Working Abroad Projects

Back in June, myself and my friend took a huge step and travelled to Nepal with Projects Abroad. As two 18 year girls we were terrified as neither of us had travelled on our own before but Projects Abroad put us at ease instantly. They were with us from the moment we emailed them inquirying about Nepal to departing back home. We did the Care and Community project in Kathmandu for a month. We taught in one of the local school's, teaching children from 3-12 yr old about Science, Computers, Maths and English. We let them do Art if they got their work done and the Art I came home with are drawings I'll cherish forever.

After a day's work we would go get momo's or meet up with friends from other projects in a different town and explore. We made friends for life over there and some are even coming over to visit us for St Patrick’s Day!

When we got back to our host family, everyone in my house would gather in one of the rooms and talk about our day. Dinner was always delicious. Even a fussy eater will love it. My host was the friendliest woman. She would often talk to us about her day or try to accommodate her schedule around us. Her children loved that they have volunteers frequently and talk to us when they aren't busy with homework or playing on their tin whistle that we brought over.

Project's Abroad contacted us frequently with updates about workshops and asked to meet up in café’s to talk about how we are settling in and if we have any problems or even just to talk. They even made sure our living conditions were appropriate. They couldn’t do enough for us. Even when we arrived home we got an email asking us if we enjoyed our trip. This organisation isn’t a business, it’s a caring environment that want to see both parties benefit and honestly I think we both did. I will forever cherish the memories I made in Nepal and the friends I’ve made for life. If anyone is considering travelling with Project's Abroad, it would be a decision you won't regret!

I've just returned from Cusco, Perú where I worked for the last three weeks. In January I decided to join Projects Abroad, a project that wasn´t well known in the country where I live (Buenos Aires, Argentina) but I made my research and decided to go for it. In february I arrived, unsure of what I would find there, but everything went excellent, I have absolutely no complaints. My host parents were nice and welcoming, and I lived with other two volunteers from Australia and the UK with whom I became really good friends. My role at the placement was working with little children in a Wawawasi, which is Quechua for a daycare center. I helped making activities for the children, teaching maths and hebrew to both students and teachers; helping with the cleaning, cooking and others. I feel as I received much more than I gave; everyone was so caring and lovely that they were constantly telling me how much they appreciated my visit. In fact, the teacher invited me for lunch to her place the last day and cooked for me a typical peruvian dish! I couldn't be happier for my experience, and I would definitely recommend it to others, and even repeating the experience in the future.

Wow! How fortunate I was to have had the experience to teach the inspiring students at the Kunpan cultural school! Never have I been so impressed with a group of people of any age: determination, cooperation, compassion, and love of daily life. This experience exceeded my expectations in every way.
When I arrived bleary-eyed and jet-lagged the kind group welcomed me with an unobtrusive collective "hello". I ate a quick breakfast and slept my fogginess away. When I woke for lunch, a couple of the students chatted with me pleasantly and I pondered, "How will my feelings for these students grow? There are so many to get to know in 2 short months. How will I possibly learn all of their names?" The answers came quite quickly. My fondness for these young adults blossomed into utter admiration after having the honor of reading some of their harrowing stories of their journeys to India. I was touched by their passion for learning English and their ability to remain positive and filled with laughter while simultaneously missing and worrying about their families back home. I quickly discovered a loving admiration for each one of them. As for their names that took about a week.
I will not lie, it takes some time to get used to showering and washing your clothes in a spring, eating 3 meals a day as a group, and sharing one western toilet with all of the volunteers. However, I was surprised at how quickly I came to appreciate these aspects. I learned to slow down, to appreciate what I have, and to recognize what I really don't need.
With the help of these students, I learned a lot as a teacher, but mostly, as a compassionate human being. Whenever I wanted, these students would talk with me about Buddhism. They each live their lives with such compassion and patience, it is absolutely heartwarming. Through their example, I quit killing mosquitoes (and in turn, I think they stopped biting me), and ushered out of my room safely a whole host of small harmless "visitors". I became more patient and quickly understood that very rarely do things go as planned, but that is the beauty of just letting go and letting life happen. These students are masters of this mentality and I know it is a lesson that the Western world needs to learn. I feel so blessed have learned it from such kind and gentle teachers.
The life here is not always easy, but the challenges bring you closer to your co-workers and students. Plus, you will rediscover a sense of humor about life's little mishaps that many of us lost after childhood. From the deepest part of my being, I thank these students, Choephel, the administrative team, and the Board of E.S. Tibet, and the team at Working Abroad for this experience. It is one I will never forget and will always cherish. I wish these students so much luck, success, and happiness. They deserve it and Buddha knows, they have certainly earned it.
Tashi delek!

When I first pictured cloud forest, I figured it might look like a forest with clouds, like in BC? The reserve you work and live at looks more like this: http://imgur.com/vSyQEk8 The diversity of life in the hills at the equator is something you must experience to appreciate. The perfect weather was a nice bonus, and most days settle at a comfy, but not too hot temperature (in the low 20s Celsius). Also, expect daily storms during the rainy season, some very exciting! Ecuador is beautiful: in its landscapes, people and culture. The cities are worth seeing, but can very dangerous for tourists lacking the proper precautions. I was luckily never robbed, but it was common story among people I ran into. Protect your valuables! Also, use the recommended hostel while staying in Quito: very cool and safe. Still, being out in the country is much safer, and it's where you will spend most of your time.

From the city, La Hesperia is about a 3 hour bus ride across amazing Andean countryside, and a 1 hour hike up from the road. You're far from civilization, but the cell reception is still not too bad! The reserve is altogether a protected area, a (mostly) self-sustaining farm, a local school, and a great learning experience for aspiring international conservationists like you or I! The volunteer house was very comfortable and open, with views of pure nature that I still miss. After a hard working day and a cold refreshing shower, you will be overwhelmed by the sounds of the forest at night that leads to some intense and vivid dreaming. The daytime work was varied and sometimes challenging. My tasks over the course of a month ranged from tree planting to trail maintenance and basic farm work including planting/harvesting crops (such as bananas, oranges, sugar cane, yucca, chocolate, coffee, etc.), weeding, and working with animals. Regardless of the job, a machete is the only tool you need! Also, at one point you have to take the daily milk down the mountain with the most stubborn donkey ever. There is electricity, but you hand wash your own clothes. Also, safe drinking water and meals are prepared by the staff (luxury!) Expect staples and fresh food that couldn't be any more local.

That's what volunteering and living is like, but of course there's plenty of time for fun and meeting people. The reserve itself is full of things to do including Spanish lessons, soccer games, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, and a communal chill area of the volunteer house with books, a guitar, games, etc. Still, weekends are better spent exploring more of the country. There's lots to see, and you can get recommendations from other volunteers and locals. Me and a buddy I met on our first day spent one weekend biking down volcanoes through Inca ruins and indigenous villages, one living it up in an awesome adventure/party town called Banos, one taking in the history of Quito, and I made an excursion to the Galapagos for my final leg. All were great experiences that I still tell stories about. Produced some breathtaking pictures too!

I couldn't recommend this volunteer experience more, even if Ecuador is not near the top of your list. It's simply a better way to travel while contributing a little back to this amazing country you're visiting. The work is satisfying and makes you feel like a part of the community rather than just a tourist. Plus, you can still have as much fun as you want. Meeting people comes naturally, and a trip like this is a great way to take a person out of their comfort zone in front of a screen or whatever, at least for enough time to appreciate what you have at home, and perhaps what's missing. You may not "discover yourself", but I can guarantee you will grow from it.