Do you feel the project makes an impact in this field?
100%, It provides free legal advice and support to a large amount of people that would not have access to these kind of legal services. It ensures many of the most disadvantged people in society have a voice and are not taken advantage off.
Do you feel that you made a difference to the project?
Whilst it was difficult to make a significant difference only being there for a month, I did feel that I did important work such as applying for grants which is cricual to the NGO and also helping Martha (the lawyer) to write depositions and to help her translate cases etc..
What challenges have you encountered? How did you overcome them?
The culture shock and difference in work ethic, everything is very slow and unorgansied and there is often lots of waiting around, especially at court. The only way to overcome this is to simply be patient and understanding, accept that this is the norm and there is no point stressing over something you cant control, treat it as an experience.
What success are you proud of?
The other volunteers and I achieved quite a lot during my stay, we managed to help Martha to ensure she won multiple cases for her clients, and in general just did our best to support her in whatever way we could.
Did the project meet your expectations?
The project was very different to how I envisaged it to be, but in a good way, it was an amazing experience and I certainly met a lot of incredible people that oppened my eyes to so many different cultures and experiences. Whislt the work can sometimes be slow and frustrasting you do feel like you are helping and it can be very rewarding. The only criticism I would have is that when there is more than 1/2 volunteers, there is often not enough work to go around.
Would you reccommend this project to a friend?
Yes I would, I believe this was one of the best experiences I have had, not just in terms of the work but mainly the diferent people you meet and just the general exposure you get to a completley different culture and lifestyle.
