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#Reduced fear of challenges and adaptation #Experience in rescuing wild animals #I wish I hadn't been so afraid
"My fear of starting something and of going to unfamiliar places has really decreased a lot. I was very worried about the language and didn’t say a word at first, but as I stayed longer I started to speak even if only briefly, made an effort to understand what was being said, and became much more positive :)"
Volunteer rescue work in Singapore for rare wild animals injured physically and emotionally Participant Lee Jeong-a (23 years old, university student) / participated for 2 weeks
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# I hope my story helps those who, like me, aren’t good at English :)
I’m an ordinary 23-year-old university student ☺
This is my second time doing overseas volunteer work, butIt was my first time doing animal-related volunteer work, and I wasn’t good at English to begin with.I hope this review helps, even a little, those who think they aren’t good at English like me. :)
The reason I chose the Gap Year project was that previously in Mongolia I did education volunteering plus labor volunteering—teaching children, painting, pulling weeds, planting streetlights, and so on,My friend and I searched online thinking, ''This time I want to try sightseeing along with volunteering.''
Then we learned about Gap Year and found that it has many programs besides education and construction volunteering. We thought this volunteer program matched what we were looking for best, so we applied.
# After Gap Year, both my ''fear of challenges'' and ''ability to adapt to unfamiliar places'' actually improved!
People asked if I was worried about being abroad for a long time, but I wasn’t as worried as they thought. If anything, language was my biggest concern above all else, and because I had some prior experience I didn’t have major worries beyond that.I had a little thought like, ''Can I do this well and hold up?'' haha
It’s best to prepare everything well in advance before departure. I was packing right before leaving and couldn’t remember where I put my passport, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to depart :( Fortunately I found it, but prepare ahead so things like that don’t happen if you’re late preparing like me :)
You must prepare vaccinations and an English medical note in advance: tetanus shot, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B.
Also, even though it’s volunteer work, we had to pay some money, and if you want to do sightseeing you need to save enough money, so I thought part-time work was more important than anything and I worked really hard at my part-time job ☺
I had one goal for this Gap Year. I always felt fear when challenging myself and had difficulty adapting to new environments. So I thought that if I successfully completed this Gap Year safely, maybe the fear of starting something new would lessen and adapting to new places would become easier. Wouldn’t I change a lot myself? With that thought I did the Gap Year.
Through Gap Year my fear of challenges and adapting to unfamiliar places both improved a lot, and I feel the greatest sense of fulfillment in having achieved this goal through this volunteer program.
# Thank you so much for taking such good care of us who came from afar!
The project routine was: in the morning everyone wakes up, washes and gets ready, eats bread and cereal for breakfast, then gathers by 9:30 and does the tasks they’re assigned.Checking the turtles’ condition, refilling food and water, changing the water in the turtle tanks, cleaning, cleaning the monkey or snake enclosures, and also preparing materials, cleaning, spraying water on the turtles'' shells, etc.There are many different tasks.
You work on assigned tasks until 1:00, then from 1:00 to 2:00 you eat and have free time, from 2:00 to 5:00 you do more assigned tasks from the list above, and after 5:00 you can do whatever you want.
I thought there would only be two Koreans—me and the younger friend who went with me—but when we arrived the staff said there were two more Korean volunteers, so I felt relieved ☺ At first it was awkward and I thought it would be hard to get close, but after volunteering and hanging out together we became good friends. So after the program we even took turns on sightseeing schedules and traveled together ☺ Thanks to these friends, I think I had an even more enjoyable time.
What stuck with me most during the activities was that one of the staff said places that rescue and care for dogs and cats receive a lot of donations, but places that rescue and care for turtles, iguanas, snakes, etc., like this one, don’t get much support. So the facilities inevitably become old and insufficient.
SoWhen they told us they were so grateful that we came to volunteer here, I was moved, and I was also thankful that they took such good care of us who came from afar.
Also, the dogs at the local organization used to bark at us every time they saw us at first, but after a few days of being together, one night we went into town and came back and they didn’t bark at us when they saw us!! That day is also one of my most memorable :)
# To those who plan to participate in this project later: "I hope you don’t be too afraid :)"
As I wrote before, the biggest change after the gap year project is...My fear of starting something and of going to unfamiliar places has really decreased a lot.I was also very worried about the language and at first didn''t say a word, but as I stayed there I began to speak even briefly, tried to understand what people said, and changed a lot in a positive way☺
If there are people planning to participate in this project,I hope you won''t be too afraid☺It''s natural to be worried and scared at first, but there wasn''t anything as difficult as I thought. I was especially worried at first because I heard the program was physically demanding, but that wasn''t really a problem! So don''t worry too much, but that doesn''t mean it''s a vacation!!
