Meet Our Volunteers: Naomi and Sharon

Meet Naomi Woodfield and Sharon Risi who joined us this September for two weeks at the horse caretaker project! At 56 years old, Naomi decided to embark on a solo adventure to find tranquility and, in her own words, “have some space to think about what's next,” while Sharon at 70 years old used her extra time at retirement to travel and give back.

Read their story below. 

What motivated you to join this project?

Naomi: I wanted to do something, to give back; and I love horses. Somewhere warm but not too hot, and I wanted to meet like-minded people. I saw this advertised on Facebook and it looked well organized and good value for the money. The hostel looked nice, and the write up sounded good!

Sharon: I joined the horse project because I am at a point in my life where I wanted to volunteer outside my home area; I enjoy horses and thought I could be of help with that project. I am retired and am now able to travel with more time to give.

How was your experience volunteering with us?  

Naomi: I loved the hostel. Everyone was friendly and the staff couldn't help you enough. The organisers made everything stress free and it was when planned well in advance. I loved having the opportunity to explore the surrounding areas in my spare time.

What did you enjoy the most during your time here?

Naomi: I loved the introduction we had to the area, the included tuk-tuk ride we had on the first day, and the barbeques. I also loved that I felt part of the group with the others, even though I had a room of my own. Everyone was respectful and kept the noise down early in the morning and late at night.

Sharon: I enjoyed interacting with all the participants at the hostel the most.

Did you learn or discover something new through this experience? 

Naomi: I learnt how to navigate the transport system in Lisbon using different forms of transport!

Sharon: I learned that even the smallest of help on my part can make an impact.  I feel that I gave needed help and am happy with my decision to volunteer for 2 weeks instead of my original plan of only one week.

How has it been living at the hostel as a mature volunteer? 

Naomi: I loved it. As I mentioned already, people were respectful. I loved having my own room too where I had my own freedom.

Sharon: I stayed in one of the bunk rooms (10 beds) - thank goodness I was assigned a bottom bunk/knee surgery would have made it hard to have a top bunk! We had females from 17-76 in our room. After the youngins figured out the toilet dynamics, it went smoother. All the stairs were not an issue for me. 

What would you say to other mature people thinking about joining as a volunteer? 

Naomi: Do it! It's a great way of meeting people from different countries, and it's really developed my confidence to travel alone in the future.

Sharon: As one of the older volunteers, I would definitely suggest that you give volunteering a chance.  It was well coordinated, quick responses before and during my participation; my project was fun/hard work during the hot beginning of September. I feel a minimum of 2 weeks is a good start; we had members volunteering for 3 months! (I could NOT be away from my family for that long, we are too close). Come with an open mind and you will have a wonderful experience.