people and places

Here is an exchange between a young ( early 20′s) potential volunteer and Kate ( she matches volunteers to communities for those that dont know!)

Jai’s questions are in Black and Kates answers are in Blue – these are the sorts of questions everyone should be asking of ALL sending organisations.

So – here we go – answers follow each of your questions below – but if anything is unclear or you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

How long has this volunteer position been available and how long has People and Places been an organization?
people and places was founded in 2005, with our first volunteer being placed in April 2006. (you can read a short story of how and why we started people and places here: http://www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk/About.aspx?category=4

We began working directly with the community of Sermathang in spring 2009, when my colleague Sallie visited the community. But we started working with our local partner in this project, Nima Lama, in 2006 – first on a project in Kathmandu, and later developing volunteer opportunities in his home village.

There’s a lot of preparation involved – for us and for the project – long before we put the project up on our website and start matching volunteers!

Can I chat with volunteers that have done this project before?
Most definitely!, and with our local partner too. We always introduce previous and future volunteers for the same project – it’s good for the volunteers and also good for the continuity of the project.
With Sermathang, because it is a relatively ‘new’ project foryour volunteers, our first volunteer, Julie – whose report I sent to you – is the only previous volunteer at the moment. Julie had previously worked as a volunteer in a different people and places project in Nepal, so was relatively familiar with the Nepali culture and education system and comfortable in knowing that she would be working alone as a first volunteer.

The community project was also happy for her to be there – all of the projects that we work with have the final decision as to whether or not they will accept a proposed volunteer. And as you know, the Sermathang community has already accepted your placement. Read the remainder of this entry »

Inspirational story from one of our volunteers of a certain age – perfectly illustrates that volunteering in not just for the young -

Evelyn ( centre) with co volunteers Nicki and Lornaillustrates that volunteering is not just for youngsters!

It was the year 2005 when I discovered the joys of Nepal, as well as something of its poverty. Several members of my group of “wrinklies” happened to have a work background in education as I had, and we paid a very brief visit to a rural school. What a contrast to the well-endowed establishments we were familiar with! But the staff and the children were delightful, and made quite an impression on us.

When I read about opportunities for volunteers to work in schools abroad, including Nepal, I saw a chance for me to offer some of my experience to a country which was struggling.

Through the excellent people and places organisation I was accepted as a volunteer and in September 2008 assigned to a four week placement in a school in Kathmandu. I elected to stay in a hotel, as I was of an age to value my own space and a degree of independence, but could have had a home stay as an alternative.

The school was a shock, with class sizes up to 60 pupils, no electricity, no resources, and at that time, no staff facilities. But although it was hard work, the rewards were many. The smiling faces of the pupils; their delight in learning; their willingness to try new activities – all these were powerful antidotes to the dimness of the classrooms and the dust of the school environment.

I was sorry when my time there ended, but I felt that I had maybe made a small contribution to the skills of the local teachers and therefore the education of the pupils, as well as seeing something of life away from the tourist areas of Kathmandu. I had also discovered things about myself – that I could still teach; that I could get by in a culture very different from my own; that even at nearly 70 years old, I was not yet useless, and that I still had a contribution to make. Read the remainder of this entry »

I wrote this article at the end of last year but copyright meant i couldnt publish it all – now big thanks to Goodfellows I can – they have waived copyright in support of our campaign

One of people and places’ core values is that volunteers will work with local people, not instead of them – nowhere is this more important than in projects where childcare is the primary focus.

Vulnerable children need care and nurture that is both consistent and culturally appropriate.

We prepare all volunteers for their placements as thoroughly as we can (some volunteers even say we over-prepare!)

During this preparation, we explain and emphasise that no volunteer will be on their own while teaching or tending children (and if they do find themselves in that position, we will support their stopping work.) Teachers, social workers, counselors, nursery nurses, teaching assistants – all need to be working with local professionals and staff – otherwise, where is the skills transfer? Where is the sustainability and is it ever ethical?  Volunteers will not be working alone with the children.

