You will meet the most amazing kids at IHF Jakarta

I first volunteered at IHF Jakarta while I was still an undergrad, and I think it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The six children who lived at the orphanage welcomed me so warmly into their family, and I fell in love with them all within a couple of days. They are the most caring, funny, smart, responsible, mature kids I have ever met. The work-study program can be a little demanding, but I definitely learned so much more than I could have imagined about NGO management, volunteer coordination, and the kind of determination and passion it takes to keep a grassroots organization running. I would wake up in the morning, do some administrative work online, teach classes in the afternoon, and finish up some more administrative work, then hang out with the kids. They are always laughing and singing and goofing around- I miss them even now, and keep in touch with them when I can.

Teaching the classes are always a lot of fun too, and the students are very eager to learn. They are always hanging out around the orphanage, and always eager to communicate. I was fortunate to be able to visit some of the students at their houses, and saw that many of them come from the slum areas- which was a very moving experience for me.

I loved my first volunteer experience at IHF Jakarta so much that I returned to volunteer again in the summer of 2012. And I will hopefully be returning again in the future!