Saturday 4 May 2013

Our W.L.P. volunteer Alessandro

Today we want to introduce you Alessandro - he will travel in June to Gulabgarh to visit our women from the Women's Literacy Project, get to know them and to work in the school (Himalyan Cultural School of Paddar).
This is very exciting: for us, for Alessandro and of course for our women.
Here's a short interview we had with him:
Name: Alessandro Bordoli
Age: 23
Coming from: Vero Beach, Florida, United States of America
But living at the moment in Spain; the reason:
Teaching English for a year at a School of Languages in Santiago de Compostela.
I finished my Bachelor’s Degree last year in Political Science and Economics at the University of Florida. My eventual plan is to go to law school (perhaps in the area of international law) and then politics, but I decided to take a few years off to see new places and experience new cultures before I settle into school and a career. My family is Italian and we visit our relatives every summer in Italy, so I have traveled extensively throughout Europe, and I have always valued international experience.
Occupation: Language and Culture Assistant – I teach about the culture of the United States as a supplement to the English courses offered at the school
Travel Dates:
Departure Date: June 5th, 2013
Visit in Gulabgarh: June 8th to June 15th (about one week working at the school and helping Tashi)
Tashi picks me up in Srinagar and then takes me to Gulabgarh for one week.
What brought you to the W.L.P.?
I met Mari de la Fuente this year, a fellow teacher here in Spain, and we had talked a lot about volunteer opportunities. I have always dedicated several hours a year to volunteering and always seek out new opportunities. I had a specific interest in volunteering in a long-term program in Africa or Asia for this coming summer, since I have almost a month (June) free. Unfortunately, most volunteer programs ask for sizable program fees, and this is something that is difficult for me to afford as a student with a large amount of debt owed for my university education.
Mari mentioned her past experiences with Tashi and the W.L.P. in India, and I thought it was perfect. I quickly emailed Tashi, and from our first email exchange I could tell this was the opportunity I was looking for. I am thrilled to be able to travel away from the normal tourist destinations and experience the true culture of this region, so far away from my own home.
Why are you interested in this project?
I love to volunteer. My parents came from very poor backgrounds, and have found success through hard work, but they have instilled in us (my 5 brothers and I) an awareness that not all people have been as fortunate as us. They have taught us to always give back, and to help people. This experience in Gulabgarh is especially exciting as it is an international one, and in a place that I have never been.
What are your feelings when you think about your visit?
Excited, as this is an opportunity that I have always sought. However, of course I have the normal feelings of nervousness going to a new place, traveling by myself, and going to a region of the world that most people know mostly as an area of conflict.
Are you interested in volunteering, too?
Just send an email to Tashi – lonpoadventure@yahoo.in

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