So lately (last few months) I've come to the realization that I really enjoying helping people out. I do enjoy my current job, and when someone gets lots of joy out of what i do to their car I really like that. However, I feel that there are people out there that need a lot more help from me than just getting their car worked on. I try to help out when I can in my (small amount of) free time; stopping when I see people with flats/ broken down on the road, etc.. And that's always a really good experience.
Thusly, I have decided that perhaps it would be the perfect solution for me to help some people who REALLY need help. I'm mechanical and analytical, and can cobble up something out of nothing for cars.. so I'm sure I could be of some help anywhere where buildings need to be built or fixed after disaster, or advancements need to be designed and built (irrigation, new roads, who knows).
Traveling would be a bonus with that, too.
I have decided that if my job ever gets compromised that this would be what I want to do instead of looking for a new job just to get by. When will that be.. soon, never? Who knows, but I want to plan ahead.
I'm game for just about anywhere, really.. as long as I don't get dropped into a warzone where there's high chances of me getting shot or kidnapped. (Kinda want to avoid Africa I guess... at least the dangerous parts).
So, has any one looked into this before? Or better yet.. done it before?? I'm only just starting to do research, and FP seems to be pretty diverse, so why not.
I'm spending part of my gap year volunteering at a school in Nepal. Its a school for children who come from the Himalayas on the account of them not getting any education up in the mountain villages. A lot of the students visit their villages in the summer when they have holiday and you can actually go up to the villages with the students, which a lot of large volunteer groups do so that they can build proper irrigation systems and other things. Its called the Shree Mangal Dvip School ([url]www.himalayanchildren.org[/url]), it might not be what you're looking for since its more teaching. It would be great if you helped in Nepal though since the country just got out of a 10 year civil war and is still trying to somehow work, but the government is corrupt and useless, and they trade power and supplies so they can import more expensive equivalents. Its a beautiful country and the people are generally nice.
Of course you can always sign up as a volunteer with the UN (can't access the website for some reason) and work in Africa. As long as you're skilled and you can support yourself they'll take you. I met a guy who did it and he got to travel around in Africa building schools and helping set up wells while seeing some pretty awesome places. I'm sure there are forums out there where you can find more ideas. I know a woman as well who works for NGOs in Palestine and has set up schools in Afghanistan.
Its really nice to see someone so willing to help out, its an amazing experience considering how many different people you meet and just the sheer amount of things you will see, hear and do. I would be able to write a lot more (and better) if I was a bit more awake.
Thanks for the post! It's a few places to start the search, and good to know it's been as good of an experience for you as I had hoped it may be.
How broad was the language barrier for you? That's a big weakness of mine, I think, the only language besides English I speak is a bit of German.
Also, when you were out volunteering how is sustenance handled? Meals provided, sometimes? Or are you basically there working and paying for food/ lodging, but just without being paid?
why not teaching english? You can go to japan, korea and teach people a language and hell even earn a decent wage whilst also picking up a new language?
Any idea if those require some major schooling to do?? All I have as far as degrees is my associates degree as an Automotive technician.
I would LOVE to teach English in Japan, but I know nothing of their language aside from the fact that when I watch anime that is sub'd I can barely make out actual words when they're speaking. Seems very difficult.. and Kanji, oh my poor memory! If it would somehow work even if it was a small village school I think I would enjoy that.
Perhaps it would be worth picking up Rosetta stone heh..
I know a guy who taught ESL in korea and china with next to no knowledge of either language and he did alright
Glad to see you wanna go and volunteer abroad, by the way. Volunteerism is such a great thing that is way more important than people tend to realise. I don't really know much you can do besides working with human rights groups, and ESL.
I wish i could be more helpful, but the only 2 programs I have any real knowledge of are Canada-centred, one of which has recently been axed
[QUOTE=clutch2;35462071]Thanks for the post! It's a few places to start the search, and good to know it's been as good of an experience for you as I had hoped it may be.
How broad was the language barrier for you? That's a big weakness of mine, I think, the only language besides English I speak is a bit of German.
