My Volunteer Experience in Tianyar

I was planning for some time to fit an overseas volunteer trip during my sabbatical leave period over the last quarter of 2022 and came across Volunteer Solutions, an organization that undertake projects around the world including English teaching programs.

After browsing through the many programs and destinations, I eventually chose to go to Tianyar for one full month in Bali to teach English to children with basic to no level of proficiency on the language. The accommodation and meals will be provided for in Tianyar with the school just a three-minute walk away.

Tianyar is a small coastal village which is three hours from Denpasar and away from the bright lights and night life of some their more illustrious neighbors Kuta and Seminyak. It is extremely quiet, and volunteers get to stay in ecological attap houses with bathroom that are outdoors. The sea is also across the lodging area. Amenities are quite modest, and you get to experience the following in the village;

- No air-conditioning
- No hot water for shower
- Intermittent wi-fi connection
- Water supply gets cut certain times of the day
- Sharing a bunk with three other guys in double decker beds

Not for a moment did I miss any of the comforts because in replacement, I got;

- The sound of the waves when I wake up in the morning
- The wonderful sunrise in from my lodging area
- The smell of the sea breeze all day
- Fresh and varied food cooked by a brilliant chef we call “Ibu”
- A chance to follow the fishermen to sea
- Interact with different volunteers from different background, mostly Europe
- Throwback to memories of camping trips in the rural outdoors

Most importantly, I got to teach these students at this school Yayasan Widya Sari who otherwise will not be able to afford an education in English. These students come with so much enthusiasm after their own school day to learn the subject and as a volunteer teaching them English, I made an extra effort to come up with lesson plans as well as activities to engage and impart basic English to my two classes of between 9-11 year olds.

Other than that I also got to immersing myself in the Balinese culture which is a different form of Hinduism and even taking time to dress up in a full Balinese ceremonial costume with accessories. I managed to also take lull time to get my PADI certification and dived at the sea in Tianyar in clear waters to see the marine life as well as the nearby Tulambeng to see the World War 2 shipwreck.

My purpose from this experience was to extend service to the less privileged which is more a duty call than being optional or done at one’s convenience. I believe that I made a positive difference to the lives of the students that I taught.

My sincere thanks and appreciation to the Volunteer Solutions team including Sahil Sabharwal whom I corresponded with and made my journey to Tianyar from Singapore a seamless one.

Look forward to my next volunteer trip with Volunteer Solutions.