By Elaine Wynn, International Development Officer

Last month I was fortunate enough to spend 2 weeks visiting Projects Abroad’s newest destination – Fiji. I am still struggling to compare it to any other destination I’ve visited! I was surprised at how developed Fiji is i.e. public transport is on time and relatively organised, there are a wide variety of restaurants available, little/no attention is given to you as you walk down the street.

English is taught to children from a young age, so in contrast to other destinations I’ve visited there was never an issue with communicating with locals, making the experience much easier to adapt to.

Before arriving I had high expectations of seeing tiny picturesque islands occupied only by beaches and palm trees – I certainly was not disappointed! Projects Abroad is based on the third largest island – Viti Levu, on the west coast in Nadi. The local port is a 10 minute bus journey from our office, it offers regular boat trips to many of the islands, therefore perfect for all volunteers (and myself) wanting to relax on a paradise island for the weekend! The islands can cater for literally every type of guest - from the 5 star resorts aimed at honeymooners - to huts on the beach for backpackers. It certainly makes the Fijian Islands an understandably popular tourist destination.

One of the smaller Fijian islands

The landscape for Viti Levu surprised me, rather than offering the dazzling beaches that its smaller neighbouring islands boast, it offers an extremely green and mountainous landscape. Volunteers therefore also have the option to travel inland over weekends and experience the traditional Fijian way of life away from any tourists.

Inland Viti Levu

Although I mention that Fiji is more developed than I expected, the projects we offer are still just as worthwhile as the projects in our other destinations. In my short time that I was in Fiji I managed to visit all our Teaching and Care projects. One school I visited has over 150 students attending, however due to a new law in Fiji (forcing teachers to retire at an earlier age of 50 and for teachers to pay a yearly fee to the government to be able to teach,) there were only 3 teachers left working at this school. Fortunately Projects Abroad began working in Fiji around the same time that this law was implemented, meaning volunteers can help relieve some of the work load for the teachers and ensure the children are receiving an education.

What struck me the most having visited all the schools was the freedom and independence that the teachers were willing to give to our volunteers. If any volunteers have specific interests, the teachers do their upmost to accommodate them, whether it is teaching sport, IT or music. The teachers are extremely enthusiastic towards our volunteers and are keen to make them as involved as possible.

Volunteer with school children

At one school I visited, a past Projects Abroad volunteer had refurbished the library, decorated the walls and providing the school with many books. The teachers were over the moon with this and are still in contact with the volunteer.

Refurbished Library

The majority of our Care projects are based at Kindergartens, classes normally have over 45 children, so volunteers provide a helping hand arranging activities for the children.

For volunteers particularly interested in working with children with Special Needs we work at a day centre with over 100 children attending. The staff here are extremely dedicated to improving the quality of life for each child. Volunteers working here have a fantastic learning experience working alongside local staff.

The aspect that made Fiji stand out the most for me, compared to other destinations I have visited, is the friendliness of its people. The host families I met here are by far the most welcoming. Many volunteers spend weekends away with their family and are included in everyday family activities.

I’ve no doubt that as more projects are set up in Fiji, the amount of volunteers visiting will continue to rise. I would definitely recommend visiting this little dot in the Ocean and exploring this fascinating country.

Click here to learn more about our programs in Fiji

2 week special volunteers at the Cape Coast Castle

By Allison Kean, Program Advisor - Canada

So, after travelling with the 2 week high school special volunteers to Ghana on the escorted flight, I thought I would write about what makes the 2 week special volunteers so awesome.

First of all, I was blown away by the enthusiasm. Not to say that all of our volunteers aren’t enthusiastic, but the 2 week special volunteers seemed to be at level 10 all the time. Not even half an hour after arriving at JFK with the Canadian contingent, I was standing in front of the arrivals screen checking off American arrivals, when suddenly I was punched in the shoulder. Shocked, I turned to my left, and was greeted with a “Projects Abroad?!?! I’m with you!!!” followed by a huge high-five (To be fair I was wearing a Projects Abroad t-shirt – so I shouldn’t have been that surprised…). That level of enthusiasm didn’t drop for the entire trip. No matter how long their days were, if you asked any of the 2 week special volunteers how it was going, the response was always “wicked awesome” with huge smiles.

Another reason the 2 week special trip is so great is the weekend trip. The local staff put together an amazing weekend of non-stop fun. There were day trips to Cape Coast Castle and Kakum National Park, as well as a fun night of dancing and drumming complete with a bonfire. Not only was it a fantastically entertaining weekend, but having the staff there to supervise the volunteers the whole time meant they could safely enjoy their adventures.

