Specific needs in placement sites

Autumn has come and brought new dilemmas to each of our partnership sites abroad. Please read through the specific requirements for each place and let us know if you can help:

1. Nepal: Summer months are the busiest time for volunteering and so the orphanage in Kathmandu Valley was flooded with people over the summer. Now that autumn and winter are coming, the staff over there are worried about the workload that is likely to face them when there are no extra pairs of hands around. If you or anyone you know is interested in going over to volunteer even for a short time, do get in touch!

2. India: The placement site in India is also in need of volunteers. They would, in particular, need people with expertise on development, economics and business, as they would need people to go over and help them with making their project more self-sustained.

3. Uganda: The placement site in Uganda has received many volunteers but is now in need of finances. They have been hit badly by weather changes and illnesses, which means that they crops and the regular work force are not bringing in as much money as hoped. One very good way to help them is by sponsoring a child. See their site for more details: http://www.bunabumali.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=27:sponsor-a-child&Itemid=45

Handicrafts from Uganda placement site

Our placement site in Uganda is trying to generate funds through selling their own handicrafts. They have made some beautiful bracelets and necklaces. Here is the link so you can see photos:

http://bunambale.blogspot.com/

We are bringing some of them to London and will be selling them on our weekly stall. If anyone is interested in buying some, do get in touch!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to travel in Nepal, South India and Uganda?

The political situation in Nepal is much more stable nowadays and so it is much safer for people to travel in Nepal. If you ask the Nepali, they say that they are safe and have reached freedom now that the politicians are not fighting anymore and there is no turmoil within the country. There are also many westerners travelling in Nepal nowadays. The locals are used to seeing foreigners in their country, which creates a safer atmosphere for exploring Nepal. In general, the Nepali are very friendly, welcoming and hospitable.

Likewise, the security situation in South India is fine. The project placement site is situated around the biggest slums of India, yet there is a high level of respect for foreigners and so the rate of crime is low. Foreigners are seen as individuals who have come to help the locals and so they are warmly welcomed by all.

The placement site in Uganda is in a small rural village. The crime rate in the area is very low. The locals are used to foreign volunteers who have been going there for the past years. Everyone can easily adjust to the site and do not need to fear for their safety.

Which vaccinations should I take before travelling to Nepal, South India or Uganda?

You should check with your doctor before travelling to any of the destinations. Malaria tablets are recommended if you are intending to travel to the more rural areas of any of the countries.

How do volunteering project sites get funded in Nepal, South India and Uganda?

The Government in all the countries is virtually non-existent. Local nor their projects do not receive any funding within the country. There is a heave reliance on funding from overseas. Therefore, a number of project sites have introduced so-called volunteering placement fees, as they see this as the only way to generate a sustainable income for their placement site. All the money nevertheless goes towards the project itself and volunteers can themselves see what the money is used for.

Are the children in orphanages in Nepal, South India and Uganda really orphaned?

The children in all the orphanages are orphaned. Most often, their parents will have died of disease. In Nepal, malaria is a big killer and in Uganda the prevalence of HIV is high. The land that belonged to the parents is passed on to the children, but they are kept in the orphanage till their reach the age of 18 and have the skills and knowledge to look after the land.

Is it difficult to find clean water for drinking and bathing?

Always drink bottled water. If you run out of bottled water, you can boil the water that the locals drink, bottle it and let it chill before drinking. Water-born diseases are common in all the countries and so, in order to avoid illnesses such as Hepatitis E, be careful!

For bathing purposes, water from the local wells is clean enough and good for the purpose. If you wish, you can boil the water before bathing in it or brushing your teeth in it.

Volunteer Needed!

Development workers needed for a project in Uganda. Please see the link for the project:

http://www.bunabumali.org/

Background Information for Volunteer East

Volunteer East is an non-governmental not-for-profit organization based in London, UK (Registered Company Limited by Guarantee in the UK, number 07227341).

The NGO recruits volunteers, gathers goods and raises funds for local partner NGOs in Nepal, Pakistan, India and Uganda. The NGO also delivers workshops in Europe on matters related to development, peace and international relations.

