Healthcare Education in FIJI

Bula (Hello)!!My name is Amnah, and I was working as a volunteer in a school in Fiji, teaching students about healthcare and other subjects while also taking care of the children and teaching them other subjects.

Before visiting Fiji, everyone talks about “Fiji time,” but once you get off the plane, you actually feel it. In those three weeks, letting go of punctuality (Fiji time) was one of my obstacles in adjusting to change. Making connections with instructors and students was another struggle, but as the days go by, it comes naturally. In order to ensure that change occurs among the children, teachers need to put up more effort in their conversations with parents. It was occasionally difficult to control the students and keep the classroom in order. Some students made the class progress slowly and required more attention, and it was difficult to divert the focus of the more intelligent students with other activities. It was difficult to explain several medical concepts to younger children. In the end, everything appeared to go according to plan.

I would say that from preschool to grade 4 at Rock Church Academy in Sigatoka, Fiji, I learned teaching skills, experience creating timetables, and a true understanding of what it’s like to be a teacher. Additionally, I adore Indian culture and was already aware that there are Indians living in Fiji as a result of British colonialism in that country and the relocation of Indians there for labor. However, reality far exceeded my expectations; I have formed wonderful friendships and felt more Indian than ever. The best part of my vacation was connecting with Indian children, parents, instructors, and locals as well as Fiji as a whole. I actually was a student myself in expanding my Hindi language and now I have some knowledge on the written alphabet. I had to grab this opportunity.

I feel proud of myself for staying dedicated to my volunteer work, developing my communication skills, being open to new experiences, and learning to deal with whatever the day may bring. If you enjoy touring Fiji and its islands, the Tom Hanks movie site Castaway Island, and river tubing, I would strongly recommend these activities. Fiji offers CHEAP MOVIE tickets! Most importantly, if you would want to inform children about critical healthcare issues and ensure a healthy community, then this position is for you if you believe you can make it better or if you merely enjoy helping students and teachers!

Enjoy every moment- Fiji you have taken my breath away.

Vinaka (Thank You).

Wildlife conservation volunteer

I absolutely loved the volunteering project at wildlife sanctuary in Costa Rica. It was such an amazing experience working up close with animals which I would not normally see such as jaguars, macaws and tapirs, and learning about each species as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for all of them while they cannot be released due to cruelty, being illegally kept, or injured.

Doing the project has aided me in choosing a career path for myself in working with animals due to feeling I have made a difference working closely with the team and animals on a day to day basis and I am excited for future opportunities to arise.

At the start of the project, I did feel slightly overwhelmed and the work is very physically demanding which most people are not prepared for however I did find that I quickly adjusted to the work and there was a great team around me to keep me going and maintain the morale within the group.

Personally I would say that the project did not meet my expectations due to the physical aspect of it however my experience was better than I could have imagined; I made friends which I am almost certain I will keep in contact with, I have learnt many new skills which will help me in the future such as with new job opportunities, and I have been able to specialise in a sector of work which very much interests me.
I would love to suggest the project as well as other projects with global nomadic to anyone thinking about taking a gap year or wanting to travel and do work for local communities.

What a wonderful world

Imagine seeing animals roaming the streets? Whales and dolphins in the ocean, the big five in safe sanctuaries (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo). Imagine smelling the sea, listening to the breeze in the mountains, and feeling the waves of the ocean on your feet. Making memories and viewing breathtaking sunsets and sunrises. Cape Town is a wonderful place to visit. Although there are many things to do, a month will not be enough time to experience them all.

If you realize how many things can be done in this place or surroundings, then you will understand why so many people want to return to this place or never leave it. And you can’t blame them. There are options for every taste and budget. Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, and Signal Hill should be on your list of things to do while you are in Cape Town. Experience skydiving, bungee jumping the highest in the world, surfing, swimming with seals or shark diving, and exploring the Garden Route.

Nevertheless, there are some people who try to take advantage of tourists. This happens in most developing countries, so be careful if you ever visit South Africa; don’t be tricked by people looking for money. Despite everything, this place is an absolute delight to explore. This is the ideal place to volunteer in any subject.

