Sabine in the Maldives
Participant
Sabine
Programme
Volunteering
Country
🇲🇻 Maldives
Duration
4 weeks
Short bio
Hello, I’m Sabine (26) and I studied Social Studies with a specialisation in mental health care. Straight after that I started working in this field, but after about three years I decided it was time to broaden my work experience with a job abroad.. For me it was a logical step to contribute to a good cause in marine conservation, because I spend a lot of my free time on sustainability. On top of that, my hobby is diving.
How satisfied were you with the support from Holland?
I was very happy with the great contact with the support team in Holland. They’re always available if anything comes up.
My story
“The organisation wants to spread knowledge, so sometimes they work together with a school on another island. I always really enjoyed that, because you experience a lot of the culture.”
Sabine · volunteering in the Maldives
After three flights and a speedboat I arrived on the beautiful Dhigurah, also known as Long-Island. The beaches there are white because the sand is made of coral. I was given a very warm welcome here by the TME staff. TME is a lovely place to stay: you eat and sleep here. I shared the little flat with one other person and it was always cleaned.
As for the work, the days were long. Every day you’re on a traditional boat (dhoni) to spot megafauna, such as manta rays, sea turtles and… whale sharks! The aim is to collect data on the animals through photo ID. You do that by snorkelling and freediving. In the evening you process the data in the Big Fish Network database. The organisation wants to spread knowledge, so sometimes they work together with a school on another island. I always really enjoyed that, because you experience a lot of the culture. After work you can explore the island on foot (it’s not big). Alcohol is banned on the island, so in the evening the best thing to do is simply enjoy the beautiful starry sky and the sea. You can also go diving in your free time. It was a fantastic experience!
Sabine’s photos
