“As I was organizing my AIESEC exchange I was very scared and worried about what challenges I would face in Indonesia. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t really know how to speak the language and I had no family or friends to support me. Nevertheless, I really wanted to go Indonesia, so I just closed my eyes and just got on the plane, not knowing what to expect. When I first arrived in Jakarta, I experienced culture shock from the humid weather, the traffic, the language barriers and the unfamiliarity of the roads. However, despite my frustrations, the people at TFI seemed to make all those worries disappear. In particular, just seeing the children being enthusiastic to learn made everything okay, so whenever I got food poisoning I just pictured the smiling faces of the children at Sitanla and this made me happier. In addition the puncak gathering was a turning point for me as I was able to become much closer with the other volunteers through games and activities. This made me realized how much I would miss TFI and its people, because I realized that I really shared similar passions and aspirations with these people. A passion to help those that were less privileged and a goal to work towards a more better Indonesia. Overall, I will miss the people and will never forget my experiences at TFI!”

Profile Information

Full name : Carol Kim

DOB : 30 March 1995

Nationality : Australian, Parents from Korea

Education information : Bachelor of international and global studies/ Bachelor of Law at the university of Sydney [3rd semester]

 My Motivation joining with TFI

I was motivated to join TFI because I wanted to volunteer and work with children but was unsure of the other programs. Most importantly, as a person from Australia, filling in my applications online and having limited access to information on certain programs made me more afraid of going overseas, as I did not know what to expect. However, TFI listed detailed information on their job description page in the AIESEC database and seemed to be more trustworthy compared to other programs. Further, I wanted to gain insight on the level of oppression and inequality in Jakarta, and TFI seemed to let me achieve this while giving me volunteering experiences.

My Opinion about TFI

TFI is like a big family, everyone is close to each other and everyone respects each other. Nevertheless, everything is organized and all tasks are completed effectively. Most importantly, everyone seems to enjoy their job and seem to genuinely love the children, love volunteering and love the idea of making an impact on society. Nothing seems to be impossible with TFI and I think that this organization has the potential to lead society to a more sustainably developed Jakarta. Finally everyone at TFI is so friendly and always seemed to care about my welfare. I would not have survived or have enjoyed Jakarta as much as I did without the people at TFI.

My Activities at TFI

I have taught children at Kemanggisan and Sitanala. I have participated in the PKPT event and have also joined their social gathering at Puncak.