Interview With Neil, Former Katimavik Volunteer: Part 3

By Kate | Permalink |

No Comments | June 13th, 2007 | Trackback

Find Part 1 and Part 2 of the Volunteer Logue interview with former Katimavik volunteer Neil, and read on here to find out what he feels he gained from the experience and his advice for others.

Looking back, what does he see as having gained from the whole Katimavik experience?

“Well, the most useful thing I’ve gained was experience. Being a full-time volunteer for a few months gives you the opportunity to do work that nobody would pay you for (because if they were paying, they could find someone with more experience), which really opened some doors for me once I was home. Those sorts of opportunities have to be sought out, though. If you’re willing to just lift heavy things while you’re on Katimavik, there’s work placements that will fulfill that.

On top of that experience, there’s also some better knowledge of handling different personality types and managing interpersonal relationships. Katimavik is probably the hardest relationship workshop ever devised. Kind of like being married to 10 people. Who you didn’t choose.

I think the best time though would have been very early in the program when we first moved in together, we had a disaster of a house, and we had to spend a lot of time and energy to get it into livable condition. I don’t think our group ever got along better or had more fun than in the first 3 weeks.”

Overall, how did the actual experience compare to his expectations?

“It was harder than I really expected. The volunteer aspect was pretty much what I was expecting, but lots of other things weren’t. Our evenings were much fuller than what I’d been hoping for, and the group was much less “like me” than I’d really expected. Somehow, I guess you expect a program like Katimavik to draw a certain type of person, but it doesn’t. I think partly because there’s not real commitment - most exchange programs require you to raise funds, which is a huge commitment, while Katimavik you just sign up and hope your name gets drawn”

Finally, I asked Neil what advice he had, both for those considering doing Katimavik and those about to start:

“For someone considering it, I’d advise them to take the plunge and apply. It’s a challenging program, and it really does, I think, provide a good bridge between being a teen and being an adult. It’s really hard sometimes, but there are rewards.

To someone just starting - the advice would be to pick your work placements wisely. Take something that’s going to challenge you. Some organizations really do just need labour, and some people are OK with that, but it’s not really going to provide you with any meaningful experience or growth.”

Neil wasn’t blogging at the time that he was on Katimavik, but he does have some photos up, organized and with brief explanations… and is willing to share them. Now that you’ve read about his experience, have a look at his photos so you can see it – well, some of it – too. And thanks to Neil for taking the time to share his insights and experiences!