I think the best part of the 2 week special was the camaraderie and friendships formed. The 2 week volunteers were pretty much together 24/7, and all became fast friends. The laughter and inside jokes reminded me of summer camp, and even before we left Ghana, they had already started to plan their reunion for next summer.

Even though the summer has just finished, it’s never too early to start planning ahead! The dates for the 2010 2 week specials are online now at http://www.projects-abroad.org/projects/2-week-high-school-specials/. I definitely think that the 2 week special projects are great for anyone looking to add a little more adventure and a whole lot of fun to their summer next year.

By Ian Birbeck, UK Recruiting Director

Before visiting our volunteers in Ho I had been in touch with Ailsa Murray who was a medical volunteer working in Ho, Ghana. Ailsa has been a serial volunteer with Projects Abroad working in Sri Lanka and Moldova as well. I was pleased to meet someone else who had a passion for Moldova. It turned out that Ailsa had worked with Boris Topor who had hosted me as a volunteer in his family in 1992. It was great to be able to meet up.

Ailsa had organised a meeting of volunteers at the Projects Abroad Ho office. She explained clearly her ideas. The Leprosy village is very close to one of the clinics Projects Abroad works with in Ho. On visiting the village Ailsa quickly recognised the neglect and poverty in this area. Schoonhoven village was built in 2006 to house a group of lepers and their families. Ailsa felt all the volunteers would be able to contribute not only the medical volunteers. A trip to the village was organised.

The problem that medical volunteers have started to address is regular cleaning of the wounds that come along with leprosy. There is no chance of catching leprosy. Other volunteers spent time with children related to the patients. The volunteers have now painted a room where medical materials can be stored as well as food donations. It can also act as a treatment room.

The volunteers found many of the patients were sleeping on the floor so they got together and donated a mattress for every one. They also paid for medical insurance for every patient with leprosy for the next year. This is something the government used to pay.

The Ghana Projects Abroad team is keen to make this project sustainable. The project was publicised on the main news programme in Ghana although the person who really got the project going was camera shy!

Even though she has returned to the UK and her studies at Aberdeen University Ailsa is remaining involved in the development of the project. Well done, Ailsa.

While a good number of volunteers and interns go abroad with us individually a growing number of volunteers take part on custom designed group trips. You can learn more about these types of trips from the video below or HERE

Volunteers and Staff at the monthly Social event in Cochabamba, Bolivia

By Alejandra Estrada, Travel Coordinator - Bolivia

Once every month in Bolivia, we organize new and fun activities for our volunteers and staff. From going out to a restaurant, organizing barbeques at the office patio or cooking some traditional food ourselves; we always try to innovate what we do so we show as much of our culture to the volunteers who are always eager to discover more.

This month, in order to celebrate Cochabamba’s 199th Anniversary; Santa Cruz’s Anniversary and the beginning of the spring on the 21st of September, we decided to host a very nice party at the office. Although we decided not to cook something traditional from Cochabamba –actually no cooking at all, this time; we decided to have a buffet Camba instead: food from the orient of Bolivia like Huminta, sonso and masaco. I won’t elaborate on each one but, just to give you an idea: there is a lot of cheese and yucca involved!

For the entertainment part, we always try to have a folkloric dance group to show the traditions of each region. When no group is availible our very talented staff is always ready to show some hidden talents when dancing a diablada, or a morenada. Luckily, we were able to find a dance group, so no rehearsals prior to the event!

Professional dancers doing the cueca

After a very nice performance of the cueca and bailecito, we had a quick ‘how to’ class with our volunteers. Teaching them the basic steps of the cueca as well as some rhythmic steps of the caporales, we realized, once again, all the fun we have dancing and showing our traditions to the volunteers. After a few minutes, the dance floor was crowded and dozens of white tissues were twirling in the air.

The talent was in the air that night and so Freddy decided to pass on the guitar from hand to hand (some of us managed to hide and only jump in with some shy chorus from the back). Alec, Lucas and Martin took turns at the ‘podium’, delighting us with some songs.

To finish such fun and warm night, we all danced a diablada and were, literally, out of breath!

Next month, we’ll be taking part of a Benefic Rock Festival with 4 of the most representative rock bands from Cochabamba and Bolivia! Can’t wait!

