ESL Blogs

   I would like to say I had spent my greatest summer this year in my life taking 2 international voluntary projects.  During 2 summer holidays months I experienced in so different life styles :  from such  in the environment  with fewer condition as a Russian rural village to big and developed and model city liked Saint-Petersburg.

  The first project was held in the city where I am studying and living, which named Voronezh.  We were 8 young people from different countries: 2 guys from Spain,  1 from Czech republic, 1 from Vietnam ( it’s me@@) and others local Russian  volunteers, then 1 more Norwegian  came to us, also some time other long-time volunteers ( from other projects those run at the same time with our projects ) joined our camp to work with us for some day. As I remember, there were 1 friend from France and 1 from Germany often came to us as part-time volunteers.  There we helped 2 Russian old ladies to arrange their museum.  These two ladies are advanced at doing different kinds of Russian souvenirs and wish to arrange their own museum to show them, but they didn’t have enough strength to make it real. So we help them to make their dream come true together. Our main work there was cleaning the garden; make new paths to the museum and so on.

    The second camp I took part in was in the most glorious Russian city- Saint Petersburg. We were also 10 international volunteers from different countries:  2 from Czech, 2 from France, 2 guys from Turkey, 1 girl from Estonia, 2 girls from Iran, and I’m from Vietnam. We volunteered in an extremely beautiful national park named Lomonoxov, help to arrange its 300-years old anniversary by making and helping it cleaner and more beautiful. We did different tasks: picking up and cutting the glass, sweeping the leaves, ect…

    The most interesting part of the camp is the leisure time, by the regulation volunteers work not more than 5 hours a day, other time we play games, go to excursion and have fun together. It was amazing. You know young initiative is unlimited, so we can do whatever we can think. We could not stop laughing while we played games and had open-air activities. I am sure you can see it in my pictures

   If you are thinking about where to go and how to spend your holiday, I would like to advise you to take  a part in some voluntary projects. Now, I’m explaining you what is the advantage of it?

Firstly, It is an amazing opportunity to make new friends from all over the world, to get know about new cultures. Thru the camps I had learn to cook some Russian foods, I also had chance to taste French cakes, Norwegian chips and learn some Czech songs….. Now I’m always happy with the invitations of my friends from everywhere: Czech Republic, France, Norway, Spain,  Netherland….! I’m just thinking where to go now??

Secondly, it gives you great opportunity to practice foreign languages. Usually the working language is English, but sometimes it may be French, Spain, Chinese or so on.  2 or 3 weeks living, working, taking activities together will help you improve your English (French, Spain) effectively. Not like some kind of boring English lesson, voluntary is a kind of informal education, where you can learn from work, game and different activities.

Thirdly, international voluntary is an economic way to travel abroad. If normally you have to face with a different types of payments to travel broad, you need do deal with visa fee, with accommodation, nutrition during your journey, you need some guide tour, so when you go volunteering you can get visa for free, the host organization will provide you food and accommodation during camp projects, and guide you some travelling tour for free. Some time it is boring to travel alone, but in international voluntary camps you will never be alone, you are always with other s volunteers who are your peers with the same age and the same interest, also with good mood, sense of humor and youth initiative your tour will be full of laughs, and unforgettable moments!!!!

   Now I know your question is “How to take a part in international voluntary projects?”

   Well, what you need to do is find your local voluntary organization in your city and they will offer you different projects in different countries and you can choose the project that you like most. You must pay the participant fee for the sending organization and if you are approved, you the need money to pay the ticket to get to the project.

    Now what are you still waiting for?? Just go and send your application to some project and I wish you will have a great time with international friends and doing some useful together! And don’t forget tell us about it then!!!