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Volunteer Report: Rescuing Rare Wild Animals Physically and Emotionally Injured in Singapore

#Decreased fear of challenges and increased confidence #Gained overseas volunteer experience and certainty about my career path #Felt the importance of animal protection

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    "My volunteer experience in Singapore gave me a great deal of courage in living my life. Based on this experience, it was also very helpful when I later took a leave of absence and made plans."

     

    Volunteer work rescuing rare wild animals that were physically and mentally injured in Singapore

    Sunho Lee, gap-year participant (21, university student) / 2-week gap year

     

     

     

     

     

     

    # I gained a lot of confidence from overseas volunteering and became less afraid to take on challenges!

     

     

     

     

     

    Hello. I''m Lee Sunho, a social welfare student admitted in 2016 at Konkuk University''s Glocal Campus. I''m planning to work in the field of overseas volunteering. I''m now thinking of taking a leave of absence in 2018.

     

    The reason is that I''m exempt from military service, so instead of graduating at once I want to earn money myself, travel abroad, and experience many things for myself. This time Because I gained a lot of confidence from overseas volunteering with no Korean staff at all, I feel less afraid to take on challenges.

     

     

    The reason I chose this project is that I''m a social welfare major and I''m very interested in overseas volunteering. Therefore, I plan to seek employment in the field of overseas volunteering. I have already participated in overseas volunteer work in Thailand and Mongolia. While looking into overseas volunteer programs for this winter vacation, I learned about Korea Gap Year and Rescuing wild animals was a new experience, and because it was an overseas volunteer program, I chose this projectI decided to participate.

     

     

     

     

     

    # Courage became confidence, and confidence gave assurance to my career path

     

     

     

     

     

    Having volunteered overseas twice, I wasn''t very worried about staying for an extended period. Also, Singapore itself is a country with good public safety, so I had no major concerns. However, because there were no Korean staff, rather than worries about tourism, I was most worried about using English while volunteering at the organization rather than concerns about tourism.

     

    As for preparations before departure, rather than thinking ''what should I pack'' at that time and packing, the checklist provided by the gap year program was very helpful.And since I knew that boots and gloves would be provided when volunteering, after packing according to the checklist all I had to bring were old clothes.

     

    What I was most worried about was using English, so I occasionally looked at English books from two weeks before, but I couldn''t focus.

     

     

     

    The biggest goal I wanted to change through this gap year project was to increase my confidenceIt wasn''t just general confidence, but I always lacked vague fears and confidence about whether I could go abroad alone in the future, use English well, and get around by myself.

     

    But once I was thrown into the overseas environment, using English wasn''t as difficult as I had imagined.If you didn''t neglect your high school studies, it seems that what was most needed for using English was the courage to try. And that courage turned into confidence and gave me assurance in my future travel plans and career path.

     

     

     

     

     

    # A fascinating and surprising experience of getting up close to snakes, turtles, iguanas, etc.

     


     

    A typical day at the local organization was to gather at 8:40 a.m., eat the bread and cereal provided only to volunteers, do the dishes, and arrive at the workplace by 9:10 a.m. At the time I participated there were four volunteers, so we usually worked in pairs doing tasks assigned by the organization, and everyone ate lunch together at 12.

     

    At 12, the organization served a vegetarian lunch, we ate that, and work started again at 1. And at 5 all activities finished, and we had free time until the next morning.

     

     

    During the project activities, I hadn''t had opportunities to get close to snakes, iguanas, and turtles, so it was fascinating and surprising.I had to use English to communicate with the local staff, and what I remember most is feeling my English skills gradually improve.






    What I always feel when volunteering abroad is that because you volunteer and work together, you can experience things that you can''t feel through tourism. That is the ''jeong'' (a kind of deep affection) that the people of that country have; it''s hard to explain, but while tourism only allows you to feel a fleeting, passing sort of affection, staying and working together for a long time lets you feel something deeper, which I liked.

    Also, Singapore is home to many different ethnic groups living together, and I learned that these different groups are considerate of one another and do not discriminate. And in the process of protecting, caring for, and rescuing animals, I could feel how truly selfish people can be.


    The turtles, iguanas, and other animals cared for at this organization are all animals that were illegally purchased abroad and then injured or abandoned and brought here. However They said that because of legal and financial issues, these animals cannot return to where they originally lived and must spend the rest of their lives here. That fact struck me as very sad.Among the turtles, the African tortoise would sometimes just stare blankly outdoors all day.



    And although this place is on land, they also care for sea turtles. There are over 30 sea turtles here, and their water must be changed constantly. It''s of course necessary for the turtles to survive, but I was surprised at how much water they used. They also use a lot of water to clean the iguana enclosure. There are animals that die from not getting even a sip of water, so seeing how much water is used here for the animals left me feeling a bit bitter.





    My personal challenge began, and it was successfully completed!


    Before participating in the gap year, I often wondered, ''How should I spend my twenties? What should I do to make the last part of my twenties meaningful?'' But I was afraid to actually do something, and it''s true that I was scared of being abroad for a long period without a Korean coordinator.

    However, from the moment I arrived there everything about me changed. Because I couldn''t rely on others and had to do things on my own, my personal challenge began and it was successfully completed. AndThe volunteer experience in Singapore gave me a great deal of courage in living my life. Based on this experience, it was also very helpful when I later took a leave of absence and made future plans.




    If anyone participates in the Singapore project after me, the work isn''t as hard as you might thinkI want to tell them. However, if you participate in a project at an institution for a long period, I think you should try to talk with the staff there as much as possible, and through this process your English skills can improve really quickly.

