What inspired you to go abroad?
I have always wanted to see more of the world, explore different places, and learn. I wanted to experience a different culture.
Waterfall
Why did you choose SLV Global?
I chose to volunteer with SLV as it was advertised by my university; additionally a friend had previously completed a placement with this organization in a different location. I chose to do the mental health program as I study psychology at university, and have an interest in mental health.
What was your favorite part about Bali?
Throughout the placement, we lived with a local family. During my stay we ate with them morning and night, we also learned about their families, careers, their own history, and their culture. It was incredible as my family did not speak a lot of English. We relied heavily on gestures and nonverbal communication, which i felt made the connection more special and meaningful. This was a lot of the reason how we learned so much about the culture and the experiences in which people go through on a daily basis in Bali.
What made your experience abroad unique?
I think everyone's experience will be different. It depends on your outlook and attitude towards the placement, county, and the other volunteers. For me the friends I made were extremely supportive, fun and all had the same attitude. Additionally at projects I was always myself and tried to be as encouraging and positive as possible. This helped me to see what was working well and it also let the service users see the real me which I think made them more comfortable and able to express themselves better. Therefore, I feel that the relationship I developed with the service users as well as my friends made my experience unique.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff were very helpful and were always there to support us and answer our inquiries. During the orientation they gave a lot of information.
Temple
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
Arrived earlier to acclimate better and stay for longer afterwards to explore.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
Every day was different because the projects would change. You would wake up, get breakfast then head to the meeting point. You then travel in our group to the project this can take up to an hour and a half. Once at the project you start by doing 5-10 minutes of yoga, you then introduce yourself and then follow up with a plan that could be help verbal communication, building confidence in a group, and improving sensory involvement.
After our actives we then finished with yoga. We then traveled back to our village where we went for lunch. After lunch we then returned back to the meeting point and traveled to the next project. We always start with yoga and an introduction; we often did stations. Thus, after the introduction, we often split into smaller groups and worked in a station for an hour, going around the service users. After an hour or so, we then regrouped and did more yoga. After this we traveled back to our home stay for dinner. After dinner we socialized. It was fun because sometimes girls from other home-stay's came over, or we would travel to their house.
Bali swing
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
On the weekends we went to different places. We went to a popular beach, a few temples, markets, different types of restaurants, we climbed a volcano, visited a coffee and tea plantation, we also went to waterfalls, the Bali swing, released baby turtles, as well as visited popular bars and clubs.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
The accommodation was incredible! The rooms had big windows, a huge fan, a large wardrobe and mosquito nets. We also had a toilet in our room and an area for socializing. Our homestay was directly opposite a shop and very near a supermarket. The thing I liked most about my accommodation was the area for socializing.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
It is actual real work and real people. It is harder than you think and you cannot form attachments to service users.
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
I have definitely learned a lot about the Balinese culture and how different it is to the UK. I think I will try to remain as positive and grateful. It has also showed me the route of mental health and the different attitude towards it.
Would you recommend SLV Global Bali, Indonesia to others? Why?
Yes. It is an amazing opportunity, you will learn so much and gain so much!