Also, when you were out volunteering how is sustenance handled? Meals provided, sometimes? Or are you basically there working and paying for food/ lodging, but just without being paid?[/QUOTE]
There's no language barrier, I mean as long as you speak english you can volunteer pretty much anywhere. I've met former volunteers who didn't speak english all that well, but if you're working in a third world country, you can communicate pretty easily since almost everybody understands a small amount of english. Not to mention, you learn bits of every language that have everyday use. Sustenance all depends on where you are. I have to support myself, but there was space in a small compound that the school rents for older students so I got to stay there (otherwise I would have to pay for a hotel). I get breakfast (too early), lunch and dinner for free as well as accomodation, everything else I have to pay for. There are places that you can volunteer in the sense that they give you lodging and food for work like organic farms in Australia. The guy who went to Africa had to support himself only in water and food. The UN volunteer team set up tents and they got to stay in them, and sometimes they got to stay with rich Africans by giving them some money and just making use of the extra space.
Don't get malaria!
Malaria might be exciting.
Good to hear there's not a ton to worry about with the language barrier. Those organic farms in Australia kinda sound like farms here in the US that employ immigrants.. "you stay here and eat and work, and in turn you get to exist!" Lol if there's already a farm set up it almost sounds like they don't need a volunteer force. But I may be wrong, I'll have to research it a little.
It's my day off today and I've been doing a little writing to keep myself motivated.. spent the last few nights laying awake in bed thinking about what the future might hold. I'm getting even more excited about the whole ordeal someday.. heck I wouldn't even be too sad if I got fired tomorrow or something.
I hope that once I get to experience it I'll fall in love with it, and the joy I get from helping people just around my community will be experienced, but perhaps 10fold! And in my time I hope to be able to write things I see.. experience, etc. And with all that knowledge perhaps help make a better future for our world.
It's so damn idealistic sounding, I know everyone wants to save the world.. but it's certainly not going to happen if I don't keep dreaming and thinking and pondering. It'll at least give me something to do in the meantime while I keep working in the corporate grind.
If anyone's interested, here's a bit of a "call to arms" that I'm writing, partially for myself. Consider it a locker room peptalk. If I spill onto paper the ideas I have, perhaps with experience and time I can coordinate them into some sort of something that will make a difference.
[quote]The world slowly falls further into it's own abyss day in and day out. The Greed, Pride, Envy, Lust, Sloth, Gluttony and Wrath that are living in us all surge to get out, longing to be satiated. What happens, then? Everyday tragedies befall us.. not us as a nation, not us a race.. but us as humans. For every misdoing by one, more misdoing follows.. revenge begets revenge. It's who we have become in this world. No longer do the meaningful things in life hold a scrap of meaning to us, instead it's the finer things in life we crave. The power, riches and possessions of happiness are sought after endlessly, leaving behind any who are dead weight in the process. It's such a familiar tale perhaps we lose sight of what it is that's happening around us. The motivating force behind human achievement has become personal gain. That being so we find two common archetypes in society; Those with the motivation and drive to do things so that they may prosper, and those who see no use for that and are content in eking out a living so that they may, in their time off, simply do nothing. So whom do you suppose the men of action are? They are the rich, the greedy, the powerful. In a time when we need compassion and empathy in the heights of our ranks more than ever we find personal agendas that don't benefit anyone not in the inner circles of leadership amidst country's leaders and company's leaders. It's repeated over and over across our scarred planet, as well. Oh there are exceptions to the rule.. there always are, but great changes exceptions do not make. For every rich man donating to every good charity under the sun another piles bills high and flicks the match of indifference onto them, watching as ashes rise to the heavens and rain misery onto all men who dwell bellow who aren't blessed enough to have fires to light. That same indifference runs deep, deep within us. Those who haven't felt the pain of living.. who have simply existed in a plane between want and have, they too are the guilty. Many men don't see both sides, despite existing between them. Many men haven't sacrificed, haven't been torn apart, haven't had to withstand and overcome the pain... and thus have gained nothing from their existance aside from perhaps material goods. As they continue on their path the cries of the innocent don't reach their ears, because they aren't listening. They simply continue down their road... not anyone else's.. just theirs. Who benefits? No one but themselves.
