Feedback stories from UVolunteer

Feedback from Ghana UVolunteers:

Sophia Metzner, 20, USA, Children's Orphanage
I learned one thing right away, never expect things to go the way you had intended.

Arriving in Ghana for my volunteer trip to work in an orphanage, I learned one thing right away, never expect things to go the way you had intended. This is an important lesson in life, and has always been very hard for me. So on the first day right away I was challenged with things not going the way I had imagined them to go.

One memorable moment I remember is when I was trying to teach the children about gentle touch, and patting or rubbing the shoulder to get my attention, instead of hitting or pulling aggressively.

Overall my time spent in Ghana was a continual theme, which came up, and I think the challenge it presented to me and having to overcome it will benefit me in the rest of my life. I came to Ghana to really work hard in an orphanage, so I really wanted to give it all that I had. I got up early and made sure I was there all day, to get the full experience. It was definitely not the kind of experience I had imagined at all, but after the first couple of days I adjusted and found my groove and realized that the best I can do is give it my all.

Give the children all the love I can, teach them as much as I can, communicate in the best way that I can and show up and be there for the children in the time I had dedicated to them. By the third day volunteering at the orphanage I really started to see the small difference I was making and the bonding that was occurring between the children and me. Many of the children yearned to be held and loved and sometimes that was the best thing I could do for them, was just to hold them. As each day passed the children really began to attach to me and were calling me by name and always swarming around me like a school of fish.

One memorable moment I remember is when I was trying to teach the children about gentle touch, and patting or rubbing the shoulder to get my attention, instead of hitting or pulling aggressively. This was a hard lesson for them, as in their culture they are used to rough handling and gentle touch does not really exist. As I explained to them how to do it, and that I like it better than being pulled on very hardly, they really understood and started helping each other out by reminding each other and demonstrating it on me. It was really sweet to see how one girl showed another one what a " gentle touch" was and how quickly she responded and started doing it that way.

Overall my experience at the orphanage was truly wonderful, and I would not trade it for anything, despite its challenges and obstacles. It was an experience I put myself into and I think it has made me a stronger, more adaptable person because of it. I am glad to have been able to share something with the children and hope that the time I spent with them will leave some kind of impression or memory in there minds to carry with them for the rest of there lives. Ghana is an amazing country, rich with culture, flavor and excitement. There was never a dull moment in Ghana and my time here has enriched my life in a very positive way.

Michael Benko, 21, USA, Sport Education Teacher
I often times found myself looking around in awe that I was in Ghana and how the people lived.

Ghana was the most eye opening experience I have ever encountered in my life. Upon arriving, I was not quite sure what to expect, but I knew I would not be living a posh life. I was not prepared to have everything I had grown accustomed too in the states taken away from me, but I settled in quickly. I often times found myself looking around in awe that I was in Ghana and how the people lived.

The little things added up in Ghana and they were always a result of someone wanting to help in one way or another, and that is what I will remember about my experience, the people.

Despite the amount of poverty here, I can say with confidence that Ghanians are the most genuinely nice people I have ever been around in my life. I almost wanted to ask the first few people I spoke to what they wanted because they acted like a salesman, but they were just truly being friendly. After going to the crazy market, experiencing the upbeat style of church, and eating some Ghaninan food it was time for me to start my project.

My project involved teaching 15-18 year old girls how to play basketball. The game of basketball is rare in Ghana, and most do not have access to a court or ball. The first day I started teaching the girls I thought I was starting from the basics, but I did not realize they had never even seen a basketball before. Names such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were completely foreign and the concept of dribbling had not previously been taught.

My goal was to keep it fun. As soon as the girls started to show any signs of being bored, I just let them play even if it meant breaking a few rules. The first week was very entertaining and I enjoyed watching the girls’ progress in their knowledge and ability of the game. In order to help my teaching process, I taught the girls in a classroom setting in the mornings to help explain how to play the game and show them a few skills. In the afternoon we would walk about 15 minutes away to play at a local court. I had a lot of fun teaching the girls and made some good friends along the way.

