Top 5 volunteer qualities that will help make a difference to the Flora Tristan community

Being a volunteer can be one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have, but it also of course benefits local beneficiaries. Below are five volunteer qualities that that will help make a difference to the Flora Tristan community:

1. Great Motivation

If you are traveling abroad because of your strong desire to help and volunteer, then you will already have a great motivation for work. Your ethics and believes as a volunteer will probably be way stronger than of those who work a normal 9 to 5 job. And we all know that if the teacher is motivated, classes are more fun. HOOP volunteers are tutors, mentors, teachers, guides, coaches and supporters all at the same time, and the children will greatly benefit from a motivated teacher.

2. International Experience

Since most volunteers come from all over the globe to work as a teacher with HOOP, students can benefit a lot from these well-traveled and open-minded personalities. They learn to be more tolerant and broader-minded.

3. Enormous impact on the health and stabilisation of communities

Since the families living in Flora Tristan do not have very good access to health care and public education, it can be quite difficult for them to find out how to improve their own health and education without the help of authorities. HOOP volunteers therefore not just teach the students English, they also teach oral hygiene, nutrition and general higiene, in order to create a more healthy lifestyle for the community.

4. HOOP`s three values

Everyone beeing involved with HOOP is sharing the same values: 

Accountability: We are accountable to our beneficiaries, donors, partners and staff.
Integrity: We act consistently with HOOP`s mission, being honest and transparent in what we do and say, and accept responsibility for our collective and individual actions.
Commitment: We work together effectively to serve and empower the larger community with dignity and respect.

5. Critical minds

Most of the HOOP volunteers have already traveled a lot and are interested in foreign languages, cultures and politics. Consequently they are critically thinkers. So many different creative minds can bring a lot of imput to our organisation, along with great, sustainable ideas for HOOP as well.


HOOP wouldn`t be where it is today without the help of all those volunteers that kindly donate their time to us each year and us and the community in Flora Tristan is very grateful for that.

Written and photographed by Charlette Voss