Omprakash

• About
  • How it Works
  • Vision
  • Team
  • Board
  • Partner
  • Partner Application
  • Grant Opportunities
• Volunteer
  • Volunteer Abroad Opportunities
  • Connect with Volunteers
  • Volunteer Abroad Grants
  • Volunteer Grant Recipients
  • Preparing to Travel Abroad
• Stories
  • Volunteer Abroad Stories
  • International Partner Stories
• Media
• Resources
  • Resources
  • Resources for Teachers
  • How-To Resources
  • Travel Resources
  • Documentary
• Classroom
  • PhotoPals
  • Camera Grants
  • Collaborators
• Support
  • Donate
  • Expand Our Network
  • Fundraising for our Network
  • Our Supporters
• Blog

Current & Past Volunteer Stories

Want to know what it might be like to volunteer abroad? 

Omprakash volunteers have been posting stories, photos and even videos from their time abroad since 2007. We now have an extensive collection of personal stories from volunteers who've worked with our partners abroad. You can browse through the most recent stories below or use the category selection tool to narrow your search. Alternatively click on the Stories tab for each organization we work with to see specific accounts from a particular organization. Be careful - you might lose a couple hours of your day in here! Happy reading. 

sort by:    regions All Asia Africa Middle East Latin America United States Europe Online opportunities category All education health environment women's empowerment construction economic development disaster relief

 

Camila Leiva: Recommendation Taller de Paz April 19, 2012 Taller de Paz, Colombia Camila Leiva I was a volunteer with Taller de Paz (TDP) from June to Mid-August of 2009 in Bogotá, Colombia, as well as a member of the team that prepared the workshops in the six month before arriving to Colombia. Working as a TDP volunteer, or tallerista, was the most wonderful experience I have had doing youth work. The TDP team welcomed me, even though I joined the team several months after they had already formed as an organization (when we were all students at Swarthmore College). I was a valued member of the team from the very beginning, and was able to bring in my ideas about how to structure our workshops and the curriculum for each workshop. My fellow TDP members provided me with articles,... Read More

 

 

Alejandra Ramirez Becerra: Recommendation Taller de Paz April 13, 2012 Taller de Paz, Colombia Alejandra Ramirez Translation: My experience with Taller de Paz has helped me to understand that time has a certain value of which we are often unaware and much less make the most of. Given that it is a project that runs during the summer and that they work with kids who have gone through very difficult experiences (of which I personally have not had to deal with) with the intention that the kids can learn and grow from you and more than anything you from them, it has been a fantastic way of using my free time. My vacation was no longer just a break from academics and a prioritization of my social life, but also a moment to recognize that I was capable of much more. I know very well that Taller... Read More

 

 

Very rewarding volunteer opportunity! April 16, 2012 The Sexto Sol Center for Community Action, Mexico Amanda Mortl I truly enjoyed volunteering for Sexto Sol in Motozintla, Mexico. Sexto Sol is mostly powered by a fantastic husband and wife team: Tamara and Francisco. They helped me find my way to their town, and picked me up from the bus stop with warm greetings. I stayed in their two-story guest house, but always found myself in their home/kitchen because Tamara and Francisco were such great company. The best part of working with them was learning from their experience and wisdom. I learned so much about the communities they work with, their struggles and triumphs. It changed my worldview to become more compassionate. They provided me with all sorts of volunteer opportunities based on my interests: gardening, teaching, coordinating other volunteers, research, etc. They have... Read More

 

 

Sexto Sol deserves all the help it can get. April 15, 2012 The Sexto Sol Center for Community Action, Mexico MaryAnn Beverly I first became aware of Sexto Sol several years ago. I am the site manager for actor/activist Edward James Olmos. In 2006, he asked me to add a new page to the web site dedicated to Sexto Sol. At the time, we had no pages devoted to the many nonprofit organization he supports, and I was intrigued. It was obviously important to him because he sent a letter and several pictures that he wanted included on the page. He wrote in part: rn rn"An important part of (Sexto Sol's) work to confront poverty is to provide assistance to schools that serve indigenous children. These schools are unique because they are the only places where indigenous children can receive some teaching in their own language in a region where local cultures... Read More

 

 

