Camping in Martinica

On a recent weekend, the Manos Amigas (Let´s Go Volunteers) of San Jose (a barrio of Ibague) took more than 40 children on a camping trip to Martinica, in the mountains above Ibague. During the day, we hiked to the Cascada Martinica waterfall and played in the water below the falls.

Playing near the waterfall

During the night, we gathered around the campfire and told ghost stories and sang songs. 

Saying a prayer around the campfire

Listening to ghost stories

At the end of the evening, we prepared for bed (or a slumber party!) in our cabins.

We ate breakfast at the campsite before setting off on our hike down the mountain.









After breakfast, we hiked back down the mountain on our return trip back to the San Jose barrio of Ibague.

A Big Blogger Welcome to Jimena and Yamile!

Hey Everyone! It has been quite a while since Karla (our lovely Volunteer Intern) last did an entry. However Yamile (our co-ordinator of the San Jose centre) and Jimena (our dance teacher) have very generously agreed to keep everyone update to date with everything going ahead and continue Karla's admirable mission of sharing Let's Go Volunteer with the world!

There has been lots going on in Ibagué and at Let's Go Volunteer. We are heading into that time of the year when the eyes of Colombia look towards Ibagué. The Folklore Festival is always a fun time with parades, concerts and of course the pagent to select La Reina Nacional.

At Let's Go Volunteer we are also holding our annual celebrations and Jimena is working hard with the children to make a special day for all the centres. They will dance traditional folklore dances and pick the Manos Amigas Queen. We will let you know how the day went and include some photos and videos to make you feel a part of our celebrations!

Work hard, play hard...

Our theme for the weekend!

It was a holiday weekend here in Colombia and having had a long and arduous work week, we (volunteers) were looking forward to enjoying some time off and making the most of it

Prior to the weekend some of us had been talking about places we want to see and things we want to do before we leave.  Our wish list included a visit to the seven waterfalls of Chinchara, a nearby town located an hour away from Ibague, and a night at the stadium for a live soccer game.  Manos Amigas does not have any organized weekend events which gives volunteers freedom to plan their free time as they will.  This weekend we managed to cross both items off our wish list.

Triki, triki Halloween...

quiero dulces para mi...y si no me das... te arranco  la Nariz!

Happy Halloween!

This past weekend little monsters witches, heroes and disney characters took over the streets of Ibague singing Halloween Colombian riddles and seeking for something sweet.  Eventhough the official Halloween day was Monday, side celebrations took place all over the weekend including ours. 

Sad endings and new beginnings...

This past Friday we said goodbye to one of our dear and long term volunteers, Holly Wheeler.  During her two months with the organization, Holly dedicated most of her time to teaching English to several different groups of children and young adults. 

Where are we on the map?

While most of us may know where our country is located geographically, the kids from our program may find this question difficult to answer while others may limit their knowledge to the Americas. 

Thinking of creative ways to teach kids geography and have them learn more about our world, the idea of painting a mural came alive. 

It's not disorganized just chaotic in an organized way

If you have voluntered with us you probably know I am referring to our Manos Amigas library's organized chaos.  Some of the cost of volunteering goes to providing educational materials for libraries at each of our centers (Huellas de Amor, San Jose & Manos Amigas).  Thanks to this fund and also to donations from former volunteers, we are lucky to have our library stock with most of what we need, the key is finding it.