NEWSLETTER FOR MARCH 2010

We have been watching closely as the events unfolded in Thailand over the last month. As most of you recognize this on going political stalemate that has been festering for the last few years. Whilst the majority of Thais are loyal to their King and to the Royal Family there is a growing dissatisfaction with the government and its mishandling of the economy.

The ‘Red Shirts' are generally people from impoverished backgrounds in urban Bangkok. They have travelled from the surrounding rural areas to the Thai capital in search of work and a perceived better way of life.

In reality what they find is a city not functioning to everyone's benefit. The rich it seems are getting richer and the rest are not.

The Red Shirts feel that change is over due...the situation is becoming increasingly more volatile by the day. A worrying situation is unfolding and the outcome far from certain.

As always I am sure it is the innocent who are going to suffer in the long term - the ordinary people on the streets who are fending for themselves on a day by day basis, barely making enough to live on and just about covering the school fees for the kids.

We hope that the government will identify a way forward that can be to the benefit of all - and not just to themselves and their cronies. I guess only time will tell...

THAILAND - CHIANG RAI

We have a handful of volunteers presently working in the far North of

Thailand - it is very much business as usual. As Thellie (the Changing Worlds representative based in the city) reported recently ‘there is no change here'. Thankfully our volunteers can continue their important community development work with the hill tribe people and not having to keep looking over their shoulders at the authorities with their guns.

To find out more about our Thailand programme do go to:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/default.aspx?qlink=ThailandOverview

GERMANY

Shirley and Jill spent a few days visiting Heidelberg in South West Germany earlier this month.

They were invited to a special needs school just outside the German city by Joanne Jeffs.

Jo has been living and working at the school for a number of years and recognized the support and help that volunteers from the UK can bring. In the past the school has enjoyed volunteer assistance from the UK and Australia and Changing Worlds has been asked to continue their volunteer programme.

Jill and Shirley assessed the programme and saw the school, the volunteer accommodation and toured the local area.

We think there is a wonderful opportunity for the right type of person to volunteer their time at the school. Those of you who have worked with special needs children and young adults know how demanding the role can be - but at the same time you will recognize the rewards that are involved too. The impact on the students is amazing and something that inevitably will stay with you for a long time in the future..

We are looking for hardworking people who are physically able themselves and are willing to work shifts. The applicants need to be confident in their spoken German to at least GCSE level.

The accommodation is of a very good standard. Volunteers will have a busy time at the school but the social side will be demanding too.

To find out more go to:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Content/Destinations/Germany/Overview.aspx

NEW ZEALAND

Changing Worlds has set up a new placement in Dunedin in South Island, New Zealand. It is working in a famous girls school in the city where there is the chance to work in the outdoor education department.

This is a wonderful opportunity for thos who are really in to their great outdoors and for those who have enjoyed the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and/or Scouts in the past.

In New Zealand (as in Australia) children are taught in the outdoors - why not? It is the perfect resource to use in the perfect setting. Volunteers at the school will accompany the children on various trips (both locally and further afield) as part of their education programme. Examples include touring in the Southern Alps around Mount Cook. Now how awesome is that? This is serious country and not for those who enjoy the company of the sofa!

We are happy to introduce Liz McCarthy as part of the growing team of overseas reps around the World. Liz and Pete emigrated from the UK five years ago to live in Dunedin with their growing family. Liz used to work for Changing Worlds on a part time basis whislt they lived in Surrey. Pete her husband was a regular helper on our interview days.

We know these guys understand the Changing Worlds caring philosophy - we are now on the look out for a few outdoor types.

Dunedin is a university town so there is plenty going on!

If you are interested then do go to:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/default.aspx?qlink=NewZealandOverview

OLD FRIENDS

Talking of old friends we are really happy to have Naomi back on to our books. Naomi (I call her the perpetual student!) hosted many of our volunteers whilst working at zoos in the Brisbane area of Australia.

Katie and Helen are now staying with Naomi (see their comments below) - resurrecting our relationship with her once more. Lovely to have you back on board Naomi! Naomi has a passion for animals - when I met her for the first time she was releasing and furry animal back to the Wild. She has convalesced the animal back to full health. How cool is that?

Naomi works at the koala sanctuary when she is not studying at the nearby Queensland university.

To find out more about our volunteer programme in Australia go to:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Default.aspx?qlink=AustraliaOverview

Richard Hartley went to Kenya with Changing Worlds back in 2006. He has been back since on a holiday. We have kept in contact with Rich who is now working in the social care department in his home town of Durham in Northern England.

