Work-Study Volunteer Opportunity in Indonesia

My name is Ina and I am a Work-Study Volunteer for IHF International Humanity Foundation in Bali. I’m a 19 year old high school graduate from Germany doing my gap year. I was sure to want to volunteer for a while during travelling and because of that searched for opportunities to do so. Luckily I saw one of the adverts of IHF and started to inform myself about this foundation. I liked the idea of being able to work with kids and to have some insight in the structure of the organization though doing international online tasks. IHF seemed as well to be a reliable place to go, which I thought was important, because I’ve never been to Southeast Asia before and wanted to be sure of where I’m going.
I teach four classes English twice a week and we have two special days weekly to do any craft with the kids to get them stay around and be connected to the center apart from going to lessons. You can see that this concept works, because there are always kids coming early to class just to draw something or play any game with us. You can see that they like it here.
I don’t regret coming here in any way and would recommend IHF to anybody willing to work and to make a difference though doing that.

I had volunteered a little before, but never for an actual NGO. When looking for possibilities in Asia, I found IHF and was inspired by the work it does for children and the local communities. I needed NGO work experience for my future and IHF seemed like a good choice, so I applied and was placed at Medan. I work on my international online tasks in the morning and early afternoon, then in the evenings, I help teach English to some of the classes. The center here offers additional education to supplement the lacking school system. On Fridays, I lead the Special Activities class that allows the children to experience things outside of standard curriculums, such as arts and crafts or cultural exchange programs. The center also visits TEP students who don’t attend the evening classes, but who have sponsors to help them with daily living and their school costs. The children are full of energy and always smiling and the volunteers enjoy being with them. In my short time here as a Work-Study Volunteer, I’ve learnt a lot about how an NGO works with it’s staff and community and skills that will be useful in my future.

I have never been an volunteer abroad before coming to Bali. What amazes me is that everyone here is so friendly. Coming here has always been one of my dreams, but this time it surely is a whole new experience, being away from the busy street and noises, listening to the sound of the waves and going to sleep. Every morning wakes up with people's smiling faces. One thing that is for sure is that I am having the best time of my life right now.

My name is Clara Lo, and I am currently an accounting major from Queen’s University in Canada. It was through my university’s job board that I found out about the International Humanity Foundation (IHF), and I am so glad I applied to be a part of this organization.

I volunteer at the Bali Center for IHF, and this center offers English, math and computer classes to students of all ages and castes. At the center, I spend my mornings doing online work for IHF, my afternoons preparing and teaching English and computer classes, and my nights with my fellow volunteers and the locals from the village nearby. Together, there is a deep sense of community here such that I have never experienced before in my life.

I came here with no expectations of being a part of such a community, as I simply just wanted the experience of working for a NGO. However, I am so glad my experiences have been so much more than that, and I can sincerely say I found happiness in volunteering for IHF.

Already finishing up my third week volunteering with IHF, it's today I officially start counting down the last week. This work-study volunteer opportunity is a life experience I will never forget. The welcoming Banda Aceh community, loving children, beautiful scenery and fascinating attractions are just a few of the reasons I will really miss this place once my time here is done.

I've always thought it would feel great to volunteer for an NGO overseas whether it be administrative work, natural disaster clean-up, building or teaching but could never find a short-term opportunity. Knowing I was not in a position to leave for more than a couple months at the most, I left the idea on the back burner. Then I came across International Humanity Foundation on the Volunteer Canada website. Now, instead of having no option, I had 2 short-term options to choose from!

I knew two weeks would not be enough time for me to get an experience which would fulfill my expectations (IHF's voluntourist program), so I chose the four week work-study program; I am so glad I did, and part of me wishes I could stay longer. Although three weeks is a relatively short period, it's enough to give me idea of what it's like to life with less at my fingertips and in turn have such an appreciation for what I have.

The families here are so friendly, always wanting to take the international volunteers around to show Aceh's attractions; museums, shops and beaches to name a few. They enjoy hearing stories about where the volunteers are from, their culture and stories from back home. Wanting to introduce us to their friends and expose us to much of the beautiful Aceh life as possible in the limited times we are all here for.

