Serena Dempsey Geography2014

The experience gained has been invaluable for any future career as it has given me the opportunity to live and work abroad developing personal maturity and responsibility as well as communication skills to overcome many language barriers.

From July 3rd to August 31st 2012 I volunteered in Israel in HaCarmel women’s shelter which houses refugee women and children from Eretria and Sudan. This involved caring for children from 9 till 6 each day when their mothers went out to work to either earn enough money to eventually support themselves or to send remittances back home to Eretria and Sudan. There were also several orphaned children and teenagers ranging in ages from 9 up to 18, some with special needs, which we had to look after full time. I heard about the role through family connections to the owner, however there was a full application process which involved sending in a CV as well as filling in questions relating to motivations and capabilities for working abroad. Also as it is part of an organisation based on Christianity a pastoral reference form had to be completed, however they do also accept non-believers or people of other faiths as volunteers.

As far as influencing my future choice of career I was already set on going into a career involving international development. From hearing the harrowing stories of the refugee’s journeys from Eretria and Sudan through Egypt to Israel, this is still an area I am interesting in working in because if there is a possibility to improve the economic as well as social situations in these and other developing countries it would lessen the flight of refugees to countries which are struggling to cope with such large population influxes. From the volunteer work I have already done at the shelter there is always the chance to volunteer again, however the offer of a paid job is unlikely as it is an organisation which mainly relies upon volunteer work. However the experience gained has been invaluable for any future career as it has given me the opportunity to live and work abroad developing personal maturity and responsibility as well as communication skills to overcome many language barriers. The work itself has helped develop flexibility, endurance and independence as well as a detailed understanding of other cultures and the plight of refugees. I have also been able to meet other volunteers from across the globe, supplying future opportunities to travel and volunteer alongside them in many different countries.