Experience:
Organisation:
Name: Jonathan
Hometown: Corsham
Destination: Mexico
Project type: Teaching English
Organisation: Gap Activity Projects (now called Lattitude)
What were your impressions of your destination?
A fabulous country with an incredibly diverse population. The scenery where I was based was breath-taking. The schools were chaotic and poorly resourced. The people were very friendly.
Was the work interesting and challenging?
The work was excellent - teaching English to teenagers at three local schools. I was the only English teacher, so had to set the syllabus, teach the classes, and write the exams. Needed to be quite confident to cope with a relatively disorganized system and large classes of kids.
What was your accommodation like? Did you feel comfortable and welcome at all times?
I stayed with a Mexican family in the village where I worked. They were laid back and let me do my own thing. They didn't speak English and there were the inevitable cultural differences/teething problems, but by the end of my stay we were very close. I spent a lot of time with their teenage children - like one of the family.
Were you happy with the organisation and the staff that were responsible for you during your stay?
The organization gave me what I asked for - a remote project in a village without any other volunteers too near by. They didn't keep checking up on me which was nice - just left me to get on with it. The staff were friendly, and their contact in Puebla, Mexico was helpful. I think with these projects it is very dependent on who the local contacts are in the country you visit.
Do you feel that you got value for money on the project?
They were the cheapest option by a long way - and so I feel I got value for money.
Would you recommend the project to others?
Yes
