustic lodging, (“Girl Scout style”) bunk beds and shared bathrooms, we left the jewelry and nice clothing back home and embraced a casual life for a week. Stripped of the usual facade and amenities, you discover the fundamental side of yourself and how that feels. Our “careers and personas” were not important in this context—our capabilities and spirits were. Flat shoes, a camera and a volunteer heart were the only tools required for our efforts. Skechers shoes can be quite liberating.

The school had two service project needs—paint a mural on the playground wall or create an inside “mural” bulletin board display where the teacher could change out the instructional pages. The teacher’s preferred need seemed to be the classroom display and we were happy to provide that. No laminators, no fancy materials and no classroom budget…we had to create the display from a bucket of supplies and contact paper as a substitute for a laminator. Our workspace was the principal’s tiny office at a tiny table. Our bathroom break required a key to unlock the stall and a roll of toilet paper to take with us. No toilet seats either.

As we worked, affectionate schoolchildren came up to us, threw their arms around our necks, and watched us work for a few minutes. The reciprocated curiosity was very bonding. I used Spanish I hadn’t used since college and was pleasantly surprised to hear myself retrieve words and phrases I didn’t realize I still knew! The children were so joyful; so happy with so little. Each student smiled and hung on every word of their teacher. They appeared to truly want to please their teachers. They sang songs for us, engaged with us, posed for pictures. It was startling to me to observe that not one child seemed moody or serious. There was pure joy at every desk. The playground was a cement courtyard, sunny and colorful, with multiplication tables painted on the steps. Children hanging and climbing on basketball goal posts never seemed in danger. It was like a scene from pre-video games days when children thrived outside.

During the week, we went to the educational supply store to get more materials for our display. We were also moved into a larger classroom workspace. We found our flow with our respective tasks of assembling the project. Cutting, glue- gunning, drawing, sorting, etc. teamwork between the women used to business, psychometry, nursing, dentistry and volunteer world work. I, being the only former teacher in the group, mustered up some old drawing skills I still had within me and was summoned to draw the animated figures. I was mostly interested in photojournalizing our journey so it touched me when my friend looked over my shoulder as I was drawing and appreciated my rudimentary art skills. Giggling at her comment, I sketched out the animal characters and enjoyed watching and feeling our assembly line productivity. Concentrating to delve back into “teacher art” after all these decades, my other friend noticed how quiet we all were as we worked in concert. It was true—concentration required stillness which is not my usual modus operandi. I was also using the stillness to process what was going on around me…the country music playing on my friend’s phone as she worked, our tour guide printing off worksheets from the computer, my friend carefully peeling the contact paper and the other friend smoothing it with a ruler. Nothing was planned out or rehearsed—it was just an organic experience of mothers helping.

At night, after excursions and dinner, we gathered in the “den” of our lodge over wine or Guatemalan rum. Sometimes, we checked emails and social media. The few times I did this, the updates seemed trivial compared to what we were experiencing this week. It was refreshing to “unplug” and focus on other matters going on in the world. The lack of amenities and less restful sleep was eye-opening, too, because it did confirm to me that there’s no place like home. So, two good things happen when you travel—you appreciate global awareness but you also appreciate the comforts of home.During the service project schooldays, we toured the school and observed a classroom without electricity. The students studied by the daylight through the windows. We saw a classroom without a door. Students cleaned and mopped after recess. They brushed their teeth in a communal, outdoor sink. Bags of bread rolls were their snack. They went to school half a day and the upper grades used the school in the afternoon. We saw an area where a second floor is needed and awaiting construction. This intrigued us and my friend instantly started thinking of a solution and a group of volunteers she could assemble to return to Quetzaltenango to complete it. I was most impressed by the valores (values) plastered all over the playground: cooperacion, amor, solidaridad…. Simple but paramount.

On our final day, we presented the project to the teachers. They invited us to join everyone outside on the playground where they set up a row of chairs for us. A presenter on microphone publicly thanked us and presented us with thank you gifts and certificates. “We do not deserve this,” I heard my friend remark. Then, the music started and darling children dressed in Guatemalan costumes, marched out from opposite sides of the courtyard and promenaded and serenaded us in an appreciation performance. The boys swung their straw hats in the air and the girls fanned out their skirts. We posed for pictures together and there were more hugs to go around. I’ll always remember the sunny day, the joyfulness, the music and the affection of that day. I’ll always remember the valores. The amor.

This introduction into voluntourism was an easy first step that I highly recommend. It was something we could accomplish in the time given and it provided an opportunity for us to experience satisfying and intense tourism within the week’s itinerary. Being reintroduced into rustic lodging (similar to youth camps I’ve been to) was an adjustment but part of the adventure. Some travelers can handle sleeping bags or airbeds at Project Mexico, some do far more rugged trips, mission trips, and others do “glamping”. In a variety of volunteer and mission trips, this style suited me for now.This voluntourism trip came at a meaningful time for me–Great Lent. Lent is the season of prayer, alms-giving and fasting for many of us. Volunteering is meaningful and appropriate alms-giving and doing it internationally really connects us to mankind; sisters and brothers on Earth. Not first world or third world needs and issues….but just, the world.

© Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

photos by Gina