NEWSLETTER FOR MAY 2010
I have been monitoring the political situation within Thailand with increased anxiety and my worst fears were realized earlier this month with the actions of government soldiers clearing the demonstration sites of the ‘Red Shirts’.
Even though the stories have disappeared from the front pages of our newspapers here in the UK I sense this is not the end.
The ‘Red Shirts’ are the rural poor appealing to a largely urban based elite for fairer opportunities and equal rights.
The recent unrest was largely confined to the Thai capital and Chiang Mai, the second city of the country.
Now the Red Shirts have been dispersed from the urban centres and have returned to the more rural provinces I sense the unease might show itself further afield. I hope I am wrong.
I feel that the rural Thai people, gentle though they may seem to the ‘farang’ (foreigners), are not done yet.
How their flight will continue to manifest itself I am not sure – but given the tough hand that government showed in dispersing the Red Shirts I sense that ‘hit and run’ tactics might be their approach – not quite the suicide bombers of the Middle East but something not too short.
We are monitoring the situation at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. As a subscriber to their membership we get regular updates on to our desk tops almost daily.
Presently they write:

   We advise against all travel to the Preah Vihear (Khaoi Pra Viharn in Thai) temple area, due to violence in the area. See the Local Travel section of this travel advice.

   We advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla, due to the insurgency in these areas. See the Terrorism/Security section of this travel advice.

   Elsewhere in Thailand, the situation is generally calm following recent political and civil unrest.  There have been no serious incidents of violence since 21 May. However there remains a risk that political developments may lead to further violence.  You should follow news reports and be alert to any developments which might trigger public protests or unrest.

       The Government curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces expired on 29 May, but States of Emergency continue in Bangkok and the following provinces: Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Ayutthaya, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Nan, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Chaiyaphum, Nakhom Ratchasima, Si Saket, Ubon Ratchathani, Nong Bua Lumphu, Mahasarakham, Roi Et, Sakhon Nakhon, Kalasin, Muk Da Han and Samutprakarn. This prohibits gatherings of five or more people in some areas and may restrict travel. See Terrorism/Security section of this travel advice.

  You should avoid any demonstrations or large gatherings of people. If you become aware of any nearby violence you should stay indoors, monitor this travel advice and the local media. You should exercise caution, especially in the cities of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani.

   Please visit www.ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk for details of British Embassy services. British nationals requiring urgent consular assistance should call 02 305 8333 (in Thailand).

Changing Worlds has been sending volunteers to the northern province of Chiang Rai over the last five years.

Due to the advice from the FCO we have decided to suspend our Thailand programme for the time being.

I sense we are not out of the woods yet!

SALLY LONGSTAFF

Sally is presently working as an intern for Changing Worlds.

Sally went off to New Zealand with us back in 2008. She completed a three month teaching placement with us to Masterton in North Island. There Sally was teaching the local Maori children and she got involved in many of the school activities.

She writes in response to my questions:

• Why I took a gap year

I didn’t do a GAP year, instead I went away with Changing Worlds for three months over the Summer after my 1st year at University.  I decided to go away for the experience of working in a different country, to keep myself busy over the Summer, because it was exciting and different.  Especially talking to friends at University who took GAP years sparked my interest. 

• Who organised it

Changing Worlds. I decided to go with them as after a lot of google searching and filling out application forms I found them to be great value for money and give you a lot of support and care.  As it was the first time I was going so far away from home this was very comforting.

• What I did

I worked in a school in New Zealand for a month and a half in total and went travelling around both the North and South Islands for just over a month.  The school was called Lakeview.  It was a Primary School in Masterton which is a fairly small town on the North Island.  Therefore it was fairly typical of New Zealand in having lots of children from farming families. 

• Where I went

All over! From Auckland (Top of North Island), where I jumped off the Sky Tower, to Queenstown (close to the bottom of the South Island), where I went skiing and did a bungee jump.