Rich and Changing Worlds have been looking at the possibilities of building bridges between the disadavantaged kids in his local are and children from Nakuru in Kenya.

Rich writes:

Hello,

I have been talking to David Gill, I am a past volunteer for Changing Worlds and spent my gap year in Kenya aswell. I was a volunteer at Kagoto Primary school and St. Stephens orphanage. I worked there throughout my time in Kenya and since returning home have decided to set up a pen pal scheme between any of the children you are working with in Kenya and children I work with here.

The children and Young people I work with in the UK are all Looked after and in Foster Care of some form. They have all wrote letters, which I will be sending out to Karanja this weekend again as I have a feeling they may have got lost in the post last time I sent them.

I have attached a letter from myself to those letters with a return envelope in with my business address on. I would really appreciate it if one of you does not mind using the letters and getting the Kenyan children to reply to a specific young person and co-ordinate the returns for me.

One other thing, would anyone of you mind writing a letter that gives the YP an idea of what you are doing in Kenya and what life is like? Could you please post it to Richard Hartley, Access Service, East Durham Education Centre, York Road, Peterlee, SR8 2DP, UK as soon as possible please?

I know that's a lot to ask as I don't even know any of you, but I am really keen to set up a penpal scheme that will enable children on both sides the chance to learn about another culture. I also know that the Kenyan children are forever interested in talking to people from England.

Whoever is interested in doing this or does not mind, could you please reply directly to this email to let me know?

I will ensure all costs are covered so that you do not incur a penny!

I really do appreciate any help you can offer me, please send on my regards to the family/ children and Karanja.

Thanks,

Richard Hartley

Access Service

East Durham Education Centre

I have encouraged, with Karanja our rep in Nakuru, the present volunteers to help buid these bridges. I will keep you updated.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

We are really pleased to report we now have over 600 followers on our Twitter account. This is great news for Changing Worlds as we recognize the importance of social media in advertising ourselves in the UK and overseas.

The Twitter tool is proving increasingly popular right across the World and we can use it to communicate with applicants from the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We want to encourage applicants from everywhere to apply to us and Twitter can help to promote our name and philosophy.

To be come a follower to the Changing Worlds Twitter group then find us at:

http://twitter.com/Changing_Worlds

The keen eyed amongst you will recognize that we have changed the layout and style of our blog. The blog we hope is more user friendly and has an image that is both cleaner and more professional.

To view our new blog layout go to:

http://volunteergapyear.blogspot.com/

Thanks Craig for all your hard work on both Twitter and the new blog layout.

AND FINALLY...UPDATES

These are a collection of comments received from various volunteers this month. As you quickly see the messages come in from all over the globe. We cannot thank volunteers for all their comments (both good and not so good as we need to learn as we go as well!):

I started this newsletter with Thailand - at the beginning of the month Tim at the Mirror Art Foundation wrote:

‘Hi David,

Having a really good time here.  The teaching has been very rewarding, and I have learnt a lot.  The group here are all youngsters and we all get on very well.  5 weeks however will be enough for me.  Some people are staying for up to 3 months.  Im looking forward to going home.

Once again, thanks for your help,
Tim

Tim has been on the road since last Summer and it sounds like he is looking forward to returning back to the UK. Tim, during his gap year lived and worked in the Northern Territory of Australia, then travelled through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia before arriving to Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. There he met up with other volunteers. Tim is teaching the local children simple English language. He plans to go in to teaching on his return to the UK.

Helen has just returned from her medical placement in Kenya. She writes:

‘Hi David,
I've been so busy since coming back that i haven't had time to say thank you! I had such a great time in Kenya- it was truely a once in a lifetime experience and i just want to thank you for all the organisation did for us!
I've recommended Changing Worlds to lots of my friends who are taking gap years next year and would be more than happy to help out at any pre-departure courses in the future!
Thanks again and i hope you and your family are all well!
Helen'

Helen went out to Kenya in September 2009 and completed a six month placement with Changing Worlds. She combined her medical placement with working with children at the local orphanage.

Claire joined Helen in Nakuru, Kenya in mid January 2010 this year. Claire went to teach in a local primary school:

‘Hello David!
How are things in england? things are going really well in Kenya.. so well that i'm thinking of changing my flight home.
I think im supposed to be coming home in the middle of may at the moment, but i just wanted to ask about the availability of flights later on.
I'm either thinking of changing to the 11th 18th or 25th of june, or the 1st of july when Beth and Iwan have their flights booked. I know these are specific days and that might make it more difficult, and i know i have given you quite a few dates because im still quite confused about when to leave!! i will probably go for somwhere in the middle of these dates.
Do you think i need to re-book now? or do i have a couple more weeks to decide?
Also how much does it tend to cost to change the flight?
 
