by Fiona Lin There are many ways to make the world a better place. It may be as difficult as inventing the space shuttle or as easy as recycling a bottle. And there are some people who travel around the world every year, teaching Tibetan children how to read, planting mangroves in the Philippines, restoring world heritage sites, or leaving their footprints in the most primitive places on earth. They are international volunteers. International volunteers are people who participate in volunteer programs overseas. International volunteer programs offer unique hands-on learning experiences which promote cross-cultural understanding, cooperation, and solidarity among individuals and communities around the world. Some of them are supported by nonprofit or nongovernmental organizations, while others are seasonal volunteer camps supported by schools or student societies.
Last summer I participated in a summer volunteer camp in Olango, the most primitive island of the Philippines. The goal of the camp was to collect and plant over four thousand mangroves on the tidal flats area surrounding the island. We got up with the sun and headed to the coast to start a new adventure in the unexplored mangrove jungle. Every day we collected hundreds of mangrove seeds, before returning to the tidal flats to plant them. A whole new mangrove forest, as big as three basketball courts, was born. In seven intense working days, we built a small ecosystem and future habitat for 97 species of rare birds. Aside from environmental protection, international volunteers also visited schools and local centers for children. We provided a platform where children had the opportunity to learn and play, and where young men and women could practice language with us (only 10% of these children go to high school). We lived in thatched houses, collected rainwater, and used almost no electricity, yet felt extremely rich and happy because we knew we were making a difference. The largest international volunteer program in Taiwan is the Vision Youth Action (VYA Taiwan) organization, a non-profit organization working to promote volunteerism and international exchange in Taiwan and around the world. During the past three years, VYA collaborated with UNESCO to organize hundreds of exchange programs. The number of its participants has been increasing. Each year, over 5,000 young people participated VYA’s programs, dedicating more than 160,000 hours for social services in over 100 countries. Beside the program in the Philippines, other VYA projects include a sustainable agriculture program in Mongolia (to help poverty-stricken villages preserve food for winter), a school and clinic construction project in Nepal, a renewable energy program in Italy, and a medieval castle renovation in Slovakia. In order to understand more about the organization, I interviewed one of its chief staff members, Miracle Chien. “There’s always a way to make a difference,” Chien said, “with every seed we plant, every house we construct, or every friendship we make, we make a difference.” He gave an example. “A few years ago, the government of the Philippines started an environmental protection program for its primitive yet polluted islands, and VYA participated. At first, we participated mainly as ecosystem preservation volunteers, but after years of communication and collaboration, we discovered another urgent problem: poverty and education.” Over the years, Chien has led hundreds of students in preservation work and in discussions with local people, and he has enriched the original program by implementing educational activities for children, women’s healthcare, and introductory computer lessons. VYA also collaborated with local governments and is working on a vocational training program for young men to help in the fight against poverty. Working for an NGO like VYA is rewarding but isn’t easy. “There were certainly difficulties,” said Chien. “The most challenging part is to build our brand name. The concept of international volunteering is not popular in Taiwan, parents and students don’t know about us.” He paused. “And there are risks also: financial crises, political unrest, any international event can affect the willingness of people to volunteer abroad.” Indeed, the attractiveness of VYA’s programs is closely linked to world situations. “The challenge for myself is to make better changes,” he smiled, “there’s always a way to make VYA better. There are always better mechanisms to enhance the organization’s efficiency, and there’s always a better strategy to make our programs more effective and sustainable.” By volunteering abroad you can make an impact and gain a broader understanding of the world. You will become different, too. According to the authors of Alternatives to the Peace Corps, “while a volunteer may wish to feed the hungry, heal the sick, or house the homeless, these social and political problems are often more complex than they may seem. Thus, the volunteer’s most appropriate role is that of a student. Working abroad can better your understanding of the world and the forces that keep people impoverished, and enhance your appreciation for the richness of other cultures.” Participating in a volunteer program can be one of the most educational, inspiring, and exciting things you do in your life. Being an international volunteer is a way to make yourself, and the world, different. a
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May 2024
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