Why did you decide to volunteer with Projects Abroad in Senegal?
Elisa: Projects Abroad was recommended by a friend who had gone with them to Ghana. PA had a presentation about their programs in their office in nyc, so it was convenient for me to attend and ask questions in person.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Elisa: I would take a taxi downtown where the school where I was teaching was located. I assited the English teacher with the lesson and interacted with the students. Sometimes I would bring my camera to class and take pictures; students loved to be photograph and see themselves on the camera screen. Midweek Projects Abroad had a social event for the volunteers and that was a nice opportunity to go out and mingle. And every other weekend we had an overnight trip or a single day trip out of town and that was also fun.
How has this experience helped you grow personally and professionally?
Elisa: Well, my resume looks a lot better now that I have listed my responsibilities as a volunteer in Senegal. I also mention it in my cover letter. I feel that it gives my resume a boost for job searches. Personally, it was a dream come true to be in Sub-saharan Africa contributing a little bit of my time to a very vulnerable population.