Volunteering With Purpose: My Week at KSES
By Lia - 1 week intern
I’m sitting in a hammock, swaying gently to the steady sound of the nearby river and chirping insects. When I look to my left, I see the Karen village across the water slowly winding down as the sun falls. Kids once playing in the river are now drying off before heading home for dinner, and men working on building a new bridge are packing up their tools. If I look closely, I can see dogs, chickens, and a water buffalo (I didn’t know what a water buffalo looked like before this). And above me is the base of the Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary, a place I’ve been lucky to call home for the week.
Volunteering at an elephant sanctuary was a recent addition to my bucket list, inspired by a previous visit to Thailand which made me fall absolutely in love with elephants. I went to an elephant sanctuary, and while I adored seeing elephants for the first time, I realized certain practices at the sanctuary were geared more towards tourists than the wellbeing of the elephants. After this experience, I knew I needed to return to Thailand one day and be with elephants again—but I wanted to do it right. I wanted to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary that was ethical, non-touristic, and sustainable.
Years later, I found myself scanning worldpackers for volunteer opportunities, and the listing for the Research/Data Collection Internship at Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary immediately caught my interest. I was intrigued by the work I would be doing, but what really made me fall in love with the opportunity was the organization. After doing some research on KSES, it was clear that they didn’t just deeply care for the elephants, they cared for the local community and environment too, and that the sanctuary was built on these pillars. I immediately knew this was where I wanted to volunteer.
Luckily enough, my application was accepted, and now I get the pleasure of writing this blog from a hammock, swaying gently to the sound of the nearby river and chirping insects, with the Karen village to my left. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, this is exactly where I am meant to be right now.
This past week has been nothing short of transformative. I’ve witnessed the grace of elephants in their natural habitat, hiked through some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen, got lost in the sea of stars above me, immersed myself in Karen culture, and formed genuine connections with the amazing staff here that I hope to keep long after I leave.
Coming here was intimidating and out of my comfort zone, but the best decision I could have made. If you’re reading this and are on the fence about volunteering here, I recommend you do it. You’ll be supporting an organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of elephants, the livelihood of the local community, and the health of the forest. And who knows, it might just be one of the best experiences of your life.
