Great video from Askham Bryan College students about their #animalcare training Turing Scheme UK co-funded project in Aruba . Watch it to discover their activities and experience.

I am Emma and I am currently taking part in the veterinary project in Aruba as well as working one day at the donkey sanctuary. I wanted to do this project as it offered experience I would not get elsewhere. The vets help me take part in all situations including surgery. The activities involved are day to day care for the animals which includes giving medicine and cleaning wounds. I spend most of my time in surgery as an assistant which includes opening sterile equipment for the surgeons, controlling the anaesthetic, checking heart rates, cauterising wounds, preparing animals for surgery, waking animals up after surgery. At the donkey sanctuary I help feed the donkeys, treat wounds and help in the shop.

The cultural shock I have had is the language, I have sometimes struggled at the vets with the language barrier but I am starting to now understand certain words and phrases which is making it easier.

I have learnt a lot so far, I have learnt a lot about the different surgeries. I have castrated cats myself and can do injections too and I have more responsibility now. I have also learnt to be more independent in every day life.

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Hello my name is Alex Francis and I am a student doing level 3 Animal Management.
During my project I worked at the donkey sanctuary carrying out tasks like poo picking, feeding, treating and worming. I also helped the vet with catching and restraining. I also worked at the dog grooming doing bathing, drying and clipping nails. I worked at the vets preparing animals image for surgery and sitting in during consultations.
In my free time we visited some beaches, are ice cream, visited De Palm Island, saw the natural bridge and natural rock formation. We also explored the island.
Thanks to Erasmus and I gained skill in looking after donkeys and giving treatments. Personally, I have learnt how to live with other people and improved communication skills.
Alex Francis

 
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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

“My name is Hannah and I’m 26 years old.
I spent 2 weeks in Aruba on a project at the Donkey Sanctuary and at the Vets.
I loved working with the donkeys, especially taking care of the sick ones by cleaning their eyes and ears and giving them medication.

Helping out at the vets was an eye opening experience and it was great to give injections, clean teeth, take X-rays and assist with surgeries!

It was great staying in an apartment at Desere’s as there were lots of animals around and I had the freedom to cook my own meals and have some independence.

In my spare time I travelled all over Aruba with my friends, we ate at some lovely restaurants, went horseback riding and saw lots of beautiful beaches!”
Hannah Holtby

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

About me

Hi, my name is Sophie Scott and I was born and raised in Carlisle. I studied animal management level 2 and 3 at newton Rigg college in Penrith. In the beginning I did well at college earning a distinction and student of the year, but as time went on it got harder and harder for me to keep up with my assignments. When I finished college, I did not know what I wanted to do next, but I did know I didn’t want to be in a classroom anymore, I did still want to learn and I thought the best way to do this would be by traveling as I thought that it would show future employers that I am committed, have hands on experience and will through myself out there,  unfortunately I would not be able to fund such a long time of traveling by myself. Luckily, I knew about “Everything is Possible” as I went to Aruba to work at the donkey sanctuary for 2 weeks in February 2018 with my collage. I loved the experience and learned so much, so I decided to contact “Everything is Possible” and see if there would be an opportunity for me to go back and work at the donkey sanctuary and obviously there was as I am now on an 11-month project in Aruba and almost 4 months in!

Organisations

The donkey sanctuary is a charity that opened almost 22 years ago and currently has 130 donkeys in their care, it totally relies on donations to keep the place running and the donkeys fed as the government contributes nothing. I work 4 days a week here.
Contreras vets is what it says, it is a veterinary practice that mainly takes care of the island’s cats and dogs, however they will take care of any animal that needs medical treatment and they are also the chosen vets for the donkey sanctuary. I go to work here once every 2 weeks.
Dog lovers grooming salon is where locals take their dogs to be pampered and I also work here once every 2 weeks.

Day to day basis at the Donkey sanctuary

•    Unlock, open the shop and turn the tills on at 9 am
•    Morning feed of pellets and hay to the main group and donkia, the coral is fed pellets and then alfalfa cubes
•    Make sure the waters are topped up and if they are dirty clean them
•    Try and get the poop scooping done in the morning as it is too hot I they afternoon
•    Make sure the buckets are filled with pellets so the visitors can feed the donkeys
•    When the tour arrives, someone will do the speech and the others will help in the shop and bar
•    Do any medical treatments that are required
•    Talk to the visitors and serve them in the shop
•    Empty bins, clean bathroom, clean shop depending on the amount of visitors
•    Time for the final feed of hay to all the donkeys
•    Make sure everything is locked up and go home at 4 pm
In the vets first we go and help with consultations which can be for many things from a puppy having its injections to an animal that needs serious medical attention. After the consultations the surgeries begin and we learn about all the different typed of things that can be done from a spay to fixing a broken bone. There are times when we help during the surgeries, do x- rays and ultrasounds.
At the dog groomers I mainly wash the dogs and dry them. Then I must clean their ears and cut their nails. I sometimes help when a dog is having its haircut.

What do I feel proud of?

