ICS blog

Team Tiwale were placed in Mzuzu, Malawi, between July and September 2016 to work with local organisation Tovwirane HIV and AIDS organisation. We were all very anxious to get started and begin work on what would turn out to be the most rewarding summer of our lives. 

When I first arrived in El Salvador last July, I instantly felt at home with the welcoming and charming atmosphere, being able to connect with the people and really experience the real world was a definite eye opener. It was captivating to see first-hand the cultural differences between the UK and El Salvador. Two completely different parts of the world coming together and working as a team just shows no matter where you live, that friendships can last no matter where you come from.  I found that out when I lived and breathed a completely alien environment.

I would like to begin with a story my parents used to tell me…  

It all started with the expectation of securing a job where I would be able to develop, particularly my skills and capacities. Before I embarked on Progressio ICS’ volunteering programme, I did not know what volunteering meant, nor could I have imagined the ways that I could help other less fortunate people. One day a friend spoke to me about it and explained it to me, but in a way that I did not understand very well the context. He explained it like it was a job where occasionally we would have to do construction work.

Hello to all staff, counterparts, volunteers, parents, boys and girls! I would not like to end this cycle without giving you all a huge Thank you - Gracias!

Thank you for teaching me that through a noble heart and helping others we can improve the conditions of a family, a community and a country.

Thank you for allowing Progressio to help you, and thank you for opening your homes and communities to our volunteers.

Progressio ICS (International Citizen Service) is a development programme for UK young adults and those from developing countries, who volunteer communities that are in the most need of change. 

I wanted to take part in the programme and join a team of volunteers to help the community to bring about some change, and I was selected to take part.

To be honest, I never imagined that Progressio could bring about so many changes in each of the communities it worked with.

Our time in San Benito is coming to an end and it’s quite strange to think that soon we will be returning to our lives in the UK, and further afield, leaving behind a community we have lived in for three months now. It was quite a daunting experience to go into, as it’s not only the last cycle in San Benito but also the last cycle for Progressio ICS in Honduras. I felt the pressure as a Team Leader to leave a good impression, not just for the current team, but for every volunteer that had ever supported San Benito. 

Our time in Parcila has come to an end and it has been an interesting and quick three months. We’ve now grown accustomed to the quirky rituals of life in this village, from the cockerels call at 4am (I will murder that animal before I leave) and saying hello to every member of the community.

I’d like to say the project has been a success, having completed the construction of the 17 eco-stoves, two eco-ovens, 20 water filters, continuing to raise awareness on gender equality and climate change and engaging with the community.

As our time in San Benito draws to a close, I sat down to reflect on the last eleven weeks and our time in this quite special little community. Little it may be, San Benito is a village of only a couple of hundred people, however, the sense of community this place has is something on a much grander scale. From the day we arrived in this rural village, we have been embraced with open arms and have made a second home. 

The scene is familiar, running to the mirror to do our hair, changing our outfit three times, wishing our shoes were a little cleaner. But despite what it looks like, we aren’t getting ready for a night on the town, we are going to church.