Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with UBELONG in the Galapagos?
Ivar: I decided to volunteer with Ubelong because of the program, place and the affordable costs. Most other volunteer programs were priced 3 to 4 times higher than Ubelong. At first I sent an email to ask a few questions and they answered quickly and professional. Based on the initial contact and the other factors it was pretty clear I had selected one of the best organisations. I still have the same point of view after the volunteer experience.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Ivar: The everyday activities varied quite a lot and no day was the same. From Monday to Thursday I taught English to the local children in the afternoon. Besides that I made a farm guide for tourists, guided tourist groups around the farm, updated the restaurant menu with pictures and helped out in the bar (to raise money for the English school). One of the most interesting tasks was to help develop a new tourist attraction to an unexplored cave.
What made this volunteer abroad experience unique and special?
Ivar: Laos is an amazing country with wonderful people. You get very close to many of the locals and the other volunteers and gain friends for life. The Ubelong project is located in an area with many challenges and whatever little you can do makes a great impact to them. The local children are very keen to learn and love to play games in the schoolyard. To see and experience how they live their lives and how happy they all are made a real impact on me.
How has this experience helped you grow personally and professionally?
Ivar: From this experience I got to see and experience another culture which is very different from my own. I learned how things work in Laos and gained important skills on how to behave and the way they do business. My professors at Uni and my manager have all been very interested in hearing about the project and I think it will help me separate from the crowd in regards to future employment opportunities.