Posts Tagged youth development

Lou Loose In Oz: The Beginning

Hey, I’m Sarah-Louise Matthews and il be telling the story of my lattitude global volunteering experience from start to finish. First of all I’m 21 years old from the Isle of Man and I’m a fully qualified hairdresser, I’ve been working in my current salon for nearly 5 years now. As much as my little island life is just perfect, I can’t help but want to go away and experience something completely different. Charity work has always been something that’s appealed to me. So when I found LGV I thought it couldn’t be more perfect, helping others and seeing the world was exactly what I was looking for. I originally applied for LGV early 2011, though only weeks later I felt I wasn’t quite ready so decided to not go ahead with the interview. Throughout the whole year of 2011 I was constantly looking back at the LGV website so decided in the new year of 2012 to reapply, this time I was definitely ready. Pretty much straight after my application went through, I got a phone call from Sarah who was great and gave me a much more detailed insight on each and every one of my placement choices, after a long chat we both decided an Indigenous boarding school in Australia was best suited to me. After a few more phone interviews at the end of September i was really happy to find out I had been accepted for a placement at Djarragun College in far North Queensland. I couldn’t of been happier with the choice as I found the Djarragun College website earlier on in the year and I was instantly drawn to it.

I am now a year on from my official application, just going into my final week of being at home. I have waited for this for 2 years so I am extremely excited. I’m all packed and ready to go, only thing left now is my goodbyes which I’m not particularly looking forward to but with the extent of high tech communication these days, your never too far away :-) x

Zoe volunteered as a teacher in Malawi


Zoe was a teacher at Wimbe Primary School for 6 months. Here are some of her memories.

Volunteers in Fiji touch down safely and enjoy their orientation

Overseas volunteering in Fiji, orientation facilitators

Bula! On Wednesday 18 January, 24 Lattitude volunteers arrived in Nadi, Fiji for their five day orientation. There were a mix of 9 Australians, 8 Brits, 5 Kiwis and 2 Canadians who were slowly assimilated into the Fijian way of life.

Sampling the local drink, kava

There were lots of different highlights from the orientation. First off there was Fijian night where everyone ate Fijian food and drank kava, the local drink.

Getting into the groove

There was also Indian-Fijian night where the volunteers got to watch a traditional prayer session. The volunteers ate Indian food, tried on saris and struck their best Bollywood moves.

It wasn’t all dinners and socialising though, the volunteers did half a day of learning language skills where they learnt to count to 10 and introduce themselves in Fijian. They also addressed practicalities like buying simcards and had a safety briefing with the local police.

Not all fun and games, important safety seminar with some of the local police standing with local rep, David and country manager, Sarah

One session was spent listening to a presentation by the British High Commission where the volunteers met with local representative Jenny Mosese over lunch. They impressed the High Commission so much that they now feature on their website

After their five day orientation the volunteers were ready to head off to their placements but the weather had other ideas. On the Monday morning the volunteers were due to depart the rains swept in and kept the volunteers stuck in Nadi for a few more days. Luckily on the Thursday the rains subsided and the volunteers were finally able to head off to their placements to begin their real volunteering adventures.

Lattitude Global Volunteering Fiji orientation group January

Avoiding the dangers of “voluntourism”

By Roberta Geraci

Volunteering overseas is a fantastic thing, but it must be done responsibly!

Volunteering overseas is a fantastic thing, but it must be done responsibly!

A recent article by The Telegraph investigated some of the negative impacts of short-term visits by tourists on Cambodia’s orphans.

The article noted how the orphanages have become a popular tourist attraction as the number of people who visit wishing to volunteer has continued to rise, but at the same time so has “the controversy surrounding it.”

In the last five years the number of orphanages in Cambodia has dramatically increased from 153 to 269, according to a report by UNICEF. As Monica Pitrelli notes “perhaps even more troubling, UNICEF says that of the nearly 12,000 children living in Cambodian orphanages today, only 28 percent have lost both parents.” Which begs the question why are these children living as orphans?

The worry highlighted by several NGOs operating in the region is that the orphanages have become lucrative tourist attractions, where children may actually be kept in poverty in order to attract more volunteers. Saundra Schimmelpfennig of the organisation Good Intentions are Not Enough notes that “the best way to keep donations rolling in is to keep the children at a substandard level, so that any volunteer or donor showing up will see with their own eyes how critical it is to donate to the orphanage.” Instead of these donations going toward improving the conditions for the children, it is believed that a few people are profiting from the children’s continued poverty and suffering.

While the tourists involved in volunteering at the orphanages seem to gain from the experience, it is believed that the children whom they aim to assist actually suffer. As the Human Sciences Research Council highlighted “In many cases these short term placements can actually create a great deal more harm than good.” Children are unable to build any lasting or meaningful relationships with the so-called “voluntourists” as they stay for such short periods of time, and “voluntourists” may crowd out local workers from performing the same jobs.

