Upper school children on a day trip in Uganda

Update from our local partner in Pakistan

For the past year, we have struggled to find volunteers who are willing to go to Pakistan. Now I have finally found a brave young lady who wants to work for your local partner in Murree at a youth centre where she can empower the young boys and girls through interactive session, during which they can develop a range of skills.

If you are interested in discovering what you could do in Pakistan, see this link on our local partner NGO:

http://www.peef.org.pk/

I also attach recent information on the youth centre from our local volunteer co-ordinator in Pakistan. Please have a read as this highlights how the country is in a dire state and need help from other counries:

'Our trainings revolves around Communication Skills, Anger and Stress Management, Presentation Skills and other life skills for the young boys and girls who had done there High School (A Levels) .

Volunteers may suggest us how they would be helpful for our Youth Development Centre, Murree.

We can also plan multiple volunteer work in Punjab and around Murree, there is no use to put one's life in danger by working near Afghanistan, there is much more that we can deliver in under developed districts of Punjab, like Lodhran (near Multan) Ahmand Pur East (near Bahawalpur).

We can arrange one week trips to these areas where they can tell those little kids that nothing is Impossible. You just keep your self on right path, you must succeed.

The problem our children are facing is not lack of education, unemployment, hunger etc. ITS LACK OF SELF CONFIDENCE, AND HOPE. We are surrounded by negative media. It is electronic and print no one is telling them what to do but telling them they are living in a failed state. Nothing is good here no future nothing. WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM HOPE.

YDC can provide accommodation during training sessions. On average we have training sessions once a week, when we have no trainings we can move to those locations where they can deliver to youth like Lodhran and Ahmand Pur east. Or if they allow we can have sessions near Murree. '

Buna Guesthouse

Our partnership NGO in Uganda is rapidly developing. The new initiative is to build a guesthouse and meeting centre close to the school, which would brings jobs to the locals and a regular income to the project. The construction of the buildings for the initiative is already under way.

For up-to-date developments, please see the link below:

http://bensguesthouse.tumblr.com/

Volunteer East has opened a branch in Finland

We are pleased to inform you that Volunteer East has opened a branch in Finland. We now have a volunteers and donations co-ordinator there who is helping us to recruit Finnish residents who wish to volunteer for our cause or who wish to donate goods for us.

If you are resident in Finland and would like to know more, please see the link below. Please circulate the link to anyone who might be interested and do get in touch with our co-ordinator in Finland should you be interested in working with us!

http://volunteereastfinland.blogspot.com/

Updates from our Ugandan partnership NGO

As many of you know, I spent the last 3 weeks at our partnership organisation in Uganda. I had a great trip and managed to do a good deal of useful work whilst out there.

The project has developed a great deal over the past year. Money was received from the US to build a library, which is now in full use with shelves of new books. Now the old library has been turned into 'a children's space' where the children's work (such as art work and trophies from sports competitions) can be displayed for their own admiration as well as for parents, local authorities and sponsors to see.

Additional funds have been received from other donors and these have been used for various purposes, such as building an additional house for the school. A gust house for visitors is under its way, with cement having been bought for it a couple of days ago.

The quality of the teaching and the care show to the orphan school's pupils is remarkable. Thanks to a nearby hospital and school, health checks are carried out by American colleagues once a month. And thanks to generous donors from abroad, all the children look healthy and happy having had enough food to eat on a regular basis.

Yet, additional teacher training is needed in order to maximize learning outcomes. Additional tutoring for hand-writing and checking the time on the clock is also needed. A new idea is to have a school band that could compete in national competition and through that bring reputation to the school, which is likely to help in getting further funds.

Donations are needed for a continuous need of food. The nursery also needs more resources - it is under staffed and under resourced as it stands. If you are able to donate anything at all, please contact: tiija@volunteereast.org.uk.

Also, volunteers are always needed. In particular, teacher trainers and music teachers are needed. Please contact Tiija at tiija.@volunteereast.org.uk if you are interested.

News from the Nepal placement site

Our partnership organisation in Nepal, the Vajrayana School serving Tibetan refugees and locals in the Kathmandu Valley, has updated their website. Please see the link below for information on how the school has developed over the past year:

http://vajrayanaschool.org.np/

The school is always looking for volunteers. Please do get in touch if you are interested in going over to teach. No placement fees and accommodation provided. All you need to pay for in your own transport fees. Please email tiija@volunteereast.org.uk for more details.

