Young or Young at Heart?

Vietnam and Nepal are great places to travel to and GVN has two tour opportunities for those who would like to join a small team of volunteers with the added benefits of additional supervision and a scheduled itinerary.

 

The Vietnam Youth Tour

Designed with 15-17 year olds in mind, this program has been created to allow teens the chance to take part in the Vietnam Orphanage program starting 9th July 2012. 

This tour gives teens the opportunity to experience another culture, and foster personal growth, whilst caring for babies and children in orphanages, working with disabled children and sharing English skills. 

Stephanie, a past Youth Tour participant says "My experience of the YT has been amazing. There hasn't been one day where I haven't wanted to jump out of bed and get straight to work. It's a fantastic opportunity for young people to go out and make a difference even if it's just a small one like making a child's life that tiny bit better even for just one day. It really makes you think of everything you take for granted and makes you want to help for the rest of your life." 

15 - 17 year olds....Check out the Vietnam Youth Tour and to apply at http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/youth_tour/vietnam/

The Nepal Young at Heart (50+) Tour

This tour has been designed for mature volunteers who are over the age of 50 years old, still feel young at heart, and are ready for their next adventure! 

During the 10 day tour starting on 4th May 2012, volunteers will have the opportunity to participate within a variety of projects. Volunteers will assist by organizing activities for children, and teaching basic English. 

 

This tour truly allows the volunteers to experience Nepal through the culture, cuisine, lifestyle and children in the heart of Nepal. You will eat traditional Nepali food, observe village culture and get a general feel for local life while continuing with your Nepali language and cultural lessons. Volunteers are placed individually into local host families.  

This is a fantastic way to get more out of a short trip to Nepal is being placed with a Nepali family for your stay. Taking in true culture and resulting in an overall more exciting way to experience Nepal.

As well as tours to different cultural and ancient sites included in the ten day trip. As your time in Nepal falls on Buddha Jiyanti (Buddha’s birthday), a walking tour has been arranged for the whole Young at Heart tour to visit the Golden Buddha. Opportunities to visit other museums and ancient sites including Patan (also known as Lalitpur) are included in your itinerary.

50+ years old....Check out the Nepal Tour and to apply at http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/young-at-heart-tour/

Vietnam Orphanage Program Provides A New Lease Of Life

A retired couple volunteering in Vietnam feedback on the wonderful experience they are having at their project.

"WEEK ONE FOR TWO NEW AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEERS AT TAM KY"

"At the end of our first week in Tam Ky, we’re thoroughly enjoying the experience and totally besotted with the wonderful children and young adults we’re assisting.

Activities in the orphanage each morning are hectic, with bathing of babies, physio and feeding for some of the disabled children, English lessons for the older ones, and lots of play!  We’re bringing bananas with us each morning and these are a real winner with the children – it’s “bees to the honey pot” when they’re handed out.

The afternoons at Peace Village with disabled children and young adults are a little less hectic as the  numbers are considerably less, but it’s a full afternoon’s activities just the same. We commence by handing out fruit and then have all clean their teeth.  Then it’s party time with dancing to music from our IPods – Peace Village really rocks!

After the dance, there’s physio with some of the residents, art and craft activities indoors and more physical activities outdoors to engage and stimulate them, and finally we assist with feeding some of the more severely handicapped. 

On two evenings each week we take English classes at the baby orphanage for about 30 children aged between 7 and 12.  Whilst lively, many are keen to learn and the activity is particularly rewarding for the teachers and, we hope, the pupils!

For two retirees in our 60s, the Tam Ky experience is providing a wonderful and fulfilling new lease of life!"

John & Lyn Quilty

Check out the Vietnam Volunteer Program and how you can become involved > Here

Mt Kilimanjaro Fundraising Trek 2012 - Trek Report

Anna McIntosh, a GVN representative reports on the success of the recent trek to Mt Kilimanjaro

“At 11pm on Thursday 12 January, all eight of us GVN trekkers were up and ready to begin the final ascent to Uhuru Peak. We had been climbing  for the past four days through rainforest, up grassy slopes and across moorlands and by now were anxious to do what we had come there to do – make it to the top of Kilimanjaro! After a long ten hours of hiking in the dark up scree slopes, rocks and snow, we finally all made it to the summit at Uhuru. The feeling of relief and amazement (and complete exhaustion!) at having actually made it to the top was incredible and well worth all the hard work of the previous few days. Looking back now a month later, the feeling of satisfaction is still strong for our entire group!

After we had returned to Nairobi from the mountain, we had the opportunity to visit the kids at Happy Life Children’s Home. After all, the whole reason we had all set out to climb Kilimanjaro was to raise funds for them. Our time there was spent holding, feeding, cuddling and playing with all the beautiful children at the home and we each definitely left a piece of our hearts with them. 

We were also able to visit the land where there are plans to build a Kenya GVN PoD. It was great to learn more about the PoD project and get a first hand look at how it will directly impact the local community in Kenya.

Overall, we had an awesome experience with a great group of people. The rewards of making it to the top of Kilimanjaro and the impact of visiting the projects in Nairobi were huge. 

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the trek and to all those who supported us!”

To find out information about our treks and how you can get involved in upcoming treks see our link http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/programs/treks