I hope everyone is enjoying the fine weather and the soccer World Cup in South Africa.

Our volunteers based in Umtata in South Africa have enjoyed the carnival atmosphere of the World Cup - I know that they are intending to get to some games as the schools are closed for most of the competition. A great time for travelling and to enjoy the fun and laughter...

I would love to be there myself - sadly not this time! I hope to get to Brazil in 2014.

New Facebook Account - I was a Changing Worlds volunteer

Sally, who went away with us to New Zealand in 2008, has been helping us out in the office over the summer months.

Whilst out on school and college presentations over the last month or so Sally has been helping me with our marketing strategies for the coming year. As a result Sally has created a new Facebook group.

Do please look at the new group called ‘I was a Changing Worlds volunteer' by doing a search at www.facebook.com (if you do not have a personal account).

Sally designed the account to encourage returned participants to add their personal photos to the new group.

Do have a look at the photos and add comments where you feel appropriate - you can also contact the part5icipants themselves to congratulate them on their photographic skills and to ask them questions.

Enjoy! Great idea Sally!

China Placements for the summer 2010

Jack Lui, the Changing Worlds representative based in Yantai in China, has developed a new summer programme. He has also attached some videos about the university courses in Mandarin and about Yantai city in general:

Dear David,
 
I am sending you by attachment the Program Information Package of Chinese Summer Program to learn Chinese mandarin language and culture in Yantai University for your persual.
 
Hopefully you could send over a few volunteers for this cultural and language immersion program in July/August.
 
Please let me know if you have any queries.  Please launch this program at your site asap. Thanks.
 
For English video on Yantai University, please refer to the following video links:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTY2MzIxMjAw.html
 
For English video link for Yantai City, here is the video link at
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTY1OTQwMjE2.html
 
Hoping this is ok and helpful.
 
Please feedback. Thanks.

To find out more about our summer programme then do look at this link on our website:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Content/Destinations/China/SummerProgramm

e.aspx

Updates from across the World

As always we are delighted to gain feedback from all our participants worldwide.

 Jasdeep, on a law placement to Chennai in India, writes:

Hey David,

Yes I have returned to Chennai safe and well, its started to sort of cool down in Chennai we've had rain it actually felt nice.

Im in full swing with the placement, going to high court of madras everyday liaising with advocates, which i love. Im learning a lot out here which is good.

At the moment trying to find somewhere that plays the world cup as im going to miss so many games, India is all about cricket.

I have planned a couple of trips end of July to kanyakumari and Madurai which im really looking forward too.  Im finally gonna go to Kerela before Im due to come back to England as the weather will be better over there at  that time. 

Hope your ok, Take care

Jaz

Sounds like a great experience for those who want to go in to law in the longer term....but I wanted to know more. Jasdeep was quick to respond:

Hey,

I am staying at MCCSS in Jawhar Nagar (I thought you had the information where I was?), when I arrived there they sort of didnt know what I was interested in which was weird.  I was given a manual of what mccss do and was asked to pick the areas that i was intrested in and I told them im a Law Student so I want Legal experience, I was told I would have to speak to Isabel Robinson the executive secretary of MCCSS.

 About 3-4 days after being at MCCSS,  I eventually got to speak  to Isabel she is the only person that will sort the placement out no-one else will help you I learnt that on day one, I told her that Im a Law student studying in England, I want hands on experience of the Legal Process in India.  I want to gain experience in the Family Law sector. 

Isabel had a Lawyer/Advocate friend in the High court of Madras, Isabel expalined what i wanted to do to the Lawyer , and that I was intrested in  Family Law etc... the Lawyer agreed to have me work alongside her. Isabel helped me out quite a bit I wouldve been quite stuck if she wasnt there, she also has asked me to attend a couple of court hearings with her from MCCSS which was intresting.

To be honest when I arrived at MCCSS, they didnt have a clue that I was studying Law and what I was doing there, all they knew im from England. They were more intrested the fact im an Indiain living in England and why did I choose India of all places .  At that point i was quite annoyed that no-one knew nothing about my placement, especiall as id paid quite a lot of money for it.

Anyway, the courts were closed for 3 weeks so that's when i did my trip to Bangalore.  Since court has re-opened, I have been going to the High court everyday and meeting the Junior Advocate and go with her to court hearings, I get to read the paperwork for the court cases, mainly divorce proceedings, I have sat in court and listened to criminal cases, custody cases in the High court, civil court proceedings, each day i get to meet more Lawyers and network.  I have also been able to meet divorce clients and get to ask questions regarding their divorce.  I have also bought Law books and been doing a lot of reading about family law and take all this knowledge back to England.  I sort of felt like Ive made my own placement as there wasn't anything in place for me, im actually quite lucky things worked out the way they did otherwise I wouldn't of been happy and probably would've left chennai .

I dont want you to think that im not happy in india, Im loving everyday of it and grateful that things have worked out by me talking to the right people.  If another Law student was coming here I really dont know weather they will get the same experience or help as myself.  I hope I havent put a whole downside to the placement but thats basically what happened and how I felt at the time.  All is good now, if you want any other information let us know.

A lighter note got to watch the football last night cant believe the score. The weather is getting hot again, which Im loving. Hope all is well in the UK.

Take care

Jaz

As you will read Jasdeep (who had already been to India on a previous trip) struggled at the beginning. I can say she is much happier now and I was keen to say that Changing Worlds was keen to support her throughout. Krish our rep lives and works in Chennai and is there to support all our volunteers at all times.