    I also recommend bringing a few books. I happened to meet other participants and my group grew, so it wasn''t an issue for me, but to avoid being bored at night after work,bringing several books will help. Finally, I recommend bringing a small amount of gochujang, kimchi, and sheets of seaweed.I recommend it.

     

     

     

     

    My gap year tips

     

     

     

     

    (Language)
    Before participating in the project,I could only do simple greetings in English, but after the project my skills improved to the point where I could have everyday conversations with foreignersThey did. Combining and linking words I knew helped a lot, and they also tried hard to understand me as much as possible.

    Not being afraid and continuing to speak helped a lot.


    (Accommodation)
    It''s helpful to go without expectations. It''s much hotter than you''d think.


    (Meals)
    They serve strictly vegetarian meals. They''re more edible than you''d expect, but still not delicious.I recommend bringing instant cup noodles from Korea and occasionally cooking them at night.I recommend it.


    (What to bring)
    Although you work outdoors at times, you also work indoors, so you won''t get very sunburned.Be sure to bring mosquito repellent.The kind you apply to your body! It''s located at the foot of a mountain, so there are really, really many mosquitoes. I brought kimchi, gochujang, seaweed, canned tuna, etc., which were very helpful.






    My Singapore travel tips




    During the project I happened to meet two other Korean gap year participants, and we volunteered and toured together. Having them with me made the volunteering more fun and enjoyable.When volunteering, you''ll have plenty of time on weekends or after work, so I recommend moving up pre-planned sightseeing and doing it earlier.I recommend it.

    Then you can use the time after the volunteering much more leisurely,If you gain more time and peace of mind, even the same ordinary sightseeing schedule as others can feel different, so I hope you make good use of the time left during your volunteer period.


    In the hope that this is helpful,I''ll briefly introduce my travel itinerary after my project endsI will. If you go sightseeing in Singapore, I recommend booking accommodation in Chinatown, which is cheap and makes it easy to move to other attractions without long routes. I also think it''s good to buy Singapore tourist tickets at the "Sea Wheel" (located in Chinatown), which is operated by a Chinese airline.


     

    *The travel tips were written based on the participant''s personal travel experience, are not affiliated with Korea Gap Year, and may change depending on local circumstances, so please use them for reference only.

     

     

     

     

    - Friday (travel after project ends)

    Organization >> Accommodation >> Clarke Quay

    From the organization, walk 20 minutes >> take bus 975 at Chengtai Nursery (12 stops) >> at Blk 604 take bus 190 (20 stops) to Chinatown Point >> walk 5 minutes >> move to Clarke Quay (15-minute walk).

     

     

    - Saturday

    Museum >> Merlion Park >> Accommodation >> Old City >> Marina Bay Sands

    Accommodation >> Museum (24-minute walk). The subway takes 14 minutes so walking seems better >> Merlion Park (16-minute walk) >> Accommodation (19-minute walk) >> Old City (17-minute walk) >> Marina Bay Sands (21-minute walk) >> Accommodation (from Bayfront station to Chinatown MRT Station Exit A total 18 minutes).

     

     

    - Sunday

    Jurong Bird Park >> Zoo >> Night Safari (7:30)Buying tickets in advance at the airport is cheaper (cash only) or purchase them at Heritage Hostel, a Korean guesthouse in Singapore.

     

    Jurong Bird Park

    - Accommodation > 9 minutes > Outram Park > 21 minutes (every 5 minutes) > Boon Lay Interchange > buses 194, 251 > 14 minutes (every 5 minutes) > Jurong Bird Park > 9-minute walk to arrive.

    - SGD $29

    - 08:00~18:00

     

    Singapore Zoo

    - From Jurong Bird Park: by taxi it''s about 30 minutes and should not exceed SGD $15. By public transport it''s at least 1 hour 30 minutes, SGD $5 per person > Singapore Zoo.

    - SGD $33, buy in advance.

     

    Night Safari

    - It''s next to the zoo. SGD $45

    - 19:30~00:00

    - Night tram total duration: 40 minutes

    - Performances are on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before public holidays

     

    - Monday

    Sentosa & Universal (10:00~22:00)

    - Chinatown Station > 6 min > HarbourFront Station

    - Universal: Opens at 10:00. Ticket booth opens at 9:00. About 50,000 KRW?

    - Luge: Buy tickets in advance (can be purchased from Korea). Single ride, 3-ride, 5-ride tickets. If bought in advance, single ride around 10,000 KRW.

     

    - Tuesday

    Orchard Road >> Singapore Flyer, (Promenade Station)

    - Chinatown > 4 min > Dhoby Ghaut > 3 min > Orchard (Orchard) > Might be walkable from Dhoby Ghaut?? Check the map

     

    Singapore Flyer

    - SGD $33 - buy in advance

    - Ride duration: 30 minutes. Operating hours: 08:30~22:30. Last entry 22:15.

    + Take a boat tour along Clarke Quay, Choa Chu Kang tour, Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay

     

     

     

     

     


    My gap year is

     

     

    Experience ★★★★☆


    Learning ★★★☆☆


    Environment ★★★☆☆


    Safety ★★★★★


    Leisure ★★★★★


     


     


Why This Project

What makes this project special

#Career & Direction#Wisdom & Capability#Knowledge & Skills#Wildlife Rescue#Field Internship#Animal Volunteering#Gain a Positive Mindset#Love for Animals#Travel and Volunteering Combined#Veterinary Volunteering#My Own Career#Explore Career Values#Find What You Love#Emotional Healing#Restore Self-Esteem#Recover Myself#Singapore Travel#Environmental Protection#Overcome Limits#Unique Experience

Take just one brave step.
GapYear will take care of the rest.