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)

 

Orphanages no place for infants, Cambodian government says

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The Ministry of Social Affairs in Cambodia has just announced that children under the age of three will no longer be accommodated in residential care centres by the end of next year.

Cambodia also announced that the building of new orphanages will be banned.

That last announcement is especially hopeful.

But it’s not the first time a country has made such a promise but did not keep it:

In 2004 Romania government officials promised that by 2007 all its orphanages (which then housed about 35,000 children) would be closed down. But in 2010 there were still over 19,000 at orphanages in Romania.

We at Cosmic Volunteers no longer send volunteers to orphanages.

Why?

Over the years, many international organizations including UNICEF have uncovered the often horrible treatment of children in orphanages. Also they estimate that 80 to 90 percent of children in orphanages have at least one living parent.

The good news:

There are many organizations and individuals who are helping to reunite children with their biological families. And for true orphans, to find caring families who will adopt them.

One such organization is Hope and Homes for Children in the UK.

Hope and Homes for Children works alongside governments and civil society organisations in over 30 countries to dismantle orphanage-based care systems.

As Halya Postliuk, their Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, writes [emphasis mine]:

“[In Ukraine] orphans make up only 9% of all the children confined to orphanages…The remaining children are placed in institutions at their parents’ requests as a result of poverty…because this is the only way they can access education, health and rehabilitation services for their children. Our research also demonstrated that not a single family of a child placed in an institution because of poor living conditions received adequate social support.”

Another NGO, called Next Generation Nepal (NGN), works alongside the Nepali government to rescue children from abusive orphanages and bring them to a transit home. The transit homes provide shelter, protection, health care and education, until the team at Next Generation Nepal can find the child’s parents and reunite them with their family.

Founded in 2006 by Conor Grennan, NGN has linked hundreds of trafficked children in its care to their home communities in Nepal through a careful process of reconnection and reunification.

Conor wrote a best-selling book Little Princes that describes his work with NGN.

As always, we at Cosmic Volunteers will continue monitoring important aspects of voluntourism for you, especially as it relates to the people we try to help through our volunteer programs abroad.

Lady Buddha Statue in Danang, Vietnam

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Lady Buddha Statue in Danang, Vietnam

The Lady Buddha Statue in Danang is the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam and well worth the effort to visit.

The statue is located in the coastal city of Danag. Participants of our volunteering programs in Vietnam always tell us how much they love visiting Danang overall.

Located at the Linh Ung Pagoda on the Son Tra Peninsula in Danang, the Lady Buddha Statue is  220 feet tall (67 meters) — equivalent to a 30-story building.

Danang is the third largest city in Vietnam and one of its major port cities. Located on the coast of the South China Sea, Danang is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam

Here are some photos of the Lady Buddha Statue taken by one of our volunteers in Vietnam:

Lady Buddha Statue in Danang, Vietnam

Lady Buddha Statue in Danang, Vietnam

Lady Buddha Statue in Danang, Vietnam