Author: Cosmic Volunteers

Hopper App

Hopper Travel App

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Lisa Marie Segarra wrote recently about some apps to help you cut your travel costs.

Segarra on the app Hopper: 

Hopper shows the best time to buy a ticket and whether a flight you’re interested in might change in price. Users can select their destination, and Hopper will show airline schedules months in the future. Each day is color coded by price, with green dates showing cheaper prices and red dates indicating more expensive flights. You can also ask Hopper to “watch” your trip and alert you of any price changes.

Hopper has been around for a little while. Hopper was named one of Apple’s Best Apps of 2015.

Conde Naste Traveler wrote:

How it works is fairly simple: Input your destination and travel dates, and Hopper will search the web to determine the lowest price possible for your journey. Hopper is watching prices, and the trends surrounding them, constantly. That means when you input the destination, you’ll not only get the lowest price right now, but you’ll also get the app’s educated prediction on what that price is likely to do in the future.

From Hopper’s page at Google Play Store:

Save up to 40% on your next flight! Hopper predicts the future of airfare. Watch your next flight in the app and get a notification as soon as the price drops to its lowest point. Never miss a deal!

Users save on average $50 per flight by following the bunny’s advice. Know if you should book now or wait for a better price using the price prediction feature.

Hopper is like a super-fast, all-knowing travel agent that analyzes up to 15 billion flights prices every day and predicts the future cheapest price with 95% accuracy!

PREDICT the best time to fly and buy so you’ll score the cheapest fares.

WATCH a trip to receive price alerts via push notifications the instant prices drop.

BUY cheap flights in 60 seconds or less with just a few taps and a swipe.

FLY with confidence knowing you’ve found the best plane tickets on the airlines you like.

Hopper is an award-winning travel app. No spam. No ads. No popups. No time wasted. Just the confidence you’re booking the best flight and saving money.

India Volunteer All Smiles

Delhi Metro Has WIFI

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The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in India has been providing free WiFi Internet services at five metro stations since 2016.

This move put them on par with other major subway systems that offer WIFI like New York and Hong Kong.

Part of our volunteer program in Delhi, India includes taking you and your fellow volunteers on the Delhi Metro. The experience is yet another opportunity to learn about the daily life of locals in India.

The DMRC will still have “Women Only” cars too:

India Delhi Metro Women Only

You will also occasionally see a Sikh passenger carrying the Kirpan dagger. The dagger is considered an instrument of social justice in the Sikh faith:

India Delhi Metro Sikh Kirpan

Beatrice Asante of Divine Chocolate in Ghana

Volunteering in Ghana? Divine Chocolate!

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Thinking of volunteering in Ghana?

Did you know that Ghana is one of the biggest suppliers of cocoa to the world market?

And there are also lots of local companies in Ghana making finished chocolate bars.

We always urge our participants who are volunteering in Ghana to try some of the local chocolate and even bring some home as gifts.

Divine Chocolate

One chocolate brand in Ghana that we like is Divine Chocolate.

Divine Chocolate Ghana

Divine Chocolate is co-owned by the 85,000 farmer members of Kuapa Kokoo, the cooperative in Ghana that supplies the cocoa for each bar of Divine. As owners, they get a share in the profits, a say in the company, and a voice in the global marketplace.

When you are volunteering in Ghana, feel free to visit the co-op in the Ash-Town section of Kumasi. If you are back home, you can buy their chocolate at their online store.

In the US you can buy Divine Chocolate at Walgreens and Whole Foods.

Kuapa Kokoo farmers Linda and Victoria spoke at the Divine Chocolate ‘What is it about women and chocolate?’ briefing at the Lansdowne Club in London on 9th March 2017. They explained how membership of Kuapa and co-owning the Divine Chocolate company is empowering women like them:

Ghana West Africa Art Portrait

An Introduction to West Africa

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Writer Dan Wilcox wrote an article the West Australian on Ghana.

The article is a couple of years old but the information is still relevant.

I first visited the country in 2003 to establish our volunteering programs in Ghana, West Africa. Our volunteers always love learning about the culture and serving Ghanaians through volunteer work.

Dan writes:

Ghana is generally regarded as an excellent introduction to West Africa and I can only agree. Yes, you will receive the odd plea for money but begging is frowned on in this devoutly Christian society…

Accra, the capital, will be a first port of call for any traveller and is worth exploring before venturing beyond. Settled initially by the Dutch and later the British, Jamestown, with its two forts and lighthouse, is Accra’s historical heart and is recommended for a walking tour.

While there, I attend the annual Chale Wote street art festival, which is as good as any I have visited. Throngs of local graffiti artists creating live art, street performers, rap battles, food and drink stalls and fashion parades add to the eclectic mix…

Ghana West Africa

The main tourist destination in Ghana is Cape Coast. Some 200km west of Accra, it is where the Dutch and British first established their big forts. Accra transport consists of standard taxis and tro tros as a cheap alternative. These are minibuses, filled to bursting and with no timetable. Once the bus is full, it leaves…

The forts built in Cape Coast and further along the coast in Elmina were used to house slaves. The slave trade soon eclipsed the gold trade as a source of wealth for the British and it is these forts and their history that draw most tourists…

5 Factors in Choosing a Volunteer Abroad Destination

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Simply making the decision to go on a volunteer abroad program is the most important decision in the entire experience.