Outside of teaching at the local school, I got to know a lot of people in Ghana. uVolunteer got me plugged into the community with some great people and I was able to branch out from there. The hearts of Ghanians are genuine and everybody wanted to know my story. uVolunteer did a great job making sure I experienced the culture here and setting me up with people to take me around town. I got to go to a local church, experience the food market, walk around the clothes market, eat all kinds of Ghanian food, go to local night life spots, experience the national park, walk with elephants, see monkeys steal people’s breakfast, wash clothes by hand, and be chased by 50 Ghanian kids hoping to take a basketball from me.

Every day on the way to class I would walk by the kids school and hear the word ‘obrony’ (white man!) about 50 times. At first I did not know what to do, but all I had to do was smile and wave as if I was some sort of celebrity. The kids’ faces light up and some just want wave at you. The little things added up in Ghana and they were always a result of someone wanting to help in one way or another, and that is what I will remember about my experience, the people.

I would recommend the uVolunteer program to anybody and suggest you join because it will be one of the most important experiences you will ever encounter. Be thankful for your current life, but know that you can never be truly thankful unless you live in a poor town.

Feedback from Thailand UVolunteers:

Letty Tsoi, 21, Australia, Teaching English

I have travelled for longer periods doing ‘normal’ tourist things, but the experiences, emotions and human bonds that arose from this trip far exceeded those from any of my other holidays!

I spent two weeks staying with Jack and his family in a village a few kms outside the town of Phonphisai. I have travelled for longer periods doing ‘normal’ tourist things, but the experiences, emotions and human bonds that arose from this trip far exceeded those from any of my other holidays!

The hardest thing to learn, though, was letting go of the children at the end of lunchtime or at hometime each day – those lovely children who were always smiling, laughing, willing to share their toys and games and eager to get to know the new teachers with such joy!

Given the excellent location of Phonphisai, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a long weekend exploring Nong Khai, a vibrant city an hour away from our village, and Vientiane, the capital city of Laos - the two cities sit on either side of the Thai-Lao border. Of course, there were plenty of travel pleasures much closer to home too. Phonphisai and the surrounding villages are situated right on the bank of the mighty Mekong river. One of my favourite activities was walking the 3km from Jack's home to the Phonphisai town centre through the villages, alternately admiring the views over the Mekong waters and taking in the sights of the village homes, farm animals and returning the greetings of the village kids!

I joined this program as an English 'teacher' - and this teacher was also a student in so many ways! In teaching the children English in their classrooms, I had to quickly learn how to creatively teach English without knowing Thai; to conjure up the lyrics of childhood songs and rules of primary school games from the deep recesses of my memory; to adapt from teaching in a group of 4 volunteers one day to teaching solo the next; to be ready to teach 7 year olds as well as 14 year olds.

The hardest thing to learn, though, was letting go of the children at the end of lunchtime or at hometime each day - those lovely children who were always smiling, laughing, willing to share their toys and games and eager to get to know the new teachers with such joy! I had the privilege to teach at three local schools in the region. As much as the school facilities, school uniforms and ages of the children differed between the schools, the warmth, friendliness and genuine acceptance of a foreigner by students and teachers alike were stamped over every school in equal measure. Actually, all of the Isan locals had these qualities. Not only did Jack's family make every volunteer part of the family from the moment you move into their home, but any 'strangers' that we met never stayed strangers to us for long! The Isan region exemplifies why Thailand is known as the 'Land of Smiles'.

Aaron Joseph, 21, Australia, Teaching English
I went sightseeing with Eiw and Alex. We visited a big temple where Eiw prayed to Buddha and got a very good fortune from a fortune teller.

Week 1 Friday April 16th: I arrived at Udon Thani Airport from Bangkok and was welcomed by Eiw and Alex. I went for dinner at a restaurant alongside Mekong in Nong Khai. Then I went to Jackâ€™s house, got settled in and then went to sleep.

Today we cycled to the Laos market in the morning. After lunch, Jack took us by bicycle to a river in the forest and I practiced driving the motorcycle. We swam in the river, took photos on Jackâ€™s floating house-boat, and paddled a canoe around.