Fundraising event opportunity for Volunteer East

Volunteer East has been offered an opportunity to do a stall at a fundraising event on the 6th of May. The fundraising event will host stalls for different NGOs and raise funds for them. The event will take place at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in Bloomsbury (London).

The proposition is to sell food and drinks, as it will be a music event with a range of musicians from different countries. We will also be selling our products from Uganda.

We are now looking for volunteers who could either help us with cooking some food or baking something for the event. We are also looking for volunteers who could help out during the event itself.

If you are in London and think that you could be of help in any way, please get in touch with tiija@volunteereast.org.uk

Volunteers needed for an orphanage in Nepal

Our partnership organisation in Nepal is looking for volunteers for their school and orphanage in Kathmandu Valley for the Spring and Summer months. Volunteers are primarily needed for teaching English and for helping with day-to-day activities at the orphanage. The orphanage is located in Bouddanah, which is about 20 minutes drive from Katmandu city centre. The school and orphanage are located right next to one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries and temples in the whole of South Asia.

Volunteers can stay in a guest room at the orphanage, free of charge. Food is provided free of charge as well. Volunteers are welcome to stay for as long, or as short a time, as they wish (although a minimum stay of 3 weeks is recommended in order to maximise the benefit of one's work, plus to have time for exploring the culture and Kathmandu Valley). There are no placement fees. Volunteers are welcome to donate money if they wish to do so, or to take clothes, toys or books etc. to the kids when they travel over.

The staff at the orphanage are extremely friendly and warm. A pleasant stay is a guarantee.

If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please email Tiija at tiija@volunteereast.org.uk.

Secondhand adult clothes needed for Uganda

Volunteer East is looking for donations of adults' secondhand clothes. Our team of volunteers who are going over in July will take these to our partnership organisation there. A volunteer in London has offered to store these on is loft till the trip, help for which we are very grateful.

The clothes would need to be suitable for hot, humid summer weather. T-shirts, light tops, skirts and so forth would be very welcome. Sandals or other summer-type shoes are also welcome.

Our partnership organisation will sell the clothes on a market in Kampala city and then use all the profit at the project placement site. They in particular need money for buying food for the children at their orphanage and school. They constantly struggle with having enough money to buy food for all the kids.

Please contact Tiija at tiija.@volunteereast.org.uk if you would like to donate clothes.

For more information on our partnership organisation in Uganda, see: www.bunabumali.org

Storage space needed in London

Volunteer East is looking for a small, free storage space in London. The space could be as small as the size of four suitcases and it would be used for storing secondhand clothes until they are taken to Uganda by our volunteers when they fly over. We are trying to avoid the ridiculously expensive shipping costs, as we'd rather give the shipping money to the locals' good use.

Our partnership organisation in Uganda would like to start selling secondhand clothes in the busy markets of Kampala, their capital city, and raise money for their NGO through this business.

Here in London, we can easily collect secondhand clothes and pass them on, but the current problem is lack of storage space. Any ideas or help with this would be much appreciated!

For any thoughts or offers, please contact Tiija at tiija@volunteereast.org.uk

Here is the website for the partnership organisation - you can see from the link that they really need money and our help!

www.bunabumali.org

Guesthouse at our partnership project in Uganda

Supporters of our partnership organisation in Holland have plans of building a guesthouse and training centre in the village that the school and orphanage are located. The intention is to bring jobs and income to the local area through the new venue.

Take a look at the link below if you are interested in finding out how you can support this new initiative:

http://bensguesthouse.tumblr.com/

African market tomorrow

Volunteer East is doing a stall at an African market in Dalston tomorrow.

The market is hosted by an African cafe/ restaurant/ bar and there will be stalls selling all kinds of products from Africa. Come along if you are free to take a look!

The market will be open 12-6pm. For directions, see link below.

http://openthegate.org.uk/welcome/?cat=13

Ugandan partnership receives help

In Uganda, the Licensing for Commons humanitarian help is directed towards small projects with big dreamsn, and which have it more difficult when looking for help than important NGOs. One of those projects needs urgent help: Good Samaritan Orphan & Needy School (GSON), also known as the “Bunabumali Orphanage Project“.

Answering to the request of its manager and Safe Creative’s friend Emmanuel Norman, and with the approval of MSF, from now on this project is the one which is is going to recieve the humanitarian contributions.

