Projects Abroad Blog

By Kelsy Nelson, Program Advisor - USA

I have a special place in my heart for Latin America. After spending my first Projects Abroad placement learning to speak *~*el espanol*~* (among other things) in Peru, I’ve felt a lingering kinship with the continent. So, when I was told I would be spending two weeks in Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgentina this June I felt the excitement of my second home all coming back to me.

In fifth grade poetic fashion, here’s my dedication to the land of dulce de leche, Che Guevara, and way too many empanadas:

A: for effort

This is the outside of Projects Abroad Argentina. The branding was without a doubt the most impressive I’ve seen (sorry Goring by Sea, UK!), but our design team immediately informed me the text was written in the wrong font. For all offices looking to replicate this example, please use Trade Gothic and NOT Futura.

R:igorous mate drinking

Mate is a caffeinated beverage that is to Argentine’s what Dunkin’ Donuts iced lattes are to Americans. It’s a culture, perfection, lifestyle, and ultimately the drink of choice in Argentina all day, every day. Although I couldn’t get into the bitter taste regardless of how much diet sugar filled the copa, I did enjoy the communal aspect of sipping on a bombilla while relaxing in las pampas.

G:enerous portions of meat

I heard many rumors about Argentina’s vast meat selection, though nothing could prepare me for an actual meal. Normally a faux-vegetarian, I had to give in to the steak. And the pork. And the chicken. And the blood sausage. And every other type of meat whose names I don’t even remember at this point. Meat, like mate, is a religion in Argentina, so its best to leave your vegan inclinations behind (survey says no one from Williamsburg, Brooklyn can travel here).

E:uropean flavor

Strolling down the streets of Cordoba was like being in Paris all over again. Okay, so I wouldn’t go that far, but nonetheless Argentina had a very European style. There were big streets with cobblestone and cafes and tables sprawling onto the streets. Waiters even brought carbonated water with coffee! A little slice of Europe for those of us living in the Western (aka bestern) hemisphere.

N:ight time dining

When it comes to eating dinner in Argentina, all I can say is this: by the time most of us are in bed, they’re starting to cook dinner. Get ready for 11pm meals, y’all.

T:alk Spanish to me

Argentine Spanish is a very curious variation on other versions of the language. Instead of the typical pronunciation of double l’s, y’s, or j’s, Argentine’s use a “jaaaa” sound. This doesn’t translate very well written, but believe me it’s both real and beautiful.

I: (couldn’t think of anything for this, sorry!)

N:o, it’s not summer

Contrary to popular belief, summer does not occur between June-August everywhere in the world (New York City included in that at the moment). While this seems obvious to the well-seasoned traveler, some of us forget small nuances every now and then – no mentioning of names. For the FYI, those of you traveling during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, it will be winter in Argentina so dress warm.

A:lfajores

Close your eyes.

No, open them so you can read this.

Picture two layers of cake with dulce de leche in the middle. You shall call this is an alfajor aka perfection. This noteworthy part of Argentina is dedicated to my former fellow Program Advisor Jessye Crowe-Rothstein (we miss you!) who harassed me everyday I was gone about trying them. I’m glad she did.

Olga with her class in Namibia

By Olga Tymejczyk, Program Advisor - USA

Hi, I recently joined the New York City office as a Program Advisor and was asked to introduce myself to the Projects Abroad community on the blog. Here is the story of how I became fascinated with international exchange.

As I child, I quickly developed a keen interest in atlases and maps. I was desperate to find a theory behind the assignment of colors to different countries on a map (Do the green countries have a lot of trees?). Crushed by the realization that country colors vary by map, I started to collect postcards sent by family friends from abroad, looking up countries in an encyclopedia and trying to imagine the people of those unknown lands. I vividly remember my disbelief, as I was gazing at pictures of a huge stone city high up in the mountains. This memory came back to me years later, taking my breath away as I saw Machu Picchu with my own eyes after a 5-day trek through the Andes.

My upbringing in a Ukrainian family living in Poland, as well as high school education in a German high school, made me very sensitive to the subtleties of history and identities. Having studied the Polish-Ukrainian conflicts both in a Polish and a Ukrainian school, as well as World War II in Poland and in Germany, I became interested in the diversity of perceptions and cultures around the world. In an attempt to learn more about the world, its peoples, and their worldviews, I followed my sister’s advice and sought scholarships to American colleges.

