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Join an Inaugural Team to South Africa!
Offer your heart and hands to Malungeni, South Africa! Help this enterprising community on the Eastern coast of Africa overcome the damage apartheid left in its wake working as a short-term volunteer. Regardless of your age or background, you're a welcome resource! Local leaders envision a self-supporting community where all are empowered to reach their potential. You can contribute on full-day development projects to help them reach their goals. Service programs include English teaching, tutoring, capacity-building and light construction and maintenance. Teach eager young elementary school students in cheerful classrooms, and share your insights from your own life. Mothers and teens have developed a number of "micro-enterprise" projects that need your catalytic help as well. Forestry, baking, poultry and other businesses are still in their "infant" stage, and will benefit from skills development and the training needed to advance them into full production. Can you see yourself helping to launch one of these unique businesses?
A land of stunning contrasts and determined people, South Africa has opened her arms wide to the global community for help. In 1991, a multiracial forum at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) crafted a tentative constitution. In 1993, an interim constitution was passed, which dismantled apartheid and provided for a multiracial democracy with majority rule. The peaceful transition of South Africa from one of the world's most repressive societies into a democracy is one of the 20th century's most remarkable success stories. Former President Nelson Mandela and then-President F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
Continue to read more about our new South Africa program
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Staff Advances Committment to U.N. Development Goals
As an NGO in Consultative Status with the United Nations, Global Volunteers supports the Millennium Development Goals and collaborates with host communities to work towards eroding extreme poverty, reducing child mortality, advancing primary education, improving maternal health, reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria, and helping develop a global partnership for development. A "blueprint" agreed to by all the world's countries and all the world's leading development institutions lays out strategies for accomplishing these goals by 2015. At our annual international staff and team leader training sessions in Minnesota, some 60 participants from 19 countries designed strategies for "keeping the promise" to extend development assistance to host partners in the areas outlined by the Millennium Development Goals. These primary areas form the basis for our development assistance planning with each host community, and are addressed both through our sustained volunteer assistance, and our Child and Classroom Sponsorship Program. Global Volunteers presented impressive success in all areas of our commitment in the last reporting period to the U.N. Economic and Social Council. Contact us for more information about our commitment to development in each host country.
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Volunteer Seeks Global Support for Ghanaian Library
Encore volunteer Deb McNally has extended her Ghanaian journey of hope and goodwill worldwide through the internet. For three weeks in spring 2007 and again last fall, McNally volunteered in Senchi Ferry, and determined to continue her service once she returned home.
"One day while working in the classroom, I talked with the children about their dreams for the future," she said. "I was surprised to find that in the midst of their underprivileged lives and the absence of books, they too have dreams of becoming doctors, pilots, scientists and teachers. They have dreams of changing Africa through their own education. I met Emmanuel, a bright 12 year old who dreams of becoming a doctor, but has never seen a picture of the human body. Rosina dreams of becoming a pilot, yet she has never seen a map of her own country. It was through listening to the children's dreams that a dream of my own formed in my heart - to create a library for the children of this village.
"These children were hungry for books to read," said McNally. "The chiefs, elders, teachers and children have all embraced the idea of building a library in their village. The location has been chosen, the blueprint has been drawn. Prayers were offered for the success of the vision." McNally offered to create a web site to help Global Volunteers raise funds to build the library. Donations may be made at www.senchiferrylibrary.com
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India Volunteers Help Renovate Children's Home
The once dilapidated and colorless St. Joseph Social Service Center in Chennai, India has been transformed in less than a year with the helping hands of Global Volunteers teams. Tiling, plumbing and concrete work was required to restore the orphanage and child care center to full functionality, and current volunteers are in the process of painting of the entire facility. Read recently posted updates on the Global Volunteers India blog. "We have given a complete face lift to this facility which is now bright, clean and neat," said proud Country Manager Steven Raja. Global Volunteers' hosts provide shelter, education, food, medical care and a sense of family to children up to 16 years of age in children's homes and hospitals. Many of these kids were living on the street before they were taken in by our host organizations.
It is officially estimated that over 5,000 children still work as child laborers in Chennai, but unofficial estimates are much higher. Abandoned, orphaned or from families that are simply too poor to care for them, most of these children have no place to go. "The love and care our volunteers provide our children, motivate them to stay at the homes we serve and aspire them to study well and come up in life," Steven says. One of our host partners reflected: "With your help, the children are fed well and are healthy. We're able to plan for good fortunes for the children, thanks to Global Volunteers." Steven asks you to please consider joining a team this year and helping to continue this impressive progress. Read on for more information about serving in India: India Service Program
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Global Volunteers Growth Launches New Programs
Thanks to our 35 percent "repeat" rate and extensive word-of-mouth referrals, we continue to nearly fill our service programs year-around. This is very good news for our host partners, with whom we plan development assistance months in advance of each team. Some 67 percent of our volunteers have volunteered with us before, have been referred by other volunteers, or learned about us from other non-profit organizations. Volunteers from these sources embrace our philosophy of service and have a special appreciation for our commitment to sustained host relationships. Further, experienced volunteers help "stabilize" our programs, and have enabled Global Volunteers to grow about 30 percent the last two years. Consequently, we've been able to accept new invitations to begin work in Portugal and South Africa; Vietnam is next this summer. We expect to explore two new program offerings in 2009. We believe deeply that inter-cultural friendships are foundational to world peace. That's why every service program aims to wage peace by facilitating mutual international understanding. Working side-by-side with others from different traditions, religions, and ethnic heritages, you'll learn that ultimately, we're all more alike than different. It's in this discovery that respect, understanding -- and true friendships -- naturally emerge. To speak to Encore volunteers about programs you may be considering please contact a volunteer coordinator at 800-487-1074.
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"Boomer" Web Site Features Global Volunteers
A new "insider's guide" for Baby Boomers offering travel trips, tips and hot deals launched on February 21 with a feature interview of Encore volunteers Keith Kresge and Timothy Cunniff. Kresge and Cunniff, who have travelled together for 19 years, shared perspectives of their service in Italy and Peru. They said they plan to join another team in 2008 to either Portugal, China or South Africa.
www.Boomvoyage.com is divided into six "affinities:" Easy Adventures (sports and activities), "Good" to Go (eco travel and volunteer vacations), Passions New and Old (learning and interests), Splurge! (luxury and special occasions), Taking Care of Me (mind, body, spirit), and Tribes (travel with friends and family).
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"We're links in a long chain of those who have come before
and will follow to help improve the lives of people around the world."
~ Bud Philbrook, Global Volunteers founder and president
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YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US
Do you have specific topics you'd like to see in a future issue: Send us your ideas. Since 1984, we've worked alongside local people in every corner of the globe -- laying a foundation for peace through mutual international understanding. In mobilizing thousands of short-term volunteers, we've learned valuable lessons about honoring local customs, methods and perspectives. We hope to share what we've learned with you.
Please e-mail us: linkeditor@glovalvolunteers.org
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