COUNTRIES WE SUPPORT
WITH VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN THAILAND
WHY
THAILAND
"Asia is not only a continent, but also a well-defined yet mysterious place, situated somewhere between India and China. Populations, their doctrines and their religions came from here; here the human race and life as we know were born; from this place the images of the gods and the tablets of the law came."
- Herman Hesse -
"In my opinion the rule of thumb is: when you find yourself in front of crossroads, and a road goes upwards and another one goes downward, choose the former. It's easier to go downwards, but in the end you find yourself in a hole. Going upwards gives hope. It is difficult, it's a different way of seeing things, it's a challenge that keeps you awake."
- Tiziano Terzani -
Thailand is an extremely fascinating country. Its extraordinary old culture mixes up today with several Western influences. Mother Nature was kind with Thailand: transparent sea, dream beaches, wonderful temples, wild jungles. Despite the international trade activities are growing, there are still "slums", that is shanty towns. The children we host in our centers come from these areas, and often are orphans. The situation in jails are also tragic, and many mothers get into troubles when they get imprisoned. This why it is so important to support these people: a country's wealth is in its culture, laws and humanity. Women here are not very well protected, especially in jails.
Thailand is a very good place for relaxing and volunteering at the same time. It is a welcoming country, where people are known to smile very often. It is the birthplace of massage techniques, the food is delicious, the weather is warm all year long, and the sea is always very near. It is a good compromise between a touristic journey and a volunteer experience.
THE VOLUNTEER ROLE
There are plenty of activities the volunteer can do in our centers. They can work in one of our two day care centers, which both host 1-to-5-year-old children coming from the slums, who were abused or whose mothers are in jail. For this reason, they are psychologically suffering and in need for a lot of attention, caring and love.
The requested tasks are simple and funny, but definitely important for the children. The volunteer will help them when they take a shower, when they go to sleep, when they eat, when they brush their teeth and put their clothes on, when they learn English and so on. They will communicate with them mainly in a physical and intuitive way, since the children cannot speak in English. For this reason, during the introductory day, the volunteer will be taught some basic Thai words in order to be able to communicate essential concepts.
Communication is not that complicated as it may appear: children understand the volunteer does not speak their language and they will use body language to make themselves understood.
Some children, especially those who were abused, tend to behave in an aggressive and violent way with their peers. In this cases, the volunteer can help to cushion the tension and increase the self-esteem and independency of the child, who will in turn feel safer and protected, and will not feel the need to take advantage of others anymore.
The children here are very well-mannered, and it is important that the volunteer fosters this tendency to kindness and gratefulness, since these are two very important values in Thai culture.
Moreover, the volunteer will be asked to teach simple dancing steps and songs to the children to be performed all together in the morning as a productive and funny activity.
The working hours are 7 am to 1-2 pm. Afternoons and weekends are off, and the volunteer can choose to stay at home with the hosting family or to explore the surroundings.
SOHO'S SITES IN THAILAND
SOHO operates in two day care centers, both of them situated in Phuket Town, the main city on the Phuket Island.
To learn more about the facilities, please
ROOM AND BOARD
The volunteer will be hosted by a local family accurately selected. In this way, they will live a full immersion experience. This a valuable and unique chance.The lodgings are very simple, but definitely clean and respectable: a mattress on the floor, wi-fi, fan, and other amenities we are happy to give to our volunteers. The volunteer will have breakfast and dinner at their hosting family's house, while the lunch will be offered at the day care centers. We will provide food with little or no spices, or at least we will try to give the volunteer the choice to eat as they prefer. If the volunteer has specific food requirements, the family will be happy to help. The family will also provide them with drinking water, some bread and snacks during the day. The selected family can speak English, but the volunteer should be aware of the big cultural barriers and understand that there can be different ways of expression and different timings. They should be patient and determined in order to make the communication simple and effective. The family will provide food and lodging even during the weekends, but the volunteer can choose to use them in their travels.
