How Teenage Volunteer Service Programs Can Help Improve Cuba
Community service for teenagers can be a tremendous learning experience for any young American, particularly those brought up in an environment of affluence, and can bring great benefits to those in need as well. Through community service teens can learn the value and obligation as privileged children of improving lives of the less fortunate while exploring a Cuba rich and diverse with strong-rooted family traditions. Cuba Travel Adventures Group in Summer 2015 helped the people of Cuba in highly rewarding ways for teens of both countries.
In Summer 2015, two groups of young Americans took part in a teen Cuba community service program conceived and put together by Cuba Travel Adventures Group, based in Matanzas Province. The city was a center of the bourgeoning sugar plantation industry in Cuba since it’s formation in the 17th century. However, these days there are many people struggling just to get by. One such individual is a disabled 15-year-old named Leo. He lives in a small home with his parents and sister. The teen volunteers were able to construct a private bedroom for Leo, adding to the family home and giving the Cuban teen a haven within his house. It was an emotionally satisfying experience for all the builders involved.
Additionally, the teen volunteers delivered food to rural families in the area. Many of the recipients are confined to their homes by old age and disabilities, and providing them with meals was a rich and fulfilling experience. It was also a blast as the volunteers used horses and buggies for transportation!
American teens also helped their Cuban peers improve their grasp of the English language. As more and more Americans are drawn to the Cuba, the government has encouraged Cubans to explore entrepreneurial pursuits directly tied to tourism, and knowledge of spoken English can improve the lives of millions of Cubans and their extended families, thereby raising the nation’s standard of living. The Cuba Travel Adventures Group summer program included several teaching sessions for local teens to learn basic vocabulary, numbers, and phrases from the volunteers. Not only did the experience help Cuban kids improve their future possibilities, American kids learned Spanish and developed new friendships as well!
A final project of painting community buildings helped lift spirits and delighted homeowners by beautifying neighborhoods.
But such teen service programs in Cuba can’t be all about work, right? Of course not! Cuba Travel Adventures Group arranged for their teen volunteers to travel to the beach paradise in nearby Varadero during afternoons to swim in the Caribbean and relax on the beaches. After service projects concluded, American teens traveled to Havana, the capital of Cuba to enjoy a cultural programs that brought them to museums, artists’ homes, special family-run private restaurants, rides in classic American convertibles, and even a salsa-dancing lesson! All in all, the teenage community service programs were a huge success and are repeating in Summer 2016. Those interested in taking part in such future teen service program to Cuba, get in touch with us at cubatravelgroup@gmail.com.