Sunday April 18th: I went sightseeing with Eiw and Alex. We visited a big temple where Eiw prayed to Buddha and got a very good fortune from a fortune teller. Then we visited a park with sculptures and scenes of Buddha.

Tuesday April 20th: I cycled to Phon Phisai in the morning. I was headed to an internet cafe, but was spotted by Wasana a, Jackâ€™s aunt, Blue and another cousin from their shop in town. They invited me to stay and chat and eat a bit. I cycled back to Jackâ€™s house, where I was picked up by Eiw. I taught around nine 8-12 year-olds at Eiwâ€™s house in the afternoon, and played Tak Krao(?) and soccer with some guys at a nearby school.

Week 2

Sunday April 25th: At around 5pm some new volunteers arrived! There was a group of 6 girls and 2 guys, from England, France, Germany and Holland. We took a walk to a restaurant overlooking the Mekong and had some drinks. After, we continued our walk, visiting the nearby temple and walking through the fields on the return.

Monday April 26th: Today was my first day teaching with Yuphaporn, a teacher at a local high school. After meeting Yuphaporn and her students, I proceeded with class â€“ introductions, hobbies and so on. After class, I was taken out to lunch by Yuphaporn and some of her students. In the afternoon, I went to the swimming pool at Santirak with the other volunteers.

Friday April 30th: The other volunteers and I went to Pak Suay in the morning. We ate noodle soup for lunch at the shop just outside Santirak. Fridays are sports days for Santirak School, so I watched while the students played musical chairs, and danced. After cookies, fruits and ice creams were handed out to the students, we had a game of soccer between volunteers and students. After the game, and some more ice cream, the volunteers swam in the pool and then we went for dinner and drinks in Phon Phisai.

Week 3

Saturday May 1st: Today we cycled to the Laos market in the morning. After lunch, Jack took us by bicycle to a river in the forest and I practiced driving the motorcycle. We swam in the river, took photos on Jackâ€™s floating house-boat, and paddled a canoe around. We went for dinner at a western restaurant in Phon Phisai, which was surprisingly quite good, and then went to karaoke.

Tuesday May 4th: Today was the day of the Rocket Festival Parade. In the morning we all went to the clothes shop. First we had the makeup done, then the dress. It took a very long time for the shop owners to get everyone all dressed up and ready. We then proceeded to a village, from where we would start the parade. Katherine and I mounted this fake horse on the back of a truck (since we were the prince and princess). The others walked in procession behind the dancing girls.

Week 4

Tuesday May 11th: Today Toon and I left for Ko Samed! After checking-in at Samed Villa Resort we went for a stroll along the beach. Later that night we went to a nightclub at one of the popular beaches to dance and play pool.

Thursday May 13th: We rented a motorcycle today! We rode around the island and went to a cliff top viewpoint overlooking the ocean which was very beautiful. We stopped at a beach and had lunch at a restaurant with tables right at the water's edge. After a very relaxed afternoon we returned to our resort. Due to current political situation we decided it was not a good idea to return to Bangkok, so we changed our plans to stay for another two nights in Ko Samed. We took the motorcycle and drove north into town for a really nice BBQ seafood dinner.

Week 5

Monday May 17th: Today was the expo for national education in Thailand at Impact Expo Center Mueng Thon. I was to represent the adult education center in Phon Phisai. I met up with Jack and a few of the other teachers from Phon Phisai and we demonstrated teaching English for part of the day. I also met and shook hands with the Thai Minister for Education.

Wednesday May 19th:In the morning I was taken to Chumpol Phon Phisai high school where I would spend the remaining of my weeks volunteering. I would be teaching under Krue Yuphaporn (who I had met once before), who taught around 6 different classes in M4 (the 10th grade) including one "gifted and talented" class. After being introduced to and assistant teaching three classes, I returned home. In the evening we went to the market in town to buy some cockles, rambutans, mangosteens and fried poo at (crab sticks) to bring to the dinner we were invited to by a friend of Jack's. At the dinner we were served a traditional Isan chicken soup.