With Licensing for Commons the diffusion of creativity helps altruistic projects aimed at spreading culture freely (CC) or humanitarian actions (GSON)

http://en.safecreative.net/2011/03/14/licensing-for-commons-shows-its-support-to-the-good-samaritan-orphan-needy-school-project/

Guest House and Training Centre in Uganda

The latest development at our Ugandan partnership organisation is a new guest house and training centre. The idea behind it is to provide jobs for the locals and to generate an income for the locals, as well as to provide space and safe place to stay for all the volunteers.

For more information, see this link:

http://bensguesthouse.tumblr.com/workshops

Photos from Uganda

Here are the latest photos from our partnership organisation in Uganda:

https://picasaweb.google.com/nakhokhoe/Dorm?feat=email#

African market at Open Gate cafe

Volunteer East is doing a stall at an African market in Dalston. The market takes place on Saturday the 19th of March from 12noon to 6pm. We'll be selling our beads and bags from Uganda. Come a long and browse African products while enjoying some cheerful African drumming in the cafe!

The Open Gate cafe sells a range of African foods and drinks, as well as hosts markets, music events and exhibitions to promote African culture. The cafe is definitely worth a visit, even if you can't make it there on the market day. See the link below for more information:

http://openthegate.org.uk/welcome/?cat=5

Volunteers needed for the post-election Uganda

Our partner organisation in Uganda was worried about hosting volunteers during the Spring, as Uganda held its second democratic elections on the 18th of February. In the past, election times have been a sensitive time in the country, with riots and violence having erupted. However, luckily this year the elections ran peacefully and smoothly.

www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1111788/-/c4msfcz/-/

Now our partnership organisation is looking for volunteers to teach at their school and to help out at their orphanage. Please check theirs website for more details or email tiija@volunteereast.org.uk

http://www.bunabumali.org/

Uganda Night

Next week on Friday, we are doing a stall at an event for Uganda where we'll be raising money for a school in rural Uganda and for our partner orphanage in Bunabumali.

The event entails Ugandan food and music, comedians and dancers etc.. The event starts at 6.30pm and should carry on till late! See the link below for more info and really hope to see some of you there:

http://www.wecanugan.com/events-1

Storage space needed!

Volunteer East is looking for some storage space in London.

We are planning on collecting secondhand clothes, sending them to Uganda and selling them at flee markets in Kampala city. All the profit made from the sales will be send directly to the orphanage in Bunabumali located in an extremely deprived area of Uganda.

Through selling the clothes at flee markets in the capital city of Uganda, vital funds would be raised for the NGO running the orphanage and carrying out other development work in this specific area of Uganda.

Can any one help us with storing some clothes (about 4 suitcases of clothes) till we can get them sent to Uganda? Or does anyone know of cheap storage spaces in London?

If you can be of help, please email Tiija at tiija@volunteereast.org.uk

Child sponsorships in Uganda

Another one of our partner organisations is asking for child sponsors. As a sponsor, you would be allocated with a child at an orphanage and send money for the child to pay for their school fees, clothes etc..

For more information on for what the money is used for and how to sponsor a child, see link below:

http://bunakids.tumblr.com/sponsor

Donations needed for an orphanage in Uganda to replace a collapsed roof

One of our partnership organisations in Uganda needs money to replace a roof that collapsed at their school earlier on today as a result of a strong wind. If you can spare any money, please see the link below for more information on how to send it:

www.gelken.com/2011/01/urgent-rufg-needs-new-school-roof.html

New partner organisation in Kenya

Volunteer East is linking up with an organisation in Kenya who have done a great deal of work with young people across the country. Sarakasi Trust is a performing arts development organization working towards building capacity in the arts sector in Kenya. The organization’s core belief is that culture can facilitate development and that culture can play a positive role in eradicating poverty.

Since its establishment in 2001 the Trust has run a training and outreach program that continues to touch lives of thousands of children and young adults growing up in the slums of Nairobi every year. In addition, Sarakasi’s lively and now famous international exchange and performance program has seen literally hundreds of artists benefit from the experience and often the financial benefits that performing on the world’s stages can offer.

For more information, please see their website:

http://www.sarakasi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1

Volunteer East is now looking for volunteers for placements in Kenya! Get in touch if you are interested!