Alumni Interview with Nathalie Fitchte

What inspired you to go abroad?

I was inspired to go abroad to learn and get to know a different culture. In my humble opinion, you can learn a lot while leaving your home country and getting to know the world.

Why did you choose your Aldeas de Paz - Peace Villages Foundation?

I choose Aldeas de Paz - Peace Villages Foundation, because I was impressed by their mission and vision: "Gaining by giving"! Volunteering can't be described better than that.

What was your favorite part about the Dominican Republic?

There are sooo many parts that I fell in love in with— the stunning landscapes made me smile everyday I walked out of the door, the friendly and open-minded people who are always willing to help and talk to you, the music and dance moves, and last but not least, the spirit of the whole culture.

What made your experience abroad unique?

My experience was unique because of the people I met along the way, the places I have seen, and the experience I had. For me it was my first time climbing the highest mountain of the Caribbean, living on my own (not completely alone - I got some pretty cool roommates), learning a language while living in the country, jumping from waterfalls in turquoise water, and teaching English.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

In both locations (Samaná and Las Terrenas) we have a coordinator who helps you and takes care of you on a personal and professional basis. I couldn't have wished for a better coordinator.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?

I wished I learned more Spanish before coming here, so it would have been easier to communicate with locals. It would have also made it easier to create new projects at the beginning of my stay.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.

I woke up very early, because I really like the morning hours. It was still very quiet and not that hot. It was perfect for doing sports, or just eating breakfast while enjoying the sunrise. At 10:00 a.m. we usually had our meetings. The whole team —in my case, the multimedia team— met to talk about things that have to be done, stuff that we already did, updates, and projects we want to do in the future.

The afternoon was normally used to do the tasks we had talked about earlier in the day. While sitting in the office all together, or on the terrace, it is easy to be very productive and to have fun doing all of the different tasks based on your interests, skills, and preferences.

In the evenings, volunteers had the opportunity to help teach classes for the local community. We offered English, German, and Computer classes. Sometimes we met in the night to eat dinner all together, play some card games, or watch a show/movie. Since our days were very flexible, the schedules differed from day to day a lot.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoyed the amazing variety of excursions that were offered to us. We went to new cities, huge waterfalls, the mountains, pretty beaches, among many other activities.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

I lived with two other volunteers in a three room apartment. I shared a room with one of them. We had a big living room, a kitchen with all the essentials, a garden we didn't really use, and a terrace. This was the best part of our accommodation. The terrace offered a great view of the bay any time of the day. We bought a hammock, so we would chill there most of the time.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?

I am a very active person. For me it was quite hard in the beginning sitting in front of a laptop, writing and editing all day. But the many excursions you go on for filming and taking pictures makes it all worth it.

The best part about the Multimedia program is that you have the possibility to have a look in nearly every project while documenting or promoting it. In addition, I got better at managing my time and completing my tasks. If I had the chance to choose again, I would choose the Multimedia program each time.

Would you recommend Aldeas de Paz’s Multimedia Program to others? Why?

I would definitely recommend my program! You have the opportunity to learn so many new things in such a short amount of time, which is incredible. Going abroad is an opportunity you that you shouldn't miss, and volunteering is, in my opinion, the best option for doing so! Be brave and take the step further to widen your horizons.