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Caribbean Children's Home - Belize - Volunteer reviews
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Sam – 2012
“Firstly I just want to say that I can't wait to return, hopefully sooner rather than later. My time at Liberty was a wonderful experience. The staff, children and other volunteers were all great people which made me feel right at home and I only wish I would have been there longer.
Typical day: A typical day began with breakfast around 7 o’clock (if you managed to get up) before the kids went off to school. I would usually help out around the garden doing various odd jobs for a few hours. It was then time to deliver lunches to the kids at school before having a lunch break ourselves. After lunch it was back to work in the garden before the kids would return home from school. When the kids were back we either spent time with them helping with homework or just playing around. Dinner was around 6 and then the kids were in bed fairly early and the volunteers had some down time.
The most rewarding experience at Liberty was spending time with the children. Over time you learn to appreciate the many different personalities among the children and develop various friendships.
The most challenging aspect of volunteering at Liberty was leaving.
What advice would you give to others considering this project? If you are considering going to Liberty then it is a really easy decision to say yes and go. You won´t regret it and I hope you have an equally awesome experience as I did.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad? It sounds cliché but it´s great to broaden your horizons and be open to new experiences. Liberty allows you to experience something you most likely wouldn´t get anywhere else.
Why did you choose PoD? Seemed as though it was well run and offered a variety of placements worldwide.”
Sally - 2011
“At times the children have made me laugh, at times they have touched me with their kindness, and at times they have surprised me with their ready understanding and even wisdom. As I prepared to come to Liberty, I thought about what I might be able to do to help the children, and about what I could bring to them that they would enjoy. It hardly occurred to me then, though it seems so clear now, that the most valuable part of my time here, both for myself and the children at Liberty, would be the time we spend simply enjoying each others’ company.
Typical day: Breakfast around 7:30. I worked primarily in the kitchen, and so spent most of my mornings washing dishes, sweeping, preparing the rice before it was cooked, and packing lunches to be delivered to the children at school. I also cleaned the volunteer dome regularly. When the kids came home from school (around 4:15), I helped with homework until dinner (between 5:30 and 6:00, usually). Sometimes they were able to play outside for a while after dinner, but on most occasions they started getting ready for bed almost immediately after dinner. Because of this I had quite a lot of free time in the evenings-volunteers who are not interested in or comfortable with going out at night should bring books, movies, etc. with them, especially if they will be at Liberty during a time when few other volunteers are there.
Most rewarding part of the project: Unquestionably the time with the kids.
Most challenging part of the project: My time at Liberty forced me to think seriously about several issues-family structure, constructive ways to discipline a child, and the most productive way to make donations to an organization like Liberty, for example--that I had largely ignored in the past. None of that is "challenging" in a negative sense, of course.
What advice would you give to others considering this project? The volunteer dome is clean, but it is very plain, and will strike most as rustic. Volunteers are expected to supply their own cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, etc., but these items can be purchased two blocks outside Liberty's gate quite inexpensively. Although general expectations of volunteers are posted in the volunteer dome, you will need to determine many of the specific tasks which must be done on your own.
Why do you think others should volunteer abroad? In my case, Liberty not only offered me the opportunity to meet a number of wonderful people (other volunteers, the Liberty staff and children); it also required me to wrestle with a number of ideas I had not considered much in the past, and exposed me to a real, though not extreme, poverty.
Why did you choose PoD and would you recommend us to others? Yes, I would recommend PoD to others. A former Liberty Children's Home volunteer and friend of mine recommended that I consider volunteering for the organization; I worked with PoD because it allowed me to apply to volunteer at Liberty.”
Jane - 2011
“Of all the memories I will have when I return home after my time at Liberty, I believe those I will treasure most will be the conversations I have had with the children here. After lengthy discussion, Shenelle and I have decided the attributes essential to the nature of a princess (kindness and excellent table manners, primarily); Shannon has enlightened me concerning Liberty’s traditions and habits; and Asher and I have talked about what it means to be a friend. Tyrell is fascinated by time zones, and the two of us have discussed metaphysics more often that I can say. ‘The time zones all come from England?’ he asked me. ‘They must have a really big time factory there!"
"The main satisfactions I got from my volunteer experience were the relationship development with the children, becoming part of the team, being accepted within the community, seeing the crops grow, assisting with fund raising and being around to see the results and knowing that our help was appreciated."
"Volunteering at Liberty is definitely an experience! I really enjoyed spending time with the children and getting to know them, as well as meeting other volunteers and the staff. It is an amazing place to go to and feel so welcomed by the children straight away."
"I feel very privileged to have spent time with such loving and beautiful children. It was a lovely experience to be involved in the lives of such special children. I also enjoyed getting to know the staff who were very kind and welcoming."
"I worked as a volunteer at Liberty for three months.. Each morning I was up at 6am and helping run the organic vegetable farm. We cleared land, hoed, planted, watered and harvested vegetables like habanero peppers, tomatoes and beetroots. After lunch I tutored an eight-year-old boy who was out of school when I arrived. We went over to the Liberty pre-school and worked for anything from one to three hours. It was a great experience and he returned to regular school two months into my stay. I really enjoyed living on the campus, it was never boring between eating breakfast with the children before they went to school to playing football with them when they got back, often in very hot sunshine! The staff who look after them were fantastic people, kind, good-humoured and fun to relax with during time off. I had a brilliant time working at Liberty and living in Belize and will always remember it."
"I spent four months as a Liberty volunteer in Belize to work on a project alongside UNICEF and the Department of Human Services (DHS), as a child protection consultant. I loved the life on campus, living as a big family. I loved starting my day with the children at breakfast and with the cheerful 'Good morning' of the staff members, always smiling, warm, in a merry mood and laid back. I will carry the kids always in my heart!"
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