Projects Abroad

I went to Tanzania for tree weeks, together with my daughter, working in a private school in a village outside of Moschi. It was very interesting to see how they where teaching the kids, the languise was only Englisch, i think it would make more sence wen they explain the exercisis in Kishuaeli.
I was together with tree teachers, taking care of 40 kids between two and five years old. Even the smallest children was tought the letters, i would prefore if they would play more and learn that way!!
I had a lot of fun learning the kids to wasch hands after Toilet etc. Drinking water during the day, all kind of better hygieine avoing illness.
All teachers were very kind and open minded, very exited to hier how we do in Europe. And how we treat children, also talking about Childrens Right!!
The Family we were living with, was the most lovely people you can think of. Me and my daughter had a great time, i really apriciate having this fantastic expirience together with her. The hold journie was an extraordinary expierience and i higly can recoment Project Abroad as an Organisation, i would choose them again.

Two years ago I spent six weeks in Costa Rica, volunteering in Barra Honda National Park. I was sleeping at the entry of the national park. Outside there was only nature. In the morning I would come out of the room hearing the sound of birds and howler monkeys, seeing butterflies flying around and enjoying the smell of the forest. After a good breakfast we would usually go hiking for around three hours, doing some kind of survey on monkeys, butterflies or birds. We'd do some camp activities in the afternoon and then go out to do bat surveys sometimes. Being the only volunteer for the first three weeks enable me to get to know the staff better and have a deeper insight in the life of locals. During the weekends I was able to travel a bit. I even did some diving were I saw beautiful fishes, octopus, rays and some sharks. I was feeling connected to nature and myself again.

It’ll be a bit of a stretch to give you a proper insight into my experience, and at the same time not say too much because part of the magic is that you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Here’s my attempt: I was 18 when I started my roughly four month long trip, which is over a year ago now, had just finished school and wanted to go abroad before starting university. I loved the idea of a fairly small country with high mountains as well as tropical climate and a rich culture. And I love Asia. Arriving at a crowded airport alone, in a different part of the world, anxiously waiting for my luggage to finally show up, knowing I had this big trip ahead of me, felt very surreal but fantastic. A Nepali lady offered to wait with me for my luggage. The transport to the hotel was organised perfectly well, as was everything else during the trip, without exception. I spent the first day exploring Kathmandu on my own before other volunteers arrived with whom I travelled to our final destination: Bharatpur, the second biggest city of the country, located farther south. This in itself can be quite the experience as the roads are in questionable conditions, especially during monsoon season. As a medical volunteer, this is the usual location as there is a large private hospital of relatively good standard, but it is also possible to stay in Kathmandu for the medical placement, which from what I’ve heard, is great too. We had a lovely welcome and were brought to our wonderful host families. From that point onwards, new, incredible memories were added each day. Medically speaking, It is fascinating to see how different medical care is there to what one is used to from home, what the interaction between nurses/doctors and patients is like and how patients and their families deal with diseases, and especially psychiatric conditions. You’re getting the chance to get an insight into all kinds of medical specialties and experience how medical care works in Nepal. There is a lot to learn, watch and observe. It is also possible to teach hygiene to school kids and participate in other outreach projects. All in all, It is the combination of everything being new and exciting and so very different for a while and getting into an entirely different routine after some time, that truly makes the experience. The amount of wonderful people, other volunteers and locals alike, that I have met during my time still overwhelms me. I still sometimes find myself in disbelief about it. I would also like to mention the time of the year that I travelled to Nepal: I was there from summer to late autumn/early winter which meant experiencing monsoon season as well as the start of the cold season, being there for trekking season and experiencing almost all of the big Hindu festivals first-hand which was absolutely incredible and magical. I definitely recommend this time of the year. I could talk all day about some of my dearest moments of the trip, but I’m sure you’ll make your own marvellous memories. So take all the numerous opportunities thrown in your way to make some once there ;).

I went to Mongolia with a friend at 17. While I had travelled alone before, I had never gone so far by myself. The Projects Abroad staff were easy to reach and made me feel supported throughout my travels, and were easy to find at the airport when I arrived in Mongolia. Though few people outside the staff spoke English, we were able to get by with a combination of hand gestures and google translate.
The project itself gave me opportunities I would never get as a student in Canada. As someone who is interested in a career in medicine, I was able to ride along on ambulance calls, sit in on surgeries (I was 2 deviated septum surgeries and a hysterectomy), play with orphaned and special-needs children, as well as get hands-on while helping to treat patients with a local doctor. I learned how to insert an IV, measure blood glucose levels, bandage wounds, perform CPR, and take blood pressure.
The social aspect was also awesome. We had a small group, about 13, of kids from all over the world. We had 4 girls from Canada, 2 kids from the USA, 2 boys from Japan, 3 girls from Taiwan, a girl from Korea, and a girl from Italy. I made great friends who I am still in touch with. Together we got to go to a karaoke studio, visit the Mongolian countryside, see tons of national monuments and museums, and take pictures in traditional Mongolian costumes. I had an amazing experience in Mongolia, and I would definitely travel with Projects Abroad again.

During my time in Costa Rica I had an amazing time volunteering in the local school. I visited Costa Rica during the school holidays which meant I was volunteering on a holiday program for children who's parents were at work during the day and needed help with childcare. This meant that we had a lot of agency to teach what we wanted to in lessons. At the weekends we travelled around different parts of Costa Rica with the other volunteers, getting to know the country and doing as much as possible. Staying with a host family was something I was initially worried about but as soon as I arrived my mind I realised they were so friendly and I loved staying with them and getting to know them. It was an unforgettable experience; the country is beautiful, the children were so sweet and willing to learn and the other volunteers were all very friendly. I would 100% recommend this project to anyone wanting to make a difference and visit an amazing part of the world!