Please briefly introduce yourself!

Bonjour, guten Tag, ¡hola! and hello! My name is Peter and I’m a student of Modern European Languages at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland. I was introduced to LE through a friend who shared my love of travel, and I volunteered with LE Mauritius in Summer 2010.

What traveling experience did you have before volunteering with LE?
Before volunteering with LE I had spent some time traveling around Europe independently, and I had also spent five months teaching in Senegal and Mali. Although this helped prepare me for working with LE and for staying in a different country for an extended period of time, enthusiasm and an open mind helped me in Mauritius far more than any preconceptions about travel or English teaching!

Did you speak the local language of the country you volunteered in? If not, how did that add to your overall experience?
I had a good level of spoken French before I went to Mauritius, and although helpful, it was certainly not essential for teaching classes.

Why did you choose Learning Enterprises?
I chose Learning Enterprises because there seemed to be real integrity and commitment to finding genuinely useful work for volunteers within the organization. The stories I had heard from friends who had worked on fee-paying ‘volunteering’ projects and my own experiences in Senegal had persuaded me that Western volunteers ‘lending a hand’ abroad was not always beneficial to host communities. However, the fact that it was a nonprofit, no-fee organization, helping to teach the English language – an absolutely fundamental skill that everyone can benefit from – made me realize that LE was a bit different!

How was living with a host family?
Absolutely fantastic! I was made to feel very welcome from the moment I stepped through the door. I had a wonderful place to stay, Blondine (my Mauritian ‘Maman’) made delicious meals which the whole family ate together. My host family took me on trips round the local area, introduced me to amazing Mauritian music and even taught me some ‘Sega’ dancing (to much all-round hilarity!). I can’t imagine how life in Mauritius would have been without the kindness of La Famille Quint!

What was the most surprising moment of your experience?
Walking along the main street in Chamarel, the village where I taught, and hearing songs we had learned in the English lessons (Wavin’ Flag, Sweet Home Alabama and Can’t Buy Me Love) being sung, word-perfect, by some of the kids who were out playing! Some of them weren’t even in the class!

Could you share with us something you learned?
In Mauritius, I learned to be open to the kindness and hospitality of others and to accept it for what it is. It was very humbling to experience the kind of welcome that I did in Mauritius, but giving something back doesn’t need to be difficult. Simply being open, sincere and friendly in return goes a long way.
I also learned what a ‘Breadfruit’ is, and how to curse fluently in Creole!