Gabor Botka

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Gábor is a Sales Project Manager at Mondeléz International, and a member of the Board of Management for Hungary. He is a two-time Ironman who does a wide variety of volunteerism through running, such as guiding visually impaired athletes on races, and feeding the homeless from a backpack while he completes his morning run. This winter he volunteered for Yellow House Kuala Lumpur serving the local community and as well as traveling in Malaysia.

Why did you pick this program?

I wanted to volunteer somewhere outside of my country, as a means of mixing the pleasure of traveling with working for a good cause. Yellow House Kuala Lumpur became my choice, as they are located in a wonderful and exciting environment, and do great work for the community of Kuala Lumpur. Through this program I had a chance to work with autistic children in a local special needs school, provide haircuts for the homeless at night, as well as cook for them on the streets of KL. This experience was quite far out of my comfort zone, yet it was so rewarding and fun.

What do you tell your friends who are thinking about going abroad?

I tell everybody that it is so much easier than they think. All you have to do is decide on where you want to go, and the opportunities are endless. I choose KL because it was wintertime in Europe (Christmas actually), and summer in Malaysia. It was a 3-week escape from the rat race, and so rewarding! I meet people both much younger and much older than me. For example, I met a 60-something Hollander, who has remained in Malaysia as he enjoys it so much. It was a lesson that traveling has nothing to with age or money, it's all about resourcefulness and desire for adventure.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Be prepared and learn about the country you're visiting before you go. I went on a trip to the jungle in shorts and a simple shirt, only to get bitten by a mosquito and get dengue fever - I was out for a good couple of days. I had never even heard of dengue, but fortunately the YH owner Sham was there and got me back to good health in no time. Also, if you know in advance what you would like to do and visit, you can make your travels more efficient. You don't need to pack a lot. I went with a small carry on backpack, and got by fine. Don't pack excessively, you can always find what you need at the location.

What's your favorite story to tell about your time abroad?

I loved the midnight haircut session we provided for local homeless people in the ghetto of KL. I will surely tell this story to my grandchildren one day. We set up a hair salon in an alley, at 9 pm. My job was to cut hair with a buzzer - something I have never done before. It was quite dark, with only a small amount of light from lamps. I ended giving about 30 haircuts, most of them simply buzzed off. There were a few who wanted styling (again, something I've never done before). They may have been the worst haircuts in history and I wondered what they thought the next day when they looked in the mirror! By the way, we didn't bring mirrors. Only afterwards did I understand why.

How can one find such opportunities?

There are a wealth of websites offering volunteering experiences across the globe. Literally thousands of jobs await. You simply need to choose a location that you wish to travel, and get in contact with the individual or company offering the opportunity. While you'll likely have to pay for traveling expenses, and accommodation, I got by in Malaysia budgeting just $3 per day for food! A very small price to pay for such an incredible experience!