Previous volunteers to this community have established a bicycle project, providing employment and transportation the community– trained staff in the community lodge, introduced computers and trained teachers and community members how to use them and pass on that knowledge, built a pre school, trained the pre school teachers therefore enabling more women to take up employment opportunities. Volunteers stay in the community guesthouse generating further income for the community.
Pastor Peter a village elder says “All of a sudden in our lives came white people who really cared about the welfare of our people. Because of the people that have been coming into our lives, our people have been encouraged to develop their natural skills and acquire new skills. We have been encouraged by some of the people who have been coming to us, to use the resources we have to alleviate poverty. The building of the pre-school and day care in our community has helped a lot of parents concentrate on more important issues than baby sitting and has given the kids a head start in education. The bicycle project is something else all together. People are for the first time aware how disadvantaged they were transport wise.
With bicycles they can now afford to visit, shop and travel to those places that were out of reach to them. Some are already thinking of running businesses with their bikes delivering bread, milk and meat. Parents are inquiring about how they can get hold of bikes for their kids because the kids want bikes to get to school. With people like this coming into our communities, we can only benefit more, as they will be imparting very valuable knowledge and passing on scarce skills.”
As a volunteer you will work with, not instead of, local people and Your skills will be matched to their needs. You will know exactly where and how your money is used and your work will be part of a sustainable programme. We will ensure that volunteer placements are beneficial, not exploitative. Our priority is to match community needs with volunteer skills and we will ensure that local people will not subsidise volunteers. Our relationship is long-term and sustainable, rewarding, challenging and safe experiences for volunteers and local people alike, where at least 80% of volunteers' funds are spent in the host country.
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