GVI, Ethical Impact. Volunteer in Thailand

When I departed on my U18's service learning trip, I was extremely nervous. Don't get me wrong, I was excited, but the idea of travelling all alone to a country I had never been to before was very daunting. However, upon arrival in Thailand I was greeted by some of the warmest people I have ever met. The staff were lovely, and I immediately felt safe and secure. But more than that, I immediately bonded with all of the other people on my trip. Most people had traveled alone, thus everyone was super friendly and eager to mingle. After some skill training sessions and educational lessons, we began the service aspect of our trip. During my week in Ban Nam Khem, I had the extraordinary opportunity to help out with various tasks at the sea turtle head-start program, aide in small construction projects at a local school, and participate in multiple beach clean up initiatives. The second week of my trip was considered an 'adventure week' in which we were expertly guided throughout breathtakingly beautiful sights and towns, whilst still preforming some volunteer work such as beach clean ups. Ultimately, the two weeks I spent in Thailand were genuinely life changing. Not only was I able to acquire new skills in teamwork, independence and volunteerism, I was also able to meet some of my now closest friends and enjoy some of the most beautiful sights in the whole world. Thank you so much to GVI for this incredible experience. I can't wait to meet you again somewhere else in this world!

The program is amazing. All the volunteers and staff are so welcome and friendly from the first day. There is always something to do during the day, whether it is working in the Navy base with sea turtles, snorkeling while doing coral reef surveys, doing beach cleans or bird and butterfly surveys, you learn so much about all the wildlife in the area of phang nga and Thailand in general, you also learn about the effects of single use plastic being washed up on beaches in the area. There is also alot to do in the evening or on the weekends, whether you want to chill in base, go to the beach for a swim or head into Khao Lak or anywhere else you fancy on the weekends there is always something to see and do. Either way it is an amazing program .

I had the most amazing and inspiring experience in Thailand, from day 1 the team and volunteers were so welcoming, it really did feel like a big family! It was great to meet people from so many different places who had all come together to try and make a difference. We completed great activities every day from snorkelling to scrubbing turtle tanks and beach cleans; but also had plenty of free time to hang out and get to know each other a bit better. It was hard work at times but always lots of fun and very worthwhile! The team were also great at recommending what to do with your free weekends, there so much in the surrounding area I visited some incredible places even in the short time I spent there. I would 100% recommend the project and GVI as a company to anyone that is considering doing some volunteering!

Translated by Go Overseas:

6 weeks in the village of Huay Pakoot brought me a lot.

The different volunteers, the staff and the interns are all adorable, life on the camp is so simple. Everyone is there for the same thing, and to enjoy and live deeply its moment so important.

The contact with the inhabitants of the village enriched this experience. It is sometimes difficult to approach the villagers, most are really shy. But once their trusts are won, some people open up to you, and you laugh, you play with them, or you work and help them.

Finally, the staff tries to build a really ethical project around the elephants. We have no contact with the elephants, which is sometimes frustrating. But seeing elephants evolve again in the forest after being tortured in the camps (to paint pictures or to walk tourists) is really rewarding.

Original:

Ses 6 semaines dans le village de Huay Pakoot m'ont enormement apportees.

Les differents volontaires, le staff et les internes sont tous adorables, la vie sur le camp est si simple. Tout le monde est la pour la meme chose, et pour profiter et vivre a fond ses moment si importants.

Le contact avec les habitants du village enrichie cette experience. Il est parfois difficile d'approcher les villageois, la plupart sont vraiment timides. Mais une fois leurs confiances gagnees, certaines personnes s'ouvrent a vous, et vous riez, vous jouez avec eux, ou vous travaillez et les aider.

Enfin, le staff essaye de construire un projet vraiment ethique autour des elephants. Nous n'avons aucun contact avec les elephants, ce qui est parfois frustrant. Mais le fait des voir les elephants evoluer de nouveaux dans la foret apres avoir ete tortures dans les camps ( pour peindre des tableaux ou pour promener les touristes ) est vraiment rejouissant.

Translation:

I spent 2 weeks in the GVI program in Chiang Mai.
I really enjoy learning about the local culture and the relationship these people have with elephants. During the hikes, according to the information collected, I was able to learn how the elephants worked. But also during the many presentations to explain the interest of the project and these objectives.

Many other activities are proposed to diversify the work but also to fully immerse themselves in the environment. The inhabitants are involved in the project, it allows us to have real contact with Thai life. But also sleeping in people's homes and eating with them at night.

Thanks to the project, people have the opportunity to learn a little English, which could be useful for them in the future. As well as their children by going to give them lessons in school.

It's also good that all of our on-site expenses at local stores are part of their savings. Prices are very low for good things (smoothies, coffee ...)

I had an amazing time during the 6 weeks I was here. Before coming here, I thought the only focus of this project was with the elephants, but in reality there are so many more opportunitites to interact with the community such as teaching english in the school and to other villagers and playing football with the mahoots. The cultural immersion that this project offers helps you be more open minded and connect with more people from the village such as with our homestays. By knowning the short and long term objectives that GVI and this hub has, I really understand the positive impact that I made while being here and that future volunteers will keep doing. I also loved meeting new people from all over the world that help make the experience more fulfilling than I ever though it could be.

GVI Chiang Mai is amazing. I spent 4 weeks here and I had the time of my life. the elephants are breathtaking, just being there with them was incredible. The various activities like playing football with the villagers, teaching english and outreach with the villagers were very well organized and very fun. The staff was very helpful and they made me feel like i was a part of them as soon as i met them, I came alone and I was kind of nervous, but that all went away very quickly because the staff was so nice. My homestay family was awesome, I got very lucky because my homestay father spoke very good English, so I got close to them. Coming here was definitely a right decision but I have to say, it is an experience that was out of my comfort zone. It is a very basic way of life, which i think is awesome, but I understand it's not for everyone. I've traveled a lot like this in my life, so It wasn't bad for me, but if you are doing this as your first trip out of your country, I recommend doing one of two things, either going to another volunteer program first and then coming here, or committing yourself to being very open minded and tolerant.

For me going to this program was a life changing experience. Having the opportunity of observing, helping and learning so much from such amazing creatures as elephants is simply undescribable. And at the same time you have the chance to live the simple lives and commodities that the villagers you live with have, and for me this was very enriching. I loved getting immersed in a different culture and learning to see life with different eyes and through a different perspective. I made great friends and had a great time! The base where all the volunteers interact has a fun and inspiring environment, everyone is so so nice and the landscapes all the time are simply breathtaking. there is a lot to do but you can always choose whatever you want to do or if you dont want to do anything at all and just chill. I would recommend this program 100%!