Cooking Volunteering in Thailand

I enjoyed some of the activites , but not others. The rivre walk and the walk to the koppies was 10/10. No intrenet was challenging , so 7/10. Jane , Precious , Patrick and Lucas were 10/10. I woul recommend this project to anyone who needs a detox from Social media.

New culture, new people, New Life. When we exchange our perspectives, ideas and plans to make a world better place for everyone. It's good to go different places it helps me view life in many directions

Hice 5 años en haiti, me se su idioma, se toda su cultura, me gustaría volver y apoyarlos en todas las dificultades que tienen, ya que ameritan mucha ayuda de todos nosotros, para ellos poder sobrevivir

I would really like to volunteer. I am passionate about charity and showing kindness to the world. Please, give me a chance. Kindly provide Certificate of sponsorship too since I'm not able to provide for myself at the moment. Kindly put my request into consideration.

This an increasingly popular way for individuals to make a meaningful impact in communities around the world. With numerous organizations offering volunteer programs, it's essential to review and research these opportunities to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. *Pros:* 1. *Cultural Immersion*: Living and working with local communities provides an immersive cultural experience. 2. *Skill Development*: Volunteers can develop new skills and gain experience in areas such as teaching, conservation, and community development. 3. *Networking Opportunities*: Volunteers can connect with like-minded individuals from around the world. 4. *Personal Growth*: Volunteering abroad can be a transformative experience, fostering personal growth and self-awareness. *Cons:* 1. *Cost*: Many volunteer programs come with a hefty price tag, which can be a barrier for some. 2. *Safety Concerns*: Volunteers may face safety risks, such as health concerns or political instability, depending on the destination. 3. *Cultural Differences*: Adapting to local customs and way of life can be challenging for some volunteers. 4. *Quality of Programs*: Some volunteer programs may lack structure, support, or meaningful work, leading to a disappointing experience. *Recommendations:* 1. *Research Thoroughly*: Investigate the organization, program, and destination to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. 2. *Read Reviews*: Look for reviews from past volunteers to gain insight into the program's quality and challenges. 3. *Choose a Reputable Organization*: Select an organization with a proven track record, transparent policies, and adequate support for volunteers. 4. *Prepare Yourself*: Culturally, emotionally, and physically prepare yourself for the experience to ensure a smooth transition. By being aware of the pros and cons, doing thorough research, and choosing a reputable organization, volunteers can have a safe, rewarding, and life-changing experience abroad.

As a Social worker i often meet with clients to assess their needs, provide counseling, and develop individualized plans to address their challenges. This could involve sessions with individuals, families, or groups.

I previously participated in a trip abroad to represent my country abroad in the field of art and music, and we got third place in singing. I am a girl who loves to travel and help others, especially since I am a doctor. I am used to caring about the health of others. I strive to volunteer in many fields

I probably had one of the best experiences of my life in Natuwa for a month, feeding the many animals that live there, taking care of them, discovering a different way of life than mine, more minimalist and peaceful. Rodolfo is an extremely understanding man who cares about the well-being of his voluntarios. We had the chance to do several extra activities outside the centre, such as snorkeling near to Isla Tortuga, or swimming at night with bioluminescent planktons, which were dazzling. The workteam is really friendly and allows you to feel integrated quickly and easily. However, you have to expect to work hard sometimes, for example planting trees, doing work to maintain the infrastructure, but this is only a part of the day. outside the centre

I am very interested in social causes and I wanted to go abroad and give some of my time to a good cause. Meiji Internships found me a very fulfilling internship in an NGO for children's care. I spend one month to help disadvantaged children to re-enter society and to have access to education. My self from before this internship and my self from now are like two different persons. I am proud of the progress the children did in English during my classes, but I am also proud of myself growing as a Human and becoming more aware of the social problems and how to help people. I had some tough times when I realized that everyone cannot be helped on this Earth (because yes, sometimes the situation is way too complicated and you have to let go to focus on the others), but I also thought that we have to do what we can do to create a better world!