Lauren and Tameka in Jamaica

By Cherricha Jacobs, Desk Officer & Social Manager - Jamaica

The patience, willingness and tolerance of volunteers and participants on the Community Literacy Project must be highlighted! It was very obvious from the voices coming from an old building that teaching was in session. Tameka Crooks, one of the ten participants on this project, was in her “class” with Lauren McClelland. As I entered the “class” to interview Tameka, she was eager to tell her story. “Teacher Lauren” was also excited about her volunteering experience on the Community Literacy Project and did not hesitate when asked if she was willing to do a little interview on spot! She remarked “Sure, no problem!” Lauren spoke highly about the project and said “ I really enjoyed it and has been very rewarding working with all 8-9 adults”. Her class on September 8th was interrupted for me to interview Tameka, as Lauren was teaching Tameka letter writing, spelling, mathematics and phonics.

Tameka told me how she felt overjoyed when she heard about the Community Literacy Project. She was at home not doing anything and saw this opportunity to improve on her literacy. Having left school many years ago, she said it was good to learn phonics, letter writing, reading, syllables, sounds and mathematics. Tameka has been on the project since the beginning (May 2009) and has worked with Helene Tuimann, Nicola Preston, Kristyn Gintz, David Ruescher and now Lauren McClelland. She has already recommended this project to three other members of the community who are currently on the project. Tameka thanked all the volunteers who took the time to work with her.

A few minutes walk away from Tameka’s house, we met Andrea Lewis, better known as “Nordia”. Even though, she was busy with house chores, she welcomed me into her home and we began the interview right way. She told me that the Community Literacy Project is a very good idea for her. Nordia learnt a lot – verbs, nouns, prefix, mathematics, English and spelling. It was her view that persons who were not on the project were “missing out” as it was never too old to learn. The above volunteers have also worked with Nordia and she thanked them.

Andrea Lewis, better known as “Nordia”

The Community Literacy Programme was launched through partnership with the Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning (J.F.L.L). Currently, there are ten persons on the Community Literacy Project and they are in the process of completing level one of the literacy and numeracy components. Then they will move on to level two of the four part programme.

Special “big up” to our volunteers who are truly making the Community Literacy Project worthwhile by creating changes and impacting the lives of these people. Thank you so much! Check out the Projects Abroad - Jamaica Facebook page for all the interviews: Lauren, Tameka and Nordia!!

Learn more about the Community Literary Project by clicking here

By Thomas Pastorius, Director of Marketing - Pacific

The most famous example of Crowdsourcing is Wikipedia. By accepting the input from random web surfers, Wikipedia has built an Encyclopedia that rivals Britannica. Less famous, but more important, has been crowdsourcing’s impact on computer programming. Open Source programs like Firefox and Linux, which were created and tested primarily by amateur volunteers in their free time, have changed the business models of Microsoft and Cisco.

Crowdsourcing is about more than just computers: it’s about using groups of amateurs to solve a problem. In fact, crowdsourcing is the very same concept that Projects Abroad uses in setting up its self-funded service projects. Like the makers of Wikipedia and Firefox, Projects Abroad defines projects and creates the infrastructure that enables motivated amateur volunteers to do their work. By collecting and focusing the group’s efforts, Projects Abroad creates effective solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional international development agencies.

Self-funded volunteering is changing the way that we think of international service work, just as open source software is changing the computer business. We’re both bringing down costs, involving a broader community of people, and creating a generation with real connections to a project that is bigger than any individual. As with most changes, some groups stand to lose in the revolution, and those groups will naturally fight against it. For example, Microsoft complains that Open Source programming does not produce quality products, that it exploits the contributions of individuals, and that it has a higher failure rate than other software endeavors. In the same way, traditional development charities and aid organizations complain about the quality and values of self-funded volunteering.

Contrary to their claims, the results speak for themselves. To start, take just the economic benefits of Projects Abroad: our 5,500 volunteers will create over $45 million of local expenditure in 2009 alone. Since this expenditure is not touristic or administrative, but is used mainly on locally provided services, a significantly higher than average multiplier effect should also be expected.

Moreover, the service work provided by our volunteers is well received. In fact, this week Dr. Peter Slowe, Founder and President of Projects Abroad, is presenting at the Conference on Tourism and the Third Sector in Neuchatel, Switzerland on this very topic. Dr. Slowe’s research indicates that 70% of our placements view the impact of our volunteers’ work as either “positive” or “strongly positive,” while only 11% considered it “negative” or “strongly negative.”