Many thanks,
Claire'

As we have an ATOL licence we bought a British Airways (non stop) return flight from London Heathrow to Jono Kenyatta international airport near Nairobi. Therefore we are able to change the return flights for Claire - all part of the Changing Worlds service!

Iwan wemt to Kenya with Claire and others. He has been busy digging holes for the new goal posts at his orphanage. He writes:

‘Hello David!!!!

Placements are going really well! Gareth and I are buliding goals in pistis this week. We dug the holes on Tuesday and are going to cement and put the posts in tomorrow! weather is a bit iffy at times. We were wondering last night if there are going to be any new mzungu's joining us in a few months? All is well apart from that.

Iwan'

(Mzungus = Europeans in Swahili language)

You can see Iwan in action digging the holes on our blog at:

http://volunteergapyear.blogspot.com/

Please note the Changing Worlds T shirt!

Alice went out to India with Changing Worlds back in January 2008. We have kept in contact.

Changing Worlds was contacted by a marketing company that wanted to have a testimonial from someone who had completed a journalism placement with us.

Alice was quick to respond to their questions:

When did you decide to take a gap year and why?

I decided in my Lower Sixth year to take a gap year between school and university as I felt that I needed a break before plunging myself into university life. I also think it was important in terms of maturity - having to look after yourself, your money, travel, health, insurance and so on.

Where did you go and why?

I spent three months in Chennai, India working on a newspaper in order to get experience in the media and also because I was intrigued to experience India. I then backpacked in South America (from Buenos Aires up to Quito by way of Northwest Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru). Partly for the contrast it provided and also because it was a part of the world I knew little about.

Which different options did you consider?

I considered charity work and volunteer placements but ideally I wanted some solid, usable experience. I had always wanted to travel so it was never a question of not going abroad but more to do with finding a placement that I wanted to do and felt would be relevant and interesting.

What was the best thing about the year and the worst thing?

There were times that were more difficult than others but never ‘a worst thing' as such. I do not regret a moment of it-even when a misunderstanding in La Paz landed us in a police station for a number of hours. The best thing was the learning process. I feel I have returned a more independent and experienced person.

How did you fund the gap year?

I worked for 4 months in retail, which, in itself, was good experience, particularly in public relations. I also received a couple of gap year scholarships from my school and had some savings that I used.

What benefits do you think it has given you in terms of employability?

Experience is the main benefit of taking a gap year. For me, it has been more specific in that I got the experience of working on a newspaper. I also developed my inter-personal skills. Travelling does mean you have to be confident in yourself. It also definitely demands that you improve your negotiating ability!

How would you talk about it in an interview with a prospective employer?

I would talk about it mostly in terms of experience accrued according to how relevant it was to any given job. It is not so much where you go as the experience of having done it and having been responsible for yourself in a foreign place for a lengthy amount of time. I might highlight episodes that were particularly testing to illustrate the different kinds of experiences.

Do you think you have made the most of the gap year on your CV?

As yet, no. I have mentioned the three months on the paper and some of the roles that involved. Other than that I have not put it on  but more because I haven't yet had to use it. I definitely will though!

What advice would you give to a school leaver thinking of taking a gap year before uni?

Do your best to raise the money yourself as this makes it feel like much more of an achievement and gives you more independence. It's also good to get the experience of working.

Plan what you want to do and try and do something constructive as well as just travelling.

Having said that, don't overplan! Just have a rough idea of where you want to go and what you want to do as things can change at the last minute!

Wise words indeed from Alice. Thank you.

Maria, our sole volunteer in Honduras at present, reported back:

Hi David,

thanks for the email....
Things are going great. Dont want to come home!

Maria

Maria is a career breaker and this trip has always been on her things to do list. Her three months has really flown by and I know she is not looking forward to returning to the ‘rat race' in the UK.

Gareth in Kenya promised to e-mail. It took some time for him to get back to me (after some serious cajoling from Karanja the Changing Worlds representative).

Hi David!
Everything is going very well here! Going Traveling next week for a month! looking forward!
Had a row off Karanja this morning for not sending u the pictures of the goals me and Iwan built in Pistis, U know how he is! Anyway I tried to attach them to this but it wont let me so I will put them on facebook for u!

Gareth :)

Do have a look at Gareth de Waart's Facebook page for more images!

OK that's about it for now.

Write again at the end of April.

Regards

David