Africa is a Great Country

Swedish photographer Jens Assur has an exhibit of 40 large-format photos of Africa that will be on display in Sweden and then travel to three cities in Africa.

As this article explains, Assur’s photos focus on everyday urban life in Africa, instead of the usual stuff we see from Africa such as wildlife and AIDS clinics.

Register Your Trip Abroad with Your Own Government

Although optional for travelers, you should register your volunteering trip abroad with the federal government of your home country.

For example the“Smart Traveler Enrollment Program” (STEP) run by the US State Department allows US citizens to enter information about an upcoming trip abroad. You enter details such as your travel dates, destination(s), address abroad, emergency contact and more.

The State Department will then be better able to assist you abroad in an emergency. What kind of emergency? Natural disasters like an earthquake or tsunami; or, say, civil unrest following an election. Registering with STEP could also speed up the process of replacing your lost passport while abroad.

As an added service, STEP can also send you electronic updates on travel warnings, travel alerts and other information for the country you’ll be visiting.

Government websites for registering your trip abroad

US Citizens: https://step.state.gov/step

UK Citizens: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en

Canadian Citizens: http://www.voyage.gc.ca

Australian Citizens: http://www.orao.dfat.gov.au

French Citizens: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en

South Africans: http://www.dfa.gov.za/consular/travel_advice.htm

How to Photograph People Abroad

It’s usually a safe bet to assume that a person going on a volunteer trip abroad is a respectful person who is considerate of others.

Unfortunately, something strange seems to happens when many of these otherwise good folks get a camera in their hand abroad.

They tend to lose all sense of decorum and respect for others. It usually takes the form of pointing cameras in peoples’ faces as well as capturing private moments.

How can you be respectful of people while still getting some memorable shots to show off?

Tips for Photographing People Abroad

1. Connect First. Get to know the person before you take their photo. Don’t just shove a camera in someone’s face. For example if she’s a vendor at a market — buy something from her as you strike up a conversation. Talk about not just her shop but perhaps her family, kids, grandchildren, the town, the weather (it’s a universal topic!)

2. Ask permission. Even after establishing a rapport — ask the person if it’s OK to photograph them. I realize that there’s a saying, “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission” — but this isn’t one of those times to follow this rule. Be nice and ask first.

3. Pay them. This might seem strange, especially to those who haven’t traveled much. But keep in mind that for years foreigners have used photos of locals’ to make money via commercial guide books, prints, and websites — without any permission or payments to the locals in the photos. Locals have become savvy to this, so they don’t want anyone using their image without remuneration. So — offer to pay them. I’ve found that the going rate in most countries is about $1 US Dollar.

4. Respect Privacy. The Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal is one of the most important Hindu temples in the world. Among other activities, locals hold funerals at the temple (on the banks of the Bagmati River) that are easily visible to the public. Foreigners just can’t seem to resist taking photos of the deceased and their mourners. Question: How would you like it if a stranger was standing graveside taking photos as you buried your grandmother? Just because something is publicly visible doesn’t mean it’s right to take a photo.

5. Offer to send a photo. After talking with the subject of your photography, offer to send them a printed copy(s) of the photo (either while you’re still in-country or after returning home). But don’t make a promise to them that you’re not going to keep! If you say you’ll send a copy, then do it of course. They’ll appreciate the gesture and likely tack the photo on their wall (especially if it’s a kid).

Throw Up in India

We came across a blog post by entrepreneur James Altucher in which he provides 8 Alternatives to College.

We particularly like his reason number 2 — “Travel the World”:

“Here’s a basic assignment. Take $10,000 and get yourself to India. Check out a world completely different from our own. Do it for a year. You will meet other foreigners traveling. You will learn what poverty is. You will learn the value of how to stretch a dollar. You will often be in situations where you need to learn how to survive despite the odds being against you. If you’re going to throw up you might as well do it from dysentery than from drinking too much at a frat party. You will learn a little bit more about eastern religions compared with the western religions you grew up with. You will learn you aren’t the center of the universe. Knock yourself out.”

Costs to Volunteer in Uganda

A potential volunteer from London just asked us how much it would cost her to volunteer at a clinic in Uganda for two weeks this summer. So we thought we would share the cost estimate information with everyone:

Costs for Two Weeks Volunteering in Uganda:

Our Program Fee: 760 GBP ($1155 USD)
Round-trip flight from London: 643 GBP ($977 USD)
Visa fee: 33 GBP ($50 USD)
Yellow Fever vaccination: 66 GBP ($100 USD)
Miscellaneous spending*: 182 GBP ($276 USD)
———————————————————————
Total: 1684 GBP ($2561 USD)

* 13 GBP per day average for snacks, shopping, sightseeing, Internet etc.

2013 High School Service Learning Trip to India

Our brochures will be out next week for our High School Service Learning Trip to India in the summer of 2013.

(We’ll be posting links next week on Twitter and Facebook to the PDF version of the brochure)

What’s this trip all about? It’s two weeks in India, specifically Delhi, volunteering while learning about Indian society and culture.

Some of the highlights of the trip will include:

  • Volunteering with children at a care center
  • Visiting the Taj Mahal
  • Weekend stay in the city of Jaipur
  • Homestay with an Indian family
  • Yoga and Bollywood dancing classes
  • Visits to Hindu and Buddhist temples

Here is one of our albums from Delhi: