Testimonials
'Volunteering as a 'builder's apprentice' building a sink unit at a small school in Surin, Thailand was fun and eye opening from the word go...'
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Volunteering as a ‘builder’s apprentice’ building a sink unit at a small school in Surin, Thailand was fun and eye opening from the word go. We arrived at an empty plot at the school surrounded by building materials and got to it straight away. The builders and Starfish staff had us in giggles all day and I even surprised myself at how much I enjoyed learning to mix cement with a hoe! We assisted the builders who even allowed us to lay bricks and tiles despite our obvious lack of experience! It was great to see the sink unit developing day by day and how the builders improvised with basic tools and resources. From hammering to grouting, sand sieving to cement mixing, we worked and played hard in beautiful rural surroundings where the sun shone everyday. When the unit was finished we all carved our names in cement and commented on how good it was knowing that the money we donated had gone towards paying for the materials and that the unit would help improve hygiene levels at the school.
Diana volunteered on our School Development Project
Read more about our Building Volunteer Work
‘I chose to work for 3 weeks as a volunteer physiotherapist for Starfish after graduating in 2007. I spent my first two days in the local private hospital, .... ' Laura
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I chose to work for 3 weeks as a volunteer physiotherapist for Starfish after graduating in 2007. I spent my first two days in the local private hospital, where they have a fantastic physiotherapy department. But people living in the villages around Surin cannot afford to pay for care at this hospital. This means they have no access to healthcare, other than some small, government-funded clinics, which is where I mainly worked. My first day was quite a shock as I pulled up to the clinic and saw a queue of patients waiting for me – the village elder, who is like a mayor, had sent a message to everyone in the village that a physio was in town! But everyone waited patiently and it was great to be kept busy and feel like I was really making a difference to these people. The clinics are small, basic and poorly funded, however the nurses who run them are fantastic. They work so hard at their job and are so happy to have you there helping and sharing your experience. And they are constantly feeding you a wonderful array of Thai delights!
I saw a huge range of conditions during my time in the clinics. Often I saw patients that had suffered strokes years before but had been unable to pay for any hospital treatment. These were probably my most challenging patients, and I only wish I could have stayed for longer and given them the rehabilitation they deserve. And I will never again moan about having to treat 6 week old injuries on the NHS because of waiting lists after treating a gentleman in his 70’s whose injury had happened when he was 10 years old! Just imagine having to wait 60 years to see a physio for your injury! This really shows how much these people need our help.
My experience with Starfish was the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life. The generosity the Thai people showed me when they have so little touched me deeply. They are so grateful for the little that they do have, and so grateful to have you there. They always want to give you something of theirs – normally food!! I also believe that my volunteering helped me to secure a job on my return to the UK, in what is a difficult time for graduate physiotherapists. I hope to work for a while and save up so that I can return to Surin some time next year and experience the laid-back Thai way of life all over again!
Laura Hollingshead was a volunteer physical therapist
Read more about our Physical Therapy Work
Starfish is a fantastic organisation and we would recommend their ventures to anyone
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"Starfish is a fantastic organisation and we would recommend their ventures to anyone. The placements are well organised and the people are both helpful and knowledgeable. Many other volunteer organisations only offer 3 or 6 month placements, which don't cater for people who have full-time jobs. We volunteered for 2 weeks with Starfish and had a brilliant time - we'd definitely go again!"
Sisters Nikki and Sarah Welsby, after two weeks of community work in Surin and the elephant village.
Read more about our Summer Special working with Elephants
I spent 3 months on a venture with Starfish that literally turned my life around
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As I flew out of Bangkok and towards home, I flicked through a magazine and there staring me in the face was the perfect slogan.
Thailand: "The Land of Smiles"
I spent 3 months on a venture with Starfish that literally turned my life around. Instead of backpacking amongst ‘like minded people’ to well known areas, I lived within a Thai community and learned what it's like to be content with very little, and appreciate things that we take for granted.
