Proactive summer in Tongyeong, South Korea

In summer 2015 I was able to experience a whole new different world. Always, people especially young people when they think about summer, they always think about holidays, beach, partying, traveling etc. But with UNESCO I had the chance to have a more proactive summer not only in the aspect of being able to participate in a workcamp in order to enhance the community and provide lessons for sustainability for the locals as well as for us but also to learn and experience a whole different culture from my own and meet people from all over the world.

I had the chance to participate at a international volunteer project in Tongyeong at the RCE Centre. It was truly an amazing experience. We were 9 international volunteers and 7 Korean but I sincerely believe the world does not have any boundaries. It’s true we had our differences as being from different parts of the world but as human beings we all have the same feelings and we honestly were able to connect from the beginning. We were able to work together like there was no difference between us and we could share our culture and be accepted for who we are.

Our work was hard but it was an experience where in the future we will be able to say that we achieved something with our own hands. Our workcamp lasted for 2 weeks. At the beginning we had to make stairs for the Sajahtera Forest which surrounds the RCE Centre and they are meant to be for the locals of Tongyeong. It was hard work but we were able to finish them in time.

Afterwards, we had the opportunity to work with local students. Firstly, we, the international volunteers, we prepared presentations for our countries in order to show them our culture and history. Personally, I found it quite amazing because all the students were eager to learn about our countries and they were happy that they could meet foreigners and share their thoughts. Afterwards, with the help of the Korean members we prepared presentations for water pollution in our countries especially pollution in the oceans. The interesting thing that really amazed me was that all the students wanted to learn about pollution and had many questions towards us and they all tried to understand better what pollution is, what the environment is and who is responsible for it. The reason that I was amazed is because the environmental issues that are happening all over the world are not only regional neither national, they are international and young students cannot understand the gravitational influence they have in our world but the students that participate in our program were able to understand through us.

Furthermore, except from learning about the environment and pollution we had the chance to share our culture with the students through traditional games from our countries. We separated into 4 different groups as well as the students separated into different groups in order for them to try all the different games we prepared. I think during that time we were able to get closer to the students, talk to them and what I personally like all the students talked to us about their dreams for the future, their studies and their daily life. And in the end what we’ll all remember in the future is the friendship that we created.

Meanwhile, every day we were cleaning the roads of the village from rubbish. But while we were walking around the village what made us happy, especially us the international volunteers was the smile of the local people and how happy they seemed when we were saying ‘Annyeonghaseyo’. Lastly, after we finished all the work and the presentations we organised the opening of the stairs we created.

Firstly, we went to clean the beach along with students from whom there was a lot of positive response. Then, we went to prepare traditional food for the opening ceremony with the help of the students. I think that day will remain in our memories forever because it was the opening of all our hard work but also the opening for the reason we were in Tongyeong, and the reason we all became friends. They are the stairs that made us tired, sad, mad, and happy and stairs that made us love not only Tongyeong but also Korea and the locals. That day was the last day of all the work and responsibilities we had.

The next day was our last day. But it wasn't a sad day. We had the chance to celebrate the end of the international volunteer project by going at an ocean park. It was an awesome day, it was so much fun. We were able to let all out and be happy for completing our tasks and giving something to the community of Tongyeong. But as I already mentioned, it was not a sad end. By going to Tongyeong RCE Centre we were able to meet each other and make amazing memories that will always remain in our minds and then one day they will become stories for our children whereas we will be able to tell them with a smile. Also, I’m glad that today I can say that I gain 15 friends and I now have friends from all over the world. I want to thank Korea UNESCO and Tongyeong RCE Centre for giving me this amazing opportunity.

Lydia

UK Project in Manjushri

Hello guys,

This is for the curious and those who think about going to Manjushri and get the experience by themselves: I was already there :)

And I can say, it was a wonderful experience for me. There is a wonderful, very beautiful landscape (although you're not allowed to swim in the sea because of quicksand), all around the Castle (!) we slept in were trees you can hardly hug with four people! The castle... was amazing, very beautiful and old. As I danced -because I always dance when I'm happy - the main stairs up and down, I felt like a lady from long ago.

 

Well, and I had the luck that we was a fantastic team from Concordia, we laughed, talked, played sport games and enjoyed being outside a lot. I felt very comfortable and welcome. We had interesting talks with the monks and nuns in the centre that live a friendly, open and peaceful life, which was sensible in the atmosphere everywhere. There is a 15 minutes meditation each day, where everybody is free to go – I went there most of the time. I didn't know much about meditation before. I enjoyed it and I think it helps me reflecting things and finding my inner peace. An experience I can only recommended anyone to try.

As it was an international volunteer projects, of course we also had to work each day (besides weekends) for 6 hours. But the funny English people are crazy about tea and, at least this Buddhism centre was also crazy about tea breaks. So together with lunch we had so many breaks that we never worked for more than 2 hours at a time, which can be quite a challenge, when you want to paint something. The work was quite diverse: we were painting the toilets, garden work around the temple, hoovering the temple to sanding the Buddhism-statues in an art studio which is situated on the area. I liked doing a little bit of everything, and also there was something for everyone.

All in all it is not a loud party, drinking, go crazy experience. I would say it is more about getting valuable insights in different lives, being in the nature, looking inside yourself, and – a lot – about having fun, to laugh and get to know people from all over the world.

I got a lot of energy from that international volunteer project and my life became a little richer with beautiful memories and knowledge – that’s what I can say about it. Oh, and I loved the food.

Jana

UK Volunteer 2015

Coordinating and Volunteering

My International Volunteer Projects 2014

Of all the summers I’ve spent participating in international volunteer projects, this was one of the most memorable. This was the summer I became a project coordinator. This was the summer I had one of my best - and healthiest - projects abroad in what is surely one of the world’s most beautiful countries, Iceland.

