Volunteering around the world can bring you a new outlook on life! IHF, International Humanity Foundation, has six orphanages; four in Indonesia, one in Thailand, and one in Kenya. They are changing the lives of the children and volunteers. The following is a letter from Mindy Nye, one of the volunteers from California:
Hello! I am a work-study volunteer here at IHF in Chiang Rai, Thailand. For a long time, I have wanted to travel and see the beauty of Thailand. However, – I didn’t want to go as a tourist and I wanted to give back and meet the people of this wonderful country. I told a friend in San Diego about my wish and a couple of days later she sent me a volunteer opportunity she found on Idealist.org for IHF. I did some research and liked that they were not specific about religious affiliation, and they respected the religions of the countries they were in.
I applied for the volunteer position and got my acceptance letter within two weeks. My only concern was how I would get my employer to give me one month off from work. Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t a problem. My company did layoffs, and I was one of them. So I booked my flight, and before I knew it I was on a plane headed to Chiang Rai, Thailand!
I left San Diego on January 15th. I didn’t arrive in Chiang Rai until January 17th. In my head, I kept thinking, “I hope this is worth all the travel.” I arrived at the IHF center extremely tired and hungry. The wonderful directors told me to take a nap before the children arrived so I could meet them feeling refreshed.
I awoke to the chatter of children, except in a language I did not understand. I remembered I was in Thailand, and it all started to click. In a bit of a daze, I sat myself outside to listen in on an English class being taught to the three youngest children by a previous director named Aaron. I was amazed at the kids’ memory of past English classes and the pictures they drew to match letters of the alphabet. I immediately knew I was in the right place. It has been two weeks now since I first arrived here. I have gotten to know the children’s names and personalities. All 16 of these kiddos will forever be in my heart. When I ask myself again, “Was it worth all the travel and preparation?” – Most Definitely!!!
Mindy made a choice to make a difference in the world! Little did she know how it would change her life! Her adventure continues. She left Thailand to help out at one of the other centers on the island of Bali, Indonesia. This adds to her already exciting trip because back in San Diego, she is a surfer. She has “checking out the big waves” on her agenda.
So, if you would like to “do something” consider volunteering at one of the centers… Don’t have the money to make the trip? Do not worry…there are schools, civic organizations, and churches which may consider sponsoring your trip. The IHF centers are also in need of some “at home volunteers” who can donate an hour a week with some computer work. For more information check out the website “International Humanity Foundation” – the link is provided on this page.