Volunteer programs - life and leisure of volunteer teams
In the previous article, I talked about in which countries volunteer programs are held and what type of activity you can choose (Volunteer projects - what are they, countries and work). In this article, I would like to talk in more detail about the more homely and pleasant side of volunteer programs abroad - about everyday life and leisure..
The content of the article
Lodging
By choosing volunteer programs, you can find out about the place where you will live. Most often it is either a public building (school, lyceum) or a large communal tent. Both options are more than suitable for life and comfortable, because there is always a kitchen, shower and toilets.
Life of volunteers - housing can be like this.
If you live in a tent, there will always be a small house with a shower and toilet nearby.
If volunteer teams live in a tent, then all these benefits of civilization are located in a nearby public building (school, kindergarten, etc.). Breakfasts, lunches and dinners in volunteer teams are held at a large common table in the open air (weather permitting).
Rest of volunteers after work.
Life of volunteers - housing can be like this.
Everyday life of volunteers - a dressing room for a shower in a separate house.
Life of volunteers - housing can be like this.
Life of volunteers - housing can be like this.
Food
The cuisine is varied, in large part because it is the volunteer program participants themselves who are paired on duty. Usually chefs are specially selected from different countries so that they can exchange their culinary experience in preparing traditional dishes of their country. Therefore, volunteer programs abroad provide an opportunity to try, for example, the delights of Chinese cuisine for lunch, and to dine with dishes of Italian chefs. Those volunteer teams, in which I was, in the morning usually ate traditional breakfasts of the country where we were.
Life of volunteers - on duty.
Volunteer camp - duty.
Organization and team
Students usually take part in volunteer programs, although many projects have no age restrictions and a 30-40-50 year old can become a volunteer. Two camp leaders are assigned to volunteer teams. Most often these are approximate peers of the rest of the participants, who themselves are most likely either local residents of a given country, although not a given region. Or they just know the language of the country where the volunteer programs take place very well. The leaders of the volunteer squads unobtrusively maintain order, monitor the inner life in the camp, organize interesting events on weekends and leisure in the evenings, in general, provide communication with the outside world, so to speak.
Volunteer programs - pleasant moments.
Volunteers often write their work schedule and, most importantly, leisure time.
Volunteers often write their work schedule and, most importantly, leisure time.
Communication with local residents, rest, leisure
Volunteer programs are usually held in small towns where all residents know each other very well. Accordingly, the appearance in their city of a group of young, active people, and even foreigners, arouses incredible curiosity. As a result, after a couple of days of your stay there, one of the local residents invites the entire volunteer squad to visit, others begin to visit themselves to the place where your volunteer work takes place or where you live. Those volunteer projects in which I participated so strongly attracted the attention of local youth that after about a couple of days after our arrival I came to hang out with us in the evenings, and a week later I came to our place of work and took part in our good cause. In the evenings, we thanked them with lunch, and then dinner, fortunately, volunteer programs abroad provide for more than enough money for food..
Volunteer programs - a holiday-meeting with local residents.
Volunteer programs - meeting with local residents.
As you understand, with such close communication with the locals, the practice of the language occurs constantly and in large quantities, friendships are struck, and sometimes couples form :)
I have already written about rest and leisure. Volunteer programs abroad pay great attention to this part of the project, using all the possibilities of the surrounding nature and cities. Evenings after work are usually busy with close communication with friends from the volunteer squad and with local residents. The latter can even take all the participants in their cars to the nearest city for the next festival or just for a mini-excursion..
Volunteer programs - leisure.
Volunteer programs - leisure.
Leisure of volunteers - visiting the theater festival.
Leisure of volunteers - visit to the grotto.
Leisure of volunteers - rest after a hard day.
Participation in volunteer programs is both an unforgettable life experience, and language training, and meeting interesting people, and the opportunity to get to know the country of your interest. You can read my impressions of volunteer trips to France here - Volunteering is the brightest travel memories. I will not repeat myself, it is better to go once by yourself and you will understand me! :)