The story begins in Brighton, at the William Clarke Park, known affectionately to its local residents at the Patch. The other volunteers were Marketa from the Czech Republic, Raphaël and Ronan from France, Andrea from Italy, Irene from Spain, and Eleanor and Shannon from the UK. Our work initially involved setting up marquees, gazebos and stages in the park for the annual Patchfest, a community festival, an event which included music, food and drink sales, and a market. On a day of gloriously sunny weather we marshalled, served food and drink, and helped to organize the recycling at the end. When we woke the next day to pouring rain, we realized just how lucky we had been with the weather, as we prepared to take down the equipment. We slept in tents during our project and cooked in our kitchen tent. Our free time activities included pub visits, games, a social event with volunteers from another project and exploring Brighton, surely one of the must-see British towns. We also watched Germany defeat Argentina in the World Cup final on a big screen on the beach. 

In the days before my flight from Manchester, I took the opportunity to visit two parts of England recommended by my Lonely Planet guidebook: Warwick, with its impressive castle, and the Peak District, where I enjoyed beautiful walks and visits to the elegant town of Buxton. On arrival in Reykjavik I put up my tent at the city campsite before doing a whirlwind tour of Iceland’s capital. The next day I boarded a bus to the Hveragerði, famous for its thermal energy and NLFÍ Health and Rehabilitation Clinic, the site of our project. The other volunteers were our coordinators Karina from Russia and Joanna from France, as well as Ella from Israel, Fredrik from Finland, Daisy from South Korea, Lara and Laura from Spain, Cindy and Dory from Taiwan, and Emma from the United States. Our work consisted of harvesting tea and tomatoes, weeding and helping in the kitchen. In our free time we visited the town’s thermal springs and bathed in the nearby hot stream, as well as visiting the town’s art gallery. We also joined other volunteers from nearby projects for a two-day visit to the south coast and a day trip to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. During what may well have been the healthiest two weeks of my life, we ate from the glorious vegetarian buffet, much of it organic and grown in the grounds of the clinic. There was also a heated indoor and outdoor swimming pool, with jacuzzis, a sauna and steam-room. Before you get too envious, I should add that, with the extra fee charged by the volunteer organization in Iceland, this was my most expensive project to date.

After a flight back to Manchester and a train journey to the Surrey town of Haslemere, I was ready to be a coordinator again, this time at the annual MADhurst festival in Sussex, the site of my twenty-second international volunteer project. The other volunteers were Charlotte from Belgium, Ema from the Czech Republic, Tom from France, Carolina from Germany, Paolo from Italy, Daniel from Spain and Ayşe from Turkey. Our work included putting up and taking down marquees, gazebos and fences, serving drinks, waitressing, picking up litter, selling tickets and taking part in the Big Make, which involved preparing a display on the theme of the Rio Carnival to be carried through Midhurst on the main festival day. We slept in a hall above a local café and cooked in the adjoining kitchen. As well as working, we were given every opportunity to enjoy the festival events, each distinctive and memorable in its own way. There were two sumptuous barbecues laid on by the MADhurst committee; a classical church concert with beautiful music and wonderful acoustics; a jazz concert, memorable not just for the music but for the imaginative and humorous way it was introduced to the audience; the film Walk the Line; a cookie-making workshop; visits to art exhibitions and the town’s museum, described on its website as “probably the smallest museum in the World”; a lively church service held in a marquee next to Cowdray Ruins; a tour of Cowdray Ruins itself, followed by an outdoor concert and picnic … oh, and I nearly forgot, even a burlesque evening, where, I have to admit, I did my best to keep a low profile whenever the microphone came close! On our free days we went on a day trip to Brighton and did a circular walk in the beautiful Sussex countryside. 

Thank you very much to our wonderful hosts, Duncan at Patchfest, and Trina and David at MADhust, whose energy, enthusiasm, generosity, humour and patience knew no bounds; to Fran, for helping prepare me for my first summer as project coordinator and for visiting us at MADhurst; to Fiona and her family for all their help during Patchfest (not to mention the hot showers and breakfast!), and for hosting me overnight after the project; and to the other volunteers for sharing this special time with me. As project coordinator I was on a steep learning curve last summer, and I am grateful to all of you for helping me on that journey.

by Barney Smith

EVS diary from Spain

I’m writing this as I have just seven days left of my EVS in Burgos, Spain.   It wasn’t always easy.

To start, the winter here is cold. It felt a lot colder than the UK, which was something that I wasn´t expecting. The language barrier was also very difficult and people from Burgos didn’t care too much for speaking English. At the beginning I felt a little isolated, living in a city of 180,000 inhabitants and not knowing any fluent English speakers. City living was strange for me as well, having lived most of my life in rural Devon. But I soon learnt enough Spanish to communicate, bought a warm coat and started to enjoy the endless parties! 

Pozo de la agua

Burgos is a handsome, authentic and traditional Spanish city with so much tradition and culture, from the food and architecture, to the Camino and fiestas. I had never experienced anything like it.

I’ve got to know so many interesting people from Spain as well as the volunteers from other countries, something which would have been very difficult to do without my EVS experience. I live with a French and Italian girl and have been able to learn so much about other European cultures and traditions. I’ve also been able to travel to many parts of Spain (I even managed to complete 250 km of the Camino de Santiago). It’s an incredibly dramatic and beautiful country which I feel privileged to have seen.   

It’s really hard to summarise the experience I’ve had, it’s the kind of thing that just needs to be lived. If you get the opportunity to do something similar, I would say you should (but obviously experiences will differ). In fact, enjoyed it so much here that I am hoping to return to Spain after my EVS is over. Un saludo!

On the beach of Malaga

James Hewitt