Interested in Volunteering To Teach English?

In recent months, several expats have mentioned they would enjoy volunteering in Puerto Armuelles.

One idea that I have been contemplating for quite awhile now is setting up a volunteer-to-teach-English network.

Or possibly an English-Spanish exchange network.

Help Others

It would be a way for expat retirees to help young people in Puerto Armuelles improve their English.

As you can imagine, there are many more job and business opportunities open to Panamanians who speak English. It literally opens many doors for them here and internationally.

In Panama, where there is a wide gap between the upper class and the poor, helping a young person of modest means to improve their English skills might be the jumpstart they need to launch them, and their family, from the lower class into Panama’s growing middle class.

You really can make a difference in your world by volunteering to help another person. It is a satisfying way to maintain a grateful heart.

Improve Your Spanish

Not only is volunteering is a great way for expats to mix with locals, it is a an ideal way to practice your Spanish.  And, of course, there is always the possibility of working out a trade: English lessons for Spanish lessons.  

What’s more, you just might make a new friend for life.  Who knows?

Interested?

I am trying to get a rough idea of how many of our readers might be interested in participating in a language volunteer, or language exchange project.  If you know someone who may be interested in volunteering, please let them know about our idea.

Want To Help?

Is there anyone with a great organizational gift who would like to help with the logistics of setting up an easy-to-use system?

Please let us know.  Send us an email, use our contact page, or comment below. 

We welcome your suggestions, since this is new territory for us.

Thanks.

December 15, 2012

You Can Help The Many Poor Children In Bocas Del Toro

The Floating Doctors have been running clinics for poor indigenous communities in Bocas Del Toro, Panama for the last 9 months.

As a caring group of people, they recently rescued 2 tiny jungle kittens that had been taken by poachers.

Here is a link to a blog post about the rescue of the kittens.  Another about one of their patients in Bocas.

At the end of each blog post, you have the opportunity to donate to the Floating Doctors.

You can donate one time or set up a monthly donation via Global Giving.

You can even volunteer for short or long term stints.

Click to find out more about volunteering, here.

Discover more about them.

Explore their site and see what they have been doing for a communities that have no other health care resources.

Thanks to SusanAgg1 of Gringos_in_David_Panama Yahoo Group.  I didn't know about this group until I read her post about them.

Susan also says the Floating Doctors have helped out some expats with medical emergencies as well.

Please comment below.