Volunteer Spotlight : HELEN

    

Name:	Helen Karolina Gerner
Age:	18 years old
Nationality:	German
3 Words to describe yourself:	Optimistic - Curious - Open Minded

Tell us about your career so far. What did you do before you came to volunteer in Tapulanga?

"I just graduated and did my A-levels"

 

Why did you choose Tapulanga?

"I really like their work, especially that so many students get a scholarship and I´m looking forward to the Christmas gift-giving. Additionally, I was really interested to experience a catholic private school in the Philippines and work there."

 What are your work duties in Tapulanga/SFAS? 

"I arrive in school around 7:15 am. After the flag ceremony, I walk together with the students to the classrooms of Grade 8. If I don´t have any other tasks, I will stay there the whole school day. During the lessons, I often move between the two Grade 8 classrooms and help the students, remind them to focus on their work or get them to catch up with missed LAS. In the breaks, I often spend time with the students and talk with them or they teach me some Ilonggo."

What is the most rewarding part of being a volunteer?

"It's amazing to have the chance to get so many experiences and learn about the culture, the life and the school system in the Philippines. Also, I really enjoy the kindness of the Filipinos. All students, the teachers and other people I meet seem to be very interested and happy about meeting us."

What do you look forward to in your 1 year of volunteer service?

"Learning even more about the Philippine food, culture, traditions, the people and hopefully getting fluent in Ilonggo."

What is the most exciting or most memorable thing that happened to you during your few days as a volunteer?

"Arriving in the Philippines and getting the very first impression of the country was memorable. The country is so colorful, there are so many plants everywhere and it´s just beautiful."

What do you find to be most challenging about your work? How do you deal with it?

"The language barrier. I'm trying to learn Ilonggo as fast as possible"

Who or what inspires you?

"I'm inspired by working with many different people, the interaction with them and making a difference together."

 Tell us more about yourself!

What are you passionate about outside of work?

"In Germany, I did a lot of voluntary youth work. For example, I was a team leader in a summer camp and head of the altar servers. Here, I am looking forward to all the new experiences, meeting new people, the food and traveling."

Tell us 2 things that you have learned so far.

"I learned how to ride a tricycle and some basic Ilonggo."

What is one thing you are good at?

"swimming"

What is one Tagalog or Ilonggo word/phrase you like to use?

"Halong!"

     Bonus Questions!

What’s your target destination in the Philippines?Why?

     "I would really like to visit the Rice Terraces because I have not seen one yet in real life." 

If you could swap places with someone else for a day, who would it be?

  "an astronaut"