This trip to Nicaragua is part of NSC’s work promoting solidarity between UK and Nicaraguan community activists and environmentalists working on community solidarity, increasing food self sufficiency and protecting the environment.

Participants will spend one week living in a rural community and working on an organic gardening programme, and a second week visiting community and government food security and environment protection programmes. The climax of the trip will be participating in the National Fair for the Earth to celebrate world environment day .

For more details:
www.nicaraguasc.org.uk

Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

I want to precurse by stating loud and clear that I believe the vast majority of people who choose to volunteer are doing so with the best of intentions – and that there are some great volunteer organisations out there.

Our work  brings us into contact with some pretty  marvellous people ( I’d use the word “Awesome” if it wasn’t so abused!) – some of whom may have made one or two of the following mistakes –

BEFORE

1. Most important of all – Not asking questions – just about every organisation that recruits volunteers now lists questions volunteers should ask…..

2. Believing… – just because an organisation tells you the questions you should ask that they are going to answer them fully or honestly. Beware smoke and mirrors!

The answer to “where does the money?” go is easily whitewashed by allocating a whole load of costs to “project development” – yeh but what does that mean and where does it happen…in the host country or in a cosy office in the UK or USA? Is the well paid chief exec’s whole salary allocated to project development? Are the orphans in the orphanage really orphans? ( if you need a reminder about the questions you should ask here they are)

3. Taking “stuff” – let’s face it luggage allowances are low and if you are going for a month or so ( or making it part of a longer trip) you will need the whole of the allowance for yourself . Please do not be tempted to take things with you for your project unless you have been advised to do so by the project or placement organisation.

In many instances the “stuff” can be purchased locally for at least the same price if not lower – and you are adding to local wealth –  BUT most important of all  is it sustainable? – will the project be able to repair it or replace it when you are gone (so often we hear that perhaps a battery driven appliance would be a good idea if the project has no electricity – mmmmm but who’s paying for the batteries?) and indeed do they have the skills to use it? Is it culturally appropriate? You see it’s a minefield!

4.Making unrealistic plans  – our advice to our volunteers  is to ” take what you think you may achieve and halve it – then halve it again – and then reduce it by 50%”….and remember, your reality is not necessarily the reality of the project you will be working with.

You have skills but just about without exception you do not have MORE skills than local people just DIFFERENT skills from local people – and many of your skills just ain’t relevant skills in that environment.

DURING

1. Trying to do too much too soon – watch and listen first….be gentle with yourself and with local people .

2. Taking on too much – try to remember the goals that were set for you ( if you travelled with a responsible organisation – then you should have been given some goals!!!)

3. Making promises that cannot be kept – it’s so easy for misunderstandings to arise – when you think you have said “I will try to do that” local people may well have heard “I promise I will do that” – you can imagine the distress this can cause.

4. Not complaining as soon as a problem arises. It will be a very unusual volunteer placement that does not result in at least one problem – all too often volunteers do not draw this to anyone’s attention at the time – probably because they are uncomfortable and don’t wish to ”create a fuss” .

If you have travelled with a responsible organisation there will be someone you can discuss your concerns with, who you are not working with each day. Don’t let an issue that could be resolved spoil the experience for you and the people you seek to serve.

AFTER

1. Not allowing for the emotion of leaving your project – that cliche “it was life changing” is always true to varying degrees –  again, a responsible organisation will have some feedback and support systems in place for you.

2. Inappropriate giving  – WARNING – nearly all the countries you are likely to volunteer in do not have good postal services – if you post something you will lose it…and at best it will get stuck in customs and the project will not be able to afford to get it released! Again, responsible organisations will be able to advise you on the best way to continue to support your project, if that’s what you wish to do.

3. Not reporting bad experiences – we hear repeatedly from people who volunteered (not with us I hasten to add!) who were poorly served by the organisation to whom they paid their hard earned money. When we ask them to post their experience on the web or write a piece that we can publish, they “don’t like to cause a stir” – well if we don’t draw attention to BAD practise it’s going to make it pretty difficult to replace it by GOOD practise.

Here are a couple of sites to post on irresponsibletourism abroadreviews and dont forget facebook.

So that’s my take – now it would be good to hear from volunteers – what do you think were the mistakes you made?

This article was first posted on www.traveldudes.com

people and places is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This one’s going to be controversial! This is my take on the most common mistakes volunteers make – BEFORE, DURING and AFTER volunteering.

