CALLING ALL GROWN-UP GAPPERS, CAREER BREAKERS & MATURE VOLUNTEERS!
Career
Break to get back your inspiration?
Unpaid leave or a Sabbatical?
Time for Change of Career, or just
Time Out to refresh your soul?
Retired
and want to contribute your skills and have fun
All our programmes are open to
all ages. Just choose the one that appeals to you - it could change your
life! The opportunity to
discover the world and make a difference while having an exciting travel
experience is for everyone, not just for young gappers. Projects like
ours make perfect career breaks and give you an excellent entry on your
CV or résumé - and in the current economic climate, that is a very good
thing!
More and more older volunteers
are now venturing into the unknown in return for a life changing
experience! Living and working in a community that is so far removed
from the routine existence of the Western world it is impossible not to
come back with a brand new perspective, higher energy levels, greater
motivation and a general sense of increased clarity and peace!
More and more professionals are taking
time out of the rat race by taking unpaid leave from work or time out
between jobs and heading off into the unknown. "I have
returned a restored individual, but not just restored, also mellowed,
contented and optimistic." Neil Munro, 66.
According to the Guardian
newspaper, employees are
becoming increasingly likely to allow staff a period of unpaid leave.
Time out keeps staff happy and productive, it boosts moral and keeps
staff long-term.
Travellers placements are extremely
flexible and start from only 2 weeks. Your ideal placement can be
catered around your specific requirements and flexibility.
The popularity of sabbaticals
is so great that the mid-career break is the fastest growing sector of
the gap year market. It seems more and more workers would rather climb a
mountain before climbing the career ladder.
“As an older
volunteer with a family, it was important that I had support, which I
certainly did. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for making it so much easier.”
Nayna Kennedy , 53
Volunteering abroad is quite a
dramatic step often with life changing results. Do you need a break from
working life? Are you retired with time on your hands and looking for a
truly rewarding experience? Are you looking for a new direction or at a
cross roads in life? Do you sometimes feel that there is more to it all
than the same old mundane stuff? Do you dream of a proper adventure? Do
you want to spend your energies and efforts on something more
worthwhile? Did you ever dream of cultures new and exotic?
Can you see yourself raising
Orang-Utans in a rainforest? Scrubbing an elephant in a river with a
coconut husk? Teaching cheeky children in Africa or Asia to speak
English or to play cricket? Is it time for a dramatic step?
Click hereto read
a Case Study By Travellers Volunteer Deanne Michelle Peterson on her
Multi-Marine Conservation & Street Kids Projects in South Africa
which she did to rebel against turning 40!
Travellers
has been sending volunteers of all ages on worthwhile placements in 16
destinations worldwide for nearly 15 years. Many of our older volunteers
choose to take time out from work, or in between jobs, to fulfil a
lifetime’s ambition or to spend their retirement productively. One lady
in her 70s has enjoyed three marvelous placements through us so far!
Many adults don’t realize that these gap
year experiences are also available to them. It is less common to don a
rucksack and head off into a jungle village once we grow up, or so
people think. However, it is happening more and more and with a growing
number of mature volunteers - you will not be alone in your venture into
the extraordinary!
Maybe you would like to have an adventure with your
family, your son, daughter, neighbour
or your partner… Can you see yourselves walking in the wide open spaces
of the African terrain alongside baby lion cubs or an ocean safari
adventure monitoring dolphins and their behaviour? You will work during
the weekdays and travel on your weekends, sampling the local cuisines,
natural beauties and cultural traditions.
Don’t let the kids have all the fun!!
Have a look at what is available to you and what you and the world can
offer each other. There’s a community somewhere waiting with open arms
for you. What are you waiting for?!
We will happily put you in contact with
past volunteers who have been on our programs and we have much more
information on each of our projects with specific details such as
whether you will live in a home-stay with a local family or a hostel,
what the working hours are, exactly what the work involves, what other
volunteers are booked, availability and so on.
No qualifications are required - only
enthusiasm and a desire to absorb a new culture and way of life. Below
is some feedback from some past volunteers taking full advantage of the
Grown Up Gap Year Experience!
And to prove it, below is some feedback from the many older volunteers
who've thoroughly enjoyed their projects with us.
"I am a
qualified 66 year old who spent 28 years lecturing in university who for
me this new experience exceeded all of my expectations.
There is a vast gulf in standards, manners and so on between some
youngsters and me, three times their age, it was good for me to learn
how to cope with this.