• Best bits

Working with the children, I especially enjoyed working with the choir and travelling to Wellington with them for a choir concert.  Also I set up an art club in lunch times which the kids seemed to really enjoy.  There were lots of random funny times in the school, such as when we cooked snails in one class and the school play – Snow Brite and the Seven Green Dwarfs

Travelling was generally really good. I did a skydive which was amazing though pretty exciting, as well as bungee jumping, micro gliding, climbing a glacier, jet boating and so on. 

• Worst bits

Being in charge of photocopying on the odd occasion at the school gets repetitive after a while.  While travelling I managed to get stuck in Picton (a tiny town with no one around in the Winter!) for three rainy days with very little to do.

• What I gained

So much: greater independence and confidence in myself and my abilities.  It gave me a greater drive and lessened any fears I might have had to get out and do other things and see more of the world.  I made some great friends while travelling and working, as well as providing me with some incredible stories and memories that I can talk about for hours.

Sally is working for Changing Worlds. She is presently at St Andrews University in Scotland. She has successfully completed her second year and wanted to use her summer to gain experience of working in a not for profit organization. Sally is helping in our administrative tasks and office duties.

Sally will be attending various school presentations and gap year fairs whilst she is with us.

If you are interested in working with Changing Worlds on a purely voluntary basis then do let me know.

We can offer free bed and board whilst you are with us.

To find out more do e-mail me at: david@changingworlds.co.uk

KATIE MORRELL

Katie recently completed a placement with us to Dubai.

Katie went out with Changing Worlds back in September 2009 – she was working as part of a team in outdoor education.

Katie gave us a fantastic insight in to her placement – both good and less good – and her experiences whilst overseas.