I want to precurse by stating clearly that I believe the vast majority of people who choose to volunteer are doing so with the best of intentions. Our work at people and places brings us into contact with some pretty blooming marvellous people – some of whom may have made one or two of the following mistakes – some of whom made none of them -oh shut up and get on with it Sallie -

(more…)

While many newlyweds spend their honeymoon backpacking through Europe or jetting off to a far away tropical location, very few kick off the rest of their lives by working in meagre conditions without pay.

But that’s changing, thanks to a growing trend amongst 21st century honeymooners called ‘honeyteering.’

Honeyteering is where just-married couples volunteer for a worthy cause in the developing world, rather than the indulgent two weeks on a beach. A growing trend in the United States, it is relatively new in the United Kingdom.

Couples who see giving back as the perfect way to start their new lives together are opting to skip the rose petals in the bath and roll up their sleeves for good causes.

The idea itself is not so radical, more and more couples (who already live together and have fully stocked homes) are asking their guests to make a monetary contribution towards a charity rather than buy gifts; so this only seems like a logical extension of the concept.

The honeymoon is also less of the romantic and sexual epiphany it once was (many couples have cohabited for many years prior to getting married) and some couples have already enjoyed numerous romantic getaways together.

Thus, it isn’t surprising some newlyweds are opting to dig a well in an African village and dine with the locals instead of the sometimes ‘overblown’ or ‘clichéd’ type of traditional honeymoon (i.e. cocktails on the beach, intimate candlelit dinners for two, etc).

CNN recently highlighted the case of Aaron and Kristen Berlin, a Massachusetts couple who dedicated their honeymoon to volunteering in a Thai orphanage. Aaron told CNN, “We learned a lot about the culture. That was one of the great things about volunteering. We were really incorporated into the daily lives of the children and the volunteers who ran the orphanage.”

Cultural immersion, camaraderie, and educational opportunities are just some of the numerous rewards associated with volunteering. Doing it with a partner can be a powerful bonding experience and a great way to learn more about each other.

Besides the numerous mental, physical and emotional benefits of volunteering, honeyteering encourages couples to explore parts of the world that they might never have experienced. On a typical honeymoon, couples tend to stick to their resort and other touristy parts of town. A volunteering honeymoon forces couples off the beaten path.

What could address the requirements of a honeymoon (i.e. something special, unique and memorable) more than a volunteering trip to some of the most beautiful and exotic parts of the world?

If you’re thinking about honeyteering, start by considering your mutual interests. From volunteering with wildlife to working in an orphanage, from construction to teaching English, there are thousands of organizations all over the world eager for help.

The first thing that you need to do as a couple is to decide which cause you wish to volunteer for. For any given cause, programs are typically available in multiple countries. There are a number of websites that can connect you with reputable volunteer organizations around the world; Volunteer Latin America, Volunteer 4 Africa, and Volunteer Work Thailand are three of them. If the destination is of primary importance (mutual interest), start searching for volunteer opportunities that match your preferences (cost, climate, dates, etc) in that particular part of the world.

Once you have chosen a volunteer vacation you need to prepare for your trip. Get your travel documents in order and check to see if any vaccinations are required. If you are volunteering in an area where the people speak a different language than you do, take some language classes or buy a language book to teach yourself the basics. Most importantly, research the culture and customs of the area you will be visiting. Some countries have much different dress codes and social customs. Failing to follow these customs can offend the local people. Remember, you can extract a lot of the information you need from the organization you have chosen to work with (i.e. culture, weather conditions, in-country travel options, etc).

Guidance to setting up your own volunteer placement can be found on the Latin Lounge.

For a newly married couple, participating in a cause greater than themselves may offer the perfect balance to their wedding. Some newlyweds find it especially meaningful to start their new lives together by giving back – dedicating time to serve the community or environment they’re visiting. There’s no better way to start a new life than to help make the world a better place.

Despite this fact some charities are opposed to the idea of honeyteering as they claim honeymoons are too short in duration to benefit local people. This is a good point but could equally apply to most short term volunteer vacations in the humanitarian sector. How can you truly help the needy and impoverished if you just turn up for a week? This is particularly pertinent to teachers, health care workers, and other professionals (i.e. it wouldn’t be beneficial for teachers to spend only a week actually involved in education). In many cases however, any help that people can provide is always useful, particularly in the form of manual labour such as digging wells or building work – this would be a completely viable way to contribute.