My personal gap year tips
(Language)
Before participating I could only do basic greetings. But there was no need to worry too much.People use simple words to speak to you, and if that still doesn''t work they''ll use a translator to explain.
(Accommodation)
Since we''re there to volunteer, you shouldn''t expect the accommodation to be comfortable. There are many trees behind, so there are lots of insects, especially mosquitoes. Also, lizards may appear in the bathroom or rooms, but they''ll run away when people come in, so don''t worry too much.
(Meals)
The food is really vegetarian. The strong spice flavors can make it hard to eat, so be sure to bring gochujang (Korean chili paste), kimchi, or gim (seaweed)!
(What to bring)
There are a lot of mosquitoes, so definitely bring mosquito repellent and an anti-itch balm, and since the sun is strong bring sunscreen and be sure to apply it.There is more free time than you think, so bring something to do during that time. I regretted not bringing a book to read.
I had bought insurance before departing,I brought arm sleeves, basic medicines, detergent, fabric softener, and sunscreen, and they were very useful.
(Daily life)
The nearest shopping center or supermarket to the organization is Choa Chu Kang station. From what I saw, prices here were much cheaper than in other parts of Singapore. If you need something, I recommend buying it here. To get into the city from the organization you''ll need to take a taxi; if the taxi fare is burdensome, I recommend walking about an hour there as a walk and taking a taxi back.
(Travel)
If you''re volunteering for more than two weeks, I definitely recommend visiting tourist spots on the weekend! Although you may have time to sightsee after activity hours on weekdays, you''ll likely be too tired for sightseeing after volunteering ends☺
Places close to the organization includeChinese Garden, Jurong Bird Park, River Safari, and a few other places, so I recommend going to them.Do it.
My gap year was
an experience★★★★☆
The wildlife rescue was an experience I couldn''t have had elsewhere.
Learning ★★★☆☆
I was able to learn a little about the animals.
Environment ★★★☆☆
The facilities are not very good.
Safety ★★★★★
There were no safety issues.
Leisure ★★★★★
Once the volunteer hours ended, it was free time, so we could go outside and hang out; there was plenty of leisure time.
"My fear of starting something and of going to unfamiliar places has really decreased a lot. I was very worried about the language and didn’t say a word at first, but as I stayed longer I started to speak even if only briefly, made an effort to understand what was being said, and became much more positive :)"
Volunteer rescue work in Singapore for rare wild animals injured physically and emotionally Participant Lee Jeong-a (23 years old, university student) / participated for 2 weeks
|
# I hope my story helps those who, like me, aren’t good at English :)
I’m an ordinary 23-year-old university student ☺
This is my second time doing overseas volunteer work, butIt was my first time doing animal-related volunteer work, and I wasn’t good at English to begin with.I hope this review helps, even a little, those who think they aren’t good at English like me. :)
The reason I chose the Gap Year project was that previously in Mongolia I did education volunteering plus labor volunteering—teaching children, painting, pulling weeds, planting streetlights, and so on,My friend and I searched online thinking, ''This time I want to try sightseeing along with volunteering.''
Then we learned about Gap Year and found that it has many programs besides education and construction volunteering. We thought this volunteer program matched what we were looking for best, so we applied.
# After Gap Year, both my ''fear of challenges'' and ''ability to adapt to unfamiliar places'' actually improved!
People asked if I was worried about being abroad for a long time, but I wasn’t as worried as they thought. If anything, language was my biggest concern above all else, and because I had some prior experience I didn’t have major worries beyond that.I had a little thought like, ''Can I do this well and hold up?'' haha
It’s best to prepare everything well in advance before departure. I was packing right before leaving and couldn’t remember where I put my passport, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to depart :( Fortunately I found it, but prepare ahead so things like that don’t happen if you’re late preparing like me :)
You must prepare vaccinations and an English medical note in advance: tetanus shot, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B.
Also, even though it’s volunteer work, we had to pay some money, and if you want to do sightseeing you need to save enough money, so I thought part-time work was more important than anything and I worked really hard at my part-time job ☺
I had one goal for this Gap Year. I always felt fear when challenging myself and had difficulty adapting to new environments. So I thought that if I successfully completed this Gap Year safely, maybe the fear of starting something new would lessen and adapting to new places would become easier. Wouldn’t I change a lot myself? With that thought I did the Gap Year.