FARES
SOHO asks the participants for a donation to cover the staying costs, which are FOOD (3 meals a day and snacks), LODGING (at a local family's house with wi-fi and fan), SOME TRANSFERS (from the airport to the accommodation, and every morning from home to the care day centers). This donation will not include the flight and the travel assurance.
WARNING: FARES ARE A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT FOR SOHO. THE MAJORITY OF ASSOCIATIONS REQUESTS VERY HIGH AMOUNTS FOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS, SINCE THEY COVER THE HIGH SALARIES FOR THE ASSOCIATION'S WORKERS, VARIOUS COSTS, THE ASSOCIATION'S EARNINGS, ADVERTISING COSTS ETC.
SOHO OFFERS THE FAIREST FARE POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE STAYING OF THE VOLUNTEERS AS RESPECTABLE AND SAFE AS POSSIBLE, IN QUALIFIED FACILITIES AND WITH RESPONSABLE AND PROFESSIONAL LOCAL STAFF. AT THE SAME TIME WE TRY TO HELP THE LOCAL FAMILIES TO HAVE A LITTLE ECONOMICAL INCOME BY GIVING THEM AN HONEST JOB.
SO WHY SHOULD YOU PAY FOR A VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE? THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS VERY SIMPLE. NONE OF SOHO'S STAFF MEMBERS GETS A SALARY. THIS IS BECAUSE WE CHOOSE TO GIVE ALL THE MONEY WE GATHER TO THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST. IF WE WERE TO PAY THE FLIGHT AND FOOD AND LODGING TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, WE WOULD NOT BE LEFT WITH ENOUGH RESOURCES FOR THE FACILITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE AND WOULD NOT GIVE THE LOCALS THE CHANCE TO HAVE A PROPER JOB. ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE WANT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO DO THIS WONDERFUL AND ENRICHING EXPERIENCE. SO WE ARE ASKING YOU A FARE THAT COVERS ONLY THE ESSENTIAL COSTS, WITH NO SPECULATIONS.
SPARE TIME ACTIVITIES
Working hours are 7 am to 1-2 pm every day, but Saturdays and Sundays. In the afternoon and during weekends, the volunteer can explore the surroundings.
SOME IDEAS?
PHI PHI ISLANDS: Phi Phi Leh, the famous beach where the movie "The Beach" was shot, and the colourful Phi Phi Don are only one hour away from Phuket by ferry.
BIG BUDDHA: On Phuket Island, on the top of a hill there is a big white Buddha statue. The road up to the hill is very panoramic and evocative, and the spirituality of this place is magical.
JAMES BOND ISLAND: In one day you can visit the sea caves and the Phang Nga stack, where a famous James Bond movie was shot.
KO PHANGAN: The three enchanting isles of Ko Samui, Ko Tao and Ko Phangan are situated on the opposite side of Thailand. The latter is famous for the hippy lifestyle and the fool moon parties. It is really worth visiting it.
BANGKOK: You will love it or hate it. The city of angels is overwhelming, but its markets, pagodas, channels, skyscrapers, temples are unique. It takes some days to visit in its entirety.
SIMILAN ISLANDS: These idyllic islands are uncontaminated and can be reached by boat.
PATONG: A beach in the Phuket Island. This is one of the most disputed places in the world. Nightclubs mix up with shops selling fake brand products. Along the beach there are malls full of goods, you can see Thai boxing matches next to ambiguous massage centers. Unfortunately, Patong's reputation is true, but it si worth a lifetime visit.
DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE
WOULD YOU LIKE TO
GO TO THAILAND?
