Help Lindsay Volunteer in Thailand and Indonesia

Lindsay Smith Start Date: Jul 6, 2015 - End Date: Sep 3, 2015
  • Thailand
  • Bali, Indonesia

My Travel Story

by: Lindsay Smith Start Date: Jul 6, 2015 - End Date: Sep 3, 2015

In less than one month I will embark on a life-changing journey volunteering in both Thailand and Bali, Indonesia. While being able to travel and experience other cultures, I will also have the opportunity to give back to the local communities by helping at an orphanage and elephant conservation in Thailand, and teaching local Balinese 4-5yr olds English. 

The first month of my trip will be in Thailand, where I will be working at a local orphanage in Singburi and then an elephant conservation in Kanchanaburi. The orphanage hosts a variety of children throughout the school year, many who leave their families from small towns and villages to have the opportunity for an education. Acting as a host to safe and secure environments for children of underdeveloped backgrounds, the orphanage concentrates not only on education but also the well-being of the children. During my time at the orphanage I will help with a variety of tasks including teaching English on a non-formal basis, helping with the renovation and upgrade of living conditions for all of the children.

Next, while working at the elephant conservation I will be assigned to work for an individual elephant; preperation of food, feeding, medical care, daily treks to the forest, and bonding with them in their natural environment. The sanctuary acts as a refuge for old, injured, sick, and abused elephants, most typically elephants who would not be able to survive on their own. The elephants are given a safe home where they are free to roam the sanctuary by day, and are taken to the forest at night. Focusing on rehoming the elephants, the sanctuary also offers educational programs for the local community to promote the existence of elephants in their natural environment. 

The last stop on my trip will be in Ubud, Bali where I will teach English to local pre-kindergarteners. Balinese natives are quickly adapting to the needs of the tourism industry, and it is important to learn English in the hopes of becoming more economically successful. They are accepting of tourism as the new source of income, but this does involve new obstacles, and learning English is becoming more important as the industry continues to grow. Many primary schools offer English classes, but most often are taught by non-native English speakers. Volunteers teaching English have the unique opportunity to provide an immersion based environment in a non-native country. I will have the task of preparing daily lesson plans, and spending 3-4 hours with the children daily, playing games while informally learning English. 

As a recent University of Iowa Alumni, I have the amazing opportunity to travel and give back to the world before starting graduate school and a career. When I return from traveling I plan to apply to graduate programs in School Psychology. I am so grateful for any funds donated to help with the cost of this! All donations are tax deductable!

Check out my 'updates' page for more options and information on how to recieve a personalized postcard from my trip :) 

  • Thailand
  • Bali, Indonesia

Updates

2
  • Additional Donation Info.

    Realizing that not everyone wants their credit card online, I am gratefully accepting donations by mail to my permanent address: 15219 Hawthorn Ct. Clive, Iowa 50325.

    Unfortunately I am not able to add these donations to this page, but I am still offering the post-card and shout-out personalized gifts from my trip for those who meet the donation amounts (blog is available for all donors; a post-card from either Thailand or Bali to thank those who donate $50 or more, personalized post-cards from both locations for donations of $100 or more, and a 'shout-out' on Facebook and email that thanks the specific donation of $250 or more. The shout out is a picture of myself in a scenic location holding either a picture of you or a poster I make thanking you, which I will then post on FB and email). 

    Donations are tax-deductable, though I cannot give donations by mail a reciept from the website. If you donate by mail I can help out the best I can to make it tax deductable by printing/providing proof of your donation to Gapforce or IVHQ.

    Though there is only one program fee listed, I paid separate fees for the programs through Gapforce and IVHQ. This ensures that the program fee goes directly to help the people/organization I am volunteering in. The elephant sanctuary is by far the most costly program as the money goes directly to the sanctuary's upkeep of the land, food for the elephants (they eat 200-600lbs of food EVERY day!!!), and mahouts who spend their lives at the sanctuary with the elephants. The program fees also provide for my living arrangements throughout my stay. I will most likely be placed in a homestay with several other volunteers where we are provided with meals, drinking water, shelter, and sometimes running water.. Though IVHQ and Gapforce both provide TEFL/TESL (teaching English as a fluent/second language) exchange programs, it is important to know that I am NOT getting paid to volunteer. This is a volunteer program hosted through reputible non-profit organizations who want to help both those who want to experience other countries/cultures in a non-traditional tourist way, and the local communities who are in need of help as their country develops. Please check out the links I provided to learn more information about Gapforce and IVHQ!
  • Donation Thank-you

    As an incentive and thank you to funders, I will be offering personalized 'gifts' to my top funders. All of my supporters will have access to my blog (which I will update as frequently as possible). For those who donate $50 or more, I will send a hand-written post card from either Thailand or Bali. Donations of $100 or more will recieve two post cards from both Thailand and Bali that will give you a personalized update on my experience. A personalized thank-you 'shout out' will be made for any donations of $250 or more (along with the two post cards!!), I will make a sign thanking the donor and take a picture with the sign (of course I will email and post the picture to Facebook!). Requests can be made as to where they want their 'shout out'; there will be many scenic opportunities for the picture, rice paddies in Bali and the elephant conservation in Thailand are some suggestions :)

    Any amount donated is genuinely appreciated, and will help contribute to great programs that are dedicated to help educate and aide in demographic transitions that many growing countries are currently facing. In addition to monetary help, I am also accepting supplies to bring to the orphanage in Thailand and kids in Bali (they reccomend school supplies such as crayons/markers, paper, educational work books, and also candy to give on arrival). Remember, all donations are tax deductible!!