Cape Town & Swaziland: Entrepreneur Development

Italy Whale and Dolphin conservation internship

I found out about Global Nomadic unexpectedly while looking for an internship opportunity online. I have been studying Marine biology and was looking for an organisation that could provide me with hands on experience and valued work amongst professionals. This is exactly what I have found with the whale & dolphin conservation project and so much more. The crew comprises of a handful of people on board a historical sailboat called ‘Jean Gab’ , it is of high value to the crew and it becomes a member of the team as soon as you step foot on deck. There is lots of opportunities to learn and get involved such as learning how to put up the sail or if you’re more interested in the science behind the research you can be analysing acoustic data collected from PAMguard software. This data is given to universities and independent researchers to use for their projects, it consists of clicks and whistles of whales and dolphins found at sea. You will learn to recognise the different sounds you hear from the spectrogram and learn how to use it to identify which direction the animal could be found. This makes it a lot easier to pin point a sighting location, HOWEVER you will not always get to see the animals as it is out of the hands of the crew to guarantee that the animals will show themselves so you just have to be patient and trust the process. Data is constantly collected and year by year more papers are being released based on this data assessing the conservation status and impacts of anthropogenic factors on marine life in the Mediterranean. The hope is to restore and conserve the Mediterranean to allow marine life such as whales and dolphins to thrive.

Life on deck is not for everyone, it is hard work but it is also very rewarding. The accomodation is underneath the deck in bunk beds, there are currently 4 available so you and the other participants are in the same room together, the captain has his own room. There are 2 small toilets on deck which can be difficult to use especially when out at sea and you walk around like jack sparrow swaying from side to side trying not to topple over. There are toilets and showers at the port which you will return to every night for dinner, so you can have a hot or cold shower. Daily chores are split amongst the crew such as sweeping, cleaning the toilet, cleaning the dishes. The captain always prepared lunch and dinner so you don’t have to worry about cooking, if you are vegetarian or there are certain foods that you would not like there is no guarantee that something will be prepared, but you will be able to make something for yourself. There is a wholesome atmosphere at dinner time after a long day where everyone sits down at a table and eats together. Sometimes the crew will invite some of their friends to eat with us and we can all exchange stories or attempt to learn a new language! There are people coming for this project all over the world so you can get to know many different kinds of people and make memories that will last you a lifetime. You get free time to explore the island and sometimes the captain will take you out snorkelling or swimming in one of the bays of the island. I would recommend this project to anyone with an interest in marine life, a student looking for extra experience or an opportunity to experience life on a boat and being a part of the crew.

Italy: Whale & Dolphin Conservation

1st week – Cultural week

First week – Cultural week

I joined a group of students from China and spent the whole week learning about Nepal.

– My Nepali name is Devi (means goddess)

– Cooked simple Nepali dish

– Went to temples

– Short hike

– Went to the oldest market in Kathmandu

– Yoga

Overall, it was a nice experience, but a whole week to learn about the culture is a bit too much.

Met with new people and made friends.

2nd week – volunteer at a Children’s Hospital

Met with Dr. Shanta, a really nice dedicated person to children’s healthcare in Nepal.

Challenge was no one speak English but the doctor himself, and patients kept talking to me in Nepali because I looked like a local.

It was a nice week at the hospital, discussed many things with dr. Shanta about the hospital.

Glad to be a resourceful volunteer for Dr. Shanta and the hospital.

I would recommend this hospital for anyone who wishes to learn/experience how dr. Shanta managed to run the hospital so well with so little.

Medical Internship in Nepal

A Few Weeks in Guatemala

This project definitely makes a difference. Because of their actions they were able to increase the over all population of scarlet macaws by 5% in the country.

I feel that myself and every volunteer that puts effort in, is able to have a positive effect on the project and the lives of the animals.

It was tough for me to adapt to the high carb, moderate protein diet, the portions were also a bit small for me as I am a large man with a high metabolism. I compensated by buying sandwich ingredients and making some extra food for myself during meals. That being said, the provided food was still very tasty!

I’m proud that I was able to gain a lot of practical skills in keeping and habitat maintenance. It was also incredible to take part in releasing a young howler monkey back into the wild.

The project exceeded my expectations by far.

I would highly recommend this project to a friend and people that want to experience real hands on conservation in central America.