El Sembrado de Maiz May 03, 2012 Escuela de la Calle, Guatemala Alyssa Hoyle Every year the students of EDELAC, several family members and others from the neighborhood of Las Rosas hike up to a nearby plot of land to plant corn. After a morning of hard labor, everyone shares a communal meal, and then begins the trek back to the school to resume classes. It was beautiful to see the community come together and spend the morning working, sharing and laughing. Comment on this story

 

 

Halfway Point May 01, 2012 Escuela de la Calle, Guatemala Alyssa Hoyle Time in Xela has a strange way of passing by. On the one hand, I can hardly believe I have already been here two months- they seem to have flown by in what feels like the span of hardly a week; on the other hand, somehow it feels as if I have been here longer- that the level of comfort I have achieved in this new country in only two months shouldn't be possible. My quanderies about time aside, it is nice to feel that in this moment I am exactly where I am supposed to be. My time volunteering at EDELAC so far has been an absolute joy. Every day I look forward to seeing the teachers, the other volunteers, and of course, the kids. These kids all have stories... Profe Aly: Bibliotecaria, y Maestra de Arte/ Fotografia Photo Class Fernanda Reading Art Project with 1st Grade Luis, my daily helper in the library Read More

 

 

Camping Trip May 01, 2012 Seeds of Hope, Peru Madeleine Sophie The following story depicts a picture of some of the fun excursions we have during our time off on weekends while volunteering with Seeds of Hope. 6:30 A.M. I hear A's voice “Madie, it's time”; time to get our stuff ready to go camping! I eat half a chirimoya (second best fruit, after mangos) and some yoghurt for breakfast, pack every wool item I have into my mini backpack and am ready and extremely excited to be going camping. Y goes to see if the 5 kids we had invited to come camping with us were ready and waiting for us. We had invited the 5 oldest kids of Seeds of Hope to accompany us on the excursion. However, only 2 of them could come, and another 2 younger brothers... Read More

 

 

Lessons Learned May 01, 2012 Amy Biehl Foundation, South Africa Michael Perugini      In the story preceding this one, I stated that I learned a lot at Amy Biehl and in Africa generally. Well, I would be a poor story teller (and Omprakash grant recipient) if I didn’t share at least some of what I picked up. What follows is a genuine, albeit partial, collection of the lessons I learned in the past three months. I’ve tried my best to avoid tried pseudo-profundities, but no promises.     Some of the best things in life are entirely unplanned. For me, the most memorable nights out were entirely spontaneous. Maybe it’s because expectations are high, but evenings with itineraries are rarely as enjoyable as those that start with “I’m bored. Let’s go out.” Not knowing where the night will take you always makes things more... Read More

 

 

"Recate de calle" a project of CENIT April 25, 2012 CENIT - Centro de la Niña Trabajadora, Ecuador Ulrike Hartmann My name is Ulrike, I'm from germany and I worked at one of the markets called "el Camal". Four month ago I came to Ecuador and started working at CENIT. From all their projects for volunteers I chose "rescate de calle", kind of a kindergarden for the kids working on the markets, because I thought it was the most interesting one. In the mornings we always pick up the children from the market, most of them working there with their parents, and all together we go to a small room right next to the market. Then we always wash their hands, brush their teeth and then we are singing songs and playing games. Every day we are also making an activity with the kids, like drawing, doing handicrafts or teaching... Read More

 

 

"Rescate de calle" - my unforgettable experience with the children from the markets April 25, 2012 CENIT - Centro de la Niña Trabajadora, Ecuador Nicole Artmann After I finished school, i decided to go to Ecuador, here I am. Since four month I am working at CENIT , this week is my last... In the morning I always working at one of the biggest market in Quito, called San Roque. When we arrive at the market, first of all we are gathering all the children between three and five years and going to our room. We are starting the day with singing and questions about the day, the weather, the country.. After that we are washing the hands with the children and brushing their thees. It is always nice to see the children, how much fun is that for them.Then it is time to play :) We have a lot of books, balls, Lego... Read More

 

page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138

• Site Map
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• FAQs
• Contact Us

© 2011 Omprakash Foundation. All Rights Reserved.  Meet Our Team.

The Omprakash Foundation is a tax-exempt non-profit organization registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Tax ID# 20-8655418

The information on this website is being provided as a general resource for individuals planning to travel and volunteer abroad. The Omprakash Foundation and/or its representatives assume no liability based on the information contained herein in the event of accident or illness, or for damage or injury to person or property of any nature whatsoever.