MovingWorlds

I am a freelance director and have been aspiring to contribute my skills to help tell stories for a cause. Through Moving Worlds’ introduction, I collaborated with Bodhi Tree school in Bodhgaya, Northern India. With the video, they hope to raise awareness and funding for the special needs children program.

I had amazing time working with the kids, families, school staff and exploring deep into their culture during the one month visit. All was seemingly overwhelming for the first few days of my arrival, yet the organization along with other volunteers were so welcoming that helped me ease in and feel like home. My everyday visit to the school and time with the kids in the classroom were the most rewarding experience. They might not be perfect perceived by society's standard, yet their energy and smiles are the most powerful!

I was truly honored to spend time and learn from those strong little souls. They were the inspiration of the documentary. I followed their daily routines at the school and visited families in the villages to document the predicament and the help needed to overcome.

It was certainly a lifetime experience that I will never forget. I am grateful to discover Moving Worlds for such an incredible opportunity.

We are a couple who worked with Moving Worlds to land a project at an animal recovery center in Northern India. Our time there was incredibly rewarding and we learned a tremendous amount about the challenges and opportunities in animal welfare. We fell in love with the animals at the farm (including cows, donkeys and bulls, animals that we had no prior relationship with. Unfortunately, we saw some brutal animal cruelty by humans on cows, but we also discovered they have unique personalities, from the cow that would push me from behind in the butt or would eat from the garden when I wasn't looking. Some of the big animal recovery issues received significant social media and traditional media attention, thanks to the efforts of our video work. It was definitely a personally and professionally rewarding project.

I thoroughly enjoyed experteering with Moving Worlds. I traveled to Ghana in West Africa and worked with Dr. Addae and his staff at the College Of Integrative Medical Sciences (CIMS) in May of 2014. I first became aware of Moving Worlds after meeting co-founder Mark Horoszowski at a Lean Start Up Conference. Mark and the staff worked with me throughout the process of learning about the organization and opportunities available. I was matched and had great training before actually travelling. I had spent almost 30 years in accounting and wasn't sure that I wanted to continue in the field. I was also looking for an overseas experience where I could have an impact in educational and/ or healthcare environments. This was the perfect match. I spent three weeks there photographing different situations and listening to people tell there stories. Also I was able to help with budgeting and other financial issues. The experience showed me that I still want to work in accounting - just in ways that I haven't done before. I would highly recommend Moving Worlds because of the opportunity to give back and because of the excellent resources and people within the organization!

I was looking to travel somewhere new, but also volunteer where I could be impactful. MovingWorlds connected me with an organization in Guatemala that was looking for my unique skillset, (visual design, UX design, user research, and retail experience,) and it was a great match. I helped them redesign their website from the ground up and also helped lead a small team of volunteers to execute our vision. I worked for them in person for a week and remotely for 8 months. Everyone was really friendly and great to work with, and the area was beautiful. I was really glad to not only have a wonderful adventure, but also walk away with experience and a portfolio piece that will help me in my career.

Moving Worlds is amazing! They provide connections to volunteer opportunities all over the world targeting specific skills, and they also support through online training and a comprehensive document that becomes the pre-departure conversation between the volunteer and the organization. While I can only speak for the two organizations I volunteered with, I had experiences that both benefited my career and gave me new ideas for future endeavors.

In my first placement I was the ESL coordinator at Vanavil Trust in India tasked with setting up a computer lab, training teachers in English instructional practices, working with students, and providing recommendations for improvement. Everyone I worked with cared deeply about the children in the program, and I felt safe and at home immediately. I still plan to work with them on future projects.

When I got home I didn't feel like I was done volunteering so I checked out the Moving Worlds website again to find a fantastic opportunity to further develop my skills in curriculum writing and consultation. I began working with Honduras Child Alliance. I was able to visit the project site twice and write an entire curriculum. I was then able to train volunteers and program staff and observe my project in action.

Because of Moving Worlds I have been able to extend my global network, deepen my skills, and explore a new career option.