The article in The Telegraph serves as an important reminder for those looking to volunteer abroad about the importance of researching and selecting a well monitored and structured long term volunteer placement, over a potentially detrimental short term one. Going with a charitable organisation will help to ensure that the first priority is to help those people in need and not to make profit.

The campaign for real volunteering highlights what to avoid when looking to volunteer abroad and offers sound advice on how to choose a placement that is beneficial for all involved.

 

University Places Cut by 15,000

By Roberta Geraci

The government announced this week that University places would be cut by up to 15,000 as it disclosed full details of the higher education budget for the next academic year.

The Government plans to withdraw the additional 10,000 places which were allocated last year to cope with the increased applications, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England has been given instructions to remove a further 5,000 extra places which are normally used to aid universities that over-recruit. In addition fines will be issued of £3,800 for each student recruited over the strict limits.

The information was detailed in a letter a letter to higher-education spending watchdogs from the Business Secretary Vince Cable and the Universities minister, David Willetts which justified the cuts as it would expose “Government to higher than budgeted costs which cannot be absorbed at a time of financial constraint”.

The news has been met by students with “outrage” according to the Telegraph as the drop in the number of places coincides with the increasing fees in the 2012/2013 academic year.

The National Union of Students President, Liam Burns said: “As the country stands on the brink of recession and youth unemployment reaches record levels, ministers have effectively cut places by 15,000 and extinguished hope for many prospective students and set back economic recovery in the process.”

The news was accompanied by cuts to the state funding for teaching of £830m or 18% when compared to last year. David Willetts, the Universities Minister, defended the cuts as he explained: “We are increasing the total funding available to the sector… and our reforms will enable successful universities to expand if they wish to do so. However it is also essential that the sector works collaboratively to lower their costs.”

The Government’s aim is to offset the reduction in state funding with the increase in student fees, and while it is predicted that there will be fewer applicants for University places this year, (link to previous article) the cuts are still likely to mean some will miss out.

Pam Tatlow, of million plus, a University think tank, said: “The reduction in the total number of student places is likely to dash the aspirations and ambitions of many well-qualified applicants.”

While the next academic year likely marks a turning point in the higher education system, the Government have managed to push through the majority of the changes without further legislation as the Higher Education Bill looks set to bedropped or delayed and is likely to “not be part of the government’s legislative programme in the Queen’s Speech.”

UCAS Deadlines and predictive grades

The deadline for applying for a University place through the UCAS system passed on January 15th, with many young people understood to have either missed out on the deadline or as having chosen not to apply. The predicted drop in the number of people applying through the UCAS system is thought to be as high as 23,000 when compared to last year.

While many prospective students have blamed the fee increases for the fall in the number of applications, there have also been suggestions that young people have been discouraged to apply to certain institutions, as top Universities appear to be demanding higher A* grades. As prospective students seek to get better “value for money” from their courses, high-ranking Universities are believed to be heavily oversubscribed. A recent article in The Telegraph suggests that Universities including “Oxford, Nottingham, Bath, York, King’s College London and University College London were making greater use of the A* during the admissions process” in order to limit the number of applications.

According to the chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, Kenneth Durham; “It would appear some universities are introducing tougher entry standards to manage places and avoid over-recruiting.”

One of the dangers with the UCAS system is that offers are allocated based on predictive grades and therefore those students who are not predicted the higher A* grades may miss out on a place at some of the top Universities, even if they later go on to achieve an A*. According to a spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills “Ucas are currently looking at the accuracy of A* predictions and this will enable the sector to judge whether they are sufficiently accurate to be used in the applications process.”

The worry is that a number of potentially high achieving young people have been discouraged to apply for the top Universities as a result and instead have either chosen to reapply next year or to apply to another University. In order to achieve an A* pupils must score over 90% in all second year A level exams.

 

University applications drop despite approaching deadline

By Roberta Geraci

A recent article by the Daily Telegraph highlighted a drop of approximately 23,000 University applicants when compared to the same time last year. Figures published in December 2011 compared with December 2010 showed a drop of almost 8%.

These figures suggest that despite a late surge in the number of applications, as reported by BBC News, the overall figures demonstrate the dramatic effect the increased fees are having on influencing those potential applicants. These figures come as the deadline for UCAS applications for most courses, 15 January, is fast approaching. Chief Executive of UCAS, Mary Curnock Cook, stated “applicants are taking longer to research their choices but the applications flow has speeded up”.

The “late surge” in applicants brings some encouragement to Universities that are seeing reduced applications from students around the European Union as well as UK students. Nicola Dandridge, Universities UK Chief Executive, stated “as expected, December saw a significant increase in applications. It is very possible that the increase in applications will continue right up until the 15 January 2012 deadline. It is reassuring to see that the numbers of applications are recovering.”

