People ask why I spend my annual vacation time volunteering abroad

“Challenge is not a curse or a punishment, but an opportunity to shine. If life were easy all the time, we would not deepen in love, compassion, and wisdom, or learn how to sink a pipeline into the well of true strength within us. Often we do not know how powerful we are until we are faced with a challenge that draws forth our greatness.”

-Alan Cohen
People ask why I spend my annual vacation time volunteering abroad. The secret truth is that in helping people to build better lives through self-reliance, whether it’s teaching English/math/computer technology, loving orphans, or constructing playgrounds, one develops equally in return through the local community’s demonstration of genuine kindness, enduring strength, and motivated spirit despite their lack of materialistic conveniences and pleasures. Global Volunteers summarizes the benefit well in their Philosophy of Service: “By serving others, we honor the human dignity of those we serve while acknowledging our own dignity in the process.” I am forever grateful for the opportunities made available to me as a result of Global Volunteers’ twenty-five years of genuine and impactful service throughout the world.

Thank you, Dank u, Merci, Gracias, شكرت أنت, Grazie, Danke, Σας ευχαριστούμε,

-Katie

Global Volunteers is a Special Organization

A few years back I was going through a rough period in my life. I had
just finalized a divorce, albeit an amicable one, it is still something
that impacts a person emotionally and physically. I was at a crossroads
in my life as I had moved half way across the country away from my
family when I got married. I had a great job and had good friends, but
was far away from where I grew up and where my family was.

I usually take a big trip every year and often it involved either hiking
some big mountain in some far away country or working with organizations
like Earthwatch, where you join on scientific expeditions. After my
divorce I decided that I wanted to do something different and needed a
chance to be alone with my thoughts to help me figure out what direction
I should go in next. I was looking into other Earthwatch expeditions
when I came across the Global Volunteers website and knew that this was
what I needed. In particular, the trip to Costa Rica looked
amazing…great scenery, helping to build a community center and a place
far away to take my mind off of things.

The Costa Rica trip was a very memorable one in that in helping others,
I learned an awful lot about myself and what is most important to me.
The local “ticos” where not only warm, friendly and open-hearted, but
they also have an extremely strong sense of family. Everybody
contributed to the well being of the family and community without
complaining and without reserve. The members of the local community
would wake up, perform their farm responsibilities, join us for 6-8
hours in painting / constructing a community center and then head back
home for more farming. They cooked us fantastic meals and made us feel
like we were part of their family. When the trip was coming to a close,
we all traded gifts and many tears. It made me realize that family and
community is something that should be at the top of everyone’s list and
clearly the right answer for me was to move back home.

Moving back home was the right answer as I am closer with my family than
I have ever been. I am now re-married and am happier and more satisfied
with my life than ever before. It is said the experience is not about
what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you. My
experiences in Costa Rica helped me to cleanse my soul and inspire me in
a way that I didn’t expect, but am ever so grateful.

Global Volunteers is a special organization and will always be special
to me. Since Costa Rica, I have also volunteered in Australia with an
Aborigine group and look forward to more trips in the future.

-Randy

Thank You for My Experience in Africa and China

I signed up for two week program serving in Xi’an, China working with local secondary junior high school students. It was very challenging to do lesson planning with so many words lost in translation. However, with all the guidance and fantastic country leadership management team from both Global Volunteers and the local scholastic community, I felt very comfortable sharing a little bit of life in America with the students. Our team had many excursions to explore local archaeological sites and numerous significant cultural and culinary tastings to really get a feel of daily life in Xi’an, China. It was the most incredible experience for me. As a result, I started soliciting all my family and friends to donate towards my next volunteer program in Ghana, West Africa. The administrators at Global Volunteers made it extremely easy to make it possible and my dream of going to Africa came true.

I thought I had seen it all and lived it all, until I spent 3 weeks serving the local schools in the small area called New Akrade , about 8hours by bus from the capital of Accra. The program incorporated volunteers, local leaders, tribal chiefs, and the Global Volunteer country leader to work together to bring the most benefit for the area and to ensure we would have the best experience of our lives. For me, it was life changing. There is just something about being in Africa. I felt reborn. I hope anyone who is on the fence about participating in a service program abroad can have the opportunity to let go all the pretentious restraints of society and let Global Volunteers show you how to help others and have fun at the same time!

-Chris