Overall my placement was the most incredible experience of my life – a
beautiful park, delightful people and wonderful animals.
I will remember it all with gratitude and joy for the rest of my life."
Watch Graham Jenkins (an older volunteer) washing an
element and hear what he has to say about his placement at the
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri
Lanka
40-something Paul Edmunds was one of the Travellers volunteers
filmed by the BBC for their "Grown-Up Gappers" series. Here he is in
Ghana, introducing cricket to the children for the first time
OLDER Volunteers...
MATURE Volunteers...
YOUNG Volunteers...
RETIRED Volunteers...
you're welcome on
ALL our projects,
so don't be hesitant, just choose whichever project interests you - it
could change your life!
Our projects attract vast
numbers of people in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’ and 70’s and there is a
wealth of opportunities to choose from. You can make a real difference
to the world and you'll return with precious and vivid memories that
stay forever
colourful.
"Overall my placement was the most
incredible experience of my life – a beautiful park, delightful people
and wonderful animals. I will remember it all with gratitude and joy for
the rest of my life."
Neil Munro, 66
Jane Allen: Sri Lanka
The young and the not-so-young mix together well to
enjoy some sightseeing and exploring in Ukraine
An overview of the types of Projects: Jane Allen Paul White Michelle Hatfield
Lisa Godfrey Neil Munro
Julie Fox Debbie Risborough
Angela Cotton
Jane spent 2 weeks in Sri Lanka at our Elephant Orphanage Experience
programme, based in the world-famous government-run Orphanage which is home
to retired, abused or orphaned Elephants.
....Just to let you know I am safely back in the UK, I could have done
with another week really. It’s going to very hard to adjust to normal day to
day routine.
Anyway I'm writing to let you know how much I enjoyed the placement. It made
me feel I could do a bit more, perhaps in 2009. The Elephants were
wonderful, such a bunch of characters!
Thank you very much, Jane Allen.’
Paul White: India/Ghana/Malaysia/Vietnam
Paul has been on four
placements with Travellers over the past few years. Teaching in Vietnam,
Malaysia, Ghana and India he has become something of an expert on our
projects! Paul is a qualified teacher who likes to make the most of the
holidays by volunteering his experience in worthy communities and in turn,
bit by bit, exploring the wonders of Asia and Africa.
This reminds me of why I became a teacher in the first place.
..I am still being well taken care of by all concerned. I was totally
knocked out by the snorkelling, it was like swimming in a marine aquarium.
In fact I wondered whether I had died and gone to heaven! Will have to do a
lot more before I come back to boring old England” (whilst on his placement
in Malaysia)
Michelle
Hatfield: Malaysia
Michelle Hatfield spent 2 months in the rainforest of Borneo at Sepilok’s
famous Orang-Utans Rehabilitation Centre.
….The hardest thing we had to do was to leave! I feel privileged to have
been part of this project and would like to thank all of those people who
helped to make a dream of mine come true. At times I took some of the (orang
utan) babies outside to show them where their home would be eventually -
the jungle. I hope that I may return one day to see some of “my babies”
free and swinging happily in the rainforest canopy.
Lyn Lunn: Sri Lanka
Lyn spent 1 month in Sri Lanka at our Elephant Orphanage
Experience programme, based in the world-famous government-run Orphanage
which is home to retired, abused or orphaned Elephants.
....just to let you know I am back from Sri Lanka
safely. I had the most amazing time and I wished I could have stopped
longer. The elephants are great and to be able to wash and feed them was
awsome. Plus, being able to do some travelling at the weekends was the icing
on the cake. People who were there were very nice as well. The only thing
that we all thought about was if travellers could provide some rakes and
shovels for people to use this would be a lot easy for them to do the work,
they could be left at the house and taken each day by the volunteers. Again
thanks for all your help and thanks to all the staff in Sri Lanka. If I
decide to do something like this again I shall definitely do it with
travellers . Have a good Christmas regards, Lyn Lunn’
Lisa
Godfrey: India
Lisa spent 1 month
teaching at an orphanage in Madurai in South India on a Travellers
placement.
This placement met my expectations and more, and there was more than
enough work; starting at 8am through to 4pm, and I wasn’t still! I worked
in general child care, bottle feeding, hygiene needs, bathing (43 children
daily!), teaching staff, and playing with children.
Neil Munro: Zimbabwe
Neil spent 4 months on a
placement with Travellers working at a Lion Breeding Project in Zimbabwe.
