VOLUNTEERING TO TEACH CHILDREN IN INDONESIA

Jennifer Ashmore Start Date: Sep 26, 2017 - End Date: Apr 13, 2018
  • Professional Development
  • TEFL/Teach Abroad
  • Volunteer Trip
  • Bali, Indonesia
  • Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia

My Travel Story

by: Jennifer Ashmore Start Date: Sep 26, 2017 - End Date: Apr 13, 2018
  • Professional Development
  • TEFL/Teach Abroad
  • Volunteer Trip
Hello, my name is Jennifer Ashmore. I am currently 20 years old and I am so ready to get out into the world and make a difference in someone else's life and the world. When I started thinking about volunteering abroad in another country I remember being young. I have done volunteer work rebuilding houses and daycares and also helping with children around the country with my church in high school and I loved it so much because of the people I was meeting, hearing their stories and seeing the world from other perspectives is really eye opening and gives you a whole new outlook on the world. One of my biggest goals is to be well rounded in the sense of knowledge of cultural differences and to always have someone else's opinion and perspective in the back of my mind before I make my own decisions. The thing that is motivating me to travel abroad alone is my desire to help people. For the past couple years, since I started college I feel so focused on myself and my future that I have this insanely strong urge that there is so much more out there, so many more problems that are bigger than mine. This urge is pushing me to tell me that I need to take myself out of the self-centered world I am in and see what there is and use my capabilities to help others in ANY way I can. It would give me the biggest satisfaction to take myself out of the spotlight and turn it towards others and help them and try to understand their situations so that I can help them in any way that I can. I am specifically volunteering to teach English to students. I think that education is the most important thing and for these kids it is likely that education is their only way to get out of poverty or any situation that they are put into and I want to be that person that can say I made a difference and helped that child succeed in ways that they could not have before.
   Another motivating factor for me is to learn about third world countries and their artisans they have there. For my career I am planning on owning my own clothing line made from 100% sustainable products. 100% means manufacturing also, most of the places that American people buy their clothes from are made in sweat shops in third world countries that do not regulate their work place and they end up injuring their workers by polluting the air, having children work in unsafe conditions, paying them basically nothing in return for long hard working hours. This is something I want to look into as I am abroad to see what I can do with my company to find out exactly how I can maintain regulated manufacturers that don't do these things and also ask the community what they need. Once I have my business I am looking forward to having percentages of funds go to different parts of the world to help with humane projects such as medical care, education needs, basic personal needs. anything that can help. Sustainability is my main goal for my business so learning about the natural and organic materials they use can also give me ideas on what I can use and maybe even possibly give them the jobs to make my products and also giving them an economy of their own. I think that volunteering abroad will give me real first hand insight to these issues and can help me learn to make the right decisions and always have that in my mind for the future when I can give back. In the end, everything that I will learn and experience in my trip will be put towards very good ethical choices in the future personally and career wise. This has been a goal of mine for a very long time but I cannot make this possible without fundraising. I am a college student 100% on my own financially and this too is on my own financially but that gives me more of a drive to make this possible for me because I am working for it and I want it so badly.
I chose Bali because it is my first time out of the country and i want to go somewhere beauttiful but yet has social and economy issues. They also have many markets there where artisans sell their products they make and i will also be thinking of career possibilities for them as well. This country is so beauttiful but they are behind other countries education and economy wise. This experience is going to be the most life changing time thus far and open up so many doors for me and give so much insight on my view on people and cultures. Im beyond excited for what is to come but i cannot do it without your help SO PLEASE anything and everything will count and matter. Please remember that this is more about me changing other peoples lives for the better than it is about changing mine. 
  • Bali, Indonesia
  • Ubud, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia

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