We recommend couples wanting to consolidate their marriage by working on something together spend at least one month on a project in the humanitarian sector but understandably this isn’t possible in all cases. It is easier to do something of value for the environment in the short term as any amount of time spent helping protect an endangered species (sea turtles) or planting trees is worthwhile.

This article should in no way discourage people who are considering a traditional type of honeymoon, after all, what you do on your honeymoon is entirely up to you. Spending two weeks relaxing and rejuvenating in an idyllic locale is a wonderful way to spend your honeymoon.

Volunteer Latin America is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is a high-profit, low-risk trade for those who organize it, but it is detrimental to the millions of women and children exploited in slavery-like conditions in the global sex industry. This trade is conducted throughout the world with near impunity, in many cases carrying penalties far less severe than drug trafficking. Though people often associate it with Eastern Europe or Asia, the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation, with its concomitant human rights abuses and health consequences, is a significant problem in Latin America. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated that sex trafficking in Latin America generates some US$16 billion worth of business annually. Sex trafficking is considered by the United Nations as the third most lucrative illegal business in the world after drug and arms trafficking.

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Volunteer Latin America is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

So it seemed like a good idea over a glass of wine. There we were, Paul Hayman (managing director of MA Assist) and me, having a glass of wine after a successful meeting with an MA Assist client. “I have always wanted to do something useful for a good cause” said Paul, “I want to make a difference, not just hand over cash”. “Why not go to Georgia and renovate the school in Tlugi” I said. “With your trades network and client base it should be easy to raise the money and organise it”. Sounded simple at the time!

How did I end up persuading the MD of a repairs network to do this? Well, it’s quite simple – I am his part-time “Finance Director”; I oversee the finances of his company MA Assist, an insurance repairs specialist with network of tradesmen all over the country and some very large insurance clients. Paul Hayman is an old friend and we worked together many years ago before I had children. Following his management buyout at the start of 2009 he called me asking for help with his finances, and in a weak moment I agreed. So now I have 2 small children, a part time finance job and I run my own business, Fairwind – who needs sleep anyway?

So when I started talking to Paul about the Fair Treesâ project Paul was very interested. He had been looking for something he could support through his business and this seemed perfect. And I have bored him so often about the issues surrounding the Christmas tree industry and my campaign to change things in the UK, that maybe he had a weak moment too and agreed to support it. Who knows! But here we are, planning and organising a DIY SOS style trip to Georgia where we will have a week to completely renovate a school for 600 children in a remote and deprived part of Georgia, called Ambrolauri.

It sounds simple, but it will be quite a challenge. Not only do we need to raise at least £10,000 to fund the project, but we need to get the right materials and labour to Tlugi, right up in the mountains of Ambrolauri. And we need to get it all there at the right time and get the job done before the return flights home. This is going to require some careful planning.

Paul is going to Tlugi towards the end of March to survey the job. He will be working with the school director to agree what works are to be done and then doing a lightening fast survey to work out what is needed. He will only be in the country for about 48 hours and it takes 5 hours to get to Tlugi from the airport in Tblisi. So no pressure then!

Once he gets back we will have a good idea of how many people we will need. We will then have to start persuading some tradesmen to give up a week of their time to come to Georgia in September. We will try to use local labour and materials wherever possible, to make sure that the improvements can be maintained in the future and to provide some income for locals. But the bulk of the labour and materials will need to come from the UK, and the shipping and flights will be the most expensive parts of the project.

MA Assist is donating £1 for every insurance claim with value received from its clients – a very generous donation indeed. But we will need donations from MA Assist’s clients and suppliers and some fundraising by staff to get all of the funds we need. So we are starting to appeal to MA Assist’s insurance clients and their corporate social responsibility departments, while fair trade is at the front of people’s minds during Fair Trade Fortnight.

And the final big challenge is to get some media coverage of this renovation to help raise the awareness amongst consumers and the Christmas tree industry about the issues in Georgia. Every September the locals in Ambrolauri climb 30 metre high trees to collect cones from which the seeds are extracted for growing Nordmann Fir Christmas trees in Europe. The Nordmann Fir is now the most popular Christmas tree in Europe, with 5 million sold in the UK alone. But every year cone pickers in Georgia get injured, or even die, collecting the cones. Until now they have had no safety equipment, no health insurance and have been paid a pittance. Fair Treesâ is changing all of that by paying its cone pickers fairly, giving them modern safety equipment and training and by providing health insurance. Fair Treesâ grows the only fair trade Christmas trees in the world, with accreditation from the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO).

