Major FAQ-Argentina

About IFRE's Argentina Volunteer Program (In General)

Important Information

• Argentina is a developing country where 36% of the population (13.2 million), including 4.5 million children under 14 years old, cannot meet their basic needs (food, housing, health and education). Of these 4.5 million children, 1.3 million do not receive their daily food needs at all.

• Argentina has a larger middle class/educated population than most of South and Central American countries. In addition, Argentineans have very little aboriginal (original natives) features (they look like Europeans), unlike most South and Central American people.

• Due to safety reasons, IFRE volunteers do not access to the places (and social projects) where the poorest people live. Dire circumstances breed desperate measures and we wish to keep our volunteer travelers safe.

• Argentina’s infrastructure within the major cities and various tourism destinations appears to be that of a developed European country for foreign visitors and thus occasionally volunteers may be led to believe that there is no need for their efforts in the volunteer projects. But there is a very dire need and it cannot always be perceived visually.

How long has IFRE been organizing volunteers in Argentina? With whom do volunteers work? Where are the projects located? What are IFRE's programs?

IFRE has been running volunteer projects for 5 years all over Latin America. We work with a number of NGOs, governmental organizations, non-profits and communities. IFRE's volunteer projects in Argentina are located in Córdoba. The city of Córdoba boasts numerous exciting opportunities for volunteers to see a city with a bright future which maintains echoes of its colonial and culture-rich past. Córdoba's vibrant culture has produced a number of influential writers and its own musical style known as “El Cuarteto” (in addition to classical, jazz, rock, pop and techno). There are also many monuments, lively festivals, pleasant theaters and a pulsing nightlife. Volunteers reside in accommodations located just minutes from the downtown area. This unique living situation is often conducive to fellow volunteers getting to know each other. A must-do for Argentinean volunteers are the local Tango lessons provided for participants in IFRE’s living accommodations. These accommodations also house our local operator's headquarters – ensuring vital and constant contact with our in-country coordinators.

Currently, IFRE offers the following projects in Argentina: Disadvantaged Children/Children At-Risk, English-Teaching, Children with Disabilities, as well as NGO Projects within the fields of Human and Environmental Rights.

ALSO: IFRE offers free Tango lessons to participants volunteering in Argentina.