She writes:
For my gap year 2009/10 I flew to Dubai and undertook a 7 month placement in outdoor education. The experience was fantastic and I gained a great deal of knowledge in the outdoors field.
On average we spent 5 out of 7 days outside of Dubai in either Al Dhaid or Kalba. Our desert camp was situated in Al Dhaid. It had two huge barasti tents, 12 8-man tents for the kids and 12 cabins for the instructors and teachers. It was a lovely spot and ideal for the kids as they could run about and have a sense of freedom. The huge sand dunes around the camp were great for sand boarding and we had an on-site high ropes course and climbing wall. The only concern in terms of health and safety were the inhabitants of the desert; mainly the ‘three S’s’: Snakes, Scorpions and Spiders. Vigilant safety checks were performed every night and every morning and so the risk was considerably reduced. Didn’t stop me shaking my sleeping bag every night though!
In the heat of the day the desert can be quite difficult to work in, but we all learnt to manage and before long coped really well. The climate of the UAE required a lot of personal drive to work through the conditions. It was extremely hot in the day and humid at night. It definitely aided character building because you have to remain enthusiastic and energetic when all you want to do is siesta! It’s difficult in the first few weeks but you soon become acclimatised. In the winter it became more pleasant and bearable and even got to a point where it was cold at night.
Half the days and all the nights were spent at the desert camp and half the days were spent in Kalba. Due to my lack of qualifications I did not get the chance to belay and therefore wasn’t needed a great deal in the desert. On occasion I was required to help out with desert activities such as assisting in putting on harnesses, ensuring the health and safety of the children and occupying them when their involvement in the activity was not required but the majority of my working week was spent at Kalba.
Green Turtle have two desert camps; one at the back of the campsite and another at a location a few miles away. At the second location facilities were similar but an added bonus was the advanced high ropes course and the outdoor swimming pool. The opportunity to use this site depended on the school’s wishes. One school asked that we hike from camp 1 to camp 2. I had the opportunity to lead a hiking group and it was a great walk. The best bit about walking to camp 2 was knowing that a cool swimming pool lay at the end. I enjoyed supervising swimming because often we were able to swim ourselves.
In Kalba we have an ideal location to run kayaking, canoeing, fishing, survival and beach game activities. The mangroves around the coast of Kalba (the East coast of the UAE) provided a beautiful ecosystem and a great educational environment. We would take the students on river trips and teach them about the importance of caring for these areas as it will not be long before such areas are no more. When you think of the UAE you think of buildings, sand, desert etc. but the mangroves offer a whole new perspective on the country. The trees, the water and the wildlife combined, create a different setting to which the students are used to and this in itself is a rewarding experience.
My role was quite an important one because as time went by I was given the opportunity to take my own sessions. At first I copied the other instructor’s structure but as I developed my skills my lesson structure took its own shape.
The common choice for schools was 1 desert day (rock climbing, high ropes, orienteering, teambuilding), 1 Kalba day (canoeing, kayaking, beach games, fishing) and 1 day of working with horses (on this day we partnered up with another company called Hoofbeatz and the students had the opportunity to groom and interact with horses.)
Most weeks involved the same routine but occasionally schools asked for a variation in the programme. On such days we may add sand boarding, tug of war, survival skills, bush craft or raft building to the itinerary. When the weather became too hot for the desert we organised dhow cruises, trips to a falcon shows or the wildlife centre. The schedule depended on the school’s wish and Green Turtle were amazingly flexible in catering for the school’s need.
Occasionally a school would require us to facilitate a duke of Edinburgh (or equivalent) expedition and I was involved in the majority of these - I even walked part of the silver D of E with one group! My favourite moment on a D of E was lying in the back of a pickup and falling asleep under the stars.
One thing I have loved about this placement is the way in which I have been given responsibilities like every other member of staff. I was worried to start with, that because I was a gap student I wouldn’t be made useful, but it was quite the opposite. The other instructors and the senior members of staff all made me feel like a member of the team. In fact the only difference between myself and the qualified staff was the fact that I didn’t belay and wasn’t in charge of the day’s decisions.
In our spare time we went back to Dubai and were able to spend it as we pleased. We stayed in a hotel on our days off. Not just any hotel, but a fancy one with plush rooms and a fully fitted gym/ sauna and pool. Definitely definitely not what I was expecting when I left for Dubai. Usually after a full week’s work we were so tired that we ended up relaxing by the pool at the weekend. For the energetic ones the weekend was spent rock climbing or hiking.
There are plenty of sights in Dubai that I was able to visit. We went to Old Dubai, the Palm and many shopping malls and souks such as Madinat Jumeirah. We did our daily shopping in the second biggest mall in the world!