I went to Bangkok in October and November of last year. Now, if I could do it again, I think I would not go in October because of the rain. From what I've heard, the best time to go is December, January, and February, when the weather is dry. But even if it was raining often I enjoyed my experience a lot! Thailand is a gorgeous country, and I had the time of my life. I interned in an NGO which was rehabilitating animals abused by the tourism industry, so I felt I was contributing to a good cause! With my English skills, I helped them raise awareness about animal abuse and promote the association. I gained a lot of experience while saving animals, so it was the perfect internship for me!! Thanks to this adventure, I'm a different person now. I feel stronger and unstoppable!

It was my first time traveling and working as business intern overseas and Thailand seemed like the best place to start with this new adventure. Meiji staff supported and assisted me throughout this journey with all types of support ranging from Visa assistance, accommodation arrangement, local event information and sightseeing trip to Pattaya. The business internship program was focused on tasks doing competitor research, analysis of a new product to be exported to the US, scheduling meetings for my supervisor and also attending these as an assistant. As the company was fairly small (around 10 people) I was given a lot of responsibility for my tasks and also did a few correspondence calls to potential customers by myself. I wanted to achieve the most during my time here and I think I performed well for the two months I was here. The most fun part was my final trip to Chiang Mai I did with a friend. We went hiking on the highest mountain and also did elephant riding. Definitely an unforgettable experience!

I had a wonderful time in Thailand! I was lucky because I was put in charge of my own project. The marketing sector of my company was not too big, so I could essentially help build it up from scratch. When my supervisor learned that I was majoring in Marketing, he asked me to help spread the word of our fantastic company - which I did! I set up an instagram account and started posting information about the hostel. I also came up with a marketing plan and that should help my host company reach plenty more clients by next year. Due to visa regulations, I only stayed for a month, but I am positive that I will return soon. There is so much left to do that I would love to get my hands on. Thank you Meiji for introducing me to my fav company ever!

