I decided to join this expedition to help get some work experience as I have always wanted to do field work. I had always had an idea of what I wanted to do professionally, but I had no idea what jobs would allow me to live and work surrounded by wild animals. This trip, apart from being the most rewarding and exciting experience, helped me realize that field guiding professionally is exactly what I want to after University. The shared, basic accommodation and the mainly vegetarian menu was difficult to get used to, but seeing leopards mating in the wild, cheetahs on kills, and (best of all) the occasional honey badger more than made up for it! I loved every moment of the trip so much that I am already planning my next trip to South Africa and my training to become a field guide. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in the wildlife of Southern Africa and conservation – going is the best decision I’ve ever made!
Global Vision International (GVI)
I have never left my home country before,I wanted an adventure and to help someone and try to make a difference in the world.
I did some research and found GVI was the company that would be the support and environment that I wanted to be apart of.
I have a history in child care so I had an idea of some different ways to help these children learn and further develop their understanding and knowledge of the English language. I was lucky enough to not have a huge language barrier the children were able to communicate with me.
This experience has opened my mind to the differences we can make in the work. I was only there for 2 weeks and I felt I helped one child in particular and gave him the confidence boost he needed to keep learning.
GVI all the way, I would 100% recommend this program for any first timers or even experienced volunteers
On July 2012 my perspective of life changed completely. I was completely blinded about the conditions most people live in. When I signed up to go to Mombasa, Kenya with GVI I knew it would be an experience of a lifetime, but never in a million years did I imagine it would be a life changing experience. As soon as I landed in Mombasa, GVI made me feel as part of the family, and it just got better from there. Every moment was so special in its own way, from meeting the volunteers to teaching my first lesson. It was a big reality check but it also made me realize how little one needs to be happy. My first day teaching gave me goose bumps, I had 40 kids to teach and names to learn, but just realizing how eager every single kid was to learn made me want to try harder and harder. Not a day went by of the two months I was there that I did not want to get up to go teach. I saw the brightest smiles that will stay with me forever, I heard the most contagious and euphoric laughs I have ever heard, and I met the most grateful people I believe I ever will. After two moths of the best experience of my life I knew I wanted to go back soon it was just a matter of finding the right time. Less than one year later they asked me to go back as a staff member, so on May 2013 I got the chance to go back to Mombasa for 9 weeks. I just came back 4 days ago and I still cannot wrap my head around the amazing experiences I had. Each and every day was so unique and full of life in its very own way that there was no chance of having an “ordinary” day. Hopefully I will have the chance to go back in the near future because not only is it fulfilling and life changing, but it really is impressive noticing the improvement one can make over a short period of time.
Through a funny term of events, I booked a trip to Greece to volunteer with turtles in Mavrovouni, 4 hours south of Athens. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made!
Every day something new and unexpected happened, the location was absolutely picturesque, and the people were unforgettable. It was unquestionably one of the hardest and best trips I have been on. Each morning we would go for morning expeditions, where we walked up and down local beaches looking for evidence of nests, hatchlings and any other turtle tracks. The two weeks were spent walking along beaches, building nests, excavating nests, watching hatchlings scurry to the ocean, helping educate locals about how to treat and look after turtles, and relaxing on the beach, enjoying the amazing people's company.
It was personally one of the most self-satisfying experiences of my life - words cannot express the feeling you get from knowing the work you did made an impact on what could be hundreds of animal's lives. It changed my perspective on life, and led me to the decision to start studying towards one day working in the eco-tourism industry. My 2 weeks in Greece literally changed my life! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience happiness and personal satisfaction.
Last sumer I spent a month in Fiji with GVI on their Community Development Program. This was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The people were all amazing, the staff, the locals, the other volunteers. The staff made it very easy to get there and settle in and made sure I knew what I was doing at each part of the program. For me the highlight was teaching at the local school, you can really see it makes a difference to the children out there and they want to learn which makes it even better. On top of all that, the time off was incredible too, at weekends we were allowed to explore Fiji which is the most amazing lace I've ever been. I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone who wants to volunteer abroad.
