Presentation new volunteer: Ameer

Hey, my name is Ameer and I’m a 24 year old photographer from the United States. I have been traveling throughout Colombia since January 2023 and have participated in volunteer work/workstays all over the country. I became fascinated with Colombia about a year ago and made it my mission to travel here after graduating from university. Before arriving in Colombia I became very interested in the history of this country, in particular the sociopolitical environment and the armed conflict. While here, I aim to gain a better understanding of this history, how the people here have been affected, and how things have changed in recent years. Additionally, I am a firm believer in the idea that traveling to another country should always involve some sort of exchange; it’s important for me to contribute in some way rather than just reap the benefits of traveling to a country where the cost of living is much lower than that of my own.

There is a difference between a tourist and a traveler, and I don’t want to be a tourist. For this reason, I’m excited to work with Intercambio for the next few months. This foundation was started by some incredible people who know the neighborhood and it’s residents better than anyone. I appreciate the fact that this project was founded by Colombians; although we foreigners play an integral role, the goal is to have people from this country at the helm of the foundation rather than foreigners, which is often the case with international NGOs.

In my first couple of weeks here I have connected with many of the kids here and have found their energy, enthusiasm, perseverance and willingness to learn very inspiring. I’m looking forward to the next few months in La Divisa -- I have a feeling there will be lots of football games, laughs and good memories.