I was looking for new direction in my life, having spent 4 years as a dancer on a cruise ship, so I threw myself in the deep end and became a volunteer.
The Starfish team welcomed me with open arms. Always approachable, easily accessible and helpful; we soon became great friends.
My 1st few months, I worked with children at a local care centre and also helped with various projects in the community. These included painting a school, digging to provide ponds for families' and teaching English to anyone and everyone! The children are so keen to learn. Their enthusiasm is infectious. Many a times I wondered just how many Thai children I could fit into my house in England!!!
In my third month, I moved location, and worked on a remote island with a team of experts to keep endangered species of turtles alive. While I was there we released a giant turtle back into the wild. It was incredible to have helped him on his way to being healthy and independent again.
During my free time, the Starfish team helped me to plan site seeing trips, which were affordable and rewarding! It was perfect to have a balance of both.
So.....If you want an experience that will absolutely blow your mind then look no further!!! I didn't, and now I am planning my next trip back to the land of smiles to teach English full time!
Kate volunteered Teaching English, as a Building Volunteer and on our Turtle Conservation Project
'During my visit I saw many fascinating things and met some very friendly and interesting people...' Duncan
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My name is Duncan Anderson and I completed an English Teaching venture during the months of October and November in 2005. During my visit I saw many fascinating things and met some very friendly and interesting people. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dan and June for giving me this opportunity and for making my stay so special.
Thai people are extremely friendly and generous. The laid-back and welcoming atmosphere was very pleasant and very easy to become a part of. The teachers at our host schools were generally very amicable and in some cases went very out of their way to make our stay in Thailand as special as possible. All schools provided food and refreshments and some went as far to take us out for lunches and dinners, on excursions at the weekends and provide us with presents, souvenirs and mementos when we left.
Everything (except wine!) was extremely cheap. This meant that we could dine on amazing food in local restaurants for next to nothing. Transport, the Internet, clothing and anything else you could wish for was all exceptionally reasonable.
The volunteer house was fantastic and exceeded my expectations. The shared kitchen and communal courtyard were ideal for socialising with other volunteers and this made living very comfortable.
Unlike Bangkok, I felt very safe in Surin. There was no evidence of crime or violence and this was comforting because there were times when we were out late after dark.
June was our contact in Surin. She insured that we were comfortable both with our living arrangements and our school placements. She organised tuk tuks and other transportation for us and accompanied the volunteers during trips to the doctor and the hospital. It was very reassuring knowing June was there for us and I couldn't have asked for more from her.
Dan met our group in Bangkok and made us all feel very welcome. We were put up in a nice hotel, went for dinner in a traditional restaurant and taken to see some of the capital's nightlife. The following day we used a taxi, train and tuk tuk to take us to our accommodation in Surin. Without Dan there I would have found the whole experience very overwhelming. This integration into Thailand and its culture was very important and resulted in a successful start to the venture.
During my second month in Surin, pupils and teachers returned to school properly and I was given a timetable to work in two different schools. My hours and number of days was flexible and this allowed me to do additional 'modern jive lessons' on a Friday. This flexibility allowed me to commit a comfortable amount of hours to pupil contact time, planning time and a social life.
It was evident that the children's vocabulary was, in most cases, good or very good and it was easy to add to this knowledge since repetition and written exercises are what the children were accustomed to. Getting the children to utilise this knowledge in sentences and spoken English was the real challenge.
I was very fortunate that my visit to Surin coincided with both the Elephant Festival and the Loy Kratong Festival. The elephant buffet element of the festival was probably the highlight of my trip and holds many special memories. These festivals definitely added to my venture. Since Surin is relatively detached from the Western tourist areas, the volunteers were made to feel special and in some resects revered by the local people - something we would not have felt if we were located in Bangkok or another major city.
