Hello Everyone,

NEWSLETTER FOR SEPTEMBER 2009

Well we are now ten years old…and it’s official! Changing Worlds began on 01 September 1999 – how time has flown!

It’s been a very unusual month with a record number of applications coming in to Changing Worlds during September.

Despite the economic downturn September proved a very busy four weeks or so. Traditionally September is always a busy month in the office as sixth form students (usually in year 13 – the upper sixth) decide they are going to do this magical thing called a ‘gap year’. This year, as I commented on in last month’s newsletter, has seen an increase of graduates coming to Changing Worlds although the percentage did fall this month.

‘Times are a changing’. When I set up Changing Worlds the majority of applications to us came on paper. These days we rarely get an application using the old fashioned quill method…it’s all completed on line.

Equally people rarely ring in to the office for information. Potential applicants rarely call but get on to the e-mail – the only exceptions are concerned parents…

I wonder how the next ten years will pan out?

Argentina

I wrote the last newsletter from Mendoza in Argentina.

This was the second time I had been to the city and I have to say I enjoyed this trip even better than the first time!

We have a number of placements in the city and I went to investigate a school called the Eva Peron School.

The school has a museum! That must be unique…

The school was set up in 1952 as part of the Eva Peron (former wife of an Argentinian president) trust. There are a number of these boarding schools throughout Argentina designed for poor children.

The school was very keen to have volunteers as they teach English formally within their curriculum.

However the biggest input our volunteers can have will be outside of the formal classroom. In the afternoons all the children take part in work shops that include things like recycling, gardening, cooking, puppet making, drama, dance, sport etc etc.

The input volunteers can have is going to be huge. We have volunteers going out to Mendoza shortly.

A big thanks to Gabi, Lucila and her lovely parents and Jose for making me so welcome.

Honduras

After Mendoza I headed north across the Amazonian rain forest (by air!) to Honduras.

As you may be aware there is ongoing political uncertainty in Honduras and I wanted to see how things were going.

The FCO (www.fco.gov.uk) are advising British passport holders against non-essential travel and for this reason we do not have volunteers in the country at present.

However in San Pedro Sula the only signs of any disturbance were some graffiti written on the cathedral wall – and that was it. No increased military presence, no road blocks and no baton wielding police…it was life as normal.

As Kenny Mackay, the Changing Worlds representative in San Pedro Sula, got it absolutely right when he said ‘People don’t care about the politics here – we are more concerned to see whether Honduras makes it to the soccer World Cup in South Africa!’. Says it all really…

So it is life as normal…and the party continues.

I met a lovely Dutch lady called Anne who is doing some excellent community work in a rural village near Santa Barbera.

Whilst the project is isolated and the facilities very demanding (Anne and her team sleep on the floor of the medical centre!) it is a fascinating opportunity for the right kind of volunteers. I do intend to contact Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) to see if they can help.

The project is working with the poor people in the local area. The project has set up a medical centre and employed a local doctor, Doctor Carlos, to improve the quality of care for the children.

I will be encouraging our volunteers to at least visit the project during their stay in Honduras…very different from the bright lights of San Pedro Sula!

I also met a wonderful man called Leonardo who helps run a technical college (www.ipchn.org) in the city. He too could identify the use of English speaking volunteers on his programme.

The local textile companies are sponsoring the college where they send their ‘brighter’ employees to learn new skills in the classroom setting. All the tutors have considerable experience in the industry and have set up work shops that use the most modern and up to date technology. Most classrooms have a network of computers. I watched a machine controlled by a PC stitch 40 pairs of socks in one minute – the students having designed the socks themselves!

The college recognise the need for their students to feel confident with their English language. The biggest market for the textile industry is in the USA so the links are obvious.

Honduras is a poor country so this can only help with their export trade to the rest of the World – the political uncertainties do not help!

Competition

If you have not seen it yet Craig has set up a photo competition on our website.

We have selected four of our favourite photos and put them in to the ring – you need to decide which you think is the best.

The winner will win a travel guide of their choice. The competition ends on Saturday 17 October 2009. Anyone can enter (but only once!).

Thanks to Louise, Rebecca, Jade and Nick for allowing us to use their photos – they will get a little something too!

If you have been away with Changing Worlds (at any time) and would like to enter your favourite photo for a future competition then do put in your entry.

Enter at: http://www.changingworlds.co.uk/Home.aspx?vurl=%2f%2fRoot%2fContent%2fCompetitions%2foverview

Facebook

I mentioned technology at the beginning of this newsletter. Facebook is revolutionising everything we do here at Changing Worlds.

The reason I flag it up is that we have gone past 1 000 fans…how good is that?

Do please join the Changing Worlds Facebook group. We encourage volunteers who are overseas to keep in contact via this route.

Feedback this month

As you know we post a lot of feedback on to our blog at:

However this month we have been sending people off all around the World. We value any feedback we can get from the field and some includes:

Will at the zoo in Australia writes:
‘Maria and Glen are lovely however I'm starting to get itchy feet and really want to get down to the Gold Coast preferably Surfers to look for paid work or work for lodging and food etc. Lone Pine is interesting and is giving me something to do however I still feel that my money will slowly get eaten away with travel costs etc and at times you are doing the same work at Lone Pine which can get a bit boring.’

Fair enough and we need to know this. Will is presently gone on to the Gold Coast to find work…we wish him luck. Laura, the Changing Worlds representative on the Gold Coast, is helping where she can but we do know the tourism industry is slow at present.

Jon in the Australian outback writes:

Hi David,
 
Things are going great, currently in Winton, John and Phillipa are out doing something at the moment. Can't believe how hot it is already, though I have my trusty big hat now so I should be fine!
 
Mount Isa was really good and Polly and her family were a great bunch. Its nice now though to begin to do what I'm here for.
 
I'm not 100% sure what my internet access is going to be like so this could be the only e-mail for a while, I'll update you when I can.
 
Cheers, Jon

Phillippa, Jon’s host, writes:

Hi David, How are you all over there. Jon is settling well I think, as he has only been here for a few days. We have done some cattle work and he is at a cattle sale at the moment. The big thing for him at the moment is a snake ( a very large snake) …

Rupert in China writes:

Hi David yeah having a great time, made a good friend HArry a 23 year old german who speaks really good english he is in the next apartment, ge ton really well both play guitars eand drink etc :)

Sammie in India writes:

We are all (Sammie, Liz & Jodie) doing really well, although it took a few days to settle in. The children are very friendly and its good interacting with them all. Its hard remembering all their names though.

Will be in touch soon,

Sammie and Liz.

Amelie and Mahdieh, two volunteers in Ghana, write (respectively):

Hello!
 
Sorry it took me quite a long time to answer but i was really busy those days! We went to the North, it was great!i m definitely enjoying my time here. I haven t started school yet but the orphanage is really interesting.
 
So, know that i m fine and that i m really appreciating Ghana!
 
Regards.
 
Amelie

And:

Hello david,

I am really enjoying my time here in Knumasi. Francis has been of much help and has helped us settle in very quickly here.

Thank you for your email.

Best Wishes
Mahdieh

And finally Abbie who is on a medical placement in Kenya. Unfortunately one of the children at the hospital in Nakuru died. She writes:

Yes it was pretty devastating for me but i am learning and growing with life here. We did all we could for baby Ben and he will not be forgotten.

No fear about the woman watching us, she has to watch the ward for suspicious behavior after a babies death and we are new so i guess she checked up on us. just a bit worrying!

remaining two babies Marcie and Mary are fab, been to theatre which is amazing and so is teaching very very happy!

Much thanks
Abbie

More updates next month…

Have fun!

David