In the early 1980's, 23-year-old Steve Reifenberg began volunteering at an orphanage in a poor neighborhood of Santiago, equipped with little more than basic Spanish and good intentions. Reifenberg's moving memoir Santiago's Children, about his two years at the Hogar Domingo Savio, was recently published by the University of Texas Press with a foreward by Paul Farmer.
Chile is a long, narrow country, extending 2,700 miles from the border with Peru in the north to Tierra Del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. Chile is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, never more than 110 miles wide. It contains the most arid desert in the world in the north, and lush forests and fertile farmland in the Mediterranean-like central region. In the south, it boasts spectacular snow-capped mountains with glaciers, fjords and volcanoes, including 55 active ones; natural threats include earthquakes and tsunamis. Chile also has islands extending westward into the Pacific (the most famous of which is Easter Island), and a section of Antarctica.
Historically, the ancient Incan civilization extended as far south as Antofagasta in northern Chile, while the Mapuche people traditionally lived in southern Chile. Most Chileans today are mestizo, mixed descendants of the Spanish colonizers and the indigenous people. The population is generally conservative and the Catholic Church holds great influence.
About Bío-Bío, Araucanía, Los Ríos
The Bío-Bío, Araucanía and River regions are home to the largest concentrations of native Mapuche Indians, whose fierce warrior spirit kept the Spanish Conquistadors at bay for several centuries. Here the endless mountains are covered in thick, sometimes impenetrable forests. Due to heavy rainfall year-round, this zone has lush vegetation and offers snow-skiing from July through September. The forestry sector is particularly relevant here (pulp mills, lumber, etc.). The lakes in this area are ideal for water sports. The largest urban centers are Concepción, Chillán, Los Angeles, Temuco, and Valdivia.
Volunteers have been placed in the
Bío-Bío region since 2007, with most placements in either Chillán or Los Angeles. The weather is typical of South/Central Chile with a temperate Mediterranean climate and cold, wet winters. The
region is a relatively new Chilean region, separated from the the existing Los Lagos Region in 2007 for historical and economic reasons. The economy of Valdivia, the region's largest city, is based on metallurgy, naval construction, forestry, wood and paper industries, tourism and its famous Kuntsman beer brewery. Valdivia is also home to one of Chile's oldest and most prestigious universities, La Universidad Austral de Chile.
Araucanía region's economy is based on fishing, forestry and agriculture. Given its natural beauty, with mountains, volcanoes, and forests, Araucanía boats an important tourism sector. The Ríos
About Santiago
Santiago is both Chile’s capital and largest city. According to the 2002 census, Santiago is home to 40 percent of Chile’s population, who live in 32 comunas or boroughs. Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541 and built it based on a traditional Spanish checkerboard pattern that can still be seen to this day. Thanks to its geography, Santiago has a Mediterranean climate with dry, hot summers (December through March) and cold, wet winters (June through September). Santiago is the financial, business and governmental center of the country, and is home to a large number of universities, museums and cultural venues.
