8.4.3 Case Studies: Volunteer Tourism
Completion requirements
8.4.3 Volunteer Tourism
How should I respond to globalization?
What's your idea of a holiday? For most of us, a holiday might be a week at a resort, a few days at the family cabin, or some time camping. For most of us, a holiday is a time to relax, unwind, and have fun. For Leah Akrigg and her husband, holidays took on a whole new meaning when they decided to volunteer at an animal rescue centre in Ecuador for five weeks.
The Santa Martha Rescue Centre takes in animals that have been mistreated or animals that need homes. They try to rehabilitate and release some animals, but others such as the cats cannot be released because they lose their instincts too quickly. There are two centres, one near Quito and the other in the Amazon jungle. The Akriggs volunteered at both centres.
The Santa Martha Rescue Centre takes in animals that have been mistreated or animals that need homes. They try to rehabilitate and release some animals, but others such as the cats cannot be released because they lose their instincts too quickly. There are two centres, one near Quito and the other in the Amazon jungle. The Akriggs volunteered at both centres.
Leah at the Santa Martha Rescue Centre
Courtesy L. Akrigg
Courtesy L. Akrigg
Leah at the Santa Martha Rescue Centre
Courtesy L. Akrigg
Courtesy L. Akrigg
Leah at the Santa Martha Rescue Centre
Courtesy L. Akrigg
Courtesy L. Akrigg
Leah: My husband and I were trying to think of something "different" to do to escape from our daily routines. We wanted go to a foreign country for more than a holiday and were up for a challenge. We thought that volunteering in South America would be interesting and started researching opportunities. There were plenty of things to choose from: working with Indigenous communities, planting trees, taking care of children at orphanages, and teaching English.
We decided to volunteer at an animal rescue centre in Ecuador that specialized in rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals that had been mistreated or that were in trafficking situations. Its goals is to improve the animals' quality of life and perhaps release them back into the wild.
When we arrived, we found volunteers from many different countries such as England, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the United States. Our day started at eight o'clock in the morning with feeding and watering of the animals. After that was completed, we worked on projects for the rest of the morning. Projects involved improving animal enclosures and odd jobs around the centre. We were able to have a 'siesta' after lunch and started work again at four o'clock with cleaning the animal enclosures.
Working at the rescue centre was a very emotional time for me. It was heartbreaking when some of the animals could not be saved and died at the centre. There were times when the animals improved and it gave me personal satisfaction knowing that because of the help of volunteers like me, they had good chances of having a better life and even being released.
I believe after my volunteering experience, I have become more open to new ideas and more tolerant of others. I found working with volunteers who all had different ideas on how to do tasks very challenging. Sometimes you were expected to be a leader and other times a follower. Also, having the chance to work with people from Ecuador and learning their way of life was fascinating. What better way to learn about a culture than to be immersed in it?
I am very thankful I had the opportunity of going to Ecuador to volunteer. It was a rewarding experience and a great way to travel, make friends, learn new skills, and help others.
We decided to volunteer at an animal rescue centre in Ecuador that specialized in rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals that had been mistreated or that were in trafficking situations. Its goals is to improve the animals' quality of life and perhaps release them back into the wild.
When we arrived, we found volunteers from many different countries such as England, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the United States. Our day started at eight o'clock in the morning with feeding and watering of the animals. After that was completed, we worked on projects for the rest of the morning. Projects involved improving animal enclosures and odd jobs around the centre. We were able to have a 'siesta' after lunch and started work again at four o'clock with cleaning the animal enclosures.
Working at the rescue centre was a very emotional time for me. It was heartbreaking when some of the animals could not be saved and died at the centre. There were times when the animals improved and it gave me personal satisfaction knowing that because of the help of volunteers like me, they had good chances of having a better life and even being released.
I believe after my volunteering experience, I have become more open to new ideas and more tolerant of others. I found working with volunteers who all had different ideas on how to do tasks very challenging. Sometimes you were expected to be a leader and other times a follower. Also, having the chance to work with people from Ecuador and learning their way of life was fascinating. What better way to learn about a culture than to be immersed in it?
I am very thankful I had the opportunity of going to Ecuador to volunteer. It was a rewarding experience and a great way to travel, make friends, learn new skills, and help others.
from Leah Akrigg, Calgary