Meanwhile Sophie in Queenstown, New Zealand was keen to say:

Hi David,

I hope you and everyone at Changing Worlds are well. Sorry I haven't been in contact, I can't believe how fast the time has gone; it'll be five months soon! I'm still here in Queenstown, I've just finished my job and about to embark on some travelling around the country before I head home in July. I think the job is one of the reasons why the time has flown by; working all week and having days off here and there and suddenly you realise you haven't got much time left!

As you know I'm the only one left from the January contingent now, even James has gone off on his travels. He and Chris are heading to Vietnam later this month. I've done some travelling around already, both with the guys and Rachel and on my own. Don't judge me but I went to a Spandau Ballet concert in Auckland last month which was awesome! I think I like the eighties so much because I wasn't there for most of it!

The job really was a change in my world, what an experience! Completely different to anything I've done before (or will ever do again) but the people were so lovely and now I really know the meaning of a hard day's work! I think I've told Debbie already but I really recommend the hotel (Hotel St Moritz) and the group (Accor) as employers for future Changing Worlds candidates. They are really good to their staff (development, training, benefits etc) and this makes working for them a really well rounded experience, rather than just a casual job. I sound like an advert! But that was something I found really useful. But obviously it's casual enough that there's time for other things and you're not tied to them outside your working hours.

I'm also living with really great people; a nice couple and a couple of new flatmates. Since Rachel left I've got to know them a lot better and it's been a nice home to come back to. I've also told Debbie that I recommend them for future people.

That's all really, just wanted to give you an update and say thanks for everything so far. Let me know if you want any pictures or anything, although I can't guarantee their photographic merit!

Thanks again,

Sophie

Needless to say I have asked for some photos for our website!

Ben, a former volunteer based in Nakuru wanted to let us know that he had returned to Kenya. He writes:

Was just writing to you to say im back in nakuru, at school and visiting some of the orphanages.

Everyone is back on fund raising for the orphanage as alot of us are returning from now until mid september. I have managed to raise over 2100, with help from my local newspaper where your name was mensioned, so hopefully a bit of publicity for you.

Thats all really, Cheers Ben .

Do have a look at some of my previous newsletters to see what you can do to help with fundraising.

Hayley is on a six month placement with us to the Australian outback - not for the soft hearted this one! Clearly Hayley is settling in to the challenge:

Hey David,
 
I  am  really well!!!!
 
Sorry I haven't emailed or anything. I have been super busy and I don't get a huge amount of time on the internet.
 
The Colstons are just wonderul people. Chris is fab!
 
I hope everything is well for you. I will try and keep you more regularly updated!
 
Can yo pass my regards to Polly too as I haven't spoken to her either!!!!
 
Cheers

(Polly is the Changing Worlds outback representative based in Mount Isa, Queensland).

I will update you with more when I hear more - unfortunately the internet link to her more isolated placement about two hours out of Julia Creek does not make communication easy - exactly why it is not the placement for the soft hearted!

Caroline Fryer is doing a medical placement with us in Chennai, India. She writes in response to my mail:

Hi david,

All good out here thanks. Heat is alright getting used to it slowly. Cold is fine thanks it was on its way out when I arrived so gone now.

No problems so far.

Caroline

Believe it or not but poor Caroline arrived to Chennai with a good old fashioned British cold. Krish told me she was suffering on arrival but pleased to say she got over it quickly.

Beth in Kenya took some time to respond to my e-mails so much so it took her six months to come back to me!

Hi David,

So it has come to my attention that after almost 6 months of being here i haven't ever actually emailed you....i guess i was just having too much of an amazing time in Kenya! But I thought i'd make the effort and at least email once before going home in just over a week!

Things have all been good here...the main thing to report is that Claire and I made a facebook page and did some fund raising from home resulting in us spending about 1,300 pounds on Naka Primary School. We bought them musical instruments, sports equipment, text books, metal goal posts, 14 blackboards and a gift bag for everyone of the 550 students in the school containing an exercise book, drawing book and reading book, 2 pencils, 2 pens, 5 colouring pencils, 6 crayons, a rubber, a ruler, 5 sweets, a packet of biscuits and a toy!!!!! We had a truly amazing week giving everything out...and don't worry i've got it all on camera and even video! It was really incredible!

Since Claire has gone I've finished at school and am going to the orphanages and hospital before winding down next week. Oh and of course I'm now living with the two newbies who we're all getting on well with...we've also reunited with ben and rebecca since the pre-departure course and we all went to kinangop last weekend as a big group. I'm sure you've been told a little about it but we did have some issues with Karanja being absent and not really even able to get hold of him but I'm happy to report that he's been home for the last couple of weeks so were getting on much better now.

So yeah, I think that's pretty much it. I'm already missing school so I dread to think how much I'll be missing Kenya in a week or so...but i have to admit, I am getting really excited about going home now! 

Ok so this is officially your first email from me but I'm sure we'll be in touch when I'm back in England.

Thanks, Bethany

Unfortunately Karanja had been ill with a dislocated knee back in his village of Kinangop and was unable to keep in contact with the volunteers for a week in June. As I pointed out to Beth she had the contact details of Mary, Karanja's wife, if there was an emergency.

I have told Karanja to remain sober and not to drink too many Tuskers next time he is home - tee hee!

Luke has recently arrived to Kenya and writes:

Hi David,

Sorry not to have replied sooner.

Things are going well... I have just about found my feet here in Nakuru. I start my first full day of teaching tomorrow. We just had a spectacular weekend in Kinangop!

I hear you are planning to visit soon? If so, no doubt I will see you then...

My best regards

Luke

I am off to Kenya in July 2010 and will tell you about my adventures in my next newsletter. I will be meeting up with Luke and the others on my trip to Nakuru.

Meanwhile have fun and enjoy this glorious summer!

Come on England!