When I first came to Ban Nong Phong two years ago everything was different! Many things have changed and developed both visually in the village, at school or in the temple, and structurally of the whole project. The following text is a report of the things that have changed. The volunteer village: The first thing that caught my attention was all the new houses that have been built in the village .It was very simple back then: The old wooden house, in which grandma and grandpa normally slept, and another house for the volunteers were the only buildings that existed. Every morning and evening we cycled to Raimund and Linly to have breakfast and dinner. So we mainly stayed at the village to sleep and construct things inside and outside the houses. We had four bikes for all the volunteers, but today there are eight bikes and two tuk tuks.It is now easier for the volunteers to reach places further away, especially with the two tuk tuks. There used to be only 2 pigs in the barn, but now there are about 10 to 15 pigs and two water buffaloes. A third house for sleeping was built and there is a kitchen for preparing and cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. Furthermore there is a storage room, a library with many books, teaching materials and music instruments. At the language cafe volunteers can store their food in a fridge, but the main purpose of the language cafe is the cultural exchange between volunteers and kids from the village. During the holiday season the kids can play, learn English or take part in other activities at the cafe. The "book club" at the library will be opened two afternoons per week for the kids. Right at the entrance of the village a big photo wall welcomes you. Here you can see all the steps of the development of the project. If you stay in the colourful houses of Volunt2Thai you will very quickly become a part of a big family! It is just like a huge outdoor flat-sharing community! The volunteers are very friendly, helpful and are well organized - which makes it easy to settle down in this 'family'. Everyone has to do something to keep the village clean and in a good condition - if everyone is doing that reliably, then it is great place to live together. Another new house with two floors is in the building phase right now. On the upper floor there is space for some tents, and on the ground floor there will be a cultural centre for english lessons, seminars and speeches. You can already see the cooperations with some universities on posters on the outside of this building. The volunteers: Since the project already has a wide reach across the globe, a lot has changed with all the volunteers. Two years ago the people stayed for only a couple of weeks and mainly did some construction work in the village and not very much teaching. Nowadays this has changed completely - all of the volunteers teach at different schools. After school they do some construction work, paint the houses or cut grass or trees. Everything is structured very well, and every Monday there is a meeting whereby everything that has to be done during the following week is discussed. Another difference is, that most of the volunteers stay for a long time, at least a month, some of them even a whole year. That's a very positive thing, because the children at school can get used to one person for a longer amount of time, and they can improve their English a lot. But if all the volunteers leave after just one month, the kids have to start new with every new teacher. It's also quite good, that there is not too much coming and going at the village. The capacity of the beds for the volunteers is getting bigger and bigger, so more and more schools can be supplied with English teachers. The schools: When I first came to Volunt2Thai there were only two schools (Ban Nong Phong and Ban Nong Khung), that could get teachers on an irregular schedule. Sometimes volunteers went to the kindergarten in Ban Lao to look after the kids. It was very hard to teach English back then, because the kids could only say and understand 'hello' and nothing else. We couldn't speak Thai, so we were not able to explain anything to them. You see - it was very complicated and sometimes impossible to teach anything. But we tried it and most of the time we played some educational games with them. Today, two years later it is so unbelievably wonderful to see and listen to how much their English has improved. Nearly every student comes to you and starts talking and asking you stuff, so you can chitchat with them about simple topics. I am really amazed and excited by the improvement that all the volunteers have achieved in just two years! Right now it’s not only possible to teach in the same two schools as before, but also at Ban Nong Si Samran, Ban Lao and Ban Nong Hung. That's really awesome and great for all the kids who get the chance to learn English. With the the new director and new teachers at Ban Nong Khung school they experience a significant upturn. The new director is very interested, motivated and very involved in developing more and more English lessons. You can really feel and see the progress of the project in each school! Many of the kids seem much more interested in learning a new language than two years ago. The surrounding villages: Because of the project, many people in the surrounding villages are changing their minds about 'farangs' (European people).The presence of the volunteers is an enrichment for everyone! The cultural exchange between local and foreign people is huge. In some villages there are new shops being built because the need for it is rising. One family in Ban Nong Phong is offering a laundry service for the volunteers, so they don't have to drive 40 minutes to Amphoe Phen anymore. Two years ago it was kind of a sensation, when you cycled along the village's streets but now it is already normal - the openness towards foreign people is increasing. At the temple: The biggest development at Mae Chi's temple in Ban Moo is that there are some new buildings made out of old wood. The „Chedi“ is also growing, and the dangerous bamboo framework got exchanged for plastered walls. Very detailed handwork is behind all of that. There are some art projects like modelling sculptures taking place at the temple. Mae Chi is like Volunt2Thai - you have to work hard and with all of you heart for something, even if there are occasionally very hard moments. But you always have to be sure that you are doing something amazing! In other countries: The presentation of Volunt2Thai in countries other than Thailand happened mainly via facebook back then. But nowadays there is a huge network of volunteers all around the world who stay in contact and represent the project. The members come from Hong Kong, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Scotland and soon from Switzerland too. In Austria 'Volunt2Thai Österreich - Verein zur Förderung von Freiwillgenarbeit' was founded and has already been at some volunteer fairs. The Website www.volunt2thai.com has a completely new design and is very detailed, informative and continously updated. The cooperation with universities in Belgium, Germany, France and Canada is great to spread the idea of the project! All in all I can tell you that Volunt2Thai has developed a lot since I first volunteered there. So many hard-working and kind-hearted humans helped to push the project forward. After two years I am very happy to see what has changed in such a short time! I wish Raimund, his relatives, all the wonderful people in the villages and the whole Volunt2Thai family all the best for the future, and that the project continues to grow like that! This project is something very special and important!

I had a time of my life i just want live the real life, compartir my time in this moment with real people. See other culture, expand my mind, compartir saberes, be a friend and connect with people a través the universal awareness.

