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Reflecting on my Gap Year Learning in India
Izzy- Geetanjali School , India (2019/20)
How did you find returning to Coll and reuniting with your cohort after 3 years?
Being back on Coll after so many years was so surreal. I don’t think it really sunk in until we arrived, that we were actually going back. It was so amazing after so many years to be able to have the opportunity to share our experiences together and see the Project Trust team and Coll again. I am lucky enough to still see a lot of my friends who I went to India with, but being able to go back to where it all started brought up so many emotions that I didn’t realise I had and made me so grateful for this whole experience. Coll has so many happy memories for me, and I feel like being able to go back gave me the best closure to my Project Trust experience I could have wished for.
How has your experience with Project Trust shaped what you have gone on to do?
Before I left for India, I was not sure what I wanted to do, but from working with the children at my school and finding joy in helping them with their progression I decided to apply to university. I am currently studying Social Work at the University of Edinburgh, which I truly do not believe I would have had the drive or confidence to do before my time away with Project Trust. I developed so many skills necessary for my degree and gained invaluable experiences that have helped me get to where I am today.
What was your favourite part about the 19/20 Debriefing?
My favourite part of Debriefing was definitely being able to reminisce about India all these years later, with the people who also experienced it and with new people who were so interested to hear. Being able to mix with other country groups not only gave me new Project Trust friends but also allowed me an insight into other people’s experiences. (We also got to swim in the ocean whilst the seals were there which was so fun. They kept popping their heads up and making us laugh).
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Exploring Gap Year Learning in Malawi
Ethan Humphreys- Umunthu Foundation, Malawi (2022/23)
What has been your biggest learning over the past 12 months?
It is quite hard to think of just one, but above all I had to learn to become more independent and mature. That’s not to say this happened overnight, as it didn’t. It was something I learnt as the year went on, to be able to take complete care of myself without relying on anyone else to help me with my day-to-day tasks. As well as this, I also learnt to stand up for myself. During my year I was put in lots of situations where this was tested, but with the right mindset. I learnt to stand up for what I believe in and developed confidence in the decisions I made without second guessing myself.
Who inspired you the most during your placement?
My host, David, is such an impressive and inspiring person. He started up the HIV NGO: the Umunthu Foundation and has been running it for the past 20 years, providing free testing and medication, along with spreading awareness to thousands of people in surrounding communities. During recent years following Covid-19, Umunthu’s external funding has declined massively. David has taken it upon himself to balance running the Umunthu Foundation with providing the NGO with his own personal funding.
I find him very inspiring as not only does he have the most dedicated work ethic I’ve probably ever seen, but he also always has a smile on his face. No matter how difficult the situation is, David is constantly optimistic about the future, despite many newfound hardships for the Foundation and Malawi in general. Whenever I think about David, all these amazing attributes come to mind. I aim to introduce his optimism and drive into my life, to make me an even better and more dedicated person in whatever direction I choose to take.
What was the best thing at Debriefing?
Debriefing was something I had been looking forward to for months before it took place, as just the thought of being back with everyone on Coll really excited me. When it got to Coll, seeing all the Volunteers from the other country groups after a year and reuniting with my group was everything I hoped it would be. It gave us the time to share stories and have a really good laugh with (and sometimes at) each other.
There’s nothing quite like being able to share 3 days with 30 other people who know exactly what you’ve just been through and understand the experiences you’ve had. The chance to finish the most incredible year in Malawi with the other 2022/23 Volunteers and the Project Trust team is all I could have asked for. I know I’ll never have a weekend quite like that again, making it all the more special. Those memories are the ones I’ll truly nourish and treasure for the rest of my life.
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Exploring Gap Year Learning in Ghana
Barney Mills- Seva Basic School, Ghana (2022/23)
What has been your biggest learning over the past 12 months?
My biggest learning was to not rely on anyone else or bigger longer-term goals for my happiness and to instead take things more slowly, making the most of living day to day and celebrating the smaller successes. While trying not to worry about the problems in the future to which I currently had no available solution. The Ghanaian idea of ‘small-small’ means you are getting a tiny bit better each time, and I think this idea is very helpful, and important to not focus on negatives or things that are uncertain about the future.
Who inspired you the most during your placement?
Sir Issac was my biggest inspiration. Despite being the second oldest teacher (probably around 39), he advocated vehemently the reforming and modernisation of the curriculum and the traditional school activities. He was the main coordinator and quizmaster for the exciting initiative of an intellectual quiz competition, which encouraged younger and gifted children to learn and be rewarded (for which I was the assistant quizmaster). All the children he teaches greatly respect him, alongside his colleagues.
What was the best thing at Debriefing?
I found debriefing important and cathartic for helping me process what had happened. The most important if not purely enjoyable activity was carefully listening to a mixed group of Volunteers talking about their perceived impact and the way their experiences had impacted them. Then I took my turn to stand up in front of everyone and reflect on my experience.
It was cathartic and positive as it felt as if all of us could relate to and at least partially understand each other’s challenges- hence it made me feel better and a lot less isolated in what you went through. Also, the range of feedback given throughout debriefing, covering the entire gap year journey from selection and recruitment to returning, was vital for Project Trust. It also shows how much the current Volunteers genuinely care about the experience that future Volunteers get and who hopefully will be taking this same journey.