Projects Abroad Blog

A surprise email was received by Projects Abroad asking to sponsor the flights of some volunteers joining the Water Sanitation Project in Arusha.

Emirates Airline Foundation kindly sponsored the flights for eight volunteers who have joined the project instigated by Wendy Tisdell from Bridgit Water in Australia. Over the last few years Wendy has been working with Projects Abroad starting as a volunteer in Jamaica before working on a Sanitation Project in Jamaica last year and Tanzania this year.

When Wendy Tisdell from Bridgit Water first heard about the offer she said;
“I was completely gob smacked by and not expecting anything like this. We are just a bunch of people who like to travel, to experience different cultures and to spend their money in a way that will be beneficial and help other people in a sustainable way.”

Ian Birbeck, Recruitment Director at Projects Abroad said;
“I got an email from Scott at The Emirates Foundation which took me by surprise. At first it seemed like one of those too good to be true offers. It has ended up paying for flights for eight volunteers to go out and really make a difference helping at local hospitals and community centres in and around Arusha.”

Thank you to everyone at the Emirates Airline Foundation for their support.

Learn more about the great work for the Emirates Airline Foundation HERE and about all the different Projects Abroad programs in Tanzania HERE

By Theresa Ball
Program Advisor

Hi, I am Theresa Ball and I am the newest Projects Abroad team member. I was asked to write a short blog to introduce myself to the Projects Abroad Blog community so here it goes…

I have no inspiring stories or nail biting adventures to tell you. I am actually a novice traveler and while this may be a downfall for some I consider it a blessing. I like to think of myself as a blank slate, ready and willing to take on whatever comes my way. For many, this attitude may earn me the right to be called ignorant and naïve. However, I consider myself open minded and an idealist.

I fell into Projects Abroad by chance as I’m sure many volunteers do. I had always wanted to travel and explore but always ended up finding some reason that I couldn’t (not enough money…not enough time, the same old excuses). Once I graduated from college I decided it was time, no more excuses! So, I proceeded to design a completely unattainable fantasy vacation throughout Europe. Once I realized that I would need to work about 100 hours a week for the next 5 years in order to afford this dream excursion, I quickly set out looking for something a little bit more practical.

I must have looked at hundreds of different websites and programs. I made endless plans, but for some reason still kept procrastinating. Then I came across Projects Abroad and the plans stopped. I saw Archaeology in Romania and knew that was what I was doing. I applied the next day.
Having not traveled before I wavered between extremely excited and unbearably nervous (though of course I wouldn’t admit this to anyone), but mostly I was anxious. I was eager to learn about a new culture. Eager to do something I had always dreamed of doing, but mostly just eager to find out how I would act, think and react in this new environment. The months before my placement began seemed to drag on forever though looking back now they flew by.

I have been trying for almost a year now to describe to others what my time in Romania was like. I’m sure there are many flowery adjectives and humorous anecdotes that I could used to describe my experiences there. Yes, it was beautiful. Yes, the experience changed my life. Yes, I recommend that you all go there. Mostly though, it was the right place for me at the right time. I came back a different person, ready to take on anything and knowing that if I really wanted something, I could achieve it. I found a part of myself that I didn’t know existed.

Unfortunately, my time abroad also had its bad side. Mainly, I cannot get enough of traveling now! I am constantly making plans for my next big adventure and enjoying slightly smaller adventures in the meantime. Fortunately, Projects Abroad has helped me to achieve this as well. I was hired just a few months ago, and I already feel as if I am traveling vicariously through our wonderful volunteers (though I must admit I am a little jealous of them at times!). I am so happy to be here with Projects Abroad and I look forward to working with all the former, present, and prospective volunteers!

Following their return from volunteering as part of a group trip in Ghana, Isobel Towse and Siun Mc Fadden from Schull Community College, Co. Cork have kindly shared with us all the wonders of their amazing experience abroad. We’ve uploaded this handmade scrapbook here which should give both groups and the individual volunteer a unique insight into what they can expect on a volunteer placement with Projects Abroad.

This book captures everything, from preparation and fund-raising to survival tips for the western volunteer. It shows them cooking for the children in the orphanage, hanging with the locals, unique weekend travel opportunities and all of their efforts in between.