I feel proud about many things of this experience so far, one definitely is how well I am managing being away from home for so long as I have never lived anywhere else apart from Carlisle. I also feel proud of different situations that I have been thrown in to such and bringing donkeys back to health and caring for them when they have been unwell. I also feel like I have grown as a person and gained more confidence.

Free time

In my free time I have done many things that have been really good experiences such as gaining my PADI diving qualification which I can use to help regrow dead coral and see the amazing underwater world. I have been on some cultural visits around the island that has allowed me to learn about the island’s history, some of these are the goldmines, natural bridge, local churches, the natural pool, Arikok national park and more but I still have so much more to see. I have also been looking at different things that the local people too such as spending Christmas day with a local family and going to a music concert with them to experience the different music. And of course, I would be lying if I said I haven’t made the most of the amazing beaches here.

What have I learned personally?

Personally, I have learned so much about myself and how much I should push myself to do things because the outcome is most likely going to be amazing. I have also learned how much I want to work with animals in my future career as the people I work with have so much passion for their work and I want that. One final thing is that sometimes things are out of my control and I can only do my best and be proud of myself in everything I do.

What have I learned professionally?

I have learned that it is important that you show care and compassion when talking to people about their animals and that the customer is so important to a business or charity because without them it cannot function. I have also learned people can be very passionate about what I am doing as they say to me that I am doing a really great job and they are passionate if I am.

How will this experience help me in future life and career?

I feel like this experience will help me in many different ways in the future, career wise I think it will show that I am committed, compassionate, that I can talk the talk as well as walk the walk and that I will throw myself in to something 100%. In life I feel like it has shown me that I can do everything for myself and that nobody can stop me from doing something that I am passionate about. It has shown me that sometimes you have to take a risk, not knowing what will happen but can end up being one of the best things that I could do.

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Hello my name is Caroline Slack, I’m 17 and studying equine management level 3 at Kirklees College.
I was given the opportunity to go to Aruba and work with the local donkey sanctuary, vets and dog groomers.
When at the sanctuary I fed, generally cared for and preformed medical care on the donkeys. In the free time we explored the local landmarks like natural bridge.
Thanks to Erasmus+ I have become more employable in the animal industry due to my new found skills. I have come out of this placement a lot more confident.
I can’t  recommend this type of experience enough.
Caroline Slack

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Hi, my name is Renee Cheytanova. I went on a project in Aruba, I am 17 years old and currently studying animal management at Kirklees College.
During the project, we did work at the donkey sanctuary, dog groomers and the vets. At the sanctuary we poo picked, fed hay and pellets and interacted with tourists by telling them about the donkeys.
In my free time I went to the beach, did water sports, went snorkeling and went horse riding.
Thanks to Erasmus+, personally I learned how to prepare and look after animals before and after surgery.
Personally, I think the project has helped me become more confident around animals and has given me the opportunity to meet people of different backgrounds and cultures.
Renee Cheytanova

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

My name is Laura shaw and I am 16 years old. I am studying animal management at Kirklees College. I went on a project to Aruba working in the donkey sanctuary, vets and dog groomers.
During the 2 weeks I worked at the vets by helping prepare for the surgery’s. When at the donkey sanctuary I fed the donkeys and poo picked.  At the groomers I washed, brushed and clipped the dogs. I enjoyed every task that was put my way.
In my free time we went to the beach and did some water sports and snorkelling. I also tried horse riding for the first time.
Thanks to Erasmus+, I learned how to prepare and care for the animals before and after surgery. Personally I believe that the project has allowed me to become more confident around animals. I have also found out about different cultures throughout this amazing experience.
Laura shaw

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Hello my name is Georgia Bates, I am 17 years old and studying L3 equine management at kirklees college. I thought this was a great opportunity to extend my knowledge and learn how other cultures manage a variety of animals. During the project I have been volunteering at the dog groomers, vets and the donkey sanctuary. At the sanctuary I undertook husbandry tasks as well as treating injuries and ailments.
We also got free time between volunteering, which we used to visit sites and complete activities such as horse back riding, water sports, snorkeling and visit local beaches. Thanks to erasmus+ professionally I learned how to prepare animals before surgery and got a basic understanding of vetenary practice. Personally, I have enjoyed the project and developed a number of new skills which I can apply to my college course. I also feel more confident around new people due to this experience.
Georgia Bates

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

My name is Nicole Manning, i’m 17 years old studying at Kirklees College. I went on a project in Aruba to work in a donkey sanctuary, vets and dog groomers.
During the 2 weeks, I worked in a donkey sanctuary which helped me learn about animals i would not usually work with. We did basic husbandry and, worked in a vets which was an amazing experience. I was able to inject a cat with antibiotics. I really enjoyed this work as I would never have the chance to do this.
During my free time, we went snorkelling which was my favourite activity.
Thanks to Erasmus+, professionally i learned how to treat donkeys with severe ear conditions.
Personally, I feel this experience has increased my confidence.

Nicole Manning

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Vocational Educational Training (VET) project part of ‘Discovering More’, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.