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN
GHANA
"I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses "
- Nelson Mandela -
"Africa touched my soul already during the flight: up there looked like a bed of ancient humanity. And at 4000 meters high, sitting on the clouds, I seemed to be a suit brought by the wind"
- Saul Bellow -
"Danny, give me your hand. This red earth, it's in our skin. The Shona say the colour comes from all the blood that's being spilled fighting over the land. This is home. You'll never leave Africa"
- Blood Diamond -
Let your spirit always lead you on to discover the world that surrounds you with its eccentricities and wonders. Once discovered it, you will love it"
- Kahlil Gibran -
"If you can rejoice of other people's joy, you are the most respectable inhabitant of the village"
- African proverb -
WHY
GHANA
For this reason, it represents Africa in its purest way, a land with many little villages and sheds, wild animals and uncontaminated jungles. Since there is no tourism here, Ghana gives the visitor the chance to live a unique experience, a full immersion in the most authentic version of this continent.
The official language is English. It was chosen as a common language, since the country is full of different regions with different languages. So the communication here is quite simple and effective, and rarely you will find someone who does not even know basic words in English.
Ghana does need humanitarian help. Drinking water is still a rarity. Diseases, such malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever are still very common. Children get very often abandoned, for this reason there are hundreds of orphanages.
For all these reasons, a volunteer experience in Ghana can be a difficult one, yet important and enriching.
Ghana is a long and narrow piece of land, situated between Togo and Ivory Coast, in Western Africa. It is an uncontaminated, wild and very old country, where there is no tourism.
SOHO'S SITES
IN GHANA
SOHO operates in an orphanage in the Dodowa village, about 1/2 hours away from the capital city Accra.
To learn more about the facility, please
THE VOLUNTEER'S ROLE
Unlike our project in Thailand, where the volunteer will assist children in their daily activities, in Ghana children are independent.
The orphanage hosts 200 children of all ages, and the eldest ones help the youngest ones to eat and get dressed. This makes the volunteer's work much easier: they can concentrate on recreational, playful and teaching activities, which can be of interest for the children.
The children's need for love and caring is very strong. They are always looking for the volunteer's attention, since the volunteer is their anchor and a measure for their self-esteem. The volunteer serves as a guide and a parent, and orphan children really need this.
The orphanage has no working hours. This is not a day center, but a facility with resident children. The volunteers organise themselves on the basis of daylight, outside temperature and especially rain. We recommend not to go out after the sunset because of malaria.
Children do need physical treatments. Even a simple mosquito's prick can immediately become infected because of African high temperatures and sand. Drugs are difficult to find, there are no physicians who can assist them every day, and the nearest hospital is in Accra. This is why volunteer physicians, healthcare assistants, or people who have a general medical knowledge are highly looked for and welcomed.
ROOM AND BOARD
SOHO is collecting money to build a clinic in Dodowa . Our association has already bought thanks to donations , the land on which to build the structure , which will also include dormitories for our volunteers . For now , the volunteers will be staying in a lodge near the orphanage
FARES
SPARE TIME ACTIVITIES
Working hours are 7 am to 1-2 pm, except for Saturdays and Sundays.
In the afternoon and during weekends, the volunteer can explore the surroundings.
SOME IDEAS?
MARKETS: Every village has its own market. The colours, the women selling their goods, the red sand roads, the smells are an experience in the experience. Definitely recommended.
CANOPY WALK: Known as one of the most thrilling bridges in the world, it is situated next to Cape Coast. It is made of long stranded cords over trees.
KAKUM NATIONAL PARK: A jungle full of trees and medicinal plants, a wonderful flora with adventurous paths in the wild.
CAPE COAST BEACHES: blue sea, fisher boats, waving palms and a soft wind are the ingredients of the magical Cape Coast beaches.
CAPE COAST'S CASTLE: It represents the black page of Ghana's history, that is slavery. Here you can relive the stories of men and women shipped to the Americas by Portuguese and English colonizers. Touching and instructive.
DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO GHANA?
SOHO asks all volunteers a donation to cover the costs of his stay , which includes FOOD ( 3 meals a day and snacks ) - ACCOMMODATION ( Room in Lodge with air conditioning and a private bathroom ) - SOME TRANSPORT ( from the airport to the Lodge ) . The presence of a Focal Point always available in case of need and payment of staff on site . It does not include air travel and travel insurance .