This colorful presentation details firsthand what a placement with us in Ghana has to offer. It neatly sums up our slogan: Help, learn, explore and is enough to inspire anyone to venture on their own voluntary mission overseas. For those of you who have already been to Ghana with us, it also succeeds in welcoming you back there too, even if just for a mere ten minutes!

Hope you enjoy it!

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

Check out the scrapbook: Here

Bem-Vindo, Chào Mừng!

Projects Abroad is proud to announce two new destinations – Vietnam and Mozambique, taking our total up to 26.

Mozambique will be taking volunteers from the late summer to get involved with Marine Mammal Conservation as well as Teaching and Care projects. The coastline of Mozambique is one of the last remaining places in the world to find Dugongs (sea cows), which are one of the rarest mammals on earth.

Vietnam is our newest South East Asian destination, and will be welcoming volunteers starting this autumn. Volunteers can join Teaching and Care projects in Hanoi in the north of Vietnam.

Our medical volunteers in Jamaica spent the past few weeks visiting the mobile clinic in the Alligator Pond community and attended the North Caribbean University’s research day. They were able to listen to presentations about new and original research that is taking place on campus.

The volunteers also worked on a presentation of their own for the HIV workshop about the treatment and care of HIV positive children in Jamaica.

The volunteers delivered a comprehensive presentation on ‘the effects, stigma and discrimination of HIV positive children’. The information and presentations from the workshop will be distributed to appropriate placements and businesses.

By Stuart Timson

There have been many new highs at Taricaya and the most noticeable of these was a competition we organised amongst all the schools in Puerto Maldonado. May was the month in which the world celebrated its “Biodiversity Day” and to honour this we inaugurated the first inter-school “Environmental Awareness” competition in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. Each school had held its own internal competition and the winners passed to a grand final that was held in the main square of Puerto Maldonado on May 22nd. The fantastic displays were accompanied by the four pupils who had designed them and their teachers. Our volunteers were assigned groups to supervise as the four judges went around each display and having listened to each group they chose their top three. The judges came from the Tambopata National Park, the INC (National Culture Institute), the Ecological Police and the Ministry of Education. The winning displays are currently being displayed in the local museum and the top three schools won a variety of prizes from visits to Taricaya, a camping trip in the national park and free pizza! The event was covered by local newspapers, radio and television and it was incredibly satisfying to see how the young Peruvians see the threats to their land and heritage. A great time was had by everyone concerned, and I must thank the volunteers for giving up their Saturday morning to help out. I am confident that this will now become an annual event, and I am very proud to see our work filtering through to the next generation of Peruvians. These youngsters hold the key to the future of the rain forest, and whether there will be any left for their children to enjoy.

By Natalie Bryson

With 14 national parks, Africa’s largest lake and Africa’s tallest mountain, Tanzania is one of the most visited African countries by tourists, trekkers and volunteers alike. As a former volunteer in Ghana (Accra 2007) and Mexico staff member (Guadalajara 2007-8), I was excited for the opportunity to visit another Projects Abroad site to see what sort of projects volunteers are doing. I met up with Assistant Country Director, Jason, and Staff Member Reagan (named after the former U.S. president), who drove me around to a few Care and Teaching placements in and around Arusha. On the way to the placements, I was blown away by the scenery of bright green fields, looming Mt. Meru sheathed in clouds and women in brightly colored cloth, as well as the beautifully temperate weather and people who greet you with “Jambo!” and a smile. The projects I visited throughout the day had volunteers from Denmark, Scotland, Japan and the U.S. , and all were deeply passionate about their placements and the work they were doing. The teachers and directors of the schools and orphanages seemed very grateful that volunteers were there to spend time helping out kids who don’t get much otherwise. The most surprising thing to me though, was that my visit happened to coincide with the first anniversary of Projects Abroad’s beginning in Tanzania! Everything in-country was so well organized, and the projects so well run, that the staff seem like they’ve been doing this for years, and with more than 50 volunteers per month, Tanzania is quickly becoming one of the most popular countries for volunteers to seek placements. I can definitely see why!

By Sian AFFOLTER

As an intern at the Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH) of Togo, I was able to be part of the team observing the campaign for the presidential elections 2010 and the actual election-day. This enabled me to get a unique insight into the procedures surrounding presidential elections in Togo.

