A great interdisciplinary program for anthropology students, NGO professionals and everyone in between

This is the best summer internship/overseas program I've been on so far. Not only do the founders of Suwandi foundation, Lily and Kaitlyn, deeply care and know about the local community, we also get to meet amazing community leaders in Tulamben and collaborate with them on building a future for the kids. There are many different actors whom you will get to meet on a daily basis: interns with expertise in all areas, volunteers who are eager to learn, accomplished teachers, and fellow local students with whom you will build a long lasting relationship with. Because it's a relatively small organization, you get to see how NGOs are built and maintained from the grassroots level. Everyone is always down to have open conversations about income inequality, the local tourism industry, Balinese Hinduism, the logistics of operating nonprofits, and much more. What's more, your opinion always matters. At the end of the day, you are not only teaching English, but also providing the program with your own input and along the way, becoming a more culturally adequate leader with global perspectives. I think it helps to know that many volunteers return to Yayasan LMU (the learning center) for its amazing people and to engage with the community long-term, which I hope to do one day as well.