Feedback from Costa Rica UVolunteers:

Emily Castro, 20, USA, Community Education Project
I feel that the experience that uVolunteer offers attracts the best kind of people. All of the volunteers are so nice, so much fun to be around, so kind, and so funny and I have just had a blast with everyone, the staff and the volunteers alike.

My entire experience with uVolunteer has been incredible. From the moment Marianella picked me up at the airport until this very moment, and I am sure my last two days here will be just as terrific. I really had no expectations for this my trip because I have never done anything like this before, but my experience here in Costa Rica with uVolunteer and has exceeded anything that I could have imagined.

The uVolunteer staff is fantastic; everyone is so sweet, caring, attentive, and welcoming that I instantly felt at home in the dorm. Also, I think it's great that uVolunteer allows such a good friendships to form between staff and volunteers, and that there is not a huge separation between the two. The accommodations are great, the food that Dona Isabel cooks is always delicious, and she always keeps the house very clean and neat. Furthermore, I feel that the experience that uVolunteer offers attracts the best kind of people. All of the volunteers are so nice, so much fun to be around, so kind, and so funny and I have just had a blast with everyone, the staff and the volunteers alike.

Concerning the location of the dorm and my project, San Ramon is great. The city is lively without being too loud or too crazy, it's very easy to navigate, and the transportation to other locations is extremely convenient and cheap. I have found people in San Ramon and in Costa Rica in general to be very friendly and helpful. This is a great place to live during the week, and on weekends the buses allow you to travel easily and inexpensively to all of the other wonderful places in the country.

As for my volunteer project, I work in Bajo Tejares at the community center, and I love it. I have never witnessed such poverty, nor have I worked with children who live in such conditions, but I have found the experience to be extremely enlightening and uplifting. My first day walking through Bajo Tejares was both shocking and heartbreaking. I have ever seen such a poor community before, and it devastated me to see people who live with nothing when I have close to everything. However, after working with the children and seeing the bright smiles on their faces as they walk into the center every day eager to work and play, I have realized that regardless of the conditions under which they live they approach life with optimism and positivity, and because they have so little, they have a profound appreciation for everything. I think the community center in Bajo Tejares is an incredible establishment. It provides the children in Bajo Tejares with the opportunity to learn and play in a safe and loving environment every day. I am so thankful to the staff at the community center for the opportunity to work at Bajo Tejares.

Yet another great thing about uVolunteer is the long weekends, because it gives volunteers time to travel around the country and experience all that Costa Rica has to offer. My trip was only three weeks long, but I was able to visit Puntarenas, Quepos and Manuel Anotonio, and La Fortuna. Traveling with Daryl, Tanya, Georgia, and Bridget has been so much fun. We all get along so well and we are always laughing. The weekends have been just as amazing as working in Bajo Tejares. Also the flexible work schedules allow you to have some fun on week nights too, for example the nights I spent dancing in Palmares!

Overall, I have loved every second if my time in Costa Rica and with uVolunteer. I wish that my trip was three months long instead of three weeks. I am devastated to be leaving such good friends and such a wonderful place, and I sincerely hope that I will be able to return in the very near future.

Irene Carlson, 20, USA, Special Needs School
Doña Nidia is amazing. We all love her and will miss her a lot when we leave...

Living in Costa Rica for two weeks has been extremely rewarding and eye opening experience.

Life here is so much different than life in the US, but very similar in other ways,, I feel like I can both relate to and learn from the people that live here...

My experience here has been really great for the most part. Arrival was fine. The first project we were placed it didn't need or want, or appreciate our help so that was obviously a bad experience. The one we are working in now, however, is wonderful and I will be very sad to leave the kids.

Doña Nidia is amazing. We all love her and will miss her a lot when we leave. Living in Costa Rica for two weeks has been extremely rewarding and eye opening experience. Life here is so much different than life in the US, but very similar in other ways,, I feel like I can both relate to and learn from the people that live here. Having the opportuny to travel to different places inside Costa Rica was great.

Although we didn't get to as many places as we would have liked to visit, the places we did go were all really fun. I've made so many memories that I'll never forget. Hopefully someday I'll get the chance to come back.

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