Duncan Anderson volunteered Teaching English
'I had just finished my A-levels and was going to take a gap year before going to uni, and I wanted to do something worthwhile with my time off..' Katie
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I had just finished my A-levels and already knew that I was going to take a gap year before going to uni, and I wanted to do something worthwhile with my time off. I did some research on the internet and found the Starfish website- I made a phone call to Dan that day and by the end of the call I'd decided that I would volunteer for 2 months combining some teaching with the school development project.
Before I met up with Dan and the other volunteers, I travelled for a month with my boyfriend- I wanted to get a feel of Thailand before I started my venture. It is beautiful; clear blue sea, white sand, sparkling temples, gorgeous scenery. you can experience some amazing things. I would definitely recommend trying to see a bit of Thailand if you decide to volunteer with Starfish. It gives you the chance to compare two completely different ways that Thai people live. As soon as you get to Surin, it is very different to the more touristy areas of the country- almost a relief to escape the busy cities and islands!
The first month of my time in Surin was going to be spent on the school development project where we were to help create an outside teaching facility and garden areas for the children. When we arrived there on the first day the site we were to work on was a completely blank canvas- the earth was dry, clay, uneven- it was difficult to imagine we would be able to achieve what we eventually did! The first week was the hardest by far, digging massive holes, breaking up the clay-ridden earth, making a hill! But even so it was a lot of fun. All the volunteers joined in and worked as a team, even the kids mucked in a lot which was great.
Six weeks later our task was complete. After weeks of laying turf, staining wood, planting flowers and fruit trees, making stools and benches out of random bits of wood, we had achieved our goal. What was once an area of nothingness- is now a beautiful garden area, complete with a secret garden and a huge sala big enough to teach two classes at a time. All that hard work had paid off.
Unfortunately I didn't have as much time teaching as I would have liked, but the time that I spent at Ban KhaeYai school was amazing. Everyone was so welcoming and the kids were very keen to listen to me and learn from me.
I had a fantastic time in Thailand- Dan and June not only helped us to settle in, they invited us into their lives, and for that I am very grateful. The other volunteers were lovely too, and I will stay in touch with everybody. I plan to go back to Surin again next year.
Thanks Starfish for making my Thai experience something special, I'll never forget it. And I'll be back!
Katie Hodgkinson volunteered Teaching English and on our School Development Project
'We can both honestly say that it was one of the great experiences of our lives, and if anybody is debating whether to embark on a Starfish project, then do it!!!..' Debra & Peter
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We've just got back to the UK after one month based in Surin, Thailand with Starfish Ventures. I have been teaching English and my wife has been nursing and teaching. We can both honestly say that it was one of the great experiences of our lives, and if anybody is debating whether to embark on a Starfish project, then do it!!!
Dan and June, the Starfish organisers in Surin met us in Bangkok, and the fun started that evening! They were a fountain of knowledge and advice and we knew that they would sort out any problems. They helped us arrange trips on our days off, and we had great breaks to Kho Samet, Cambodia and Kho Chang (don't miss that one!).
I have never taught before, but the intensive weekend TEFL course set me up well for the job, and Starfish coordinated everything brilliantly both before and during the trip. I was a bit apprehensive on my first day teaching, but I needn't have been. The Thai kids are wonderful - very keen to learn, very respectful, and a total joy! After a busy but hugely enjoyable English Camp at one school, we even taught the kids to play rounders and cricket! My only regret was that we were only there for one month - I could happily have stayed for many more.
My wife, was mainly based at rural clinics helping the nurse practitioner, and loved sharing knowledge of routines and practices. All the clinic staff were really welcoming, and patients seemed to take to a 'farang' treating them! She also taught one day a week, and came on the three day English Camp, enjoying the teaching nearly as much as the nursing, much to her surprise! I had great difficulty stopping her from bringing half the kids back with us.
Without meaning to sound like an advert for Starfish Ventures, they really helped make the adventure such a success, and we are now trying to persuade all our friends to get off their backsides and be volunteers! To be a valued member of the community, if only for a short time, is so much better than being just a tourist.
Debra volunteered on our Nursing Project and Peter volunteered as a Teacher