Program Reviews

I believe there is value in working with ESL children on improving their pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary. I also value the cultural exchange and hope that in a small way, I encouraged and nurtured these children who face challenges due to lack of resources. As I was the only volunteer on this trip, it made sense that teaching was an appropriate project. I really appreciated that my pescetarian diet preference was accommodated. The food was delicious and I liked trying different dishes. I do wish that my requests for less food were honored. I neither liked feeling too full from being asked to eat the large portions served nor wasting food by leaving so much food on my plate. In the same theme, food/snacks were frequently brought to me without first asking if I was even hungry/thirsty. I appreciated the generous hospitality and concern to make sure I was well fed, but it was all just too much.

The trip allowed the children that we taught to have better opportunities in the future by being able to speak better English. The trip allowed me to see a different culture. It was a great experience to see and understand their daily struggles, and also their high points. Our guide was very helpful. Vin did a great job of translating and keeping us informed as well as showing us around when opportunities existed. The experience helped me to understand how buitiful the Vietnamese people are.

Working with the children (teaching English) was a fun way to reinforce the language and an enjoyable way to bond with the kids. Cleaning the Education Center seemed to be very helpful as it needed to be done prior to the next step of fireproofing the building. It also provided an opportunity to enoy the children as they worked along side us. Simona was a wonderful host and staying in her mother's B&B was the perfect cultural experience as we were able to spend time with a Romanian family at meal time. Simona introduced us to many Romanian sights and served as our tour guide during these excursions. I can not say enough about how wonderful Simona was - she worked tirelessly at the center, with us to make sure we had a good experience. I loved seeing how she has established a trusting relationship with the community and the children. Simona is so inspiring.

I loved how family oriented Costa Rica is. The people are all so welcoming and I felt like a part of the family. I also brought back a lot of thoughts on schools and ideas on how to improve our school grounds and my classroom teachings.
I ate so much! I tried many new things and it was all wonderful. I was surprised by how little free time I had on my trip, but it was okay to be busy because I was a solo traveler and the only volunteer on my particular trip. It didn't give me time to be bored or missing home. I was able to go to several tourist spots, too, even on days I worked.

The people of India - they were courteous and friendly. The children in our class - they were magical and curious as are children everywhere. Having volunteered twice before, once in Costa Rica and once in Hoi An, Vietnam, we were somewhat familiar with working in less economically advantaged areas. The orientation material provided by Globeaware was accurate, pertinent, and helpful. The shortage of water and waste disposal facilities in Jaipur and Delhi made us even more keenly aware of the outsized impact American waste has on the global environment.