Philosophy behind the NGO

The philosophy behind the NGO is that anyone who is willing to volunteers should

have the chance to do so, irrespective of their financial status. This is why Volunteer East

does not charge any programme fees.

Volunteers are required to provide a small donation to their placements and host families to cover their living costs, as well as to pay for the own flights to get to their placement.

In addition, volunteers are arequired to help with fundraising activities and with organizing events once they are back in the UK or Finland.

Director and local partners

Tiija Rinta, the Director of Volunteer East, has herself volunteered

at the advertised placement sites. During her placements, Tiija became increasingly

aware of the need and poverty that people live in in these countries. She contributed to the development of the placement projects and built strong bonds with local partners during these trips, and subsequently started up Volunteer East in order to recruit volunteers to countries where their skills, knowledge and expertise are greatly needed.

The belief behind Volunteer East is that local development can be most successful through close collaboration with locals. This is why Volunteer East works with

local partnership organizations that can determine their own needs and effectively develop their communities.

Examples of the areas of work that Volunteer East engages in are: refurbishing an orphanage in the Kathmandu Valley; training teachers in school located in the slums in Uganda; and organising education and re-creational activities for children living in an orphanage in villages in souther India.

The Aims of Volunteer East are:

-To enable volunteers to have a unique opportunity to carry out good work in a

developing country, to develop themselves and to experience a new culture.

- To cater for the poor and for orphaned children in terms of their physical and emotional needs;

- To deliver, improve and promote educational programs for children living in poverty

and for teachers based in local schools in deprived areas;

- To educate parents and locals on the importance of education and on health-related

issues;

- To improve the standard of living of local people, through raised awareness of well-

being and through improving their physical living conditions;

- To raise awareness of children’s needs in their local context and to encourage local

adults to cater for children’s needs;

- To make a lasting impact on local contexts by educating locals on how to keep the on-

going projects running

-To raise awareness of developmental issues and peace matters in Europe.

Placements:

Currently, volunteers can participate in: education project; health awareness; community development; economic advice; and construction initiatives.

Depending on their placement site, volunteers live either with a host family, at

an orphanage or in a monastery. All hosting sites have proper bathroom facilities and

rooms for volunteers.

Logistics of placements

The length of the project is up to the volunteer to decide. Placements can take for as

many weeks as the volunteer wishes to stay in the location, but there is a minimum

commitment of 2 weeks for each project.

The cost of the project depends on the volunteer’s length of stay, with the minimum

donation per week being £10. This money is given directly to the hosts, with a fraction

being retained for organisational issues, such as the taxi ride from the airport to the

volunteer's placement.

Volunteers are in charge of booking and paying for their own flights.

Volunteers will be picked up from the airport by a local partner and taken to their

placement where inductions on the placement will be given by the staff working in the placement.

Arrangements as to how many hours per day the volunteer is willing to work etc. are

made upon arrival with the local co-ordinator. Volunteers have two days a

week off for themselves should they wish to explore the country and culture as a tourist.

Current placements:

- Resources Centres in Kathmandu Valley and on the Himalayas in Nepal as an English

teacher, teacher training, activity organisor or health educator

- Orphanages in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal as an activity organisar, teacher, health

educator or construtor

-Monastery in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal as an English teacher, constructor or health

educator

- Slum schools in Uganda

-Teaching homeless children in Uganda

-Teaching and organizing activities in a school for special needs children in southern India.

Volunteer East also offers other placements that are not listed here. Please contact us and we will be happy to advice you.

Are you interested in volunteering with us and would like to know more?

Email: tiija@volunteereast.org.uk

Websites: www.volunteereast.org.uk

www.tiija.com

www.namastesalaam.blogspot.com

Info on Nepal, India and Uganda

All new volunteers, here is basic info for the countries that you will be going to:

1) http://www.nepal.com/

2) http://www.incredibleindia.org/index.html

3) http://www.visituganda.com/index.php

Secondhand Children's Books Needed!!

Secondhand Children's Books in English Needed!! 

Does anyone have secondhand children's books that they would like to donate to orphanages in Uganda and Nepal? 

Any books in English and with pictures will do. They can be sued in teaching children English and for reading stories to children. 

If you have any, drop a line to:  tiija@volunteereast.org.uk

We can come and collect the books within the UK.