I went camping in the mountains of the UAE on a few occasions; mainly at work when facilitating the D of E but also in my own time. The mountains are beautiful and offer yet another side to the UAE. You can drive up the middle of some of them with rocky mountains stretching high on either side. On numerous occasions I have slept outside on the ground by the camp fire. This was something not only brand new but a challenge in itself; I am not a huge fan of creepy crawlies! You learn however, to forget the pests and admire the nature for what it is. I will never forget these moments because they have shaped me into a new hardened up character that will no doubt be beneficial in the future.
Dubai is an amazing place. I would go as far as to say it is out of this world. Everything is so extreme. The buildings are the biggest in the world, the Burj Khalifa is the biggest building in the world and there are even talks of building the seven wonders of the earth. Dubai really is an extraordinary place. Having said this when I was there was still definitely evidence of it being a third world country. The politics in which the country is based on are crazy. The social system leaves something to be desired as well.
Culturally Dubai doesn’t really give a feel for life in the middle East as only 20% of residents are local Emirates. The other 80% are expats from all over the world. I found Kalba on the other hand to be much more of a cultural experience. It was an extremely friendly fishing village and we found we were welcomed there with open arms. The fishermen would help us when we were in need and likewise anything we could to do to help (such as fetch them a bottle of water) we did so willingly. We had a restaurant there that we regularly ate at. I never tasted Indian cuisine so good. Highly recommend. The restaurant is called ‘restaurant’!
The people on my course were amazing. We became so close so quickly. This was partly because we were living together and partly because it was necessary for us to work as a team to be successful instructors. We didn’t really have any problems with each other but any issues that did arise were quickly dealt with.
Unfortunately with being underage, opportunities to meet new people on nights out were scarce. However the teachers of each school varied in personas and so it was great to meet a new mix of people each week. No school was ever the same.
Kids also varied from school to school and so the ability to adapt quickly was necessary. I feel this is a major skill I have gained as I can now teach a range of ages and personalities and change my teaching style accordingly. Confidence is another quality I have developed. Standing in front of a group of young people and speaking out was quite a challenge for me in the beginning but soon became more natural.
My advice to anyone wishing to undertake this placement is: Go for it! If you are interested in a career in the outdoors this is a perfect opportunity to get a feel for what it will be like. Most companies do not employ without qualifications, yet Green Turtle allow you to gain experience in the field even though you’re not technically working for them. Even if you’re not intending to go into outdoor education this placement allows you to develop skills you may not even know you possessed. Simply living it rough in a tent for a night might be a lifelong character building experience, it was for me. My second piece of advice - and one that I myself was given previous to leaving for Dubai - is to live each day to the full. Really make the most of each day because you only get out of it what you put in. The experience is really what you make it.
My advice for David... When I first applied for the placement I was given a lot of information and the reactions to my emails were quick. The interview process was excellent and I liked how I found out very soon whether I had been accepted - This was fantastic. However after about a month I felt like the communication fell a little and I was left wondering what preparations I needed to make next. I understand that these things were probably stated in the meeting that I didn’t manage to attend but even so, that meeting was scheduled quite close to the departure date. I think if we had an additional pack of information halfway between the interview and the induction day then we would feel a little more confident about the up and coming trip. For most gap students moving away to a brand new country is quite daunting and so they need to feel like they are being supported every step of the way. Having said this, going to a brand new country and settling in for myself was a huge experience in itself so it wasn’t detrimental that I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for. This is purely a piece of advice from me to you that may or may not benefit gap students in the future. Whilst I didn’t mind either way, some people will want to know exactly what to expect.
Overall this placement has been fantastic and if I had the opportunity to go back I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I have gained many skills and developed on the qualities I already possessed. I was able to push personal boundaries and consequently I have become a stronger person. I can now take this experience away with me and use it to progress in outdoor education. It has been an enlightening 7 months and has shown me a career path that I never knew existed. I can now advance up the outdoor educational career ladder with this experience as a strong foundation. My sincere thanks to David, Graham and everyone else who has made this possible.
Thanks Katie for your feedback.

