There's no denying it, these bloggers are bound to make you jealous. Whether it's their guts, their energy or their tan you admire, overseas volunteers have got plenty to share with you about their remarkable work in fascinating countries. Read on to find out what you could be missing.

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Wednesday Aug 26, 2009

Haiku for the end

Is this Sapitwa?
Hand in hand we seized each step
To descend alone

*Sapitwa is the name of the highest peak of Mulanje Mountain, the mountain which overlooked our Malawian host community. It is the third highest mountain in Africa, and strikes a powerful pose over the pancake-flat landscape of southern Malawi. Its name means "unreachable".

I wrote this little haiku this morning. I’d forgotten to leave time for my contributiont to the last ever GX newsletter, but knew I had something to say after our 6 months of volunteering together. And this little poem came out, making me a little sad actually.

I was really looking forward to being home again - there’s so much I’ve missed, and it’ll be lovely to be back with people from home, and walking the dog through the lovely woods and moors surrounding my village.

But let’s not kid ourselves - leaving is a truely sad thing. As a team of 18 very different young people, we have always cared for each other passionately, and really have spent 6 months pulling each other through swamp and sunshine. I really love my host home too, but now it’s time to go, not really to come back. I’m loving my placement too, and I’ll miss spending my week days with my wonderfully fun and sweet supervisor. And, I will miss my counterpart very dearly. We’ve had a strong six months together.

There’s so much to enjoy still, that no one really feels like moping about looking glum all day. The sun has been hovering over Norfolk for nearly our whole stint here. We have trips, celebrations and meals out every day until we leave. We’re surrounded by people we love! And we’ve achieved and grown so much, and have so many happy memories.

I think the end of the program is hardest for the Malawians. A lot of them joined the program from homes where, materially-speaking, they had nothing. And that is where they are going back to. There’s no use pretending otherwise.

Those of us who are more privelidged can see GX as a springboard to a really fullfilling future brim-full of opportunities. I’ve always chased my dreams - even the most ridiculous ones - because for me it is true that “The dreamers of the day are dangerous people, for they dream their dreams with open eyes, and make them come true” (T.E Lawrence).

But when you’re trapped in a poor rural village, one of 7, 8, 9 children of poor parents, in one of the worlds poorest countries, sometimes dreams can only be that- dreams. I hate that. But reality is both wonderful and harsh, and mundane. "Thunder and rainbows from the same sky". Never give up hope and optimism, because they will always carry a person far. But only so far. A person's means can't be disregarded.

I do believe that everyone can go home after GX and live fulfilling lives. We can be healthy in body and mind if we want (to be a bit Buddhist about it!). But it’s hard to be satisfied with a simpler life, with narrow boundaries, after you’ve seen and learnt so much. You want to go far,  make a difference, use the talents you now know you have.

I hope really hard that the wonderful, talented, much-loved Malawians I've been with are able to fulfill their bright potentials. How realistic is it they they will all have that chance? I can't say.

Posted by Sally ( 8:59 AM )
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Tuesday Aug 11, 2009

Changing norms

It seems strange to me that it took just three weeks of living away from home for my new surroundings to become 'the norm'. The children shouting 'silly minger' (meaning white person) and the goats and cows who casually roam the streets while the cars politely wait for them. The women carrying loads on their heads ranging from water to kitchen tables.

Every day I work from 8am to 5pm at an NGO The Centre for the initiative against human trafficking (CIAHT) .My work with CIAHT involves visiting rural villages and speaking to victims of trafficking. Yesterday a women with wrinkled skin and brightly patterned clothes told me about her child who ran away because of lack of food. These stories are now as normal to me as the women carrying portable shops on their head.

It's not an uncommon story, trafficking is a massive problem here.  Children run away from home or are taken by traffickers promising a better life than their poverty stricken villages. They arrive in the richer areas of Ghana to become virtual slaves and prostitution often becomes their new existence.

Extreme poverty here is a normal part of life. These stories no longer shock me like they did at first. I, like most others saw poverty through the lens of Oxfam adverts and political statistics. I find it very different seeing the daily details of poverty and meeting real three dimensional people.

While I confront the symptoms of poverty on a daily basis, I am also starting to wonder whether the reactions of the people I meet show a part of the problem. When any Westerner walks down the streets of Tamale the attention they receive is of a celebrity.White skin is so different that some children cry in fear. Sometimes it feels like when people look at you all they see is money.Your status here as a Western person makes you feel a bizarre sense of power.

I treated the reactions of the Ghanian people I met at first as comical. The marriage proposals for the girls have become a daily occurance. It all seemed like such a pantomime,such an illusion. The reality is that I have the money and therefore the power to change these peoples lives. I feel the way we relate to each other as individuals has  parallels with the way our countries relate to each other in terms of power. Power in the world is not equally distributed. I'm starting to see the power and therefore responsibility I have in my living room or in the streets of Tamale its just here its real and measurable.

