Truelifeplanet Interview:
Gigi, Volunteer Extraordinaire

Amy 'Gigi' Frank

When I first met Amy 'Gigi' Frank she'd just arrived in the distant town of Soloy, on the Panamanian coast. Soloy was part of an indigenous territory within the country, the poorest of the poor, with little food and water, basic medical care for those fortunate enough to live in the village, and hundreds of scattered families throughout the mountains. Gigi was on her way to India to volunteer for half a year when tragedy struck in Panama - floods wiped away what little the Indians had left, and she made a commitment to return and help once her work in India was over.

I'd first come across Gigi on her blog, Truelifeplanet, in 2007 as she planned a long-term journey to volunteer around the world for two years. Her blog (read through the archives) took her across Central America, to India, and included a pilgrimage to Santiago. We met up again in Europe and this interview is the result.

What made you decide to become a volunteer?

I was living in the USA in a small town, had great friends, family, relationship. It was a nice life, but somehow unfullfiling. I remember thinking to myself that my life was so settled in some ways and I wanted to expand, to grow, to challenge myself a bit more. I started doing some volunteer work on Saturdays and I realized one day that Saturday had become my favorite day of the week. I loved my volunteer job and I thought, what would it be like to volunteer every day? This combined with a feeling of... "is this it? is this all there is?" motivated me to look into taking on volunteering as a lifestyle for a specific period of time. Once I started researching what opportunities were out there, I realized that I could use my passion for helping people and hopefully really make a difference.

Why did you decide to set off for such a long time - two years?

I originally was only going to travel for three months, but then the trip began to grow as I researched more of where I wanted to go in the world and what kinds of experiences I wanted to have. I realized that I could travel for longer on the same amount of money if I went off the beaten path and stayed away from more touristy locations. I also realized that staying in one place was not only cheaper, it benefited the people I was trying to help more and made my own volunteer placements more effective.

What have you learned about yourself and the world so far?

I've learned more about myself than I have about the world so far! When I started out, I remember asking myself - almost daily - "Can I do this?" Now I ask myself a completely different question: "How can I not do this?" My confidence in myself has really grown. So has my sense of compassion for others, and my courage and ability to face adversity has also rown. I suppose that I was a bit of a follower in my old life back in the States and now I am a leader. I like the challenge of achieving the impossible.

The main thing I've learned about the world is just how big and diverse humanity is. Every culture has different customs and different points of view on the same subjects, and I've come to see that my cultural perspectives sometimes have to be adjusted to fit in with my surroundings. I've also become much more aware about what it's like to be poor and to not have the advantages that people in Western countries have. It's so much different when you are looking, touching, and being with the poor of the world than just reading about them. It's transformed me and my life.

Do you think volunteers can make a difference?

Yes. Absolutely. There is a tremendous need out there and the benefit of volunteering is that it changes you while you are trying to change the world. You don't even realize it when it's happening, but then suddenly, you wake up one day and you're at some little school in the rainforest teaching English to little kids, and you realize that in the act of giving to these people of yourself you are the one who has recieved the biggest gift.

Volunteering with the Ngobe
Photo: Amy 'Gigi' Frank

How do you choose where you'll go and what you'll do?

First , I planned by itinerary of which countries I wanted to visit. I began researching my trip online for about a year before my departure. I found most of the first few placements I chose on different search sites and chose most of them based on the kinds of work and jobs they had and what I thought my job skills were. Most of these jobs were English teaching jobs or working with orphanages doing art and preschool projects. However, after I volunteered at the first few locations, I began to realize that I had underestimated my value and that I had many skills which I had never looked at as skills - organizational skills, business skills and management, social networking skills, gardening, and so on.

So I began to look for - and create - volunteering options that suited me better. Sometimes I would arrive at a site and see something that needed doing, and offer to do that instead of, or in addition to, whatever I was originally supposed to go there for. Or, a few times I was at a site that didn't suit me for whatever reason, and I thought to myself, just go rent a house and start holding classes for kids there in the evening! I've done that several times - organized a 'school' all by word of mouth in a small town or village - and it was so rewarding.

Now that I've been volunteering for a year, I'm more comfortable in difficult conditions and I'm more inclined to volunteer in places where there are alot more hardships, such as no transportation, no clean drinking water, no electricity...and maybe no other volunteers but me. I choose my placements now based on the need of the people who I will be helping, rather than on my worries about the challenges for myself in that situation.

Why did you decide to write about your experiences?

In part ot keep a journal, and in part to let my family and friends know that I was OK. But now, I write it because I really enjoy meeting people through my blog and being able to tell other women, "Yes, you can do it!" It so helps people to read about something they have always wanted to do but haven't. It's a big motivator.

What struck you the most during your time with the Ngobe Indians?

Ngobe woman crocheting
Photo: Amy 'Gigi' Frank

They moved me. They still do, every single day. They were so poor, so hungry, so without a voice or opportunity, that helping them - although often challenging - was very rewarding. I think what struck me most was how much I had so completely taken my life for granted up to that point. After a few months with the Ngobe, the direction of my life changed concretely - towards humanitarian efforts. A whole new world opened up for me, all because of working with them.

What would you tell other women who might want to volunteer like you do?

First of all I would suggest that they do some research on the kinds of things they would like to do, and where they are interested in going - being interested in the country is an important factor. They they should start looking for a placement. I think a preorganized placement is the best way to start. There are plenty of prepaid programs out there, and some are very good and some are not. It pays to do your homework and to look at where your money is being spent. Some programs exist that are practically free, and these are equally good, but usually less organized. After they've done a short-term placement and assessed what they liked and didn't like, they might consider taking their dream a step further with a longer or less structured commitment.

Christmas feast in Guatemala
Photo: Amy 'Gigi' Frank

What kind of person can/should do what you're doing?

Anyone who wants to help others. A poor person, a hungry child, doesnt differentiate between who is capable and who is not. They just want someone to show up and care. There are many basic volunteer placements out there that meet any person's skills set. But to volunteer where there is more risk to the volunteer, more hardship (for example in a remote location, or where you have certain health risks), you need to be able to handle it. You have to want to be there, because it's tough work and there are more challenges.

What has been the hardest part of your trip, and how did you cope with that hardship?

The hardest part has been when I wanted to go home. That has happened sometimes, because I am gone for so long and because I am in placements which are extremely hard physically and mentally. I cope with it by writing copious blog entries, keeping a journal, and keeping few luxuries around like chocolate and a few favorite books. I also have a 'team' - a group of women who motivate me to keep going when I think I can't do it.