MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
As part of my grand 'selling my house, packing my job in, going to do something else for a bit' plan, I want to do something 'worthwhile' as well as have a bit of a travelling lark.
Anyone done this kind of thing? You know, digging wells for a village in Africa, building schools in South America, that kind of thing. As you may be able to tell, I'm in the very early stages of finding out exactly what's available, and any insight and experiences would be welcome.
Tootallpaul on here is a VSO volunteer in Ethiopia currently. I'm sure he'll pick up on this thread and post....
His blog (a bit out of date) http://ride-lots.blogspot.com/
Find a project that can use your skills: Africans are quite capable of digging their own well points, but may need a water engineer to help with making a durable distribution or purification system; South Americans know how to build, but they may not know how to do it efficiently/safely/well; an NGO or community trust may be haemmorhaging money because nobody knows to do proper bookkeeping.
I have heard several people involved with volunteers complaining that the gap year types sent by <insert Project Trust type org. here> usually have to be nannied as they don't have the necessary skills/flexibility/experience. On the other hand mature, independent people who can do/teach welding, bodging, cludging and MacGyvering are virtually priceless. Also medical/psychological skills to do treatment/counselling, e.g. healthy living, living with HIV/AIDS, eye-testing, dental.
You should also ask yourself how rough can you take it. I spent my first year (an industrial placement from an engineering degree) living in a caravan with no electricity and sporadic water. Mercifully it was next to a main road and only 1.5hrs from civilisation and proper supermarkets. As soon as I graduated I came back and got a proper job, still here 12 years later.
I am sure more hardcore backpacker/volunteering types can launch into a Monty Pythonesque "bloody luxury" routine comparing their hardships.
I'll repeat a plug I made yesterday for Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux to get a fairly good feeling for contemporary Africa.
MrsSwadey spent a year on the edge of Siberia with VSO kickstarting a scheme for kids with disabilities in the late 90s - she is a social worker so it was work related anyway.
She didn't have to worry about mossies or sun burn....
The VSO website will give you lots of info on what is available and where
Oops- Sorry I missed this...
As allthepies says I'm a volunteer with the VSO in Ethiopia. (Sorry about the blog- been really busy with work!)
I'm working in a teacher training college in Hawassa in the the South of the country. I'm 6 months into a 2 year placement.
I'm doing a mainly infrastructure role helping the college to put in a LAN. My job title is IT Specialist/Trainer- I'm not doing a lot of training though, but I think that will come when the LAN is completed, and we have to teach the staff how to use it.
It's not the easiest job in the world, and its definitely not the easiest country sometimes, but, without a doubt its the best thing I have ever done.
If I can offer you anymore help/advice, please drop me an email.
Paul