Love Volunteers responded to this reviewMarch 24, 2019

Hi Rebeca,<br/>Thank-you so much for this enthusiastic review of our programs. We completely agree that volunteering is a fantastic way to connect with people and travel around the world doing humanitarian work.<br/>Thanks again for being a part of what we do here at Love Volunteers.<br/>The Team @ Love Volunteers

Tirana is a safe, interesting city with lots of places to visit and eat. The people are very respectful and friendly and transportation in the city is excellent. Albania is country full of history, with a variety of museums to visit, from history to art. There are a variety of restaurants, cafés and bars where you can eat and relax. The people are very relaxed and polite. Altin was very friendly and kindly provided airport pickup and departure. He also recommended places to visit. Maria is a lovely lady who cares deeply for animals and there is some really crucial work being done at the shelter such as sterilisation, rehabilitation and adoptions. There are too many animals at the shelter and not enough people to ensure all the dogs for example have enough environmental enrichment and exercise but of course I understand this is difficult and differs from country to country and hopefully will begin to change as the attitude improves toward animal welfare in Albania. TIPS: Make sure you go out into the city and sample traditional Albanian food, visit the attractions such as the museums. As for the project don't be afraid to suggest doing certain things, such as taking the dogs in the clinic outside for exercise as well as interacting and spending time with as many of the dogs as you can. Maria is very open and will listen to suggestions. Cleaning the shelter takes up a lot of time, however there are staff employed at the shelter which gives volunteers time for this crucial interaction.

Love Volunteers responded to this reviewMarch 28, 2019

Dear Rhys,<br/>Thank-you for this amazing review of our Animal Welfare program in Tirana, Albania. Your care for animals is so apparent in this account and your contribution on the program was highly valued by the local team.<br/>Reading reviews such as yours provides future volunteers an invaluable insight into volunteering and the crucial role that they can play in areas where help is so desperately needed.<br/>How amazing to be involved in such a rewarding project whilst staying in a city as historical and beautiful as Tirana! Great tips btw!<br/>Thanks again for your contribution to the program for being an amazing Love Volunteer!<br/>From all of us at The Team @ Love Volunteers

The time I spent in Dubai, Oman and Abdul Dhabi, I have a wonderful and experiential Joy with the people and I was able to showcased my skills and the people explore my knowledge to their satisfaction Little details of my experience Dubai Falcon Ballroom Hotel which was so great. Even more perfect was the fact that they had thought of everything in advance, I didn’t need to remind them I needed a fresh bed shread in the room (which I did have to do twice at the local hotel I stayed in my country, more on this later) as they had already taken care of that prior to our arrival. The bed, oh the bed! It was dreamy in every way, the most comfortable place I’ve ever laid in, and the most restful sleep I had had in years, and sometimes teary nighttime awakenings. some things can’t be helped…oh, the joys of travelling with flight Emirate is spectacular. A night between those bed-sheets really restores and rebalances you. I had excellent views directly facing the Mall of the Emirate and part of the pool below (if you stretched your neck). Everything in the room was spotlessly clean and looked brand new. The desk was comfortable for planning my daily routes on our my map.

It was a rewarding experience to work in Bamenda. It is not easy but worth it. Having worked in a few other charitable places, I found it much harder to work here. But the people still benefit from your help. Cameroon is a poor country when seen from a volunteer's point of view. I have traveled in many parts of the world, including Africa, Latin America and Asia but I was very sad to see the state of Cameroon in the 21st century. People are extremely lovely, especially the ones in English speaking part of Cameroon! It might have something to do with the fact that I don't speak French! Although there was a conflict going on in Bamenda at the time, it does not affect you as far as you stay away from the no-go regions. Be prepared for a little corruption (I had to pay a small bribe at the airport for bringing in my own local anaesthetic cartridges). There are no fast food chains or anything similar in Bamenda. I found one local restaurant in Douala which had similar standards as a standard western outlet. Otherwise most other eateries are not the cleanest. Home cooked food at my homestay was good. The project I worked on was well managed and organised. I had some help from the Cameroonian counterparts, but not a lot till I arrived there. Once I arrived and people realized how serious I was about helping and then things went smoothly. My host cooked some lovely meals for me every day. The meals are simple but delicious. don't expect sweets/ puddings everyday. Usually you will eat only twice a day. The homestay is very safe. The toilet and bathroom is basic but acceptable. Your host will have a means of transport (motor bike) and he will take you around anywhere you need to go. My host was extremely helpful and went out of his way to help me in achieving my goals. TIPS: 1) Don't be put off by the news. Your in-country organisers will take good care of you and make sure you are safe. 2) Be prepared for serious poverty, especially when it comes to resources, such as medical consumables, stationary etc. If possible, bring your own supplies. 3) The town of Bamenda has very few roads and thus it gets very dusty. Take wet wipes with you! 4) some of the standards of cross infection in the hospitals might not be up to scratch. Put your foot down and demand better standards (you might have to carry a few consumables yourself, such as gloves, masks and hand sprays).