CIAHT works to prevent trafficking and rehabilitate victims. After a few days of working with CIAHT I was writing a document and needed clarification on the amount of time CIATH provides to victims in terms of counseling . I asked my boss  and the reply was CIAHT provided one hour .He explained there are no facilities for counseling in Tamale and there are no government services at all to  rehabilitate women. I asked my boss if money was the issue could we not train volunteer councilors.This led to my boss researching and the creation of a new organization was suddenly on the agenda!

Three weeks in and I have embarked on a massive research project on what currently exists to rehabilitate victims of trafficking and what we think the new organization should look like. A number of Tzedek volunteers are involved and its early days but its coming together. Its been amazing to meet and speak with numerous government officials and victims of trafficking as part of the project. I do not know where the new research project will lead  but it's exciting.

My whole experience with Tzedek has meant  my way of looking at power and responsibility has changed. Studying politics it was systems and theories, now I link the statistics to individuals. When I go back maybe my life wont be so normal,such a given.

Written by Lucy Newman and edited by Talia Chain.

Posted by Lucille ( 4:49 PM )
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Wednesday Aug 05, 2009

An interview with my host Dad in Kings Lynn

Clive stepped in to rescue Sally and Wanangwa from GX homelessness a couple of weeks ago, and they were lucky to find him! On the practical front, he has two spare rooms and was willing to host the only mixed-sex counterpart pair. But more importantly, he is an awesome, down-to-earth, kind guy who any volunteer would feel lucky to live with. His living room overlooks King’s Lynn’s beautiful park, so the pair have easy access to all the delights that King’s Lynn has to offer (!). A 45 year-old fireman and born-again Christian with four teenage sons not living at home, he may not match the typical profile of a GX host parent. Still, Clive has quickly become the favourite with Team 88. So let’s find out what Clive has to say about the “GX-perience” (sorry- *groans) after two weeks of hosting:

Welcome Clive! Can we start by finding out why you decided to be a host parent?

Well, I think my answer to that is one people might find interesting. I imagine most people host because of a wish to help out the volunteers, but it wasn’t like that for me. I was having a conversation about the program with Lindie at a church barbeque, and although my house has always been available when people in the church have needed rooms, I’ve never felt I wanted to offer it to them before. But as soon as Lindie talked about the students, I felt I had to give the spare rooms to them. To say it clearly, I thought it was a calling from God saying, “Open your house to these people”. I bet that’s different from the other answers you’ve had isn’t it?!

So what were your expectations or worries before hosting?

My only worry was obviously going from having the freedom of my own house to having other people there. I didn’t have any conceptions or worries about what you’d be like.

So you weren’t scared by the thought of having two unknown teenagers in your house?

Well, I’ve got the bonus of having four sons in their teens, so the idea of having two young people in my house didn’t phase me at all.

And what challenges have you faced so far?

“Challenges” is a strange word to use. I’d say more “adaptations”: adapting to thinking about people again in my own home environment; having to think more about food, like how to cater for the two of you. In terms of challenges, one is communicating to you both equally. Obviously when Wanangwa is here, it’s not so easy to talk to him.

What have you enjoyed about hosting so far?

At the moment it’s nice to have company and just talk to people about things I don’t usually get chance to talk about, like Wanangwa’s home and work, how the day’s been… And it’s been nice to be able to take you out to things like the judo we’ve started going to.

We’ve not been here long, but is there anything you’ve learnt yet from being a host parent?

I’ve learnt how to play some guitar chords! (Should I write that?!) Yeah, put it down! And I can say I’ve learnt something about Malawi, which I knew absolutely nothing about before.

Really? So, what did you know about Malawi before?

No, really nothing. I mean, I would have probably guessed it was in Africa. Another thing I’ve learnt, which is really just confirmation of what I’ve learnt before from interacting with lots of different people, is that we’re all the same, no matter what country you’re from. Meeting Wanangwa, for example- he’s not like a different being! He’s just a person like everyone else.

I think that’ll do. Thanks a lot Clive!

Thank you!

Posted by Sally ( 2:18 PM )
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Scandalous Youths Getting Rich from Voluntary Work

 

Here's a poem I wrote for our newsletter:

The press cry that, "Youths are all thugs,
Who scare grannies, form gangs and take drugs!"
If they opened their eyes,
To our lifestyles worldwide,
Would they see they're being taken for mugs?!

Would they recognise Global XChange?
A program no doubt they'd find strange!
"Youths who work overseas?
Then back home (if they squeeze
In the 18-25 age range)?!"

In both countries volunteers live,
With host parents willing to give,
Their hearts (and a room),
To young volunteers whom
The Sun warns you just CAN'T live with.

But our team, Team 88,
Will never give way to such hate.
We care for each other,
Like sisters and brothers,
And, frankly, I think we're all great!

So for six months we don't earn a penny,
But find we grow richer than many,
'Cos though work for yourself,
May bring masses of wealth,
You'll find your mind won't amass any.

 

Posted by Sally ( 2:11 PM )
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Tuesday Aug 04, 2009

In the office

I work a lot based in the CIAHT office. Its three small dark rooms in a construction site where unemployed men hang out all day. It has no internet and the stained moldy walls are filled with different social issue posters and newspaper clippings of the organizations great work. The employees come and go they are all really friendly. They have comic Ghanaian music videos playing in the background and employees taking naps on the floor is a normal occurrence.

