Student Says: "Ghana Changed My Life!"

I recently returned from Senchi Ferry, Ghana where I served for two weeks as a volunteer through Global Volunteers. It was the most amazing trip, and it completely changed my life! I had never traveled much outside of the United States, yet I have always wanted to go to new and exciting places, so this was a dream come true for me. Beside, being of service was an important consideration for me and so was being safe. Even though I was concerned at first that the wide expanse in ages among the team members would make it hard to relate to one another, it was quite the opposite. It was amazing. It was so great for us students to hear of all of the exciting places most of our team mates had been. I had lots of questions for the older volunteers, and we learned so much from them. I soon realized that outside of age, we had many things in common, especially our desire to serve and help the community!

I've been since inspired to focus my senior thesis on the Ghanaian educational system. I got everything I paid for and more! I miss Senchi Ferry immensely. I loved teaching the kids and enjoyed our weekend trips around Ghana. Ghana was overall an unforgettable, life changing experience! - Samantha Calandrino, CT

Thank you for my India Trips of a Lifetime

Thank you all at Global Volunteers so very much. I had a wonderful time serving in Chennai again this year. I have Stephen and Sheeba and the Hosts to thank for my experience. Stephen is a most remarkable, patient, generous, kind and wise man. He and Sheeba care very deeply for the children and all the people who host the volunteers and help them to do their work. I am again so impressed. I think of Stephen and Sheeba and Stephen's whole family as my "Indian" family!

I was so sad to say good-bye to his parents and neighbors and relatives. We have become so close.I also am grateful to Stephen and Sr. Rose for making a dream come true: together they worked for three months to locate a little boy I met last year at Assisi....Augustine. Stephen helped me make arrangements so that I could go see him and play with him again. Holding him has been my biggest wish of the past year and I feel that now I have established a connection with his family that we can stay in touch.

There were so many wonderful moments; children who have hearts as big as the country itself....love to play and sing and be held....they even loved just touching my arms and smelling my hair. From lives that could be about sadness - these are remarkable, resilient children.They have so much to teach about true meaning in life. I am grateful to them for the lessons I learned. You get out of the experience - what you put into it. For me, personally, I go, give, and get back 100-fold.

~Joelle Imholte

Congratulations: China and Cook Islands Partners

On behalf of the school English teachers who have had the honor of attending the training program of the Global Volunteers, I sincerely send the congratulations upon the 25th anniversary of Global Volunteers! We are grateful to all the volunteers as well as the country manager for the greatest effort they have put to advance the mutual understanding of the Chinese and American people.

After the training, our teachers not only made progress on their conversational English, but also learned the importance of showing love to their students. As the host in Kunming, I hope that the Global Volunteers program takes roots and bears fruits not only in the big cities but also in the rural and ethnic places where people badly need help both spiritually and academically.

~Chris, Li Baokun from Kunming teachers' training center/China

It is with much pleasure and thanksgiving , that I take this very special opportunity, on behalf of CIANGO and the people of the Cook Islands, to congratulate and wish the Global Volunteers the very best for a very Happy and Joyous 25th/Silver Anniversary on the 27th of January. May God richly bless the Global Volunteers, with another 25 years or Golden Anniversary, serving in the Cook Islands!

Kia manuia with much love,
Mrs. Vereara Maeva Taripo, President of CIANGO

Volunteer Grateful for Service Opportunities

Dear Global Volunteers,
I so appreciate your updates, for I am a devoted volunteer and supporter of Global Volunteers! My late husband and I first went with a team to Rota, Spain in 1998 - then had planned to go Italy but had to cancel because of health problems for him. He died in June, 2007 and I felt I needed to be away for that first Christmas. That is how I went to Chennai, India - with a remarkable team - there were 8 of us. We still keep in close contact and one team member visited me in July. She is returning to Chennai in January 2009 and will be there for the baptism of the baby son of our team leaders, Stephen and Sheeba - so I am crocheting a shawl for her to take - that perhaps can be used at the christening. It is a project of love!

I have signed up to go to Hanoi in May of 2009. Like many - I have a limited income and budget very carefully, but this is a neccessity. Vietnam has special meaning for me as my husband and I volunteered at our neighborhood high school - a class taught by a friend who works with students coming in from different parts of the world - with limited English. I share your concern about the present economy - and also feel the programs of Global Volunteers are more important than ever. So I'm cutting corners on expenses in every way possible to look ahead to my next service program - maybe Christmas 2009.
- Aleatha Scholer, devoted volunteer