Love Volunteers responded to this reviewJanuary 30, 2019

Dear Sagar,<br/><br/>We can't thank-you enough for your contribution as a qualified dentist on the medical program in Cameroon. As you yourself know well it's a challenge getting things done in Africa and it's a testament to your commitment that you were able to achieve so much during your time in Bamenda.<br/><br/>This review is hugely valuable in letting potential volunteers know about the difficulties and the rewards of volunteering in Cameroon and we appreciate the time you have taken to share your experiences and your continued support of upcoming volunteers.<br/><br/>Thanks again and we wish you all the very best for your dental career and hope to have you join us again in the future if you are able.<br/>The Team @ Love Volunteers

The experience was good. I felt that we enhanced the program they are already running, especially for younger volunteers. Sr Lanka is a beautiful country. The people are friendly and welcoming. The staff were organised and easy to speak with. They are well suited to the position. TIPS: Have some ideas, songs and activities organised for the age group. If you can take some English picture books as they have very few and this would enhance the children’s learning.

Love Volunteers responded to this reviewJanuary 28, 2019

Hi Karen,<br/>Thanks so much to you and your daughter for the wonderful contribution you both made on our Education Support program in Badulla, Sri Lanka. You absolutely enhanced the lives of the children, both through your teaching and the thrill that having you with them brought to their daily lives.<br/>Thanks also for taking the time to provide this feedback and advice to future volunteers - much appreciated!<br/>All the very best to you both. The Team @ Love Volunteers

It was my first-time volunteering abroad and by myself. I have already been involved in several humanitarian projects, but this was a brand-new experience. Volunteering in a developing country, 10 000 km from my home taught me a lot of new things. Helping people in need while I am myself losing my bearings in a new environment made me more mature and allowed me to discover myself more. Working with children also taught me to be patient. South Africa is a beautiful country with amazing landscapes and places to see. Local people were very nice. I was also struck by the inequalities in South Africa and the water shortage situation there at the time. TIPS: Rent a car if you have a driver's licence. Bring warm clothes during winter. Stay open minded and be patient.

Love Volunteers responded to this reviewJanuary 28, 2019

Dear Noëmie,<br/>Volunteering abroad is a challenging and rewarding experience and you have summed up the combination wonderfully in your review. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your time in beautiful Cape Town and want to thank-you for your time and effort on the Social Welfare program that tackles the inequalities you mention in this diverse city.<br/>We wish you all the best for your future travels and hope to have you join us again.<br/>The Team @ Love Volunteers<br/>

My general impression is that I loved the volunteer program. South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It is rich in culture, food, and wildlife. I am very content with my project and staff. Everyone was generous and willing to teach. The staff really made my volunteering experience enjoyable. My tips for the other volunteers is to come with an open mind and to be open to new experiences.

Love Volunteers responded to this reviewJanuary 28, 2019

Hi Jazmin,<br/>We couldn't have put it better ourselves: an open mind and flexible attitude is absolutely what make a great volunteer! Thanks for your commitment to the Medical Internship program in Cape Town, South Africa and for taking the time to share your experience.<br/>The Team @ Love Volunteers<br/>