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In 2015, all member states of the United Nations agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs for short. Number 4, "Quality Education", is only preceded by "No Poverty", "Zero Hunger" and "Good Health and Well-Being" - highlighting its importance.

In providing Quality Education for all, language plays a critical role. Without language, that is, a common language spoken and understood both by educators and students, there can be no education.

English in particular - for its widespread use, status as an international language, utility in accessing educational materials, etc. - holds a unique position in this regard. Basic knowledge of English allows students to access educational materials, break down language barriers and boost their professional career.

How I plan to contribute

My name is Mitja Proença and this summer I will embark on a journey to Xi'An, China, to teach basic English to beginner students during their summer break. The trip is organised by the International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), the world's leading volunteer travel organization and will last for 4 weeks.

As a volunteer, I will help run the classes by taking responsability for planning and implementing lessons. I expect to teach mostly beginner students, focussing on correct pronunciation.

How you can contribute

Volunteering - it turns out - doesn't just mean that you work for free. In many cases you actually have to pay to work for free. The organizational workload for IVHQ, my (carbon-offset) flight to China, the accomodation in China, all come at a cost - a cost I can't fully cover by myself. By supporting me financially you can make a much appreciated contribution to this project and the goals it aims to work towards.

Some cherries on top

If you're not convinced yet, here are some added bonuses of this trip:

• Apart from teaching English, I also hope to learn some Mandarin. I have been on and off selfstudying Mandarin for some time now, never quite finding the external motivation that's needed to succeed in learning a language. Maybe this trip will finally get me to the next level.
• This trip will allow me to immerse myself in Chinese culture in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise. I have never been to China before, but have wanted to go there for a long time - so this is something I'm impatiently looking forward to.
• I also hope to develop my cross-cultural communication skills. Just as I explained the importance of understanding and speaking English in our increasingly interconnected world, so could I have a made a case for the importance of cross-cultural communication.

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Payment Methods

FundMyTravel only allows for payment via PayPal, and charges 5 % fees. If paying via PayPal is not possible for you, or you want 100 % of your donation to end up with me, you can also send funds to the following account.

Holder: Mr. Mitja Arko Proenca, Schulhausweg 14, 1737 Plasselb
IBAN: CH31 0027 4274 1102 0940 W
BIC: UBSWCHZH80A

Please add a note to your bank transfer explaining that you're sending money for my FundMyTravel fundraising campaign.

Links

• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)
• Summer Outreach Teaching in Xi'An, China
• My Website (not much going on here yet, I plan to add a blog though)
• My LinkedIn Account