Along with the local volunteers, the other international volunteers here at IHF Aceh make this a really comfortable experience; I've never had a moment where I didn't feel safe or taken care of. We spend most of our days in each others company and really look out for one another. I could not have asked for a better “fill-in|” family to spend these last three weeks with.

Not only are the people here amazing, the experience in itself is what makes this so memorable. Teaching these passionate, dedicated students to piece together proper English sentences, making new friends from different parts of the world, eating authentic Indonesian meals and even learning a bit of the Indonesian language along the way is just a small slice of my Aceh life list.

Now having a better idea of what's it like to be more involved with IHF; how they operate, spend their money, connect with the community and recruit for volunteers (international and local) and students, will give more confidence in applying for the next short-term volunteer opportunity which comes my way. My passion for volunteering for those in need has increased over the last three weeks thanks to the experience I'm having here. Fundraising, recruiting and forever telling stories about my life changing adventure with IHF Aceh will continue on for a very long time.

I had enjoyed so much volunteering at IHF Center in Medan, Indonesia. The volunteership was a mutual learning experience. I learned a lot while I taught. The one month with IHF can be described through some lasting memories that i managed to collect.

Having travelled in East and Southern Asia before, I knew Indonesia was somewhere I wanted to get to know more. And I believe you can only really get to know anywhere properly by living there for some time. So Medan it was.

My role at the Center was “Work- study volunteer”. In fact, I did anything and everything that could be useful. My tasks have ranged from making videos, fundraising, and posting advertisments, to teaching the kids and making art and craft classes. The experience I have gained has been phenomenal and the exposure to the donor community has been more than I could have hoped for. It’s been a marvelous experience!

Living in Medan has been very interesting. I am going to miss my lovely room and the Indonesian culture. I am leaving next week, and it is definitely emotional. I have made some incredible friends– both at work and outside of the center. I will miss going for nasi goreng with my co-directors, Lissa, Sahat, Zoe and Aditi every afternoon and going trips around Sumatra on the weekends..Living in Indonesia is quite an amazing experience. I have had the best time and overall, I wouldn’t have planned it any other way!

The best part about the whole experience was the love and respect that the children would express every time we met. They would always be so excited and eager to learn. They loved the art and craft classes. That paid me off.

Volunteering at IHF, I also saw the challenges that are involved in the management of an NGO. I know now, how hard it is to manage more than 100 kids of varied age groups. Though I would always crib as this volunteership required a lot of work, the experience was worth it as it really inspires me to give back to the society. IHF lives up to its name. It gives one the hope that things can be changed and will change.

By Evgenia, Work-study Medan Center, April-May 2015

My name is Kerri. I am currently a volunteer at the Bali IHF center. To an outsider, the center provides supplemental English, Math and Computer classes to children who live in the area. To anyone who knows a bit about the IHF or who comes here, knows that it offers so much more than that. The center is a place for the kids. On any given day there are children running around, playing cards, talking with the teachers or just hanging out. The center gives them a safe place to go and provides them with opportunities and resources that most of them would have never had without the IHF. At the IHF - the children are the number one priority. I've learned that you can do a whole lot with a little and that sometimes it's the smallest things - like taking the time to have a conversation about the latest Indonesian pop song - that mean the most.

My name is Jing from Beijing and I’ve been working here at IHF Bali center for 3 weeks now. Before coming here, I had worked as an English teacher at a secondary school for 3 years, and the experience helped me quickly blend into the work vibe at IHF Bali, especially when it comes to working with the young.
Here at IHF Bali, we offer supplementary classes to underprivileged students from primary to senior high school. Almost all the courses are taught by helpful volunteers from all over the world. Apart from the knowledge we try to share, it’s also the abundant care, love and joy we bring that the kids cherish dearly.
One would be naïve to think that we are here only to give and teach. The fact, however, is we ourselves are undergoing a process of self-reflection and transformation. By spending time with the local, getting to know the culture and trying to see things both through their lenses and ours, we are learning, day by day, and gaining understandings about a once unfamiliar land, which we now feel connected with. Isn’t it one of the marvels of life?