Olga on a recent trip to Arizona

At the age of 19, I arrived in the US to start my freshman year at Harvard. I was thrilled to share a suite with a Muslim girl born in India, a daughter of Chinese immigrants, a girl of Jamaican heritage, as well a roommate from the exotic shore of New Jersey. Harvard and the US provided the thrill of learning about people different from me, eavesdropping on conversations in languages I couldn’t understand, and tasting foods I never imagined existed.

I chose to be a Latin American Studies major, because it promised to be an exposure to a yet another reality that I never got the chance to experience. My first trip while in college, however, was to Namibia. I traveled to that beautiful country as a volunteer English and IT teacher, but it was me who probably learned the most. While trying to share my knowledge with local children and teachers, I received an invaluable lesson about the value of international exchange. I was changed forever by living the life of a community that showed me how to do the best out of one’s circumstances and how to keep working for a better tomorrow.

Olga near Lanquin, Guatemala

I also had an amazing experience in Peru, whose kind people gave me a chance to become their friend despite my command of maybe 200 words in Spanish at the time. Encouraged by the openness of those strangers-now-friends, I decided to spend a semester in Argentina, at the University of Buenos Aires. Although the language barrier and differences in educational systems made for a rough adjustment period, I became fascinated with the passionate student body and the outspoken Argentinean population, not afraid to go out to the streets to make their voices heard. Long discussions about history and society with my wonderful host family revealed the side of Argentina I could have never experienced as a tourist. I left after 6 months with a pain in my heart, but also with a passion for tango, dulce de leche, and even the rhythms of cumbia villera (mate and famous Argentinean steak - not so much).

A recent experience that made me even more eager to explore the world was an internship with a Brazilian NGO. For two months, I did field research in public policy and lived with a family who were part of Brazil’s large Japanese population. This mixing of two different worlds at first gave me a headache, but turned out to be a wonderful lesson of diversity.

I’m very excited to join the Projects Abroad team! I look forward to getting to know everyone and helping make international experience happen for many more people around the world!

Dear loyal readers,

I just wanted to update everyone that I will be flying to Peru on this escorted flight from New York -JFK with an excited group of 2 week summer special volunteers this Saturday. Besides helping with the escorted flight I will be visiting our different programs in country, meeting staff members and speaking with volunteers which won’t leave a lot of time for the blog. But don’t fear I will update as often as I can and I will schedule several posts over the next week or so to keep you entertained and informed. Plus you can expect a flurry of activity when I return in two weeks.

This also gives me the opportunity to post a couple of photos from Rob, our Director in Canada. After reading through Scott’s trip report to Jamaica and his recreation of Laurens’ now infamous waterfall picture, he sent along these photos of him at Machu Picchu where he tried to recreate a photo that has been widely used in our promotional materials and fair stands. Below is the famous photo:

And here are Rob’s recreations. He “claims” that Machu Picchu is 100% behind the clouds but I am a little skeptical……

Take 1

Take 2

Not only will I be exploring a new country but I will also try my hand at recreating this photo. Hopefully there will be no clouds when I visit Machu Picchu, fingers crossed!

Safe travels,

Will

Partnership Workshop in Mandeville, Jamaica

The work of Projects Abroad in Jamaica has been explained in an article published on the Jamaican Information Services Governmental website, link here

Project Abroad Jamaica will be undertaking a number of programmes in Jamaica for the 2009/10 period, as the organisation continues its voluntary work in the island.

“Projects Abroad Country Manager, Bridgette Barrett, speaking at a partnership workshop in Mandeville Manchester yesterday (June 4), said that these include undertakings in the areas of culture, medicine and health care, conservation and the environment particularly in disaster management and agriculture. Residents of the parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. Ann and Manchester are expected to benefit from these initiatives.

The workshop, held at the Golf View Hotel, was attended by more than 40 representatives from various fields and disciplines such as sports, academia, community development, health, child care, parenting associations, local government, among other areas.