And what is to be done with all this free time that is experienced? It's follied away carelessly. While all it takes is the simple act of pondering to perhaps set in motion the gears of a machine that promises to cure the land.. even that seems a far reach for a goal. It's all too easy to stray and do just that.. nothing. Just a few keystrokes can lead me away from this screen and expose an unending path of internet information, I can research and research until my years are squandered, but it achieves naught. Without some measure of force I find myself struggling to even open this program.. to even put pen to paper so to speak. But without putting pen to paper where can I even begin? This journey doesn't promise to be easy.. nor even fun.. but it promises to be one worth embarking on. When will it commence? That I cannot say, for even I don't know. The job I toil at seems to have an expiration date.. when will that be, though? I have made a pact with myself that the day that happens will be the day I hurl myself into this ocean of work feet first. Leaving behind me a country that may need help, I must first start slow with people that not only need my help, but want it as well. As America refuses change and its people suffer on the streets, other land embrace a helping hand. Afterall.. these people are the people who have had their lessons.. who have had their pain, and from both had learned and proudly stand, but don't why away from help.. Because as some have learned, we're all connected in some some way. Though one may be far away from another, any bad things in this world hurt the entire planet, and if one good act is carried out it may continue on and the ripples slowly spread, leaving at least some kindness behind them.
As action goes, sitting down and writing about plans for the future is barely above sitting down and wasting and entire afternoon doing nothing, so what exactly does this even hope to accomplish? Well, perhaps driving home the idea of those future plans will be enough to hold me over the edge. So often one finds themselves losing sight of what's important, because afterall this world is full of other more fun activities that hold no gain for others.. but if you drive home the idea daily that those are all empty activities, and as you write you consider all the souls that are patiently waiting.. simply trying to survive until they get their chance to thrive.. well then it becomes easier to avoid pointless temptations.
What about helping a people thrive.. then they come into their own power and drown in the sorrows of already developed lands? It certainly is an everpresent risk. Man finds himself doing well and is liable to forget everyone who helped him get where he is. It's a constant truth. It's also one that essentilly nothing can be done about. If a streak of pride runs in the man, making him feel that he is the sole reason for his success.. making him forget that there's a whole battalion of those who are to be thanked for his success.. well that's simply one of humanity's great tragedies. Man will always be man, it seems. No amount of rhetoric, religion, or philosophy will change an entire species that possesses the ability to think and decide freely. If one forgets their roots fter achievement it simply provides a cue to move on; afterall they have achieved this all by themselves so now they will be fine now, right? Perhaps this cold outlook has no place in a writing based around empathy and compassion for my brothers, but then again in what fairness does the man who gives no thanks and praises himself continue to receive aid.. surly there are many out there still desperately waiting for their chance to be helped, and who will needlessly bow at the feet of the man who helps him. When that happens I say to you.. take this man's hand and say to him, "No! Don't bow.. come, stand at my side as my brother, and now that you, too, are back on your feet.. join me in helping others." Consider that, consider if every man who graciously receives another's help does indeed set out to help another.. that number would double every time! Of course that's in a perfect situation, it's such an overwhelming prospect that it bears mentioning. Just as the question was posed when children.. "how much money would you have if you received one penny on the first of the month, then that doubled to two that you receive on the second, then you received four on the third, 8 on the fourth, etc?.." The same rings true. While one, then two, then four may not seem like much, it becomes snowballed into quite a group after only a few repititions! So don't heed the scoffings of the doubters.. of the men who see no point in doing work for your fellow man.. instead pity them that they don't receive the joy of seeing thankfullness welling up in another's eyes. There will always be those men, too greedy to see the need for helping others, too short sighted to realize that helping them may in-turn help themselves, and who don't realize that the enjoyment they get from their possessions pales with emptyness compared to what they could be doing. [/quote]
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