Make a Difference with The Global Volunteer Network

Today’s post in our Giving Back, Travel the World and Make a Difference Series comes to us from Erin Courtenay of Global Volunteer Network.  I am absolutely in awe of the people that I am meeting in the travel community on the Internet.

The Global Volunteer Network is an organization that I can fully support. They have 25 projects all over the world working closely with local community organizations. From building schools to providing emergency food supplies they work with the communities to provide them with the resources they need.

After reading Erin’s post and doing further research on the Global Volunteer Network, we are inspired to look into their organization more closely and possibly volunteer with them during our next trip abroad.

Thank you Erin for inspiring us to help and for sharing these incredible experiences with us all!

Global Volunteer Network – What It’s All About

Peru Culture

I love my job, and I feel so lucky to be able to say that.  There’s no doubt, it’s a fantastic personal experience to take part in a volunteer program abroad, and through my work I feel even more privileged to be involved in and stay connected to our partner projects and volunteers each and every day.

Whether they are helping to build a school in Peru, providing nutritious meals for orphans in Vietnam, or teaching English in Kenya I am inspired and motivated daily by our wonderful volunteers and our in country partners.

My name is Erin Courtenay and I am the Communications Coordinator for Global Volunteer Network (GVN). GVN offers volunteer service opportunities in community projects around the world and currently operate in 21 countries throughout South America, Africa and Asia. Over the past 7 years we’ve built up strong ties with grassroots organisations and placed over 11,000 volunteers.

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As well as being a staff member of GVN, I am also one of those 11,000 volunteers! I first bumped into GVN back in 2007 when I was looking do some volunteering.  I took part in the Vietnam Orphanage Program and spent my time doing arts and crafts and English lessons with children, teaching English to adults in the community, and cuddling, changing and feeding babies.  I met the most welcoming, genuine and kind people during my stay in Vietnam and enjoyed getting to know the precious children and their individual personalities immensely.

Another Big Meal for Kids in Vietnam

I guess this is one of the major reasons why I decided to get involved with GVN in the first place as a volunteer, as I wanted to be sure that the benefits were felt directly by the community I was working in.

The Big Picture

Volunteering abroad offers a unique experience that may otherwise be inaccessible to a tourist.  You have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in a new country and culture and really get to know the community you are volunteering in.

Paige, who volunteered in Kenya with her husband, cherishes their story of making new friends on their walk to work.

‘Our walk to St Paul’s is about 15 minutes along the dusty road (think central Australia) directly in front of the farm. There are 5 or so different groups of children along the way who greet us every morning and afternoon with waves and the chorus, “how are you?” Which sounds more like, “howareyouhowareyou,howareyou?”  They run out and grab our hands and walk with us for 20 meters or so. Sometimes we have stickers for them, sometimes lollies and sometimes balloons. They are so excited each time they see us (whether we have a gift for them or not), and call us Muzungu, which means “white person”. When we finally make it to the orphanage we are covered in dust and quite hoarse, but we love it all the same.’

At GVN we are inspired by the words of Gandhi “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  I can honestly say that I have seen time and time again how one person can make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Through volunteering you can make a personal contribution and connection to the people by contributing to community aid projects in areas such as education, caring for children, health care, construction and conservation.

As well as providing benefits to our host communities, volunteering will provide you with fantastic travel and life experience, facilitating personal growth and inter-cultural awareness and understanding.

Feel the Love! Meet Your Students; Ghana

We recently heard the following from Minna from Denmark, a repeat volunteer in our Ghana Teaching Program.

‘The first thing any Ghanaian will tell you when he or she first meets you is “you are welcome!” Never have I met such warm and kind-hearted people! Teaching was so much fun and my kids made me so proud every single day. They are so smart, always happy and so excited that you are there as a volunteer.

I went to Ghana to make a difference in the lives of others, but as it turned out, Ghana and Ghanaians rather made a huge difference in my life. I walked away with a whole new outlook on life, as a matured and wiser person and most importantly I walked away with the greatest friends in the world and a whole new family.’

Minna in the classroom with a few of her students.

There’s no better way to gain a broader world perspective.  In today’s world isn’t inter-cultural friendship, understanding, sharing and learning something that we could all benefit from?

People Just Like You

I love the fact that our volunteers come from all walks of life, they are all ages, and all have different backgrounds and passions in life.  The absolute best travel stories come from our volunteers and they provide such a great insight into what can be gained from a volunteer experience abroad.

I remember a really sweet journal entry by Elizabeth, who volunteered for 6 weeks in our Nepal Health Education Program.  Elizabeth was reflecting upon her time spent in Nepal and had these words of wisdom for her readers.  I feel these words could apply equally to any one of our volunteer programs around the world.

‘I think I’m a different person than the one who left for Nepal 3 months ago…or at least a changed person. And I think that’s the best thing I could have hoped for.

Some things Nepal has taught me (in no particular order):

- hot showers and flushing toilets are luxuries that should not be taken for granted

- you can survive on an absolute minimum of clothing and no washing machine for months

- you can always give something, even when you barely have enough for yourself

- we need less than we think to be happy: simple food, a roof, family, and a generous heart

- talk to strangers…we’ve gotten too used to passing the world by without smiling or saying hello

- it is possible for religion to permeate every aspect of life in a peaceful and beautiful way

- people who have very little are often the kindest

- flexibility is a virtue

- we should accept dirt as one of our closest friends

- personal space is a luxury

- immersion in a new culture has taught me more than any amount of education ever could’

At GVN we are inspired by the words of Gandhi “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  I can honestly say that I have seen time and time again how one person can make a difference in the lives of those in need.

You too can make a difference by volunteering abroad to help communities in need.  For more information on how to get involved today please visit our website: www.volunteer.org.nz

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Erin in Vietnam

Erin Courtenay: Communications Coordinator, previously Asia Programs Coordinator

Initially, I came across Global Volunteer Network (GVN) in the same way any of our volunteers do.  Having just completed a University degree in International Relations I was searching for practical experience and a challenge.

Through hours of searching online looking for the right opportunity to match my availability, the region I wanted to visit and my budget it was the Vietnam Orphanage Program which spoke to me most.  I was drawn to it!

After returning from Vietnam I knew that this was something I wanted to become involved in for the long term.  My first step was to apply for a job at GVN (over 2 years ago) and the rest as they say, is history!

Links:

If you’d like to read more exciting stories from our volunteers around the world, check out our journals page here: www.volunteerjournals.org

The GVN Blog: http://globalvolunteernetwork.blogspot.com/

You can also join us on facebook and twitter.

Previous Articles from our Giving Back, Travel the World and Make a Difference Series;

Nicaragua, A First Time Volunteer Experience by Teresa Wilson of The Wellness is You

This Global Citizen is Making a Difference by Rebecca Sweetman of The Paradigm Shift Project

Teaching Monks in Nepal by Shannon O’Donnell of ALittleAdrift

ARCAS Guatemala – a One in an Only by Marina Villatoro of TheTravelExperta

Support Local Art and Help Communities Thrive Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escape

Giving Back, Travel the World and Make a Difference

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