Participants in the workshop were introduced to and updated on the work of the local arm of the organisation over the last year. They also made suggestions about ways in which projects in Jamaica, undertaken by the group, can be strengthened.

Ms. Barrett said that the aim of her team is to make the organisation “the best” and added that the participants have made some very valuable suggestions.”

View of Old Brasov from Mount Tampa

By Armando (Chava) Salvador, Web Designer

I’ve been working with the Romanian IT Team for almost four years now, and I used to think since Romania was straight from the Communist Block that people there had no sense of humor, but that idea disappeared as soon as I left the plane in Bucharest with a massive coat at 89.6 ºF (32 ºC), obviously I’ve asked to someone from the IT Team about the weather and he took the chance to play a little joke ..

I was so tired since it was a very long trip from Mexico to Romania. Alexandru Parasca (Para) picked us up at the airport and the trip from Bucharest to Brasov took us more than three hours since there was a lot of traffic. After some traffic we started to move faster and I really wanted to sleep but the landscapes were so beautiful. The mountains, the houses, everything looked so different from anything I’ve ever seen that I just couldn’t stop enjoying the ride.

Tom at Bran Castle

As soon as we started to have contact with the local people we noticed they were so warm and nice, even more than my fellow Mexicans! I’m used to shaking hands, hugging and kissing people but nothing like in Romania, amazing, just amazing!!

I really loved everything about Romania, the people, the food, the architecture, everything. There is a mountain named Tampa with a “Brasov” sign at the top just like in Hollywood and we went on a hike up it one day. It was easy to see where the old Brasov ended and the new Brasov began. The old Brasov was covered in red because of the red tiled roofs while the new Brasov was more gray colored because of the concrete apartment blocks all around.

Chava by the Brasov sign on Mount Tampa

I made some great friends with the IT Team and the Romanian Staff, they are such nice and warm people. Mircea, the Country Director, invited us all to his apartment where we ate homemade bread and black olives. We had a really great time there and a few days later his mom invited us to dinner. She is the most adorable woman ever. Besides the amazing traditional Romanian food we had a nice chat about a lot of things including Mexican soap operas.

Dinner with the Romania staff

In regards to the Mexican soap operas, the only contact many Romanians have with Mexico are these soap operas, so every time people heard my real name (Armando Salvador), not my nickname (Chava), they said “Oh telenovelas name”. Every place we visited people would ask me “Are you Mexican?”, and I used to answer “Yes, how did you know?”, and they would say “It’s obvious!!! All Mexicans looks pretty much like you!!”, so suddenly I became exotic and “The only Mexican in the village”, which was so fun!

Ok, this isn’t everything, my mind never forgets, but I think this is enough to express a clear idea about my recent trip there.

Catch you later, or how Romanians say “La revedere” (Good Bye)  or “pa pa” (bye bye)…

By Harry Kent, Programme Advisor - UK

Anyone who has ever worked in India has always said how different it is from anywhere else in the world, but no one could have prepared me for life in the small town of Sivakasi in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. In the back of my mind I was expecting a very similar experience to my time spent in Sri Lanka, but the ricshaws and saree’s is where the similarity ends.

My main preconceptions of India came from the award winning film Slumdog Millionaire which I feel paints an accurate picture of city life in India. I arrived to Sivakasi and soon realised that it is a country steeped in tradition, a country of aromatic spice, and a country of diverse religion.

Wherever I have been with Projects Abroad I have noticed an aspiration for the Western world, mainly the Ghanaians and their passion for the English Premier League, but India for me is so rich in its own culture that it does not aspire to the wealth of the west thus making it such a fascinating country to volunteer in.

Living in Sivakasi is like nothing I have experienced before and perhaps like anything I will experience again. The colourful temples, the spicy aromas, and the constant echoing sounds of horns are just some of the things that make this country such a rich cultural experience.

I look forward to meeting all the volunteers coming to India this summer.

To learn more about our programs in India click HERE

Verge Magazine is holding a travel photography contest in several categories with a couple different prizes for the winners. Just be sure to submit your entry by July 1, 2009- 6pm EST. The one caveat is that the contest is only open to Canadian nationals and international subscribers.

