María Cristina AcuñaInterviewed in 2019
María Cristina Acuña founded Connecting Worlds in 2011 as an Argentine organization that supports affordable exchange programs in Latin America and Asia. She holds a Licentiate degree in Tourism and is at the core of the CW team. Cultural exchange and international experiences are her passion, and she is an avid traveler with first-hand experience in volunteering programs and internships abroad.
What inspired you to found Connecting Worlds (CW)?
For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about traveling. I seize every opportunity I have to meet new places. When I thought about pursuing a career, I never had a doubt about choosing Tourism. However, I wanted to do “something more” than working in a hotel or a travel agency. I felt that I had a lot to give but I couldn’t find a position in this field with which I felt identified and motivated.
During the last year of my studies, I met Julien Leblay, a Frenchman who was traveling by bike from Lima, Peru to Ushuaia, Argentina. His objective was to raise awareness about blood donation, and that’s why he asked me for help to organize his charity trip around Argentina. To help him, I contacted the local media in the cities that he went through. I also got him accommodation and I helped him spread his cause. This first experience, I dare say, started to change my perspective.
Back in 2008, when Julien came back to France, he introduced me to the Head of a Paris Foundation that was organizing volunteer programs in Latin America. She happened to be looking for a manager in Argentina. I was about to graduate and this opportunity of working as a project manager in Argentina for a French Foundation was just what I was looking for. That’s how the idea of founding Connecting Worlds appeared, and finally, in the year 2011, I started this agency that makes me so happy!
Can you tell us about your role as the Program Director?
My role is pretty active. I’m in charge of supervising the whole application process of volunteers and interns, answering their emails, and talking to them. I also personally check the programs we offer, I contact the companies and organizations we work with, I coordinate our work team, and so on. I really enjoy my job and I love helping each one of our volunteers so that their experiences are unforgettable.
How does your background in tourism influence the work you do today?
My experience and credentials in the field of tourism have been useful to manage my agency efficiently when it comes to administration, optimization of resources, and thinking about Marketing strategies. Above all, I think that my calling to serve others has helped me to develop empathy to always put myself in our volunteers’ shoes. This way, I can help them design unique and unforgettable programs.
What qualities make Connecting Worlds programs unique?
From the moment I decided to found Connecting Worlds, I was focused on having an agency that offered personalized, accessible, and top-notch quality programs. In comparison to other big agencies, Connecting Worlds is a small organization but it has a great work team. They are not only efficient but also focused on optimizing their resources so that the agency can offer valuable experiences at a fair price. We work directly with organizations and local companies, which allows us to reduce costs. It also gives us the opportunity to personalize programs for our volunteers and interns.
How do you help support volunteers on CW Abroad programs?
From the moment volunteers write to us, I try to understand their interests and get to know their requirements. Based on what they say, together with my work team, I look for the best options for them. I am also in charge of sending our chauffeur to pick them up at the airport, organizing their accommodation, and offering emergency assistance 24/7.
If you could participate on a CW program, which would you choose and why?
We have different programs suitable for the interests and needs of those who choose us. For example, we organize programs related to professional practice in a very well-known public hospital in Buenos Aires. In addition, programs in the areas of Marketing, Architecture, Finance, Human Right, Conservation, Vet, etc. However, if I could choose one of these, I would certainly go for the Organic Farm program at San Carlos de Bariloche, in the Argentinian Patagonia. Firstly, because I’m a big fan of Patagonia and I love nature. Secondly, because the family which directs the project is lovely, and they have a lot to teach. For example, I love leading a healthy lifestyle and, apart from practicing yoga, I try to eat organic and seasonal products. This farm produces its own cheese, has fresh milk, fresh eggs, and is free of agrochemical vegetables. I would be in paradise!
What hopes do you have for the future of Connecting Worlds?
Our objective is that our solidarity projects reach more local communities and people who need it. We don’t just want to grow as an agency; we would like to keep on supporting and helping rural schools in the Argentinian countryside. We would like to promote projects in which people can work with gender equality and to finance programs related to conservation. We don’t pretend to change the world, but we would like to generate conscience with our actions and, above all, to make this world a better place—a place where we can see each other as siblings and help each other. This is our vision of the future, the one towards which we work every day.
You consider yourself an avid traveler. Do you have any advice for individuals looking to travel abroad?
My best piece of advice for those who want to travel abroad is to be flexible and open to getting to know other cultures. Plans usually change due to unexpected situations. Things might not always go the way we had planned, but this change can be the beginning of a whole new adventure.
Why are you passionate about cultural exchange and international experiences?
I grew up in a multicultural family. My mother is Swiss and my father is Argentinian. However, my family and friends are all over the world (Colombia, the USA, Bosnia, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Austria, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, and more). I think that the influence I fell under when I was young got me interested in traveling, and above all, in getting to know other cultures and lifestyles.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
I think that traveling in itself is enriching, but if you can combine it with solidarity, the journey, and the traveler’s experience, it’s even better. One way of making a meaningful trip is to do so in a responsible way, respecting the environment above all, and the local culture while collaborating with charity projects. At the same time, we can interact with locals while we grow as people, and improve the lives of the members of the community we visit.
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