We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new international volunteers – Sneha Rajan and Yeyisha Shellayukti. They are here in Birmingham for 9 months on an Inter Cultural Youth Exchange programme (ICYE) to gain experience of the charity sector in the UK. We hope they enjoy their stay here at Freshwinds.

I have a degree in Commerce and majored in travel and tourism management from Christ University in Bangalore, India.

Somewhere along the way I realised that making money for myself is a good thing, everyone needs the money, but being able to give something back to society is even greater. So I got involved in an organisation that deals with underprivileged children who are physically challenged. This is when I decided to change my line of education. In the beginning it was first a thought and it was up to me to make it happen.

So I took it up as a challenge to prove to myself and everyone back home that this is where I want to be and what I want to do. So here’s to the next 9 months at Freshwinds, I can’t wait to get started.

I hope volunteering in Freshwinds will give many good things in my life. I am really happy meeting with new people and in a place that i’ve never been before. I think Freshwinds is such a good environment to work, so it will be good to gain new friends, improve skills on many things. I am glad that I can improve my English skills as well.

It’s really exciting to work on a social theme, such as helping and supporting everyone who needs help and assistance. I love kids so much, and I cannot wait to see them smile at me because it means they are happy to see me as well.

Coming to the UK is such a big opportunity for me. I am excited to know the different culture, including dishes, habits/ behaviour and way of thinking. One thing I have struggled with is the very cold weather. It is not easy but I must try. I want to take a Masters degree if I come back to Indonesia later.