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#Increased certainty and confidence about my career path #Practical experience in wildlife rescue #Pride; felt the preciousness of life
Because gap-year programs offer a wide variety of projects, I think carefully deciding which activities I feel particularly passionate about and which relate to my future career is the best way to get the most out of it. Volunteering to rescue rare injured wild animals in Singapore Kim Nari, gap-year participant (gapper) (28, office worker) / 2-week gap year |
# I decided to look for related volunteer work to gain direct experience
Hello, I''m Kim Nari, who participated in this gap-year project aiming to become a wildlife veterinarian. I believe it''s very important to try everything, so people often say I''m active and sociable. My hobbies are freediving and reading. ^^
Originally I graduated in business administration and worked in financial accounting, butI became disillusioned with my job and workplace and decided to pursue what I truly love, which led me to consider wildlife conservation.To find out whether I really wanted to work in this field, I looked for volunteer opportunities to gain firsthand experience
That''s how I came across gap-year programs.
* For Kim Nari, who strongly wanted to change, personalized 1:1 missions related to independence and confidence were provided daily, and a gap-year notebook to reflect on herself and make plans was also provided.
# Through the gap year, I was able to realize that this path was truly the direction I wanted.
Because I spent a year as an exchange student in the Netherlands during university, I wasn''t worried at all about staying for two weeks. I think ''once you actually try it, I can do anything,'' so even if you''re worried at first
I think it''s important to give it a try.
Before leaving,I watched the videos in the weekly emails sent by Korea Gap Yearand also read the orientation materials.(*Editor: Before you leave, we send videos with various information about the gap year and mindset preparation.)
I also skimmed the official website of the local organization where I would be staying; since you can find out specifically in advance what kind of place you''ll be volunteering at,
which I think is a way to reduce worries.
It was a considerable decision to give up the job I used to do and the studies I had learned to go a new path, and thatbefore making that decision, confirming whether this is truly what I wanted to do was my gap-year goalwas. AndAs a result, through the gap year I was able to realize that this path was truly the direction I wanted.
# A typical day in Singapore
Wake up around 8:30 AM, have breakfast (toast, cereal, etc.) and prepare to start the day.
Morning volunteer work from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. (Cleaning turtle enclosures, checking their condition, cleaning bird cages, etc.)
Lunch from 1:00 to 2:00 PM.
Afternoon volunteering from 2 PM to 5 PM. (Feeding distribution, behavioral enrichment, creating environments similar to the wild, etc.)
Free time after 5 PM. (If desired, you can also participate in night rescues.)
# A sense of pride and emotion I had never felt before flooded me.
Thinking about it, I don''t think I''ve ever focused solely on physical labor for two weeks in my life. Working outside in the hot weather and being bitten by mosquitoes wasn''t easy, butseeing that my efforts cleaned many animals, fed them, and made them healthiera sense of pride and emotion I had never felt before washed over me.
It may sound clichéd, but it was a valuable time in which I personally experienced that every animal, every life is precious.
In Singapore I worked cooperatively with local organization staff, volunteers, and volunteering students. We shared the same interests and they all had more experience than me, so we communicated well and I learned a lot. AndBasically everyone had an open mind, so if I started a conversation we quickly became friends and some even offered to show me around the city.
They knew more about Korean culture than I did, which I think also helped us bond.
If I had any hesitation or worries about changing my career path before participating,now I am firmly pursuing my goal of becoming a veterinarian, focusing straight ahead.
I think the greatest result is that I gained confidence and certainty.
# Want to enjoy the project more? Try participating in ''night rescues''!
In addition to volunteering within the organization, if desired you could participate in night rescue operations with local staff,that experience was very different and meaningful.Night rescue starts at around 7 PM,the activity consists of going to the location in the order the rescue requests came in, meeting the caller, and bringing in the wild animal that needs rescue.
The rescue targets vary each time; I was able to encounter a wide variety of animals such as monitor lizards, bats, pigeons, and pythons.Also, since many wild animals are nocturnal, there were times when animals that needed to be released were taken out at night and I released them myself.The best part about night rescue wasthat I could watch up close how the local organization actually rescues wild animals, and because we traveled together by car, it was an opportunity to ask local staff many questions about wildlife protection and get closer to them.
Also, night rescue usually starts without having dinner, sowe stop by a restaurant midway to eat dinner together, and because we eat at cheap and delicious local eateries, I recommend it to those who want a real local experience.However, because of the nature of night rescue you don''t know when you''ll return to the accommodation, so I recommend it to those with good stamina and high enthusiasm ^^
# To prospective participants
This project is actually open to anyone, but conversely, the more you know, the more you''ll see and gain.It is specialized in wildlife protection, andbecause the work done there follows set patterns, if participants study a book or documentary about wildlife beforehand,I think you will be able to learn and experience much more ^^
After I returned, I read various related books, and although the wild animals living in Korea and Singapore are different, the basic ways of handling wildlife and the things to be careful about are similar.
Through the Gap Year Project I was able to achieve the goals I had in mind.I think the reason I could do that was because I knew, to some extent, what I wanted to do and what activities I was interested in.
