GVI Ex-Volunteer Case Study

Name: Averi Becque

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Country of Residence: United States

Start Date: January 2009

Volunteer Program: Childcare Volunteering Program in Guatemala

Read on to learn more about Averi’s GVI experience...!

GVI – What were your initial reactions when arriving on the project?

Averi – In addition to being very excited, I was immediately impressed by GVI's

attention to detail in every aspect of the program. From the first morning when
Dom and Doreen showed the incoming group of volunteers the slideshow
explaining GVI Phoenix and the work it did, it was obvious that the projects were
very well planned with attention to creating the maximum positive impact
through every aspect of the volunteer's stay in Guatemala. From the relationship
to the host families to the special community projects like Plan Ancianos or the
stove building, everything was interconnected and created positive impact that
would outlast the stay of the volunteer. That was what made me feel the best
about my work with GVI – the work that my friends and I did would have lasting
effects which would continue even after we left Guatemala.

GVI – What was the best thing about your trip?

Averi – The relationship that I developed with the children I taught and the other
community members that I interacted with was above and beyond the most
meaningful part of my volunteering experience. I also really enjoy the fact that I
now feel like I have a global network of friends that stretches from Guatemala to
Australia to Dubai that is made up of friends that I met while volunteering for
GVI.
GVI – What do you feel you gained from going away with GVI?

Averi – I credit GVI with putting me in an environment where I could experience

Guatemala in a way that would not have been possible if I had just been
travelling as a tourist. My time volunteering as a first grade teacher also
heightened pre-existing interests in education, and the community projects that I
took part in through GVI drove home the importance of volunteer work that
creates sustainable benefits for the communities involved.

GVI – Is there a particular memory or interesting story you can tell us?

Averi – My last time visiting the community of Santa Maria was for the
quinceañera of one of the daughters of our school's principal. This is one of the
most remarkable instances of being welcomed into a community that I have ever
experienced. To be invited into the home of a family and to share such a special
occasion with them was incredibly meaningful to me. With the girl's family and
friends we attended mass, ran down the street in the pouring rain sheltered only
by bright sheets of plastic and afterwards shared a celebratory meal. This was
the culmination of the five months that I spent in the community of Santa Maria,
and being able to experience this level of being welcomed into a community
made me feel that my efforts as a volunteer were coming full circle. It was the
best reward for my work that I could possibly have received.

GVI – Has going away with GVI changed your life in any particular way?

Averi – Working with GVI made me reconsider what is meaningful and of

importance in my life. It deepened my understanding of the complexities of
poverty but also showed me that it is entirely within each individual's capabilities
to make a significant difference towards alleviating the issues that poverty
perpetuates. My experience with GVI has helped shape what I plan to study at
university and the projects that I take part in through my university. I think that
the experience will also ultimately play a significant role in the career choice that
I make upon graduation.

GVI – Would you recommend GVI to your friends?

Averi – I have already done so and will continue to do so. I'm happy to say that
I've told five friends about GVI who have gone on to do projects both in
Guatemala and other countries.

GVI – Feel free to tell us any other interesting stories/facts/jokes/memories from

your trip or GVI in general!

Averi – I still use the funny little Spanish expressions that I learned from my host-
mother, Doña Bity, in my university Spanish classes, much to the surprise of my
professors and teaching assistants, who cannot understand how my grammar
can be so poor yet I utter "¡ayiyiyi dios mio!" like a Guatemalan grandmother.

About Global Vision International (GVI)

GVI is an internationally based volunteer abroad organisation which offers

volunteer programs in Africa, South America, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Formed in 1998, GVI provides support and services to international charities,
non-profits and governmental agencies through volunteering opportunities and
direct funding, filling a critical void in the fields of environmental research,
conservation, education and community development. Various types of overseas
volunteer work are offered including volunteer holidays, gap year volunteering,
short term volunteering, long term volunteering, volunteer internships, intern
abroad programs, student volunteer abroad programs and employee
volunteering trips abroad. Available subjects include marine biology,
environmental research, teaching and scuba diving courses in various locations
around the world.

For more information on volunteering abroad, please visit http://www.gviusa.com

or http://www.gvi.co.uk.