Volunteer & Travel- What more could you want?

By Andriana Simos.

Imagine this. Crystal clear blue waters, golden beaches and a smooth sea breeze. Cliché we know. But did YOU know that International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) is now giving you a chance to enjoy these surroundings AND help less fortunate people?

In 2018, IVHQ are offering a new volunteer destination in (you guessed it) Greece! Volunteers will be based in Chios, the fifth largest island of Greece, and they can choose from four programs including Food Outreach, Kindergarten, School Support and Special Needs Care. These programs give volunteers a chance to feed more than 700 people each day and provide care and education for children with special needs. Find out more here.

Now, because this program is new to 2018, it was difficult to speak to any current participants. Fear not however, as we did speak to two people who have taken part in other IVHQ Volunteer Programs and they were happy to describe what really goes down…

Marc-Andre Brunelle volunteered in Guatemala:

1. Why did you choose to go to Guatemala? Because I am planning to travel and volunteer for the next year in several countries of Central and South America. Guatemala was the first one on my path.
2. How long were you there for? Three weeks.
3. What did you do as a volunteer? I taught English to local police. I had two classes per day of 1.5 hours each in the morning. They were not able to talk any English at the beginning so I had to start with very basic things. Alphabet, numbers, simple sentences, etc.
4. What was your most memorable experience? I found that the local police were all eager to learn and we had a lot of fun during class. I always included some games in each lesson to make it more lively, and everybody was laughing and having fun during those moments. At the end of each class, they all came to thank me and tell me how much they appreciated the class. They were very grateful and it was a pleasure to teach them.
5. Where there any hardships as a volunteer? When I got there I was expecting to be the assistant to a regular teacher. But it turned out that I would be the main teacher and I was expected to prepare all the lessons. At first it was scary, but in the end I was happy it was like that because it gave me real teaching experience. Also, my first language is French so it was a challenge.
6. Do you have any words of advice for someone who would want to go on an IVHQ program? I would say jump in!! Do not be scared. It is okay to make mistakes as long as you give the best you have. And as a teacher, do not be afraid to lead and be demanding with the students. That is what they expect of you.

You can watch a video of Marc’s experience here.

Antoinette Rayos volunteered in Lima, Peru.

1. Why did you choose to go to Peru? I wanted to volunteer AND see Machu Picchu (bucket list).
2. How long were you there for? I volunteered for 6 weeks, 1 week travel including hike to Machu Picchu.
3. What did you do as a volunteer over there? Lesson planned and taught English. I also signed up for 1 hour Spanish language lessons (twice a week).
4. What was your most memorable memory? I loved the kids I taught and meeting the other volunteers.
5. Where there any hardships as a volunteer? I would say the language barrier.
6. Do you have any words of advice to someone who might want to go on the program? Be open-minded. You will be in Lima, Peru, where there are not a lot of tourists so you can live like a local.  Plus if you are teaching English you get to take the bus to and from the school.
7. What were the benefits and disadvantages of the program? Benefits = cheap and right in the city of Lima so you can travel all over Peru since Lima is a hub. No real disadvantage except the language barrier but that’s part of the fun!
8. Would you take part in an IVHQ Volunteer Program again? YES because it’s organized and a reasonable price.
   

If this doesn’t convince you to volunteer in Greece, we don’t know what will!