Frustrations

I've decided to leave here Thursday. 

Another aspect of volunteering here that has frustrated me recently is everything related to meals and eating.  First of all, the volunteers contribute 1000 pesos per person per meal, which isn't technically a contribution in my opinion because it's mandatory, and it makes me a bit angry that they don't tell you that online before you come.  2 volunteers x 3 meals per day = 6000 pesos of contributions.  Yesterday for lunch and dinner the total spent was less than 7000.  I know that because without Magdalena here it has fallen on the volunteers to do ALL of the shopping and cooking, which is all in addition to our 4 hours of work per day.  I don't mind the actual acts of shopping and cooking because now we have control of what we eat (and the food has been really tasty!!), but I don't like that it has become basically an expectation.  But back to the money.  Volunteers contribute 6000, food costs about 7000.  Which means that the other FOUR PEOPLE who live here and eat what we prepare pay for only about 15% of it.  So basically we are paying for and preparing food for everyone who lives here AND working four hours per day for free, all in exchange for a makeshift sleeping surface.

I also think the use of volunteers in for-profit businesses is odd.  For example, they charge 2500 pesos for a one-hour English class, and all that money goes directly to them, not to a community project or something beneficial.  I usually associate the use of volunteers for the purpose of providing FREE English classes, or if you are going to charge for something a volunteer does, then I would think the money raised might go toward a community cause.  They are planning a family trip to Australia in August.