Volunteer Spotlight : MONA

   

Name:	Mona Luca Jehle
Age:	20 years old
Nationality:	German
3 Words to describe yourself:	Clumsy - Empathetic - Honest

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

"Before coming to Tapulanga, I graduated from high school in 2024. Afterward, I worked in a restaurant for nearly six months, and then I spent some time traveling through Asia and Europe. "

 

Why did you choose Tapulanga?

"I chose Tapulanga because of their programs and their values"

 What are your work duties in Tapulanga/SFAS? 

"I am working in Preschool ( Kindergarten) and my job is to prepare the children for school through playing, singing and dancing and also do the worksheets with them."

Tell us about a typical day at work.

"A typical day at work starts with us dancing and singing together to different songs. After that, we all sit together, pray and say "Good morning" to each other. Then the kids do their worksheets and I try to assist them if needed. After that, I play with the kids and eat either lunch or breakfast with them. Afterwards, we do another worksheet with storytelling and math. I have a morning class and an afternoon class."

What is the most rewarding part of being a volunteer?

"I think the most rewarding part is to get to know the kids and their personal lives and also to see their growth."

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

"I look forward to creating good connection with the kids and the teachers in school - to have a lot of fun during my volunteer year and to leaving my own comfort zone."

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

"I was only in my first week at school, but I was already excited to meet the children and get to know their unique personalities - and I really love them already!"

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

"I think the most challenging thing about my work is to learn Hiligaynon, because the kids cannot speak good English yet. To have a conversation with them, I need to learn their language."

Who or what inspires you?

"I think not one special person inspires me, rather a lot of people in my close environment."

 Tell us more about yourself!

What are you passionate about outside of work?

"I am very passionate about swimming. In Germany, I swam six years as my sport. I also love horse-back riding. I did this since I was a little kid and I'm really gonna miss it a lot during my volunteer year. I also love my friends and spend every free second in my life with them."

Tell us 2 things that you have learned so far.

"I've learned a bit of Hiligaynon, and I also learned how to ride the bus here, which is quite different from how it is in Germany."

What is one thing you are good at?

"I am very good at swimming or listening to other people's problems."

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

"Halong!"

     Bonus Questions!

What’s your comfort food?

     "My comfort food is fried rice with vegetables and chicken. " 

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

  "If I could swap places with one person for one day it would totally be Bob Marley, because of his music and lifestyle."