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Tag: volunteer

It would be irresponsible – the very thing we strive not to be! – to fail to plan for the future.

It would be irresponsible – the very thing we strive not to be! – to fail to plan for the future.

Next year we will celebrate 20 years since we placed our first volunteer. – working with them to use their skills to help communities around the world build the future they want for themselves. A heartfelt thankyou to every volunteer who has helped us achieve that goal. When Harold, Kate and Sallie started people and places they chose to make people and places a social enterprise – run for the benefit of the projects we work with not shareholders. Our…

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Siem Reap is still the same…stunning peaceful and a vibrant culture

Siem Reap is still the same…stunning peaceful and a vibrant culture

As many of you will be aware there has been unrest on the Thai Cambodian border – but Siem Reap is safe and we are confidently sending volunteers as I type this. This from our partners “We are pleased and relieved to confirm that the ceasefire agreed between Cambodia and Thailand on the 27th of December is still in place.  A key Cambodian demand was the release of 18 soldiers who’d been detained since July.  These were returned on the…

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Honouring Mike McHugo of Education for All

Honouring Mike McHugo of Education for All

Sallie first met Mike in 2009 and we just knew we could work together. Mike is now stepping down from day to day trustee work – here’s the announcement from Education for All – we want to say a huge thankyou to Mike and wish him well in his new role. After many years of service as Chair and as a Trustee, of Education for All Mike is stepping down from the Board – a shift that recognises both EFAM’s…

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‘Both professionally fulfilling and personally enriching’ – Shiobhan’s volunteer story

‘Both professionally fulfilling and personally enriching’ – Shiobhan’s volunteer story

This report was written by volunteer Siobhan about her placement in The Gambia. The first question I am always asked is why?  I wanted to share my skills and experience in a school and country where that type of support was genuinely needed, somewhere I could help in a small but meaningful way. I spent a long time looking for the most appropriate placement, as many opportunities focused on teaching English or doing crafts. There was lots of correspondence before…

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What I love about being a people and places local partner

What I love about being a people and places local partner

Written by Fatou Hydara, people and places local partner in The Gambia To tell you a little about myself, my name is Fatou Hydara, I was born in Essau village in the North Bank region of The Gambia, completed my primary education at Essau Lower Basic School then went on to Berending Upper Basic School, 10km from her home, completed high school at Essau senior secondary school. Throughout my education I undertook extra-curricular activities, including awareness-raising groups including peer health…

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Mariama – my first visit to people and places projects in Morocco

Mariama – my first visit to people and places projects in Morocco

It was sometime in 2024 when I began to have talks with Sallie and Dianne about them retiring and ITTOG taking over the running of People and Places. They had spoken to the heads of ITTOG about it and they suggested that I take over the directorship from the UK which is basically taking on Sallie’s role. I was excited about the opportunity as I have been a part of People and Places since the early days of its inception….

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‘It was awesome!’ – Volunteer Mateo reports on his volunteer experience in Cambodia

‘It was awesome!’ – Volunteer Mateo reports on his volunteer experience in Cambodia

Mateo is a young Romanian student, just finishing his first year at university in Italy.  He heard about the possibility of international volunteering from a fellow student and approached us about organising a placement during the summer vacation.  He is a keen and able sportsman, and told us that ‘engaging in a practical project, deepening my abilities and doing it at the benefit of a company with a focus on social issues is the dream for me.’  We matched Mateo…

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How one thing led to another – two volunteers’ varying experiences in Morocco

How one thing led to another – two volunteers’ varying experiences in Morocco

Trish’s volunteer story started with a group placement in January 2025 – she was part of the Kindness Adventures group who travelled to Morocco to volunteer with our partners at Education For All.  The group of 10 ladies from USA and Canada facilitated and participated in a variety of cultural activities with 30 girls from the Education for All boarding houses and two of their house-mothers. Together they did a guided tour of the medina in Marrakech, a cycling tour,…

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Can volunteer travel be meaningful and ethical?

Can volunteer travel be meaningful and ethical?

We passionately believe it can be. “We know that the overwhelming majority of volunteers want to ‘do good’​, and despite what some negative press stories may suggest, our experience shows that volunteers can and will make a difference.  It is a small difference – but well managed programmes make sure that difference is part of a greater whole.  Just be sure you take the time to find the right programme to match your skills, and help us build the shared…

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Group volunteering – a different way to volunteer – a story from Morocco

Group volunteering – a different way to volunteer – a story from Morocco

In January we organised a second group placement for Kindness Adventures, an American organisation looking for an opportunity to give back to local communities. Jax (founder of Kindness Adventures and an enthusiastic participant tells us: ‘We believe that travel can be a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation, and we strive to create meaningful and impactful experiences that allow our guests to connect with the world in a deeper way. We are committed to fostering a culture of kindness…

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