But a close second involves choosing the best volunteer abroad destination.

This applies whether you want to do a multiple country volunteer abroad program or stay in one country. Even if you are at the early planning stages for your volunteer abroad program, it is best to start narrowing down your list sooner than later. If nothing else, you can lean toward a specific continent.

5 Factors in Choosing a Volunteer Abroad Destination

1. Health & Safety

Health and Safety should be the most important consideration when choosing a volunteer abroad destination.

Make sure the country is politically stable with an established government that maintains law and order. Especially avoid countries that will be holding elections during your volunteer abroad. Make sure street crime is minimal.

Do you need any special vaccinations? A Yellow Fever shot is required by many African countries like Ghana. If you are doing a multi-country volunteer abroad program and flying from an African country, the arrival country usually requires a Yellow Fever shot.

Do you have any medical conditions to consider? Volunteer abroad participants with any respiratory issues should rule out cities like Beijing because of its smog and Quito, Ecuador with its altitude of 10,000 feet.

A country’s infrastructure is important. Many developing countries have horrible roads conditions with vehicles in disrepair, not to to mention dangerous driving habits. Seat belts are usually not even an option in many cars and buses. (Honduras had another fatal crash last year with volunteers from Columbia University killed.)

Women’s safety on a volunteer abroad program should be a factor also. Women going abroad are sexually harassed often. It rarely escalates to assault, but research the local situation when deciding on a volunteer abroad destination. For example men groping women on public transport is common in places like Tokyo and Delhi (Delhi has women-only trains to combat this).

2. Programs

What program do you want to focus on during your volunteer abroad? The most popular programs are: volunteer work, language study, internships, adventure travel, and academic study. Most countries have viable volunteer abroad programs in all the above avenues. 

First check with your school’s counselor / international programs office to see a list of companies offering volunteer abroad programs. The companies’ websites should describe the programs in detail including length (weeks/months), host organizations, daily schedule, requirements, group versus solo programs, any course names and descriptions, number of credits available, and supervision.

3. Language

Gap years can provide a unique opportunity to learn and practice a foreign language. There are volunteer abroad programs that focus primarily on language study. Other programs involve no language study and/or have no language proficiency requirements.

Research the language level required of your volunteer abroad program — whether you’re there to study a language formally or not. Will you need to speak in the local language(s) with your host family, within the volunteer abroad program itself, and on the streets in everyday life?

Some countries like Ghana and India do have English as an official language which makes things easier. However for countries in Latin America, you will need at least beginner’s Spanish for most programs. In Vietnam, expect that only those locals catering to foreigners will speak decent English (hotel clerks, tour operators).

Even if you are not officially studying a language as part of your volunteer abroad program, locals everywhere will greatly appreciate your making the effort to at least learn some phrases and words. There are always local tutors and schools that offer one-on-one lessons from native bilingual speakers.

4. Culture

Choose a country or region of the world whose culture interests you. Do you have a specific interest in aspects of a country’s culture like its current events, religion, food, language, sports, music, architecture, the arts and even the partying scene (sorry, parents)?

Again, women have extra considerations. For volunteer programs in certain Middle Eastern countries, be prepared for gender segregation in all aspects of life — as well as possibly having to cover your entire body and head in public.

Religion: Go to India. There are reportedly 330 million deities in Hinduism. You could spend years studying Hinduism and still not be an expert (thank Brahma for reincarnation — you can keep coming back for more study!)

Food: Every country has great cuisine. Although food shouldn’t be at the top of your list in choosing a volunteer abroad country, you do have to eat everyday so why not eat a cuisine you like. These days it’s easier than ever to become familiar with different foods before you leave home (it seems there are Vietnamese Pho restaurants everywhere in the US these days!).

Language: It’s not just Spanish anymore for language study. There has been an explosion in Mandarin and Russian language immersion programs. Even Swahili in east Africa is becoming more popular.

Sports: Every country has its own sports scene. The Aussies are obsessed with sports. Cricket, Australian rules football, and rugby union are the most popular. Football (soccer) is king in most other places.

5. Location

The location of the destination is another important factor in deciding your gap year destination.

Climate: If you volunteer in Africa, the weather will likely be warm and dusty. If hiking in parts of South Korea during a gap year in the winter, the temperatures will be below zero with regular snow. Humidity bother you? Avoid Thailand and other tropical places.

Urban or Rural: Do you prefer a rural village or massive modern city like Seoul? Each setting has its own pros and cons like pace of life, physical comforts (A/C, beds), night life, phone/Internet, local attitudes, and access to medical care.

