Want a deeper insight into what an ICS placement looks like? Read the amazing blogs written by our past and present volunteers. Enjoy the journey!
"Does anybody know what HIV stands for?” is the first question raised in front of 130 high school students. After a short moment hands are raised and a young girl at the front of the room answers “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” correctly, followed by a warm clap from the rest of the crowd.
The organisation we volunteer with, Ntengwe for Community Development, operate and run a drop-in centre in Manjolo, a town about 25km from Binga. The drop-in centre acts as a community hub for the town; consisting of 3 concrete buildings, borehole water pump and a traditional grass-thatched hut; all set in a large fenced compound. Plenty of trees provide lots of shade and out to the edge there is a garden with some crops growing.
Have you ever tried to teach basic IT skills to someone who has never used a computer before?
I don’t know about you but I find it incredibly difficult. IT and using technology is so engrained into our everyday lives in the UK that explaining simple things like how to turn on the computer, type, and use the mouse actually take a lot of effort and thought to explain.
Ok, so what about teaching IT skills to someone who has never used a computer but doing it in a different language? Sounds tough right?
Well that was the challenge I faced this week.
Two weeks in and what an eventful two weeks we have had! Being surrounded by such a contrasting culture and understanding the effects of work, family and politics has been overwhelming. Work and family appear to be hand in hand particularly in the northern area of Nicaragua.
For those of us living in the West, the phrase “you are what you eat” is a warning against eating too much junk food, however, this same idiom takes on a different meaning when applied to the eating habits of the developing world. El Salvador, the most densely populated country in Latin America, is struggling with the issue of contaminated food that is risking the health of Salvadorans and will have larger repercussions in the future.
We are at the end of our first week in Regina and already we have been facing a number of challenges. On the same note we are already starting to see some small successes. We arrived on Saturday after an amazing journey. Regina is nestled in a valley, the houses and buildings are dotted about and animals, like goats and chickens, roam freely.
The 25th of January is National Women’s Day in Honduras and celebrates the anniversary of women’s emancipation, thus gaining public and political power for the first time. That day came in 1955 and yet 58 years later in present day Honduras you could not say that gender equality is prevalent in many walks of life. However, there are a few strong women that continue to stand up and be counted for, and work tirelessly to make this day carry true significance rather than be a token gimmick.
To gain an insight into the lives and routines of the people in rural Binga, we, the UK and Zimbabwean volunteers, recently spent the weekend in a small, traditional village; not as visitors, but as part of the family - thereby working, eating and living as part of the community.
We arrived late on Saturday and were introduced to the head man of the village; a man dressed modestly in casual sportswear. He gave us a warm welcome, then let us take a walk around the village and introduce ourselves to people there.
Ten days into our volunteering adventure and it is time for the first point of reflection on why the twelve of us have ventured deep into Latin America and what the project holds for us individually and as a collective.
