Giving Back: Volunteering While Abroad
It all starts with a seed. (Actually, way before that.)
Huerta La Margarita began well before the first seed was planted—as a dream. Seeing the cement jungle of Buenos Aires, Carlos Briganti and his team recognized a disparity in natural plant growth and created a plan to help combat it. Partnering with a local university, Huerta La Margarita has become a wonderful community outlet that creates opportunities for students, families, and volunteers to learn about urban gardening.
The garden has personally taught me a lot. I have been amazed by all that goes into one single salad. It begins, surprisingly, not with a seed but with a different kind of ‘salad’ (scraps of unused or rotten fruits and vegetables). This food waste is broken down into fertilizer, a base for the next wave of growth. This process has taught me that life is cyclical and that the work I put into mixing fertilizer will eventually come back around as a delicious mango that I get to eat.
For many people in the modern Western world, including me, food is something that you eat, not something that you grow. Before this experience, I wasn’t aware of all that is needed to grow one single cucumber, and I took for granted the work of those who produce my food. But by being a part of that work, I have gained a greater appreciation for the process, and I have learned that the best-tasting cucumbers are the ones you helped grow.
To live is to give.
Studying abroad is, first and foremost, an act of receiving. It is a faithful leap into a new culture, hoping that you will be welcomed and taken care of. At least, that’s how it was for me. And the beautiful thing is that I was taken care of. The hospitality that was demonstrated to me by my host family, CIEE faculty, and even random strangers was incredible. I found myself desperate for a way to reciprocate this generosity. La Huerta gave me the opportunity to give back to the place that had given so much to me.
I would say that I wasn’t living in Buenos Aires until I was giving to Buenos Aires. There is a special bond that forms between you and a place when you play a part in improving it. By volunteering at La Huerta, I was able to build a stronger connection with the city. I was no longer passively receiving; I was actively reciprocating.
Volunteering in your study abroad community is a must-do in my opinion. It allows you to form connections with great people, grow in your understanding of the host culture, and—of course—give back.
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