Excursions: The available excursions should be considered too. We love Ecuador because with just one bus ride you can visit the jungle, the beach, mountains, or expansive farmlands. Southeast Asia has become a favorite spot for gap year participants because excursions there are cheap, safe, diverse, and easy to self-arrange.

Visitors: It is usually more feasible for friends/family to visit you on your volunteer abroad program if you are in a place like London compared to a mud hut in rural Tanzania (not that there’s anything wrong with mud huts — we love them).

Indian Independence Day 2017

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When you go on your volunteering trip to India, it is important to learn some of the important milestones in the country’s history.

For example: Today, August 15, is India’s Independence Day.

70 years ago, Partition came into effect, dividing British India into two new, independent countries: India and Pakistan.

In the 1920’s, Mahatma Gandhi was established as the leader of the Indian independence movement. His belief in civil rights and non-violent struggle inspired a generation. 

In 1942 India’s Congress launched the “Quit India” movement. Weakened by WWII, Britain could not resist Indian independence any longer.

Then in 1947 India finally gained its independence.

Here are some ways India’s Independence Day was celebrated today:

Google has a new Google Doodle on its Indian homepage. The doodle is a motif of the Indian Parliament, a symbolic wheel for the Ashok Chakra, the country’s national bird – the peacock – and making it all come alive in shades of colours from the national flag:

India Independence Day Philadelphia

 

Habib Bakery in Dubai made a giant Indian Independence Day cake:

India Independence Day Philadelphia

 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mingled with the people in Delhi at the Red Fort:

India Independence Day Philadelphia

 

Back here in Philadelphia this weekend, The PECO Multicultural Festival Series featured the Festival of India at Penn’s Landing:

India Independence Day Philadelphia

Anti-Trafficking Girl in Window

Should I Volunteer with an Anti-Human Trafficking Program?

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Katie Bergman recently wrote an article in Verge Magazine discussing volunteering with survivors of human trafficking.

Her take is that untrained, unskilled volunteers should NOT be allowed to work with survivors of human trafficking. It’s bad for the volunteers and the survivors.

I totally agree. No one really wins — except the placement organizations — when well-meaning foreigners work in a situation clearly requiring professional expertise.

It’s the same reason I’ve been telling people for years that I won’t send them to a natural disaster area to volunteer. You’re just putting yourself and locals in even more potential danger and harm.

Bergman writes:

Volunteers may not have the coping mechanisms to appropriately handle the stories of abuse that survivors have lived. They’re also not immune to the crippling experiences of secondary trauma, burnout, or compassion fatigue, which are real and common threats to service providers at any level of experience—even short-term volunteers.

There may be harmful consequences for the clients, too. After enduring years or even a lifetime of abusive relationships, survivors might be hesitant to trust and connect with others. The instability of volunteer turnover can, in turn, be distressing for survivors.

“It’s not fair to our residents—who are already emotionally vulnerable—to build trust and attachment to short-term volunteers, only to have them leave,” says Annie Schomaker, program director of the Illinois-based restoration home, Eden’s Glory, which serves women who have been trafficked in the United States. “It’s exhausting for survivors to step in and out of relationships with people who never return.”

The opposite is also true. A survivor may not bother to emotionally reciprocate if she or he knows a volunteer is only around for a week or two. That’s why Eden’s Glory asks volunteers to commit to at least one year and to be consistent in showing up for meetings, counselling appointments, and outings with the residents.

Here is a video of Katie talking relatedly about “…the trials and triumphs of seeking justice” featuring her book When Justice Just Is.

 

Touchnote Postcard App

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volunteer abroadI saw a TV commercial last week for the postcard app Touchnote.

I didn’t even know postcard apps were a thing until now.

I’ve always made a point of sending postcards to family and friends back home — starting in 2001 with my first trip abroad.

I did it the conventional way each time: Buy postcards from a shop, find a local post office, buy the stamps and drop the postcards in a mailbox.

Until this past June where I led a group on a volunteering trip to Guatemala.

While in in the town of Quetzeltenango in Guatemala, I bought five (5) postcards from a small tourist shop. The kind old man behind the counter then told me where the post office was located.

I then talked to my local coordinator who told me, “Actually, the post office doesn’t work anymore in Guatemala.”

As in, literally — you cannot send mail there. Ugh.

So I put my postcards in my folder and forgot about it.

Until — the commercial for Touchnote. It looked like a useful thing, so I looked it up.

The New York Times said last year:

Select any picture from your camera roll, and Touchnote will turn it into a postcard and mail it to any location in the world with a working postal service. You can add a personalized message on the back, just as you would on an actual postcard.

Josh Root reviewed five photo postcard apps in Digital Photography Review and named Touchnote his co-winner in the category. He likes that:

“[Touchnote is] easy to use, their cards have clean and understated graphic designs and the image quality is, to my eye, the best balance of color, exposure and sharpness.”

The price is $1.50 to $2.99 per card.

So, although I will continue to send real postcards by hand on my trips abroad, it’s nice to know that apps like Touchnote can help you when that’s not possible.

(Disclosure: This post does NOT contain affiliate links)