I am a qualified 66 year old who spent 28 years lecturing in university.
For me this new experience exceeded all of my expectations.
My flights to J'burg and Bulawayo were interesting as we flew lower than
usual so could see the ground the whole way. I spent a night in Bulawayo
so arrived here last Wednesday after an 8-10am bus ride to Gweru where I
was picked up.
By 11:30 Cleo (a 3 month old cub) had completed my initiation with an
impressive inch and a half claw gash across the back of my right hand.
(She did have reason) It's healing well though. 'Lions' claws are
certainly impressive -worse than their teeth when they are young. After
lunch I spoke to the elephants then watched them swimming with guests and
finally chasing a crocodile from the lake. Amazing stuff!
I have done a boundary fence check on horse back and next day had a riding
lesson. Had a day trip to Great Zimbabwe Ruins with 3 girls and a guide
driving. They are fascinating structures - a fortress on huge rocks
reminiscent of Edinburgh Castle and massive stone structures.
I am by far the oldest volunteer, the next one, A.P (for Accident Prone),
is 35. They are all good fun and we get along well. The guides,
administrators and staff are all super and easy to get on with. Bobbie
(male) the head guide is amazing with the lions and was teaching me today
to bond with 4 lions about 1 years old. 2 Male, 2 Female, & about the
height of big Alsatian dogs but with much bigger heads, legs and paws. I
am losing my apprehension as I am working with them and indeed have some
confidence now.
I spend most time with 6 week old cubs who don't see properly yet nor
co-ordinate too well. They are very sweet. Also Casper and Cleo who are 3
months & also still bottle fed. These 2 are devoted to each other having
lost 3 siblings. This devotion is touching but is making it difficult to
bond with them. I hope I am making progress though.
Everything is great, food, accommodation, laundry; with mostly comfortable
temperatures. It is hot for a couple of hours a day but that is easy to
bear. Everyone is waiting for rain so that will be interesting.
Never has so much been crammed into 7 days. It is certainly hard to
believe. Thank you to you all and will try to report again soon.
All the best
Neil
Julie Fox: Malaysia
Julie took part in the
Orang-Utan placement in the heart of Borneo.
Well I have been back in the country for 2 weeks and my is it hard. I do
miss Sepilok (the people, the orangy's, the rest house staff) terribly.
There were lots of tears on the last day I can tell you.
I just wanted to thank you very much indeed for accepting my application
to do the project as it has definitely been the best 2 months of my life.
Albert (the Malaysia Organiser) is fantastic and was extremely helpful.
And most importantly the new accommodation, the rest house, is superb. The
staff there are fantastic and it is a real home from home. They made us
feel really welcome and I felt like one of their family. I am definitely
going back to visit in a year or two.
Debbie
Risborough: Argentina
Debbie Risborough, taught in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 3 months.
What was the best thing about your placement?
The people that I have met. All the travellers people are
lovely, the children and staff in homes that I teach in are also wonderful
people as are the people that I do my Spanish course with. I feel I have
been very lucky to have had such good people on my placement. Would you recommend this placement to anyone else?
Yes definitely and I already have.
Angela
Cotton - Kenya, Mombassa
Njeri is
delightful, isn’t she? A really lovely, helpful, welcoming lady. Arriving
at the house at nearly 8pm was a (wonderful) eye opener. The mararus, the
noise, pot holes, people… You will know how lovely the family is, so warm &
welcoming and with a ‘hurricane lamp’ I settled in my room and began to
unpack.
The heat,
amazingly, doesn’t affect me at all. I feel alive, younger (!), fitter (and
HAPPIER) than I’ve ever been, and nothing bothers me. All of us
at Travellers meet with Njeri weekly as you may know & it is a lovely,
friendly, happy evening. Yes, I’ve been out evenings! We attended a Gala
dinner in aid of the marvellous Wema Centre on Friday. Fabulous food, & the
kids from Wema plus street kids sang & performed wonderfully.
On Moi Day, a public
holiday I went to the beach with my co-worker at Wema – 12 camels on the
public beach – such fun. Saw 2 monkeys on the wall en route. Wema, what can
I say it is just amazing, inspirational, mind-blowing. I love it there,
can’t get enough. I adore the children and they seem to have taken to me.
So much to say - I
think you get the picture. I LOVE IT, & THANK YOU. Much love, Angela x
Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring
Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595 Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179
Email:
info@travellersworldwide.com
.