Through the Bols Xmas Tree Fund, a Georgian based charity, Fair Treesâ is investing in the community in Ambrolauri using a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Fair Treesâ and Fair Seedsâ. For more information about the Fund you can go to http://www.bolsxmastreefund.com/index-en.php

So this is Part 1 of the great Fair Treesâ school renovation story and I will keep you updated on developments as they take place. This is going to be mad, fun and hopefully incredibly rewarding.

If you would like to know more, or are interested in supporting Fair Treesâ or the school renovation, then please get in touch – info@fairwindonline.com.

Teresa Owen, Fairwind

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Many people choose to learn Spanish in Latin America because of the wide range of incredible locations in which to learn the language. Students can choose a beach location like Montanita in Ecuador, or a very historic town like Cusco, high up in the Andean Mountains of Peru. Whether you want to explore archaeological sites, experience indigenous culture, observe wildlife, or simply laze on unspoilt beaches, Latin America provides all the ingredients for the perfect learning experience.

If you want to see the jungle or have always wanted to go to Machu Picchu, then take a Spanish course that facilitates these aspirations. For example, El Paraiso Spanish Language School (Costa Rica) enables students to stay in Manuel Antonio National Park, with its beautiful beaches and extraordinary biodiversity. ACUPARI Language School (Peru) is based in Cusco, the amazing capital of the ancient Inca Empire. Some students divide their time between two locations so they can explore the natural and cultural diversity of Latin America.

Another reason people choose to learn Spanish in Latin America is the immense choice of courses available. They range from private one-to-one tuition to a myriad of specialized programmes. For example, Interhispanica (Argentina) offer Spanish and Latin American economy classes. OLÉ (Mexico) offer specially designed programmes for children, teenagers and seniors. Educacion Para Todos (Guatemala) offer customised programmes for social science and medical professionals. Most language schools offer special modules to meet the needs and personal interests of students.

A popular option is to combine a Spanish course with some volunteer work, either once you have finished your language course or during the time when you are not attending lessons. Typical areas of work include helping out in orphanages or nursery schools, working in local community projects, assisting with wildlife or conservation projects. Volunteer Latin America provides information on over one hundred Spanish language schools that offer volunteer work and internships. One such school is Tandem Santiago – Escuela de Idiomas Violeta Parra (Chile), which arranges internships for high school graduates and college students throughout Chile.

Many language schools enable students to combine a Spanish course with adventure and sporting activities. For example, Andean Global Studies (Ecuador) offer Spanish classes combined with diving, surfing or kiteboarding. The Mariposa Spanish School and Eco Hotel (Nicaragua) organizes horse riding trips to the Masaya Volcano. A wide range of outdoor pursuits and activities are offered at other language schools including trekking, paragliding, rock climbing, river rafting, skiing and snowboarding.

In addition to the Spanish courses, most language schools offer extra-curricular activities to suit the tastes of all students. This includes attending sporting events, jungle hikes, guitar lessons, cooking classes, movie evenings, trips to the theatre, parties, and excursions to local places of interest (archaeological sites, indigenous communities, national parks, etc).

From the evidence cited above, it is easy to understand why many people choose to learn Spanish in Central or South America. There isn’t anywhere better to combine a language course with learning new skills and having fun. For example, a Spanish course combined with Salsa, Merengue or Tango dance lessons is a great way of meeting other like-minded travellers and having fun. Many students forge lifelong friendships through such an experience.

So what are you waiting for? Immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture of Latin America for the most rewarding educational experience of your life.

Forget about Spain, where the accent isn’t as attractive and prices far higher than in Latin America.

Volunteer Latin America is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Latin Lounge is part of the Volunteer Latin America organization. The blog provides news, views, events, travel tips and information related to volunteering in Central and South America. It is aimed at everyone with an interest in Latin America, providing a diversity of posts covering everything from environmental issues to music and cinema.

Volunteer Latin America is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Are you looking for low cost volunteering opportunities in Africa?  Volunteer 4 Africa provide information on a wide variety of conservation and community service projects. Their website enables you to search for projects that match your budget. Everything you need to set up a placement is provided, including web links and email contacts. A small membership fee is required to use the site but it is well worth it. Highly recommended.

Volunteer Latin America is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more