Jade Morgan-Squire and Wayne McFarlane

Jade and Wayne visited Khoa Lak in south-west Thailand, volunteering at schools and teaching English.

Working in a beautiful part of the world

“I chose to volunteer with the Original Volunteers to Thailand organisation, and once I got there, they set me up in the Volunteer Teacher Thailand scheme. I taught English as a foreign language to children ranging in ages from five to 15. I would definitely recommend the organisation to anybody considering volunteer work. The people were lovely and respected us as volunteers for their community. Plus, the country is beautiful.”

Life lessons learned

“One thing I learned through my journey of volunteering was the creativity to think on my feet, which was a must when working with children as things didn't always go to plan. I also learned to be independent - travelling abroad is a scary thing especially if it isn't for the usual tourist holiday. The trip has helped me grow as a person.”

Amazing experiences

“What I would recommend for people who go is that while it is cheap out there, still save as much as you can so you are able to take part in all the trips which are available on your day off. For example, I went to a full moon party and a James Bond island experience. I also got to go elephant trekking and visit the floating markets.”

“I would love to travel to another country, or go back to Thailand and do this all again.” - Jade

Helping those who deserve it

“For my volunteering experience, I was tasked with attending local schools close to Khoa Lak to help improve the student's English. In my three-week stay, I attended three different schools for three days each, and spent the days off preparing and checking the lessons plans for the next day or week.”

“During this experience I gained a range of skills, including adapting to and integrating with unfamiliar surroundings, and developing teaching skills. I enjoyed interacting with the students and the activities that I participated in.” - Wayne