More information about the categories, submission and rules of the contest can be found here: http://www.vergemagazine.ca/photocontest/

Good luck!

Craig with his work colleagues at ‘The Daily Voice’

By Craig Ferriman, Programme Advisor - Projects Abroad UK

I’m Craig Ferriman and the newest member of the UK office in Sussex on England’s beautiful South Coast. I’m here over the summer period in the UK recruitment team working on various things including the development of the Projects Abroad Groups website and will be attending many of the school and college fairs to attract interest in students thinking about volunteering abroad.

My association began with Projects Abroad about eighteen months ago when I booked to travel to South Africa as the first Journalism volunteer. I spent two months in South Africa’s mother city, Cape Town, and it was an incredibly life changing experience. My host family were victims of the oppressive apartheid regime and spent the majority of their lives in the grim Cape Flats saving up in the belief that they may one day be allowed to live where they chose. Their wish came true and they now live in a leafy, suburban part of Cape Town. The stories they told me were extraordinary. I spent my days with reporters on the province’s only tabloid – ‘The Daily Voice’ – covering all manner of hard news. I scooped a front page story and a double page exclusive in my time as well as twelve other articles. My notions about the ethics of Journalism were challenged and my writing style was honed but more than that my eyes were considerably opened to the corruption of Southern African politics and the extreme poverty with which so many Capetonians live in.

Craig ostrich riding

I was originally born in Newcastle but relocated to Southampton at the age of eleven and spent the duration of my secondary school there. I took a year out after school working and travelling (including my time in South Africa with Projects Abroad). When I returned from travelling to the UK, I started my first of three years at Queen Mary College, University of London doing a BA in English Literature.

Since last October I have been attending fairs and giving talks at schools, colleges and universities attracting attention and interest in volunteering with us overseas. It is my pleasure to be spending time in the UK office this summer with a friendly and warm group of individuals who have been most welcoming. No two days are ever the same with the Ghana and Bolivia Directors, Tom Davis and Daniela Viljoen having already passed through and Recruitment Directors, Tom Pastorius, Rob Levine and Frank Seidel joining us in the office. Who knows who’ll pop by next?

Madeline Wright with Emmanuel Abaaja in the Akuapem Hills

Back In February this year UK staff members Harry Kent and Andrew Fryer attended the British Safety Council health and safety course in London, on the day they met with Madeleine Wright who was due to jet off to Ghana on a care and community placement with Projects Abroad at the end of the month.

Madeleine was very keen on what the course had to offer and was really motivated that she could use what she had learned on her care & community project out in Ghana.

Since a recent visit to Ghana by Andrew Fryer (International Development Officer) we have updates on how Madeleine is getting on.

Madeleine has been working at Voice preparatory school and care home in Koforidua in the eastern Region of Ghana, during a meeting with Andrew she explained what she has been up to.

“The Health and Safety course has been very successful at the school I’m currently at.  The headmistress is very positive about it - There was a gap in the timetable so it was added as a lesson which has meant I’ve been able to do something different each week.  She also wants the children to have a big parade around the estate where the school is to promote health and safety! The kids really love it as well because it’s something different for them than their usual lessons.” 

On the course we learned about safety at work and how we could educate children around the world on health and safety issues affecting them. The idea was to provide educational materials and interactive workshops that would make learning about health and safety issues both fun and informative. Madeleine tells us how she has been doing this.

“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”

Projects Abroad have linked up with the British Safety who are offering free health and safety courses to volunteers travelling to the developing world. This really is a great opportunity to improve your knowledge of health and safety, as well as following in Madeleine’s footsteps by being instrumental in educating children that can really benefit from this additional education.

To find out more about joining the next BSC Health and Safety course keep you eye on the blog for more information.

