people and places

A voluntourism gal blog link  started me thinking.

 She asked  Share Your Mistakes – Who’s Game? .

I have to admit I have always been a little concerned about how smug some of us in the “responsibletravel” industry /movement – call it what you will - particularly those of us in the ”responsible volunteering” indusrty/movement can be. We seem to spend a lot of time talking about how others should act as we do and by implication  improve their act. Continue reading "Mistakes – let’s learn from them" »

This update came in from Paul in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

The situation with the public sector strike does not appear to be near any resolution as yet. Currently most state hospitals and schools are shut. Unfortunately, the government and the unions have not had further discussions, since the strike began. In fact, the two parties are at loggerheads with one another, the unions accusing the government of misleading the public with propaganda, and the government accusing the unions of intimidation and human rights violations. Continue reading "Strikes in South Africa continue" »

“ Teachers are inspired; families are empowered; community connections between the races are fostered. And, of course, this is changing the lives of today’s students and thousands more for years to come. ” Eileen Kugler

The library with over 20,000 books is open and operating at AV Bukani – read the Kuglers blog here.

The story of the library is a perfect picture of working in South Africa – frustration – joy – frustration – delays – more delays – even more delays and joy again!

The Kugler’s said after their first trip to AV Bukani that they had never been so “overthanked” – well there is no way to “overthank” them for their latest endevours.

Take a look at this great community initiative in The Gambia…..one of my favourite countries  – I must admit a little bias!

This eco lodge is looking for business and IT volunteers  – some office eh?

I was at Sandele earlier this year – WOW what a great volunteer placement -idyllic surroundings for a visionary project

This just in from our partner Paul in Port Elizabeth. The strike is particularly affecting the schools we work with in The Eastern Cape – just another challenge!

It has happened, and the strike has started today. It will be an indefinite, very militant strike again similar to 2007. It has been somewhat of a nightmare here, keeping all things together. The Kugler container ( see their blog or previous posts about the library they are trying to build at this very moment!) only arrived at AV on Sunday, and yesterday books went home with all the kids for the first time……only to hear the news today of the strike.  Its been up and down on an almost daily basis with the union meetings, pickets, and change of plan all the time.

Its all a big fat mess. Continue reading "“Its all a big fat mess.”" »

A post from Nigel the volunteer newsletter editor.

 I wrote an article in the summer people and places newsletter under the title Editors whinge which seems to have caused a bit of controversy! and I  have  reprinted the article here  – and the emails I received from a couple of volunteers in response. I want to emphasise that this is my opinion and Kate and Sallie do not neccessarily agree and it is certainly not the opinion of people and places but my personal opinion.  What do you think?

Continue reading "Voluntourism what does it mean?" »

 School children, parents and friends and volunteers raised funds to refurbish and equip a rudimentary science lab for Samata school in Kathmandu

Finally the lab is open for the students to use. We hear that the school is hugely proud of their new lab – in fact, so proud that they don’t use it all the   time! Often the teacher will take equipment from the lab to the general classroom – volunteer Graham, who is at Samata as we publish, is working on  this, but we know that it will need to be reinforced by future volunteers. Experience shows us that all too often donations are seen as precious and not to be used. Always a challenge!

Sallie and Devender

I have recently received this e-mail from Devender Singh the head master at Chitardai. 

 Respected madam  Sallie 

I’m very glad to admire Sallie. It is really great gracious  service by your teachers for  school going children in Chitardai. This work of charity done you. We are very very grateful to you for this work 

with best regards 

yours faithfully                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Devender Singh 

 Devender wrote this after the first 6 volunteers had been to work with him – they all did such a special job. Building trust with local people is perhaps one of the most important roles for the first volunteers. Thanks Nick, Lorraine, Jenny, Dianne, Penny and Bob.

So many returned volunteers are continuing to support their projects after their return home. If you want to publicise what you are doing or recruit support why not publish a comment here?

Paul, our partner in Port Elizabeth, addresses a group of South african volunteer programme organisers

“I am neither an expert in this area, nor an academic. I guess the organisers have asked me to deliver an input here today, because Calabash Tours is vocal in the area of Sustainable Tourism, and we have raised concerns about certain practices occurring in this sector.
We also run some voluntourism programmes.

What I am about to present is not conclusive, is certainly subjective, but is hopefully a way to introduce some of the controversial issues relating to this sector in the travel market. It is also appropriate that this is discussed here at this gathering, as many travellers engaging in voluntourism come from the youth sector.

Continue reading "A partner speaks out" »