This year will be the first year students will be asked to pay the high fees and it is clear that this is having an impact on potential applicants decisions about whether to go to University and what to study. Likewise the current economic climate and high unemployment among young people has made the decision not to go to University all the more difficult. The question of “what to do next” becomes a daunting one and there is increasing pressure on young people to decide “immediately”. However as with all important decisions it is better to take your time and know that you are making a decision that is right for you.

Considering all the options available both inside and outside of University is the best way for prospective applicants to be sure that they are making the right decision, particularly when the fees have increased by such a dramatic amount. Students still undecided should not feel the pressure to apply before the deadline as taking a “gap year” may allow for more time to make a decision about whether or not to go to University and what and where to study.

 

Make a job application stand out, add volunteering overseas to your list of achievements

 

Volunteer as a Teacher in Vietnam

Volunteering could make you stand out from everyone else!

 

In a recent survey 63% of 250 HR professionals agreed that a constructive gap year spent volunteering or gaining work experience was one way to make a an application really stand out.

It is well known that embarking on a voluntary placement is a sure way to gain skills and build confidence in young people. It is a process we, as an international youth development charity take very seriously. We ensure all our placements are long enough and that each volunteer is placed in an environment that will challenge and interest them and so build skills and confidence.

If the extra pressure the rise in university tuition fees has caused you to take an unexpected year out then the survey carried out by YouGov suggests a working productive gap year could be beneficial.

Almost half (46%) of HR professionals surveyed said they would be more likely to employ someone with gap year experience involving volunteering overseas, or other independent travel than one without.

Tom Griffiths, Founder of gapyear.com, said: “It’s never been more important for young people to make the most of their time between school and career. This survey shows that a constructive gap year involving independent travel, volunteering or work overseas makes a big difference to potential employers.

It’s understandable that anyone with a university place this year won’t want to defer, but, for the many thousands without that option, a constructive gap year has to be one of the best alternatives.

To ensure that our volunteers have the opportunity to discuss their placements and know how to demonstrate the skills they have learned we offer a returned volunteer debrief. We are fortunate enough to be sponsored by Grant Thornton, a large graduate recruiter who not only let us hold our debrief in their central London office but also help us run seminars that offer the latest advice on graduate recruitment.

 

Increasing popularity for Japan for gap year travellers

 

Lucy volunteered in Japan for 6 months in her gap year

Lucy volunteered in Japan for 6 months in her gap year

A recent article by Mary Short of gapyear.com has highlighted the increased demand of gap year travellers to head for Japan. Making the country once again one of the more popular gap year destinations since the devastating earthquake in March.

A survey by Hotels.com showed that more than 60% are open to visiting Japan and 86% are considering a trip within the next year. Also, Japan was ranked in the top three for favourite countries to travel to in 2012, either on a holiday or as part of a gap year.

“I am very encouraged that so many people in the Hotels.com survey indicated that they are willing to travel to Japan. I hope that everyone can visit Japan and experience the best of Tokyo’s fantastic hospitality which never changes. Moreover, I would like everyone to see that the whole of Japan is working together for a rapid recovery.” Said Hideki Yokoyama, senior director of the tourism division of Japan.

It is fantastic to see people returning to Japan but interestingly we at Lattitude Global Volunteering experienced no decline at all in our Japan volunteering programmes throughout the year. In fact quite the opposite!

The popularity for placements in Japan continued to grow throughout the whole of 2011 with many people calling in and enquiring into the possibilities of working in Red Cross hospitals in order to help throughout the crises. This is a feature that has continued as the 6 month programme we offer is already starting to book up for next year and the following years’ departures.

We are very happy to be able to offer the placements we do in Japan, supporting young people and all the good that they do in both medical and caring placements. We are of course also very proud of their achievements and their conviction to make a difference.

 

Volunteers prepare for departure

At the weekend we held our briefing for groups of volunteers heading out to Fiji, Vanuatu and Malawi in January. It was a very interesting day and understandably there was a lot questions from volunteers and parents. Thanks very much to those ex-volunteers who came along and shared their experiences and photos. It really helped everyone to prepare.

Volunteer pre-departure briefing November 2011

Penny, the UK and Europe Director talks to volunteers and parents prior to their departures in January

 

Laura was the returned volunteer who, last year was in Malawi. As the winner of our ‘Spirit of the Country’ photo competition the briefing was also a great opportunity to present her with her prizes which included the winning shot on canvas:

Penny from Lattitude Global Volunteering presents Laura with her prize for winning the annual photo competition

Penny from Lattitude Global Volunteering presents Laura with her prize for winning the annual photo competition

It was a great day and thanks to you all for coming. As always if you have any questions please do get in touch!