By Stuart Timson, Conservation Director - Peru

With the wet season finally drawing to a close and the river starting to drop it was time for a bit of damage control at Taricaya as we headed out onto our extensive trail system to assess the condition of our more distant trails that had been hard to reach previously. There was a secondary aim also as we search for a suitable pre-release site for our spider monkeys as construction may begin now that the heavy storms have passed. Our first task was to perform what we call the “Big Loop” which involves an all day hike around the perimeter of the reserve. This is always an adventure and more so at this time of year as we must cross many temporary swamps, often swimming from tree to tree! Considering the extent of the storms this year the trails were in good shape and we had to negotiate just a few fallen trees and despite being caught in a torrential downpour halfway around the circuit a good time was had by all. The walk culminated with the capture of a beautiful 3.5m snake. The Yellow-tailed Crebo (Drymarchon corais) was slithering off the trail in front of me and after a hectic chase through the undergrowth and some help from the other staff members present we were able to corner it and take some important biometric data (length, weight etc..).

At this stage I was content that the disruption to our trails was minimal and a few days clearing would see us reopen all the routes again. But later the same week as we headed out to search for an old trail we have not used for a couple of years I saw perhaps the worst case of storm damage I have ever come across. Passing the canopy and heading straight into the heart of the reserve we were heading for the main swamp and our old mammal colpa when we came across an area of maybe 3 or 4 hectares that had been completely levelled by the weather. Lightening damage is common in the rainforest and fallen trees are essential in maintaining the dynamism of the forest ecosystem as light reaches the ground and permits the continual plant succession that prevents any group of trees from out-competing others and thus reducing diversity. That said I have never seen such a huge natural clearing and the sheet lightening that struck must have been incredibly powerful. It left a lateral scar maybe a kilometre long crossing many of our trails with trees ripped apart halfway up and the falling giants had taken much of the surrounding vegetation down with them. After the initial shock had worn off it was time to get stuck in and reopen the trails that had been affected and with the routes now passable again it will be a case of time as the forest will regenerate and eventually swallow up the gaping hole.

Volunteers on a trail walk during the rainy season

At Taricaya we always take advantage of any situation and the huge clearing will give us a golden opportunity to hunt for new species of orchids and epiphytes (plants that live in the tops of other trees) that would normally be inaccessible in the high canopy. The area is also a perfect candidate for some reforestation studies in a natural environment and later this year we shall make the most of the site to perform some new studies based away from the pilot farm.

The White-winged Shrike Tanager

Every month I also keep you updated on our wildlife inventories and April gave us a few great sightings as I have come to expect. First in the mist netting as we continue our study of the mid-canopy we caught a bird that we had only heard around the reserve before. The White-winged Shrike Tanager (Lanio versicolor) is a truly spectacular species usually found in mixed species flocks which makes picking them out difficult and it was a fine catch as we moved our nets along the edge of the creek. One would expect birds to be the only captures during the day but early one afternoon we had a real surprise when we found a bat entangled in the net. The fact that it was active during the day aside; it was a rare species of which we had only previously captured a female. This fine male was the largest of the White-lined Sac-winged bats (Saccopteryx bilineata) and whilst most actively hunting small airborne insects around dusk it was still very early for it to be out of its roost. It must have been very hungry or equally confused!

Elsewhere on our long trail hikes we came across many different animal tracks in the fresh mud. Having scrambled across the swamp on a recently fallen tree we were greeted by tapir (Tapirus terrestris) tracks on all sides. The reason soon became apparent as we started to clear the abandoned trail and stumbled on an open area under a dead log. This favoured sleeping place was freshly cleared and so the tapir must have been close by. Thus we made as little noise as possible and diverted the trail to avoid disturbing it as these animals, the largest land mammals in South America, are becoming increasingly rare as they are prized for their meat. I did not want to force the individual, probably female due the size of its tracks, to leave the safety of the reserve where it would be at risk. On the same walk we were able to identify the tracks of a red brocket deer (Manzana americana), white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari), collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) and many of the terrestrial rodents such as agoutis and pacas. These findings really are encouraging as an indicator that the mammal populations are returning to their levels of many decades ago before hunters entered the area. The reserve has not reached its carrying capacity yet but animal confidence is on the rise and further justifies our efforts and the confidence placed in us by the Peruvian government.

Next month will see us complete the butterfly house as we work to collect and transplant the right species of plant for the caterpillars of our chosen study species, we shall be even more active around the reserve as we approach our capacity at the centre and our long standing projects will continue to operate as normal as we manage our ever growing rescue centre and press on with our wildlife inventories…..