Community Development Program

This experience of 6 months in Saint-Vincent-and-the-Grenadines was unique and I will never forgot it ! I met people from all over the world with different background and it was an incredible human experience. This program help me to grow up, to be envolved and to learned a lot. Thanks to Richmond Vale Academy and all the person I met, today I really know what I want and what is my purpose. Also I’m aware about the world where I live and the importance to take care of the Earth. Projects allow us to work directly with the community by taking actions and do the maximum to have a positive impact in the island.
The program show us the collective strength, help us to build our opinion and our vision of the present and the future. I also learn how to improve my relationship with people : tolerance, listening, trust, empathy… The things that I really appreciate is that you are never alone : your team become part of your family. I did a lot of things that I never think I was able to do thanks to the experience. To conclude, don't hesitate, this program is amazing !

My dream was joining an international volunteering program, but I never expect will be one of my best and happiest experiences in life, live that experience in Saint Vincent influenced a lot. Learning about different topics provided by the school like permaculture and have the amazing opportunity to live in the community taught me many educational and spiritual things, the local people, and their incredible willingness to help and teach us about everything made the time there so special.
This experience expands my vision about the situations that we face in our world like poverty and climate change, things that we cannot wait to take action and also filled my heart and soul with knowledge and sweet people, I learned from their example and this is something that we cannot postpone either in our lives, the possibility to live and experience more emotions and feelings that makes us a little bit better human beings.

I'd say that having the opportuniy to do "Fighting with the Poor" program at RVA, changed my life. Since the first moment I had the tools to enjoy my experience at the maximum. I learned about permaculture, sustainable development, food security, Climate Change, etc. Working with the community was the best thing I could live. Before starting the program I finished my law degree and I didn't know about my real passion, for that reason this program was a light on my way, because nowadays, I finally can say that working with people is something that I want to do for the rest of my life. This program overcome all my expectations!

Being a volunteer in the Island allowed me to be stronger and grateful.
Every day of the program was possible to discuss and learn a new idea related to values, behaviors, cultural aspects, history, skills, and attitudes to grow mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. That opportunity to reflect on your posture to work together for a positive impact is the best achievement I got throughout the program.
I will say that any time you are considering to be a volunteer think about the words Selly Paterson from Rose Hall, told my team one day "Pass on all the knowledge and all the love."

A half-year spent in SVG with environmentally conscious people was an inspiring moment. I was exposed to various knowledge and skills and there was a motivational environment created by the peers. Initially, it was a huge challenge for my team to bond and cooperate together but through different projects and overcoming the ongoing struggles we faced every day during the service period in Belize, we got connected to become best friends for life. The other half-year in Belize was something very special. It pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone and little by little I learned that anything would be possible if the first step can be made! In the end, my team had a whole village of heartful family. This program requires you to be creative, flexible, and humble but I believe those are the features you won't regret developing.

Being at RVA has given me a better purpose in my life and I feel more in depth with myself. This has been the most memorable time where I got to experience a totally different perspective and discover new passions and continue with the development of myself. Richmond Vale Academy is definitely the place to start if you are young and have curiosity for exploring the world and getting to know about the different practical and theorial knowledge on Climate Change and Poverty in general. Not to mention the new friends you will make and share an intricate bond together. Thank you Richmond Vale for helping me to have a better understanding of who I am and knowing that I have an important role to play in the fight against Poverty and Climate Change.

I loved every minute of this program. It felt good to know that we were able to make an impact on different communities and give people the skills and knowledge they need to improve their lifestyles. I learned a lot of amazing lifelong skills. The staff at Richmond Vale Academy were all very supportive and positive, which made the experience even more enjoyable! We also had time for ourselves to explore and travel on our own which was very fun because we got to explore the neighboring islands and enjoy the views and experiences.

They say that time goes by fast when you are having fun. I have to both agree and disagree. I have enjoyed my time at the Fighting Shoulder to Shoulder with the Poor program of course, and I can't even remember all the happy moments I have shared with my teammate and other students and teachers from our little school community. But it's not all about that. These past 18 months have made me experience different things every day.

The first six months taught me to be open minded. I have realised that there is a history I have not been told, which steers the way the world turns today. It was an intensive online study period, which among all the information about worlds economics, globalisation, climate change or health and nutrition taught me to be patient, mainly with myself. The theoretical studies combined together with practical permaculture gardening activities and food preservation actions have prepared me for my time in the field.

Next six months, which I spent working on projects in a Maya community in Belize were a mixture of everything, you name it. I don't think I have ever laughed as much as with our Belize youth group, I have also never felt so exhausted, frustrated, motivated, helpless, optimistic,.... all at the same time. Learning that everyone behaves according to their context, the way they have been brought up and the conditions they live in, was a big lesson for me.

The last six months seemed slow and relaxed compared to the busy time in Belize but yet, they've made everything come together. I have finished studies about the reasons of poverty, passing the last exam was so exciting, but it wasn't the end. I have learned many things but there is still more. Whether it is from interesting conversations, from working in a community garden or through teaching new teams, I have realised that knowledge is a crucial tool which needs to be shared and passed on over and over.

Fun is important, but I believe that it was the feelings of being useful and being able to make a change, however big or small in our complicated world that made my 18 months program fly by. There is still so much more to do but we all have a new paths to go. I have no doubt that Richmond Vale Academy together with Humana People to People Belize had prepared me for a journey which is worth the travel.