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“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart”
Sam de Haan is a determined young gentleman who prefers serving the world and chooses the beautiful destination, Sri Lanka to establish the initiative move of his volunteering life. He was a volunteer in Seashore project organized by AIESEC in University of Ruhuna.
This is how Sam shared his experiences of being a volunteer with AIESEC in University of Ruhuna.
- Hello Sam, Who are you and what makes you special?
I am Sam de Haan, 21 years old. I’m from Netherlands. What makes me special is what makes everybody special. Everyone is unique because of who they are but also because of their experiences.
- How could you get to know about this opportunity? Was there a specific reason to choose Sri Lanka?
I got to know about it through my university. I chose Sri Lanka because it wouldn’t be a unsual destination for me and I really wanted to explore the country and the culture.
- What inspired you to stand as a volunteer? Do you have prior experience in volunteering?
I always wanted to do something for the environment and through volunteering this was possible. I did not have any experience before this and will certainly not be my last experience with volunteering.
- What were the most interesting job description that you had to do in your project so far?
Being to the turtle hatchery has been really cool. You can see the turtles up close and maybe if we’re lucky we will see some of the eggs hatch as well.
- What do you see as specific barriers and challenges when traveling to Sri Lanka as a volunteer?
I think traveling to Sri Lanka was very easy for me. I don’t know if it was due to prior experiences or my mindset of being open to everything, but I had no problems with fitting into the culture. I think it is important for volunteers to not expect anything like they have in. In my case everything will be different in Europe but that is fine.
- How has been AIESEC in University of Ruhuna helping you to perform as a volunteer in your project?
AIESEC supported me by arranging all the volunteer work. There were people twho always willing to help us.
- What are the places or areas that you traveled in Sri Lanka? What is your favorite place so far?
We went on lots of trips during my stay in Sri Lanka. My favorite places were Ella and Sinharaja rainforest.
- Which Sinhala words did you find interesting?
‘Bonnawa’, ‘Ayubowan’, ‘Malli’, those were the words that we used a lot and felt like you showed interest in the people.
- What are your favorite Sri Lankan food items?
Rice and curry with mango curry, just perfect. Oh yeah, and add some dhal!
- What was the most surprising thing that you see in Sri Lanka?
I was really surprised by all the Buddhist and Hindu temples and statues. That is such a big difference with Europe, where almost only Christian churches and Mosques can be found.
- What is your advice to a colleague who is planning to travel Sri Lanka and would you like to travel Sri Lanka again?
Be prepared that every piece of your clothing will be moist for most of the time. It will rain a lot but when the sun comes out it is even more beautiful. Bring toilet paper wherever you go. Bring flip flops. Try every food, because each restaurant has a different style and different taste. Saying that, I already look forward to coming back to Sri Lanka!
