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Two Host Communities Celebrate 100th Teams!
Both Mexico and the Cook Islands welcomed the 100th Global Volunteers team this year. Mexico's special team will enjoy speakers and a number of events Sept. 27 to Oct. 11.
Following is a summary of the Cook Islands events this summer:
Kia Orana Nga! With over 100 teams of volunteers, in fact 102 teams, supporting the Cook Islands over the last ten years, we can truly say we've had something to celebrate! Over 100 people joined together at Takitumu School evening to celebrate this wonderful milestone in late August. Parents supplyed a string band and students sand and danced throughout the enormous kaikai.
The night was a brilliant success with community partners such as Takitumu School teacher, pupils and PTA, Te Kainga Mental Health, Cook Islands National Council of Women, the Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation, Immanuela Aketemia School, Tereora College Learning Support Unit, the Red Cross, the Ministry of Health, the Disability Action Team, the Virtues Project, the Cook Islands Library and Museum Society, the Takitumu Conservation Area, St Josephs School, the Whale Research Centre, and Te Uki Ou School all sharing interesting stories of how Global Volunteers has supported their organisations in differing ways over such a long time. We heard stories from painting the whole of the Tupapa Medical clinic, through to teaching reading in schools, to helping eradicate the Crown of Thorns starfish. Stories were told of doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, teachers, physiotherapists, mental health workers, speech language therapists, painters, plumbers, electricians, builders, journalists, magicians, students, children, elderly, librarians - you name it - people with those skills have probably been to help with one project or another!
A powerpoint presentation reminded us of the many wonderful and different teams who have contributed their time, energy, wisdom and service to the Cook Islands. The Global Volunteers goals of waging peace and promoting justice in the world were certainly met! Cook Islanders, Americans and Canadians all enjoyed each others' company and celebrated the friendships made during the time that Global Volunteers has had the honour of supporting so many different partners in the Cook Islands.
Meitaki maata e kia manuia! Debi Futter-Puati,
Global Volunteers Cook Islands Country Manager
Contact a volunteer coordinator to apply for a Cook Islands service program
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South Africa Volunteer Reflects on Gift of Service
by Wendy Guiles-Trombetta
My Global Volunteers service program was a total and complete surprise given to me by my family and friends on the occasion of my 50th birthday. They knew that service to others is something that I value, and that for many years I also had yearned to travel to Africa. As the first team to go to Malungeni, I knew there would be some unique opportunities to help form initial relationships and discover a bit more about this place and its people than later teams might encounter. I found this an exciting prospect. What I discovered from my initial encounter with Michele Gran, our group leader and Global Volunteers co-founder, was that she "had our backs" during the entire experience. I have worked in many volunteer settings in the past, some with international components to them, but I have never before experienced the consistency of vision and commitment to both the volunteer and the host community in the way that that Global Volunteers does. Michele never once promised something that we could not deliver, which provided the volunteers as well as the community with sense of confidence, all the while being embraced by a high degree of true integrity.
Continue to read about Wendy's experience in Malugeni on Global Volunteers' blog here:
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New Cook Islands Video Shows Children's Point of View
Our Global Volunteers' on-site country team orientation includes a section to prepare volunteers to offer their professional and avocational skills to the host community. Volunteer Tom Barker found himself becoming a film producer recently in the Cook Islands when a local teacher learned of his skills as an amature videographer. Following is his account of his exciting volunteer experience:
The day after our team orientation, I was at the head of the local teacher's 11A English class telling the students about my experience in film-making as I scanned the walls of this movie-poster laden room. Cook Islanders are really into Hollywood entertainment, and I could see the bait that would hook them on a new learning experience. Then Clare (the teacher) drew the net tighter by announcing that the homework assignment would be the beginning of a class project to make a film on what it is like to be a Cook Islands student. What fun!!
I assigned five teams to this project. Each team would work on one of the five aspects of the film. These were: Feelings about life in general as a Cook Islander, Things I do at home, Hobbies, School Life, Home Life and religion. The teams were established so the members lived in close proximity to each other. This would allow them to work on their continuing storyboard homework task together. Putting the script together over the weekend was my job and I also spent all day Monday when 11A does not have an English class polishing up the scenes and shots. I was frustrated when I tried to print the script and found that the printer had no paper. I had been using the backs of scrap paper for the draft. Resources at Titikaveka College are very limited and when the paper allocation is gone, there just is no more. I went into town and bought a ream of paper and just “forgot” to bring the remainder back home.
To make a three-week story short, we completed the project as a student team and presented the video to the school and volunteer group in a grand showing. What a wonderful time we had! Upon my return, I posted the video on the web. I will repeat the process on my service program to Chennai, India with Global Volunteers this fall. Stay tuned!
View Tom's Cook Islands video here.
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Waging Peace Worldwide: Celebrating Global Volunteers' 25th Anniversary
Nearly 100 Encore Volunteers have already signed on to help us celebrate our 25 years of service worldwide in 2009 as members of our "virtual Anniversary commitee." January 2009 marks Global Volunteers' 25th Anniversary, and events are planned throughout the U.S. and in host communities worldwide. Please join us and offer your planning, coordinating, writing, photography, video, public relations, media, music, graphic arts, advertising, marketing or other skills to make this year-long celebration a smashing success. Join our online community for access to other's creativity and enthusiasm. Contact Michele Gran at mgran@globalvolunteers.org or Karisa Grosser at kgrosser@globalvolunteers.org. Thank you!
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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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(c) Global Volunteers 2008 All content and images inclusive
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