Flora (18) spent three months of her gap year in Colombia before going to University to study Spanish. The Language Gap supported her throughout to find the right option for her skills and interests. She spent two weeks taking part in an intensive language course in Bogotá, high in the Andes before joining a volunteer programme with Amigos del Mar on the Caribbean island of Tierra Bomba near Cartagena. She tells us more: "Colombian people are incredibly friendly and always happy to help. I’ve become friends with many and they are some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. I felt so much more confident in my Spanish after language school; honestly, though, nothing could have prepared me for how the Tierrabomberos speak!
I’ve been volunteering with Amigos del Mar in the village of Tierra Bomba. There is no running water or sewage system and many children do not go to school, and a huge amount of rubbish has accumulated and ends up in the sea or being eaten by animals. In the Foundation we give workshops focused on environmental issues, English, and Art. Teaching the children is really fun and you are given freedom of choice of what you would like to teach within these areas. For example at the start of one of my English classes we did some meditation and breathing exercises. The volunteers also help at the surf classes, which serve as a reward for having attended the workshops, and I have learnt to surf (kind of)! The food has been mostly great, although very different from what I’m used to at home. I still don’t quite understand how people actually like pan de bono (cassava bread) or chontaduro (palm fruit), but I will hugely miss bandeja paisa, (Colombian breakfast) and all the amazing tropical fruits!
The people here are even more welcoming than I expected. I’ve had dinner at a local’s house, been to church, sampled all kinds of food from small restaurants, and watched countless sunsets with the children—a tradition they do here with the volunteers.
I hope to come back one day, especially since I’m planning to travel much more in Latin America."
