Prasant Chongbang joined our projects in Dahuwai in Yangshuo and Weifeng Foreign Languages School in the summer of 2017. Please read on to hear more about their experience:

Please can you tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments of the trip?

I really enjoyed the first-hand experience of being able to teach the students English, as well as being able to bond with the teachers and staff that were helping with the process. Meeting fellow volunteers from around the world was also an exciting and fun prospect to experience.

Which were the highlights of the lessons, cultural excursions and outdoor activities?

Being able to have the opportunity to partake in activities that not only let us bond closer to the students and staff but also activities that were arranged for us to integrate with the public as well. So, being able to do various activities such as water rafting, hiking, bonfires and other countless activities were fun and a highlight of my trip to China.

How would you say the overall experience has benefited you?

It has benefited me greatly, as it has definitely made me more confident and outgoing. During the course of the summer programme, it made me get involved with activities I would never have had done prior to this project. It has also broadened my outlook on life as getting experience of what life is like on the other side of the world are significantly different and being able to experience the difference was amazing.

What was the best thing about your experience in China?

Being able to interact with the locals, Chinese staff and other volunteers. Getting to meet various different people from various backgrounds and sharing our knowledge with each other was really fun and amazing. So getting to meet all kinds of people made the trip worthwhile.

Would you recommend participating to a friend and if so why?

I would definitely recommend them to participate within a programme like this because it offers various activities and benefits that other programmes does not offer. Such as being able to actually live with a host family and getting an insight into what other peoples’ life is like is an opportunity that rarely comes around. It also improves you as a person as you are challenged in various ways.