Because Gap Year has a wide variety of projects, I think the best way to get the most out of it is to carefully consider which activities you especially care about and which relate to your future career.
Even if it''s not specifically wildlife, if you are interested in animal and environmental protection, read those activities and reviews in detail; if you are interested in culture/arts, try related activities; if you are interested in education, participate in education-related activities.
I think it will definitely look more sincere and help when applying for jobs in a related field later ☺
# My Gap Year TIP
- Language
Volunteering itself is physical labor anyway, so English isn''t extremely important. However, even if you can speak some English, the staff at the organizations are of diverse nationalities and have various accents, so it''s helpful to get familiar with Singaporean pronunciation beforehand to make it easier to understand.Following Gap Year’s advice, I searched YouTube for Singlish and watched some videos before I went; that prior preparation seemed useful.
Even if you''re not good at English, the local staff are so kind that if you tell them you don''t understand and ask them to speak slowly, they''ll speak in a way that''s easier to understand. Also, in my personal opinion, besides Koreans at the local organizations... many local Singaporean students also come to volunteer; if you volunteer with those friends, talk with them and get close, your English will improve much more naturally and volunteering will be more enjoyable.
I think it''s important not to be too shy about approaching people first and to confidently start a conversation.Personally, I met up with friends I became close with and hung out in the city on weekends ☺
- Accommodation
At my pre-interview I had been told the accommodation wasn''t great, so perhaps because of that it was better than I expected and I actually felt relieved. There are many mosquitoes at the facility, but fortunately they hardly get into the accommodation so I could sleep comfortably. However, since the rooms only have fans, and I''m not sensitive to heat so it was fine for me, if you get hot easily it''s useful to bring a portable mini fan or ice packs.
- Meals
It was my first time having a proper vegetarian diet, and there were many different and tasty dishes so I was satisfied. Still, because Singaporean food has its own distinctive flavors, you might sometimes miss Korean food—when that happened I ate instant rice, cup noodles, seaweed, etc. If you are picky about food, bringing your favorite Korean dishes (excluding meat or fish) can be useful.
- What to bring
I overpacked (I even brought personal rubber boots, work gloves, and mosquito repellent^^;), so my luggage was heavy and a bit inconvenient. You don''t really need to bring all that—just comfortable outdoor clothes for activities (long pants are essential) and a pair of sneakers should be enough.
The facility''s washing machine and detergent aren''t in great condition, so I recommend bringing powdered detergent or laundry soap to wash clothes. Also, if you get bitten by mosquitoes a lot, it''s useful to bring sweat-absorbent arm covers that can cover your arms like I did (you can buy them at Daiso for about 2,000 won~).
I did bring mosquito repellent, but buying a local one is much more effective than Korean brands, so I strongly recommend buying one at a convenience store when you arrive at the airport^^
# My Singapore Destinations
I actually prefer natural scenery and quiet places over city sightseeing and shopping, so I visited such places on weekends. Famous spots are well covered in guidebooks, so I''ll skip those^^
Weekend of week 1: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Johor Bahru is a small city in Malaysia that you can reach from Singapore by bus or train in a short time. Thanks to the low cost of living, I enjoyed a nice hotel, massages, and Malaysian food cheaply. However, many people travel between Johor Bahru and Singapore on weekends, so I recommend leaving early in the morning or taking the train…^^;
Weekend of week 2: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
It''s a national park with very well-preserved wetlands and it''s not far from the organization. A local staff member also recommended it to me, so I went; while zoos have animals confined in enclosures, here the animals are all...You live in a natural, untouched environment, so you can experience real nature. Monitor lizards, monkeys, crocodiles.They live there, but I didn''t see any crocodiles. I recommend it to people who, like me, love nature~
My gap year is
Experience★★★★☆
I had almost exactly the experience I expected. I was able to take part in a variety of activities such as wildlife rescue, daycare, and outreach (external education). However, after about two weeks the daily volunteer routine is somewhat fixed, so you might feel the tasks become repetitive; personally, I think it could get a bit boring if you stay for more than a month.
Learning★★★★★
I didn''t have much prior knowledge about wildlife, but I learned a lot by observing on-site. The veterinarians, rescuers, and others in charge of each area kindly explained anything I was curious about and made efforts to let volunteers participate in various activities, so even though the time was short I was able to learn a great deal.
Environment★★★☆☆
Of course, since it''s a volunteer organization you have to accept some inconveniences, but for me the mosquitoes bit me a lot and that was the most troublesome part. Still, the toilets and showers were relatively okay, and I slept comfortably in the accommodation.
Safety★★★★★
Singapore itself is a very safe place, and the organization was far from the city with no nearby houses, so it felt very safe. Staff members were on-site and slept in the room right next door, which was also reassuring.
Leisure★★★★☆
Official volunteer hours end at 5 PM, so on weekdays you can do plenty of activities afterward if you want, and weekends are guaranteed, so I even went to Malaysia. If you have low stamina, I recommend resting in the evenings to recover your energy.
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