Testimonies

Working with Chacras Foundation was a great experience. I participated in a project working on a vegetable garden at a cultural center in the southern part of the city of Buenos Aires as well as on the construction of a sustainable house in the province. I met amazing people, including the people who benefitted from the foundation’s services, the staff at the cultural center, the other volunteers, and the head of the foundation, Andrea Vega, who is extremely passionate about the work she does. I want to sincerely thank Andrea and the foundation for making me part of such an enriching project.

Michelle – Volunteer from USA.

Thanks to the Chacras Foundation I have been able to participate in activities such as separating plastics (medicine blister packs), planting trees (in a low-income neighborhood), bricks eco-building workshops (to reduce the volume of MSW and use them) and ecological construction (with adobe, eco-bricks and many other recycled materials!) in different points of Buenos Aires. They have been precious and enriching experiences. A thousand thanks to Andrea Vega who makes all this possible and that allows us to add our friendly hands to make this a more beautiful, warm, and sustainable world.

Celeste – Volunteer from Argentine

Working for the Chacras Foundation in Buenos Aires was a wonderful and enriching experience. Andrea, the founder, is a very openminded and big-hearted person, who appreciates every helping hand she can get and rewards it with great humor, honest feedback and helps from her side wherever you need it. During my six-months efforts I learned a lot about sustainability in many small projects we managed throughout and outside the city. They ranged from composting, building houses in a lean fashion, teamwork and communication, as well as working with a very diverse group. Another interesting aspect of the work was raising awareness amongst the society (especially in kinder gardens and primary schools) to live a more sustainable and ecofriendly lifestyle. Next to all these important lessons I learned, I improved my Spanish quickly and always had the chance to interact with locals and find out more about the Argentinian culture. I can highly recommend everybody to engage in this fantastic foundation and contribute to a better world. It feels great!

Felix – Volunteer from Germany

I volunteered with Chacras Foundation over the summer and first semester of 2012. In addition to maintaining the garden at the Hospital Borda, Chacras was at that time involved with a cultural (and agricultural) revitalization project in a small town in Buenos Aires province. By participating in both activities, I was able to experience the hustle and bustle of the capital as well as get to know a rural community, and see a slice of Argentine life that often goes unnoticed by those in more urban settings. In the time I spent as a volunteer with Chacras, I learned a great deal, both about sustainable development and about Argentine language and culture. I made great friendships with people from all over the world. Andrea especially is an exceptional person, who welcomed me and oriented me to Buenos Aires warmly and with good humor. Her knowledge and dedication to her work still inspire me.

Shira – Volunteer from USA.

It was an absolute pleasure to work with the Guardianes del Ambiente and Andrea through Chacras Foundation! I was absolutely amazed by their system of sustainability. The work they are doing is revolutionary and it was a sheer honor to be a part of it and learn how to implement such a system elsewhere. It is also such a loving, nurturing and fun environment to work in! Andrea is so encouraging and works very hard to ensure you learn a lot while having an absolute blast! I feel very fortunate to have shared this experience and would recommend to anyone, regardless of your spanish ability or knowledge of sustainability, you will have an incredible experience! 

Marie – Volunteer from USA.

My experience with the Chacras Foundation of Buenos Aires was incredible. I worked on wonderful projects and met beautiful people. I learned very much about sustainable education and still today I keep friendships of volunteering. I recommend this experience because of how much you can learning by doing, friendships, and particularly how much you learn from yourself and from other cultures.

Monty Meléndez – Volunteer from Chile