![]() At that very moment i knew it was going to be one of the best months of my life.Īfter we had made ourselves at home we said goodbye to Greta and shortly after we got in the car with some other volunteers and we went to Tehuamixtle, a town near by, to go snorkelling, as it was sunday. She helped us settle in at our Host Justina's House and then returned the next morning to take us to our project a couple of hours away.Īs soon as we got out of the car at the turtle camp in Mayto i was stunned. Her knowledge about the place is amazing and she always knew where were the best places to go. ![]() On the first day she showed us around the beautiful city and helped us to buy whatever we needed. As soon as i walked through the doors at arrivals until i walked back through departures when the month had come to an end, Greta, the Outreach international Coordinator in Mexico was always there to help us with anything we needed. Yanacocha's purpose is the reinsertion of the animal into the wild, so close contact with the animals is not recommended.Īfter months of planning, excitement and nerves i finally landed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Spend a month on a Sea turtle conservation project. Being part of the center gives great opportunities to interact with the animals but it doesn't mean that we can pet and hug them. ![]() THIS IS NOT A ZOO ! Everything is done for the animals' benefit (not so much for the visitors' benefit). We eat lunch and dinner all together (volunteers and coordinators), some of us cooking and cleaning dishes. The afternoon, there are different activities to be done, still related to the animal welfare. No concern, no stress, it is very relaxing: we take care of those gorgeous animals (= preparation of the food, distribution, cleaning of the enclosure), we spend time with them (no petting !! most of those animals are wild, so except for the food morning round, we stay outside), we make sure they are healthy and happy. In the morning, we read our program for the day, quite easy and straightforward (sometimes, a bit physical too) and the rest of the day goes smoothly. Leave your "always connected you" at home, and appreciate the restful environment. In Yanacocha, forget your routine, your job, your problems. Overall I would highly recommend the project or volunteering in general! It was an incredible month & was amazing to be involved in such a good cause. ![]() Having other volunteers I'm with the same host family was also good as it caused many interesing conversations & so a group of us could explore Ecuador together. ![]() This allowed me to be immersed in the culture & was really insightful & fun. A highlight of the experience of volunteering was also staying with a host family. I had limited to no Spanish before lessons on arrival but managed to communicate with the children & their level pf Spanish. As someone currently studying OT I assisted the children in these activities & sometimes conducted the intervention sessions independently. Within the OT practice the OT often saw multiple children at a time & enaged them in multiple typical OT activities. sensory integration, hand-eye coordination activities, facilitating normal movement development, encouraging language development & communication. I was involved in assisting with the children's needs & in activities to further their development e.g. Within the project I worked in the kindergarden (12 children with special needs aged 2 to 5) & in the OT rooms linked to the project. ![]()
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