So why has it taken us 5 years to realise that the category “working with children” on our site was misleading? Read the remainder of this entry »

We couldn’t be more chuffed! ABTA – The Association of British Travel Agents is working

Graduated Students and teachers from ITTOG

with us  for it’s overseas employee volunteer programme.

The programme will be supporting tourism in The Gambia and will work with students of ITTOG The Institute of Travel and Tourism.

ABTA staff will share their skills and experience with students whilst learning from local people about an important holiday destination. We don’t think we could have made a better match!

read a first hand report here from Simon Pickup ABTA’s sustainability manager on p.15

A huge thankyou to ABTA.

While many have celebrated the merging of service to others an development with tourism, some critics have emerged, and correctly so.

Things can get complicated when for profit businesses get involved in eco or community basedprojects.

Some  operators sell a smoke and mirrors volunteer placement, talking vaguely  about money into communities, obscuring the details, and making the volunteer feel uncomfortable about asking pointed questions – Too often volunteers are told  money goes into the community, only to  find out 75% of the money stayed with the operator!

So, like any travel transaction, there needs to be an education of the consumer.

They need to be encouraged to ask questions.

There should be clarity.

Sadly, I feel that there is a trend in journalism at the moment that is not helping create clarity – journalists are absolutely right to question the ethics and the transparency of the voluntourism industry – my complaint is that there is little questioning and much condemnation. Read the remainder of this entry »

Just been copied into this wonderful email in from a recently returned volunteer Nicki who

A precious book

volunteered at Amar Jyoti School in Nepal. I don’t think I have ever read anything that demonstrates so well the gift of education – particularly reading and comprehension.

……………………………………………………………….

Thank you all at PaperTigers for donating books to the Amar Jyoti school in Nepal.     Your books were such a help when introducing different teaching methods to the Nepalese teachers.

When the PaperTigers books first arrived there was a certain amount of apprehension from the Nepalese teachers who thought that the books were too precious to be shared with the children because they might get damaged. It was such a  joy to see a child eventually being allowed to pick up a book to look at the pictures and discuss the story with  friends

The Shree Amar Jyoti Gaun Pharka is a government school situated in the eastern part of the Pokhara Valley in Nepal,  some 200km west of Kathmandu.

English is the single most important educational tool a Nepalese child can have.

Without it, they cannot take public exams and the School Leavers’ Certificate.  The aim of the school is to teach in English but the teachers’  lack of skill and confidence in the language make this an ideal rather than a reality.

Read the remainder of this entry »

Its the time of year to say thank you. We said thank you earlier this year but we want to say it again so please take a look here and also at our slide presentation for our volunteers.

Thankyou!

Kate and I love our work and we are so lucky to meet such wonderful ( I’d say awesome but a sadly misused word!) people.

We love how our volunteers keep in touch with eachother ( and us!) .

The following is an extract from an email sent by Volunteer Tony after he returned from a month at Tshume school in port Elizabeth – he sent it to previous volunteers who had advised him before his departure

Hi everyone

Thought I would let you know how I got in at Tshume as you were so kind as to give me some advice before I went. That advice was most useful so thanks very much. This is a preliminary account prior to the official one for P and P.

To sum up, it was a wonderful experience that has had a profound effect on the way I look at things. It is a rare privilege to have the opportunity to have a better understanding of a culture and its people. In all my travels I have never done this before. Read the remainder of this entry »

Please read this  - this is important.

We are very fortunate that Professor Goodwin – amoungst many of his other roles –  serves as Non Executive Chair of our Advisory Board and Micheal Horton is Chairman and founder of Concert  -  our local partner in Cambodia

Here is is article

There is now reliable evidence that the travel and tourism industry is, in most cases unwittingly, contributing to internal child trafficking. Unscrupulous orphanages are ‘recruiting’ or purchasing children in order to fill orphanages and to ‘earn’ money form tourists.

The fact that those in the travel industry, who market or facilitate these opportunities – whether internationally or locally – may be unaware of the trafficking of children which they are encouraging through the provision of tourists who make this activity profitable for the orphan ‘owners’ is not the point. Read the remainder of this entry »