Media Centre for Volunteer in Ghana

Emily’s Story: Life On The expedition

From day one, the positive environment on base was evident. In this expedition, we were fortunate enough to arrive on Songkraan - the Thai New Year. Sharing the date with the hottest day of the year, Songkraan is celebrated by literally soaking neighbors, family and friends with water. Ao Luk was vibrant - erupting in a city-wide water fight. Pick-ups filled the streets and from their beds, passengers doused anyone that passed. Coming by the bucketful, their generous showers were met with return fire from onlookers' water pistols. To witness people of all ages taking part, always with a smile on their face, set a brilliant tone for the rest of the expedition. Even after Songkraan passed, the good times continued. Although the days are long, the work challenging, and the routine concrete, the experience is second-to-none. The opportunity to live and work with people so different than those I would meet in my everyday life has been eye opening and to share with them in the TEFL training has been amazing. GVI Thailand has a real sense of a teaching community where ideas are exchanged daily and everyone has a common goal in mind: to be the best teachers they can be. And it shows.... The classes offered at Ao Luk's Non-Formal Education Center are well attended and GVI is a respected organization in the community. Once in class, one can see just how valuable this project is. Students are enthusiastic and are committed to learning. It is an absolute pleasure to teach. Finishing your first lesson, although it was daunting at first, is a real thrill. The students in their eagerness to learn are so bright and welcoming to new teachers that even the toughest lesson is a joy. As I approach the close of my first five weeks, I'm proud of what this group has accomplished and look forward to more time in the classroom and our continued growth as teachers.