To make the day more meaningful, volunteer with family or that special someone.
If you’re in southeast Asia this month, why not consider volunteering to support one of these worthy causes on Valentine’s Day?
Make this year’s Valentines extra special by showing love for all living beings.
Bali’s Youth-In-Need
The Bali children’s project focuses on improving the lives the children and young people. The project aims to put an end to the cycle of rural poverty by educating Bali’s underprivileged children.
You can support this cause in two ways – by volunteering to teach the children or through various sponsorship programmes such as paying for the education of a disadvantaged child. (www.balichildrensproject.org)
Malaysian Endangered Turtles
Located on beautiful Tengah island, off the coast of the state of Johor, the Turtle Watch camp is a conservation camp dedicated to increasing the chances of survival for endangered hawksbill and green turtle hatchlings.
Volunteers help monitor and release hatchlings safely, and promote turtle conservation through educational programmes.
You can also adopt a nest with a donation and help ensure that turtle eggs go to the safe sanctuary of the hatchery. (www.turtlewatchcamp.org)
Cambodia Ubelong Pursuits
In Cambodia, Ubelong, an international volunteering organization helps address key issues that ultimately impact countless lives.
You can choose from the list of volunteer programmes, which run from between a week and six months.
The programmes cover a wide range of areas including caring for disabled children, medical support, advancing community rights, as well as renovating damaged infrastructure especially hospitals and schools. (www.ubelong.org)
Thailand’s Gentle Giants
The Elephant Nature Park, which is a public park in Chiang Mai, a Northern province of Thailand, is a sanctuary and rescue center for elephants from all over the country.
The park provides a safe haven for the rescued elephants so they can live out their days in peace. Not limited to elephants, the park also houses cats, dogs, buffaloes and other rescued species.
Elephant volunteer programmes generally run for seven days and volunteers can help to bathe, feed and care for the gentle giants.
There is also a volunteer programme open to qualified veterinarians, nurses, and veterinary students. (www.elephantnaturepark.org)
Did You Know?
Asia is the world’s largest continent (covering 30% of Earth’s land mass) and most densely populated region (4.4 billion people). (www.geography.about.com)
