It was on a whim that I decided to apply for the LEAP travel fund. I have always known I wanted to volunteer abroad, and the Dominican Republic was always a place I had wanted to visit. I did my research and found a fantastic charity called Aldeas de Paz or ‘Peace villages’. It is a charity focused on breaking down educational barriers and offering personalised support to children within the classroom. It gave me the perfect opportunity to discover whether I truly enjoyed teaching, and whether I was capable of leading a class as well as giving me the opportunity to improve my Spanish.
I volunteered at a Youth Community Care Centre every afternoon from Monday to Friday, and would deliver lessons (along with another volunteer) while helping the children focus and complete the tasks of the day. The centre was geared towards providing a safe learning space and inclusion for children with specific educational needs. There were two groups, the more independent group who would come to the centre Mondays and Wednesdays and the less independent group which would come to the centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
During the trip there were some obstacles which I had to overcome. The biggest obstacle was that the teacher of the class was taken ill a week into my placement. Therefore, another volunteer and I had to take on the task of planning lessons for both groups with little experience and not knowing the needs of each child. However, we were able to plan two weeks of lessons, covering topics such as the solar system, places in a city, Dominican geography and animals and their habitats in fun and inventive ways.
On Fridays, I would go on home welfare visits with the psychologist to see the those who were unable to visit the centre. Generally, they were individuals with more severe disabilities and/or did not have the resources to come to the classes conducted at the centre. We would adapt the lessons depending on each person and focus more on motor skills and memory tasks.
I surprised myself by taking the lead with lesson planning and finding resources for the two weeks the teacher was unavailable. Another surprise was how capable I was of adapting. I quickly realised that I had to get by with my relatively limited Spanish, which was a challenge but a welcome one, as it helped me improve. It was a good challenge and it motivated me to take Spanish lessons, which was a plus!
It was hard to take control and be the teacher after being the teaching assistant for a week, I thought the children wouldn’t take me seriously, but they were really receptive and welcoming to the idea. I also had to overcome how I was used to living. It was hard adjusting to a new environment, with new people and having to work within a team. After a few days, I was able to adjust and be able to lean on and ask questions to the other team members. I loved it there and the work I did was so rewarding and unforgettable.
Overall, the volunteering experience was so beneficial as it gave me clarity on what I want to do as a career. I think it has helped clarify my interest in teaching, as the organisation gave me the opportunity to lead and teach students myself. It gave me more confidence in myself and my ability to lead within a classroom. The volunteering opportunity also opened my eyes into a potential career in the charity sector as it was so rewarding to help out in any way possible with a charity that seeks to increase the educational experience of these children.