During the 14-day long campaign, I went out on four days, attended meetings of the political parties and listened to the candidates’ speeches, which, unfortunately, I was often unable to understand since they were mostly given in Ewe (their local language).

On the 14th of March, the day of the election, the Commission spread its employees and members all over the country. I was part of a three-person team that covered the “prefecture “of Vo and Yoto. We visited 10 “centres de votes” and watched the counting of the votes in two “bureaux de votes”. This gave me an once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch and observe an election in Africa.

Two days after the vote, Faure Essozima Gnassingbe was declared elected for another 5 years mandate. Although this was just according to the provisional results. The definitive results have not yet been declared.

Some guide books say five thousand steps, others say six thousand… No matter what the actual number is, let me tell you, it’s a heck of a lot of steps to the top of Adam’s Peak! But don’t let that dissuade you because reaching the top is one of the most rewarding experiences that Sri Lanka has to offer.

Adam’s Peak is no gentle slope, measuring 2,243 metres in height; the mountain is sacred to Buddhists and boasts a beautiful Temple at its summit. Monks clad in orange robes greet and bless pilgrims at the beginning of their ascent – wishing them well for the spiritually and physically grueling upwards journey. Climbers often follow the track during the evening, arriving at the peak in time to witness a glorious sunrise. Sometimes pilgrims will see a shadow is cast across the surrounding mountains - a spectacular sight if the sky is clear!

Traditionally, the climbing season rests between December and May so if you want to take the challenge, get those hiking boots on quick smart! At this time of year, pilgrims can ward off the cold with cosy cups of tea or milo and steaming chickpeas for protein (and inevitable muscle repair!) Tea houses mark the pathway with purplish blue lighting. The steps are also well lit in most areas but if you decide to hike out of the season, be sure to be well-equipped with food, water and a big torch. You might like to take a local guide or one of the energetic dogs that bound up and down the mountain with remarkable ease!

Completing the climb itself is quite an achievement. It’s a big enough effort to acclimatise to the blistering cold and it’s one of the only places in Sri Lanka where you will need a scarf, gloves and jacket! People descending the mountain have an expression of accomplishment smeared over their faces. Those still hiking stop to stretch and massage their muscles intermittently. Some even carry sleeping children or elderly relatives up the mountain. It is touching to see families supporting each other to achieve such an incredible feat.

A thick guide rail lines the upper half of the climb. Trekkers’ legs jiggle like jelly under their own weight. The pain is often so excruciating that it feels like your limbs might turn to stone. At the top, the air is crisp, yet thin. Worshipers pray and await the sunrise in the frosty night. Pilgrims ring a large bell once for every time that they have completed the trek. After I rang the bell for the first time, a feeling of triumph washed over me while the metallic sound rang out over the valley.

Last year Projects Abroad was approached by the British Safety Council to see if we would like to work together on training youngsters around the world about safety. On April 16th they ran their second Projects Abroad gap safety course. Twenty nine Projects Abroad volunteers gathered at The British Safety Council Headquarters in Chiswick to learn more.

The British Safety Council have agreed to sponsor a number of training days where Projects Abroad volunteers are paid their accommodation and travel costs to take the course which will allow them to go overseas and teach safety to classrooms in the developing world.

The morning focused on the volunteers learning about safety and taking their British Safety Council qualification “Level 1 Health and Safety at Work”. The afternoon was an opportunity to meet with Ian Birbeck from Projects Abroad and Madeleine Wright who went overseas teaching safety last summer. Ian and Madeleine focused on the practicalities of teaching safety in the developing world as well as some of the safety issues that students are met with when they are overseas.

Madeleine talked about how she approached it in Ghana last year;

“I designed a workbook for the lessons, and different posters for them to write on and colour in and we put them up on the walls and they really love them! We did a hazard spotting exercise around the school as well which they were pretty excited about! The children have designed fire safety posters, drawn hazards, made rules to help keep each other safe. I managed to teach a Healthy Living module in their science lessons as well which I have been able to link with health and safety”.

If you are interested in joining the next British Safety Council Course on June 18th please look at the attached flyer. The May 21st course is already fully booked. You can book onto the course by calling Sebastian Tarnowski on 0208 6001044 or email him at sebastian.tarnowski@britsafe.org.