To find out more about our specific Dubai programme hit:

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

To find out more about our outdoor education programme hit:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Content/Projects/OutdoorEducation.aspx

To find out more about our new environmental education programme hit:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Content/Projects/EnvironmentalEducation.aspx

KRISH MAKES AN APPEAL FOR MORE INTERNS FOR JOURNALISM

The Changing Worlds representative in Chennai, India is keen to get more volunteers on to our newspaper placement in the city.

Krish writes:

Dear David

Hope some lucky and deserving candidates turn up!

All our students starting from Carly? any one before her? 

have all had a wonderful time doing journalism   

good luck

Krish

If you would like to find out more about our journalism placements to India then hit:

http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Content/Projects/Journalism.aspx

LAW PLACEMENT TO INDIA

Jasdeep headed off to Chennai last month. She has started the new placement in the city:

She writes:

Hey,

Last  week on Friday i was at court with Isabel in relation to a traffiking case, today i was at the high court with the a lawyer, however now the courts are off for 3 weeks for summer holidays as its going to get extremly hot,so im most likely go off travelling towards the end if the week. Court will re open on the 1st June so I will be back there. I will let you and krish know when ive finalised my travelling plans so you know where i will be.

I heard about the ash still going its probably getting really annoying now for people.

Everything is great, its a shame i dont live nearer to the court its a mission gettin there as im not confident yet on the train system, im going to attempt it next week lol.

Take care

Jaz

If you would like to contact Jasdeep then do drop her a line to:j_ghair@yahoo.co.uk

ORPHANAGE WORK IN KENYA 

Becky Holden went to Nakuru in Kenya in January 2009. She clearly had a wonderful time and her efforts to continue to help the children at her orphanage.

Becky writes:

Fundraising for St Stephens Orphanage, Nakuru, Kenya

In January 2009 I went to Nakuru, Kenya volunteering in a school and orphanage with Changing Worlds. I had the most amazing 6 months of my life and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing life in a completely different culture.

Now back in the UK and over a year since the experience began, I am doing my best to support the projects I became involved with. One of the projects started by the group was the construction of a new building for St Stephen's Orphanage. This construction started in May 2009, while we were still in Kenya and the foundations and walls have been completed. Many members of the group are busy fundraising for the work to continue. So far I have held cake sales and last month cycled the London-Brighton cycle ride with a group of family and friends. I am returning to Kenya for a visit this summer and by then I hope to have reached my personal target of £1000.

I have also created a small website to help raise awareness of this project and the work we are putting into this cause, which speaking on behalf of the whole group, we feel very strongly about.

http://ststephensorphanageproject.webs.com/

Becky Holden (Changing World Volunteer in Kenya Jan-Jul 2009)

MATT SAYS THANKS TO DEBBIE FOR HIS TIME IN NEW ZEALAND

Matt away with Changing Worlds in September 2009. He went to work in hospitality in Queenstown in South Island.

Queenstown is described as the ‘adrenalin capital of the World’

I think Matt enjoyed himself - he writes:

hey debbie,

hope all is well in new zealand, just wanted to say a big thank you for everything you did an amazing job and made my stay really welcomed thank you ;)

hope all is well with your family and all everything is settled down now back here in england i lost all of ma grandparents in those months so was bit down,

well just saying hey hope all is well xx

Debbie is the Changing Worlds rep in Queenstown.

Unfortunately Matt had to depart from his placement and return to the UK for personal reasons earlier than we had anticipated.

To find out more about our New Zealand programme hit:
http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Default.aspx?qlink=NewZealandOverview

ANNA IS PLANNING A RETURN TO KENYA...SO IS ZOE!
Anna went to Kenya with Changing Worlds in the summer of 2009.

She writes:
Hello,

I was wondering if you could give me any information about the Changing Worlds' system when it comes to host families. I'm returning to Kenya this summer and I hope to stay with the same host family. However, I would like to be able to offer them some kind of rent while I stayed - so I would be interested to know how much they received per month while I stayed with them on my gap year, as some kind of indication.

Also, I would like to take this opportunity (as I have been meaning to write for a while) to thank you and all at Changing Worlds for the wonderful time I had in Kenya. It was, without a doubt, life-changing and I appreciated how looked after I felt during the whole experience - I think the personal element of the company is a great strength. I have since recommended you to friends as, after comparing my trip with others', I do think the experience you offer is quite unique.

Best wishes,

Anna

Kenya seems to have that effect on volunteers!

Zoe too is going back. She writes via Facebook:

Hey guys,

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who's sponsored me - so far we've raised £550 for the food programme in Kenya which should feed the 70 kids every day for 6.5 weeks :D

I'm getting preeeettty scared now cos my jump is on Wednesday morning, so if you never see me again you know why!

If you'd like to donate to help me reach my target of £1000, enough to feed the kids for 12 weeks, please go to http://www.facebook.com/l/91b61;www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Kelland.

£10, which I could easily spend on a pizza or a night out, will feed a child 40 lunches and give them 40 days where they can concentrate and learn at school.

Thank you SO much,

Zoe x

I hope to update you with all the news regarding fund raising in the June 2010 newsletter

See you next month.

David