I have started this blog to chronicle my trip to Bali, Indonesia on October 3, 2013, until December 14th, 2013. I will be there to volunteer, as I mention in this post.
I leave in 25 days. I’m very nervous, but as I inch closer to the date, I am getting extremely excited as well. I leave Vancouver International Airport just after one o’clock in the morning on October 3rd. Including a 15 hour layover in Manila, Philippines, my trek will last at least 32 hours. I will be embarking on a Balinese journey that will span 2.5 months and last a lifetime.
What made me want to do this? Many reasons, mainly because I think it is very important to give back to the world, for adventure, but also for personal growth. You see, I’ve always wanted to volunteer abroad and help people who lived in places that didn’t have the social infrastructure that I have been very fortunate to have grown up with in Canada. Initially I wanted to go back to Africa and to a country I hadn’t been to (I’ve been to Morocco and Senegal), so I chose Ghana and in fact applied for and was approved for a journalism internship and a volunteer position at an orphanage, but I was a bit nervous about it due to Ghana’s tenuous at best calm and peace and thought it might be a bit daunting for my very first volunteer trip abroad, so I looked for other opportunities, and found VP Bali through World Wide Helpers. I reasoned that since I’ve already been to Africa, Asia would be a new horizon and an exciting new adventure. After copious amounts of research, I applied and was accepted.
At first I was slated to teach English to underprivileged junior high students in Ubud, Bali, in September for six weeks, but I changed the dates and the programs within the organization to a program that teaches English, arts, crafts, computer skills, organic farming and more at a learning centre for children with disabilities 7 KM from Ubud. I wanted to be in the countryside more to fully immerse myself in the earthy surroundings of lush greenery and peaceful rice paddies, but most importantly to teach children that are disabled, as I believe that children with disabilities are in extra special need of care and attention. At the risk of sounding cliche, I will divulge that the long-held objective behind my desire to volunteer abroad has always been to help people that I felt needed it the very most. I hesitate to say things like this, because I fear sounding like I have some sort of saviour complex or I’m spewing out some lame, saccharine sweet response reminiscent of those airheaded replies in beauty pageants, but neither is the case; it’s simply a heartfelt response that I absolutely mean and believe wholeheartedly.
The personal growth aspect comes in the fact that I know that this is going to be a huge challenge and an exercise in independence, adaptability, and fortitude, amongst other things. I’ve never traveled so far away for so long – all by myself, to boot! Oh, and not to mention that I’ve never taught anyone before.. My main concern and what I am most nervous about is that I will be a good teacher to these children and that I will be able to give them everything they deserve and more in a teacher and friend. I can’t wait to meet them and I hope they know that I am very honoured to teach them and help them in whatever ways that I can.
I know that this will be a massive experience that will be both very difficult and very, very rewarding. I’ve worked had to be able to do this, and am also enormously grateful to everyone who donated to my fundraising for this trip and for my parents’ help as well. I can’t wait to tell the children about all the people who helped me meet them and teach them.
I’ll continue in a different post about all the things I hope to see and experience in Bali and details of where I’ll be staying and so forth, as well as my plans for this blog.
Leave a Reply