Volunteer Stories

Manon for Smokey Tours

In February 2014 I went to the Philippines to volunteer for Smokey Tours.

From the moment I arrived in the Philippines, I felt very welcome: WorldActivity Philippines arranged the airport pickup, so I did not have to struggle to get to the right place. During the training they explained me everything about the Filipino culture and the project.

During the 2 months of volunteering, I focused on marketing to make people aware of Smokey Tours. I had meetings with the tour leaders to teach them about tourism and tour leading. WorldActivity Philippines gave me the opportunity to do the things I enjoy and in which I could use my experience.

Looking back, I had a wonderful time at Smokey Tours and I am very grateful that I could join this team of inspiring people. For me, my stay in the Philippines will be an everlasting memory.

Marah for House of Refuge

"In april 2014 I lived for two weeks at the House Of Refuge. I had the task to organize an art class for the younger boys, what I loved to do. They made beautiful things with clay, origami, paint, crayons and more.

Living at the orphanage I also helped with doing the laundry, cooking and different things what is a good way to see the life of the kids and how things are being done at an orphanage. Also helped that I also slept there so I was most of the time around.

Of course most of the time I spent playing with the kids at the rooftop or in the library. The kids are used to seeing foreigners and they all understand English. They love to dance and sing and they are really into sports. Three times a week they attend Wushu training and once a week they go to a park to play and I could always join.

The house mothers and the other staff is very friendly, are open for new ideas and always helped me with everything.

I'm going to miss everybody of House of Refuge and I'm really thankful for this amazing experience!"

Jelaine for Wildlife In Need

"Volunteering for Wildlife In Need (WIN) was an incredibly amazing experience. In the span of one week, I learned a lot about the animals and gained unforgettable experiences. The routine of a volunteer might be the same everyday (prepare food, feed, and clean), but it will always be spiced up by other exciting events such as school visitation and a new rescued animal. Then, there is also the ‘enrichment’ for the animals, where I learned to catch grasshoppers barehanded for the birds (so much fun)! I also got to see some of the surgeries performed by the vets and interns! New experiences abound in WIN!

The people at WIN were all very helpful and fun to be with. You will find yourself laughing with them and enjoying every moment at WIN, their upbeat personalities are really contagious. And when it comes to animals, you will really learn a lot from them; it will not be textbook information, but just actual hands-on experiences. Surrounded by trees, fresh air, animals, and great people, you’ll definitely fall in love with WIN.

Alan for Wildlife In Need

"I have volunteered for almost four months. This period was an incredible experience for me. For a vet (student) it’s really an educational location to volunteer. There is a lot of variety at WIN and since they are working together with a marine mammal park and a horseback riding school, I got in touch with a lot of different animals. Pets, wildlife, horses and sealife, I have met it all. From giving medicines to dogs and cats up to experiencing dolphin strandings and releasing animals back into the wild… There is a lot more that I’ve learned. Every week was surprising and exciting.There are days that it can be quiet, but even coming towards the end of my stay I was still learning and experiencing new things. All really great for my study and more things than I’ve hoped for.

The staff at WIN is really great. They were friendly from the beginning and were involving me in everything they are doing… There hasn’t past a day at WIN without laughing (with or at each other). The people at WIN have become close friends, or you can even say family.

WorldActivity Philippines has supported me very good during my entire stay. They introduce you to the Philippines and prepare you for the things you need to be aware of. WAP is taking care of you during the first days, but after that stay in touch with you the whole time. You can contact them when you have questions or problems and they respond fast. They are flexible and understanding. It feels really familiar.

The time I spent in Subic flew and it’s really sad to leave. I know that I would have learned even more if I stayed longer and would’ve met more amazing people. I couldn’t wish for a better place to volunteer and I will definitely come back again."

Tina for Wildlife In Need

“Wildlife In Need was the last destination on my internship list in my final year before going to the Philippines. I did internships in zoos and wild animal rescue centres in Ecuador, Argentina and Germany but WIN was definately the highlight. During my stay of almost 2 months I did learn a lot about wild animals in theory but could really improve my practical skills. As an intern at WIN my responsibilities were assisting resident and consulting veterinarians in clinical cases, rescues, house calls and surgeries as well as animal keeping (food preparation, feeding, cleaning of enclosures). I have even been entrusted to take care of some patients on my own like hand rearing a fruit bat, rehabilitation of a sea turtle and spaying of street cats. Moreover I got a good insight in wildlife conservation and animal welfare as I took part in several reintroduction projects at university.

I can really recommend that place to everyone interested in zoo and wildlife! Enjoy your time at WIN!

Emma for House of Refuge

"I've spent almost 6 weeks in HoR and had such a great time! There were at the moment 36 children between 4 and 16 years old (most of them between 6 and 10). Most of these children have been disowned by their parents or have been abused. HoR is there for them so they can go back to school, have a nice, warm and safe environment and they will find a new family for them in the USA. (Sometimes, when it's possible they are going back to the parents)

I did many nice and different activities with them. With the social worker and the three other volunteers we made a schedule for every day so everybody had their own tasks in what they preferred to do. I did arts on two of three mornings a week, like finger painting, painting boiled eggs (with Easter), draw and many other things that has to do with arts. Most of the time we split the children in two groups. That was easier because the children had holidays and we were with enough volunteers to split the group. On other days I did sport activities, hygiene training or just join the children and spent time with them. The children in HoR are very kind and listening (most of the time) very well! I was very happy to spend time with these children and had a lot of fun with them. If I knew before that the time went so fast, I would stay there more months!"