Through Gap Year my fear of challenges and adapting to unfamiliar places both improved a lot, and I feel the greatest sense of fulfillment in having achieved this goal through this volunteer program.
# Thank you so much for taking such good care of us who came from afar!
The project routine was: in the morning everyone wakes up, washes and gets ready, eats bread and cereal for breakfast, then gathers by 9:30 and does the tasks they’re assigned.Checking the turtles’ condition, refilling food and water, changing the water in the turtle tanks, cleaning, cleaning the monkey or snake enclosures, and also preparing materials, cleaning, spraying water on the turtles'' shells, etc.There are many different tasks.
You work on assigned tasks until 1:00, then from 1:00 to 2:00 you eat and have free time, from 2:00 to 5:00 you do more assigned tasks from the list above, and after 5:00 you can do whatever you want.
I thought there would only be two Koreans—me and the younger friend who went with me—but when we arrived the staff said there were two more Korean volunteers, so I felt relieved ☺ At first it was awkward and I thought it would be hard to get close, but after volunteering and hanging out together we became good friends. So after the program we even took turns on sightseeing schedules and traveled together ☺ Thanks to these friends, I think I had an even more enjoyable time.
What stuck with me most during the activities was that one of the staff said places that rescue and care for dogs and cats receive a lot of donations, but places that rescue and care for turtles, iguanas, snakes, etc., like this one, don’t get much support. So the facilities inevitably become old and insufficient.
SoWhen they told us they were so grateful that we came to volunteer here, I was moved, and I was also thankful that they took such good care of us who came from afar.
Also, the dogs at the local organization used to bark at us every time they saw us at first, but after a few days of being together, one night we went into town and came back and they didn’t bark at us when they saw us!! That day is also one of my most memorable :)
# To those who plan to participate in this project later: "I hope you don’t be too afraid :)"
As I wrote before, the biggest change after the gap year project is...My fear of starting something and of going to unfamiliar places has really decreased a lot.I was also very worried about the language and at first didn''t say a word, but as I stayed there I began to speak even briefly, tried to understand what people said, and changed a lot in a positive way☺
If there are people planning to participate in this project,I hope you won''t be too afraid☺It''s natural to be worried and scared at first, but there wasn''t anything as difficult as I thought. I was especially worried at first because I heard the program was physically demanding, but that wasn''t really a problem! So don''t worry too much, but that doesn''t mean it''s a vacation!!
My personal gap year tips
(Language)
Before participating I could only do basic greetings. But there was no need to worry too much.People use simple words to speak to you, and if that still doesn''t work they''ll use a translator to explain.
(Accommodation)
Since we''re there to volunteer, you shouldn''t expect the accommodation to be comfortable. There are many trees behind, so there are lots of insects, especially mosquitoes. Also, lizards may appear in the bathroom or rooms, but they''ll run away when people come in, so don''t worry too much.
(Meals)
The food is really vegetarian. The strong spice flavors can make it hard to eat, so be sure to bring gochujang (Korean chili paste), kimchi, or gim (seaweed)!
(What to bring)
There are a lot of mosquitoes, so definitely bring mosquito repellent and an anti-itch balm, and since the sun is strong bring sunscreen and be sure to apply it.There is more free time than you think, so bring something to do during that time. I regretted not bringing a book to read.
I had bought insurance before departing,I brought arm sleeves, basic medicines, detergent, fabric softener, and sunscreen, and they were very useful.
(Daily life)
The nearest shopping center or supermarket to the organization is Choa Chu Kang station. From what I saw, prices here were much cheaper than in other parts of Singapore. If you need something, I recommend buying it here. To get into the city from the organization you''ll need to take a taxi; if the taxi fare is burdensome, I recommend walking about an hour there as a walk and taking a taxi back.
(Travel)
If you''re volunteering for more than two weeks, I definitely recommend visiting tourist spots on the weekend! Although you may have time to sightsee after activity hours on weekdays, you''ll likely be too tired for sightseeing after volunteering ends☺
Places close to the organization includeChinese Garden, Jurong Bird Park, River Safari, and a few other places, so I recommend going to them.Do it.
My gap year was
an experience★★★★☆
The wildlife rescue was an experience I couldn''t have had elsewhere.
Learning ★★★☆☆
I was able to learn a little about the animals.
Environment ★★★☆☆
The facilities are not very good.
Safety ★★★★★
There were no safety issues.
Leisure ★★★★★
Once the volunteer hours ended, it was free time, so we could go outside and hang out; there was plenty of leisure time.
What makes this project special