I believe that the 2000s will be remembered as the time when we discovered, as one of my idols James Surowiecki called it, The Wisdom of Crowds. We discovered that a group of motivated amateurs, when organized into the right structure, can effect enormous positive change and create innovative new solutions. Projects Abroad is an important part of this movement because it brings the power of crowdsourcing out of the computing world and into – not just the real world but – the parts of the real world that need it most.

Rob and Allison are already very excited for the Open House BBQ in Toronto

By Allison Kean, Program Advisor - Canada

Fall time in the Canadian office means one thing; it’s time for a BBQ. On Tuesday September 22nd come join the Canadian Projects Abroad team at our downtown Toronto office, just south of Yonge and Bloor. Feel free to drop by anytime between 4 and 8pm to meet our staff and some alumni, and talk with them about our projects and destinations.

If you’re a little too far west to meet us in Toronto, well then we’ve got good news for you. We’re planning our very first info evening for Calgary this fall!! If you’ve got free time at 7pm on October 8th come join us for an informative presentation at the Calgary Telus Convention Centre, and then stick around to ask us questions. (Note to Calgarians: unfortunately (and unsurprisingly), we’re not allowed to BBQ in the convention centre… if we could, we totally would).

Will Harper (editor of the blog) showing some photos of South Africa in the Toronto office

For more details about either event or to RSVP please visit the Canadian Events page at http://www.projects-abroad.ca/more-info/open-house-and-information-evenings/ Hope to see you in the Fall!

Projects Abroad has always welcomed lots of geographers onto programmes whether it is over the summer or on their gap year. Our Director Dr Peter Slowe worked in the Geography department of Chichester University before he started Projects Abroad.

If you are a UK national intending to study geography at degree level you might be eligible for a grant of up to £4,000 to join one of our programmes. The Royal Geographical Society is offering 12 gap experience scholarships for students wishing to take a gap year in 2010 before starting university in the autumn of 2011. It is simple to apply for one of these scholarships requiring you to fill in an electronic application form as well as getting a teacher to provide a reference.

For this years scholarships you need to apply quickly as the deadline is Friday 16th October. To find out more go to http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/LandL/LandL.htm and mention Projects Abroad

Karen on a yak in Mongolia

By Karen Panum Thisted, Programme Advisor - Denmark

I never knew how to picture Mongolia. Besides an imagination of special white tents and relatively choppy men wrestling, I honestly did not know what to expect. The curiosity to see and experience this remote country was soon replaced by great satisfaction and happiness that I had come. Having traveled a few weeks in Russia, Mongolia was a big change – a nice one.

As Programme Advisor in Denmark for Projects Abroad, it is very useful to visit our destinations and get a visual impression and real understanding of the projects we offer along with a sense of the culture and the local people. This makes it much easier to convey the message to interested potential volunteers. This was my first visit to a destination besides Mexico and Peru where I volunteered myself so I was excited to experience and ready to inhale all impressions. I can only say that Mongolia by far exceeded my expectations.

Even though not having enough time to visit every single placement, I nevertheless had the chance to visit quite a few. Seeing how much volunteers can do for little children having had an unfair beginning in life in our Care projects and experiencing how much volunteers can improve the English skills of students as well as host families and colleagues made a big impression on me. These are of course only two examples. Moreover, I was taken aback when seeing how much volunteers learn on their projects, how much they can develop themselves personally, and how much their comprehension of a developing country can grow during their time in a project. A volunteer told me that her journalism project had changed her life and that due to her placement now knew that this should be her career. This sort of realization and learning process is in deed mind-blowing.

The beauty of the Mongolian steppe

Talking about life changing opportunities, the Nomad project is noteworthy as this is a pure cultural experience. Immersing yourself 100% in another culture with all that it takes is inevitably an amazing and unique experience. Having goat intestines served for breakfast, learning to enjoy fermented milk and dried yoghurt are only a few of the challenges that volunteers bravely face each day!

All projects and all time spent in Mongolia are permeated with the welcoming attitude of the Mongolian people - although they did laugh at my pathetic attempt to pronounce their difficult words - real tongue twisters, I tell you! And for leisure time activities, Mongolia is not in lack of options. The Gobi desert is a must I would say, but East, West and North of Ulaan Baatar are definitely also areas worth exploring whether it be on camel, horse back or in a car (keep in mind that the latter is, although more comfortable, more likely to have break downs on the way).

A trusty camel

I will definitely do my best to tell Danes about the small population in this big country far to the East where life evolves so differently than back home. I will be sure to return someday.

Click here to learn more about Mongolia