My first task was to look at a  proposal for money from Finland, for a project to find and rehabilitate trafficked women. There was a lot of problems with it and although I was a bit nervous to speak so boldly. I explained it needed (in my opinion) re-writing a better structure and the English was awful. I was a bit unsure, who was I to come into their organisation and give advice? My logic was that If I couldn't understand things , the people in Finland wouldn't either.We re-wrote the whole thing in more detail.

I asked my boss a lot of questions about the project, so I could put the details into the proposal I felt he'd left out. He said they wanted to rescue 150 women from being trafficked ,many would have been forced into prostitution. The organisation then give them economic, medical and emotional rehabilitation. He said that they get one hour with a councilor for the emotional rehabilitation. I was in shock. Just imagine one hour ,then on your way, 'sorry about the ten years of prostitution and abuse but that's all we've got time for, have a nice life!'. I asked why so little and he replied it wasn't ideal but there are no counseling services in Tamale. I suggested they start mutual support with group therapy, or maybe train victims to volunteer as councilors. One of hand comment was turned the next day a step closer to reality as my boss found someone willing to facilitate the support group and do the training for free.

The idea then took shape as a friend suggested that a research project should be done about counseling in Tamale. I didn't know what this was but apparently its before an NGO makes a project of action an in depth study is don't to look at the current situation and what should be done. Talia (a friend on the program) and I are gong to work together on it. It will consist amongst other things of asking what are the counsellings provisions now? Interviewing women to see what they want and suggesting what could be in the future.

My organisation is confident funding can be secured and even wants to start a new organisation for victims of human trafficking! Its really overwhelming and exciting and two months suddenly doesn't seem like enough. Theres too much to be done.

Posted by Lucille ( 2:16 PM )
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Monday Aug 03, 2009

In the villages

After two weeks volunteering in Ghana I have been assigned a really interesting range of tasks by my NGO which is called CIAHT (Centre for initiative against human trafficking)

I have visited rural villages the NGO works with. Compared to urban Tamale (the main city in the north where we live) it's a different world. The villages are my cliche picture of Africa, mud huts and thatch triangle roofs.  When we arrive at a village we must greet the chief , sometimes bring a live animal as a gift.

CIAHT knows that a lot of children have been trafficked from the village so works to address the root of the problem, poverty.(see previous blog for what trafficking is). A  Shea butter farming schemes was set up to give the village a livelihood. We were in the village to see how the scheme was going.The results weren't good. Snakes biting them as they farmed it, the market was to far away to sell it the list ran on. It was my job after returning to the office to write up a report on the day, CIAHT will work with them to overcome the problems.
 
It makes you realize a development project is successful  because of the detail. An example we were told was the well meaning UN gave thousands of mosquito nets to Ghana.The problem was they were red, which in Ghana means death so no one would use them. We are all seeing the difficulty of translating well meaning intentions into successful results rather than often doing more damage.

The next day I went with an NGO from Holland and my NGO to another rural village. We were there to review a school feeding program . The community was taught farming skills,they then made food which was sold to the school for the lunches. The hungry children got lunch and the unemployed  parents got a job! I liked seeing how my NGO was working with bigger organization. My NGO based in Ghana, were working with the village community with money from Holland. It seemed like a good model.

The village reaction to me was a bit overwhelming. I made little children cry as they were so scared ,by this white person! Every pair of eyes fixed on my white skin I could feel them scanning my every detail. Children would brush my arm as if to see if the white came of on their hand, like a paint.

I also got some really uncomfortable questions. One older lady with colorful clothes and a baby wrapped on her thin back asked me why it was I was rich and they were poor? I didn't really have anything to say. Another women without malice or venom asked if I pitied them. I wasn't really sure if they wanted my pity or not,so I told the truth. Their economic situation did make me feel very sad for them. I was also  true i was in awe of their warmth, hospitality, constant jokes and laughter in spite of their poverty. I loved their colorful clothes and their community and deep spirituality. I realized after, it made have been a bit offensive. 'Sorry you're so poor you can't afford food and your children are in slavery  guys, but by the way, I love your dress!' I'm still thinking about it am not sure. They seemed so amazingly happy and free. I have no idea whether this is human natures response to suffering, I have no idea what they really feel before they go to bed at night but they seemed so happy. They seemed much happier that the average person in Britain. Maybe the whole rich in other ways thing is a true cliche.Maybe not maybe you can never  be truly happy in poverty. I have no idea.

On they way back from the village in the land rover, the brown dirt roads were like an awful roller coaster. All the Ghanaians in my NGO were quite chilled, fine ,relaxed. I closed my eyes in discomfort thinking of never again taking the miracle that is smooth tarmac for granted. A minute later to the amazement of my colleges, I was retching by the roadside, my breakfast decorating the road. Being in Ghana sometimes makes us all feel very weak, the Ghanaians seem so tough in comparison. From the village to the road, being in Ghana I have definitely left my comfort zone.

Posted by Lucille ( 8:57 AM )
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