Ellie oversees our Peruvian operations and takes care of the volunteers that come to Peru. She makes sure that all of the projects are running well and the volunteers are happy. If you come to Peru you will meet Ellie and she will be there for you during your whole journey as a mentor, leader, mediator and above all a friend. Ellie will make sure you have a fantastic time with NGO Taxi!
What is your favorite travel memory?
My favorite memory is exploring the Peruvian Amazon for the first time, as it was my childhood dream. It was so wonderful to live with the locals and learn from their astonishing knowledge of the jungle, their connection and respect for nature and its creatures and to see the world through their eyes.
It made me fully realize how little we need to be truly happy. I fell in love with our projects; seeing the motivation and drive of our project partners inspired me to live more sustainably, mindfully and compassionately. It inspired me to do the work I do now.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I believe every person that comes into our life can teach us something valuable. As a Volunteer Coordinator, the main - and my favorite - aspect of my job is working with our volunteers on a daily basis. Thanks to this, I have lived with people from many different backgrounds, nationalities, ages, life experiences and abilities, each and every one of them unique and wonderful in their own way.
All those people had two things in common: a great desire to help, to learn, and to experience; and the willingness to leave their comfort zone, spending their time and money in order to do so.
Being surrounded by such people is a true blessing and it is the main reason why I love my job so much. Thanks to all those wonderful volunteers I was fortunate to meet, I have become more apt as a leader, more conciliatory as a mentor, and more humble, compassionate, and appreciative as a person.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
I consider myself very fortunate to be there during the whole journey of our volunteers. From the first moment our volunteers arrive to Peru until the day they leave, I watch each of them grow and develop as a person, becoming more the person they are meant to be.
I have noticed that all of them change their world view positively, becoming more aware of the privileges they have in their lives and more determined to use them to help others.
Some of the best stories I've heard come from most of our volunteers at the Medical Care Facility project, who as a consequence of working at our project chose a career in medicine and are currently working or studying as Medical Practitioners.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
As a great animal lover, the best project for me would be volunteering at the animal shelter in the Peruvian Amazon. As I care deeply for animal welfare and am very concerned with raising the awareness of animal protection, it is so wonderful and inspiring to be part of this project, where the animals are not kept in cages but free to roam.
This gives you a unique opportunity to watch the animals interact with their natural habit as well as other animals. The project is led by an indigenous person with a deep love and understanding of animal welfare. What makes this project unique is that you get to live in an indigenous family and have the chance to learn so much from them, sharing their daily life with them.
