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Kirsteen Mahoney
About Me
I spent my gap year backpacking around India, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, and in 2009 I spent 3 months volunteering at a nursery school and orphanage in Kenya. I joined GapGuru in January 2011 and since then I've helped more than 400 people with their gap year plans.In April 2014 I went to Tanzania to visit our partner schools in Arusha, and I joined a safari to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Countries visited: Austria, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Greece, Ireland, Switzerland, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Antarctica, Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, India, Australia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Croatia.
Kirsteen Mahoney's Blogs
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Top 10 Tips for Volunteer Teaching Abroad

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 25 Sep 2014
Volunteer teaching abroad can be an extremely rewarding and enriching experience, and it is an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and do something challenging and exciting. GapGuru offer some fantastic volunteer teaching projects and we are proud to work with some amazing partner schools in Romania, India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Tanzania, Chile and Peru. We offer options to volunteer at government primary and secondary schools in locations such as Cusco in Peru, Arusha in Tanzania and in the Transylvania region of Romania.

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Gap Year in Peru

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 16 Sep 2014
GapGuru offer some amazing gap year programmes in Peru where you can participate in cultural activities, community volunteering and sightseeing. Our programmes are based in the vibrant, colonial city of Cusco which is a perfect location for sightseeing trips to the mysterious ancient city of Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa , the Colca Canyon, and the sand dunes at Huacachina. During your time in Cusco will also have the opportunity to explore colourful markets, learn about Inca history and culture and enhance your Spanish skills.

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Amazing Thailand

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 08 Sep 2014
A gap year in Thailand with GapGuru will give you an opportunity to experience authentic Thai culture, learn some Thai language, gain an insight into Buddhism and participate in activities including treks to stunning waterfalls or visits to Buddhist temples. GapGuru currently offer volunteer programmes in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and in Hill-Tribe villages (5 hours from Chiang Mai). Participants on our Chiang Mai teaching projects stay in our lovely volunteer house in Cherng Doi in the Doi Saket District, close to Chiang Mai.

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Discover Romania with GapGuru

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 03 Sep 2014
Romania is a very popular destination for GapGuru, and over the past 10 years more than 500 people have participated in a GapGuru volunteer programme in Romania.   Our Romania programmes are ideal for anyone with an interest in gaining medical work experience, or anyone with an interest in social work, child welfare or teaching. We run a very successful medical work experience programme based within the ER department of a busy hospital in Targu Mures.

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Learn about Buddhism on your Gap Year

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 28 Aug 2014
In recent years Buddhism has become more and more popular in western countries and many young people are developing an interest in Buddhism and meditation. If you have an interest in Buddhism or if you would like to gain an insight into Buddhist culture during your gap year, GapGuru have some fascinating volunteer programmes which would be perfect for you. We have options to teach English to monks in Thailand and Cambodia, or you if you prefer you can help with gardening and maintenance work at a Buddhist temple.

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GapGuru’s Top 5 Gap Year Programmes in India

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 08 Aug 2014
Spending a gap year in India will immerse you into a country which has a rich cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, colourful festivals, abundant wildlife and magnificent forts and palaces. Over the past 10 years GapGuru has developed some strong relationships with partner organisations in India and we believe that GapGuru offer some of the very best gap year volunteer programmes and internships in India. We currently offer programmes in India’s bustling capital city Delhi, Bangalore in Southern India, Chennai on the south-eastern coast, and Palampur which is a beautiful hill-station in the foothills of the Dhauladhar Mountains.

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The Summer Gap Experience

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 08 Aug 2014
If you’ve made the decision not to take a gap year and if you’re going to head straight to university you might want to think about taking a ‘summer gap’ instead.  A summer gap gives you an opportunity to participate in a short-term volunteer programme or internship abroad and you won’t feel like you’ve missed out on the gap year experience altogether.   Here at GapGuru we have some fantastic summer programmes which are perfect for students who have just finished their A’levels and want to do something exciting and rewarding during their summer before they start university.

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Top 5 Reasons to Take a Gap Year before University

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 08 Aug 2014
If you’re unsure about whether to take a gap year or head off straight to university in September, here is a list of reasons why we think you should consider taking a gap year before university.   1.       TAKE A BREAK FROM STUDYING By taking a gap year before university it will come as a welcome break from your non-stop journey through education. By taking time out you can take a step back from what you’re doing and think about where you really want to go in life.

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Your Gap Year - Go alone or with a friend?

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 12 May 2014
As Gap Year Advisors at GapGuru one question which we get asked a lot is whether to take a gap year on your own, or go with a friend. The majority (about 90%) of participants on our programmes go alone and in our experience this is usually the best option as it means that you can choose to do exactly what you want on your gap year and you are not making any compromises by doing something which a friend wants you to do. Taking a gap year before university is a fantastic opportunity to gain independence and confidence and it will be good preparation for when you head off to university.

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Planning Your Gap Year

Posted By Kirsteen Mahoney on 06 May 2014
Here at GapGuru we understand that for some people planning a gap year can be quite daunting and some people just don’t know where to start with their plans. Of course there are people who know exactly what they want to do during their gap year, but many others need some advice and guidance. For those who require some help we’ve written this blog which we hope will give you some ideas about the kind of things you

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