Wildlife Rehabilitation Project in Guatemala

One of the most enriching experiences of my life

Being a volunteer at the NGO has opened my eyes and heart in many different ways. I highly recommend this experience to anyone that is passionate about international cooperation, renewable energies, reforestation, sustainability and working in the field.

I have been 9 weeks in Lobitos, living and working in the NGO house. My role was to support one of the ongoing projects on renewable energies: a backup system along with a wind turbine installation in the medical post of Lobitos. My objective was first to size and order the backup system (consisting of batteries and inverter) in order to cover the urgent issue of having blackouts that threat the safety of some vaccines being conserved in refrigerators. Regardless of the challenges found along the way (many of them related to the complexities of working in the field), we could achieve this objective and the backup system was purchased while I was there and will be installed soon after my departure.

This means that during my time there I could see first hand the results of my work and I left Lobitos knowing that the positive impact of the project will be experienced soon by the inhabitants, what fills me with great pride and satisfaction. The project I have been contributing to addresses a real need of the community and being able to directly approach the people involved face to face, understand their problems and be part of the solution, was incredibly fulfilling.

Not only have I been collaborating with this interesting project, but to many others like reforestation and impact research through social surveys. I loved the fact that the work at EcoSwell was really dynamic, each day was different and full of new life-lessons to learn. The environment is really welcoming and professional at the same time, what encourages everyone to give their best while creating beautiful connexions with the people in the house and outside. Besides, Lobitos is a town where you can find local people, people from the capital and international volunteers and travellers with whom exchange really interesting conversations. This makes the experience still more enriching and diverse.

Finally, I would like to highlight the fact that living in similar conditions to the people you are trying to help (Lobitos community in this case) is essential and eyeopening for western people like me. Many prejudices will fall. Regarding sustainability, living in the NGO house in an integrated way with the environment you’re surrounded by (using the dry toilet, generating compost, reusing water…) is amazing and incredibly increases your self-awareness of the carbon footprint you as a human being have in the world.

Once back home, I just feel so grateful and with my heart full of experiences, learning and beautiful people. Thank you to everyone that made this possible!

Renewable Energy Development in Peru

Human Rights in Guatemala

I traveled to Guatemala in the summer of 2019. I worked at an organization called Caras Alegres. Caras Alegres serves the neighborhood of Las Rosas, where a majority of the families are at or below the line for extreme poverty. Caras Alegres serves this community by providing free after-school programming, which both supports the child’s education and allows their parents to work longer, lunches, scholarships, school supplies, and most importantly, a place where children can play and be free of their worries. I loved my time working here. In the morning, I worked in the office writing grants, communicating with donors, and writing the annual report. In the afternoon, I got to work with the children and help out with the daily activity.

I chose a homestay, because this was the most economical option and I wanted to be able to practice Spanish. I lived with Mama Cony, Papa Carlos and their children. It was amazing and really made my whole trip that much better. The food was always delicious, and Mama Cony is one of the nicest people I have ever met. She was always willing to listen, help me when I need, and show me Xela. She even came with me to a store where I bought souvenirs for my family and helped me get a discount.

I loved living in Xela. It is a beautiful city. I was able to travel to many other cities in Guatemala, but Xela was definitely my favorite. While Antigua might be objectively more beautiful, Xela has a better warmth and authenticity about it. I can’t wait to come back.

I am so happy that I chose this project. The whole process was so easy. Rustom found gave me 5 options of places I could work, and I chose Caras Alegres. Rustom also found my homestay. With the program, I was given 25 Spanish lessons, and my teacher, Karina was great. She is a great teacher, both in person and through Skype. I learned a lot with her.

I got a lot out of this experience – both personally and professionally. Professionally, an internship in economic development will help me because I want to work in public international law, for an organization like the United Nations. This internship shows that I am dedicated to community service, willing and able to travel, and that I can work in other cultures. Additionally, my increased Spanish skills (I went from very basic to comfortably conversational in 7 weeks thanks to this experience) will be a huge benefit to me. Personally, I was nervous to go to a developing country with a lot of crime. But, I did it. I didn’t feel unsafe once the whole time I was there, and I traveled alone almost every weekend and walked alone at night a lot. I developed close relationships with amazing people and learned a lot about myself. I even helped a few kids learn how to ride a bike.

I loved this experience, and I intend to go back to Guatemala as soon as I can.

Human Rights Project in Guatemala