May, 2013 - Goodtrippers

New education project calls volunteers to Peru

Non-profit organisation PoD Volunteer (www.podvolunteer.org) has announced a new education project in Peru and is now calling on willing volunteers to join and support their work.

The partnership, with a local community education initiative, is in the Peruvian town of Huaraz in the Ancash region and will provide educational and emotional support to children from low income families. If you want to join them in Peru, here’s a flavour of what you could be experiencing…

Activity

The project encourages a holistic approach to education combining homework tuition, emotional well-being classes, recreational activities and daily nutritious meals in a family orientated environment. The community school was established in 2006 to support a low income area where many children were struggling to achieve in the school system. The school runs two daily sessions to compliment the state school system;

9am – 12pm: Secondary school students attend the community education project, they then spend the afternoon at state school

3pm – 6pm: Primary school students attend the project following their morning classes at state school. This is a big help also to many single parents who would not be home to look after their children in the afternoon.

The objective is to provide the children within extra support in their studies. Volunteers act as mentors offering help with homework, education on health and wellbeing and emotional support for students from difficult backgrounds.

Volunteers are involved with a number of tasks which can include:

Helping with homework; Spanish, English, Maths and other subjects
One-on-one tuition with children who are struggling
Informal lessons
Creative activities; music, arts and crafts
Active games and sports
Help on the nutrition awareness program, healthy living and hygiene education
Building and maintenance at the school

If you have any specific skills or interests then the community education project are always eager to involve this in the volunteer work. Especially if you have experience in social work, psychology, art, environmental sustainability, literacy and numeracy intervention, health education, fundraising, or languages and translation.

Accommodation

Volunteers stay in a basic but comfortable volunteer apartment, located in the centre of Huaraz and about 10 minutes’ walk from the community school. The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen where volunteers can cook.  Bedrooms are shared with shared bathrooms.

Recommended for… Anyone with an interest in education, community development and working with young people and volunteers who want to immerse themselves in Peruvian culture.

Be aware that… The language barrier can be tough, we recommend volunteers try to pick up a few phrases before you travel and consider lessons when in Peru. You will find you pick up many phrases naturally whilst volunteering! Also, accommodation is not private – bedrooms and bathrooms are shared with other volunteers on the project.

Good credentials

Help fight poverty and child labour in Peru by providing educational and emotional support to children and adolescents from low income families.

Build self-esteem through helping plan and execute personal and emotional development workshops, crafts, and sports.
Support an ongoing local community initiative which has been operating in the region for seven years.

For more information on the role, what’s included and the project price visit PoD Volunteer – Peru, Community Education

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Top 10 Tips for Responsible Travel

We love to hear your ideas for how best to enjoy responsible travel. Here Gemma, Placement Manager at PoD Volunteer, a leading non-profit volunteer agency, shares her top tips for travellers.

Volunteering is a great way to get to know the local community and a fantastic way to travel responsibly by helping local projects. However, when you are travelling abroad there are extra steps you can take to avoid your actions causing offence or harm to the local environment. Here are top tips from PoD Volunteer (www.podvolunteer.org) that can help you become the best ethical traveller!

1. Buy locally – This way you get to explore the markets and shops, sights and smells, plus try new local delicacies (which can be quite an experience!). By buying directly from the farmers and small businesses you are helping to ensure they are paid a fair amount for their goods.

2. Haggling- We all like a good bargain but there are right and wrong ways to bargain when travelling abroad. Top rule is to be friendly, smile and remember it’s all about compromise (but don’t show that you like the item too much!). Remember. you can always walk away if the price isn’t right and don’t worry if you ended up paying 10% too much- you wouldn’t even notice this extra mark up when shopping at home.

3. Understand and respect local customs- The last thing you want to do is offend locals when you arrive so it’s good to check out what is socially regarded as rude. In Malaysia it is rude to point with a finger (you should use your thumb), in Thailand the head is the most sacred part of the body so you should not touch anyone’s head, and in India when eating with your hands you should not eat using your left!

4. Use water carefully- Clean water is very valuable in many countries so try not to waste water by taking long showers or leaving taps running.

5. Ask before taking a photo- In certain societies around the world people believe that taking a photo takes their soul too so it’s always polite to ask before talking a photo of someone. They may want to see their photo on your digital camera once you have taken it.

6. Carefully think about the souvenirs you buy- When buying items it’s good to carefully consider purchases and make sure you are not supporting activities that damage the environment or are a result of illegal activity. Make sure you are not buying a souvenir made from ivory, endangered hard woods, ancient artefacts or endangered animals.

7. Use refillable water bottles– Many countries do not have recycling facilities so each plastic water bottle you throw away will end up on a rubbish heap. Use refillable water bottles wherever possible by filling up with water from clean water dispensers or use water purification tablets.

8. Respect the environment– When trekking keep to the well-walked paths, do not damage coral when diving and do not remove anything from its natural environment. Read and follow local national park rules and regulations.

9. Travel Green– Explore the country by using public transport, bike or simply walking when it’s convenient. It reduces pollution and carbon emissions plus it’s a fun way to meet locals!

10. Get involved with local communities- The best memories can be made from joining in with local communities but don’t forget to ask first before entering a holy place and make sure you respect local cultures, traditions and are dressed appropriately (many religions prefer visitors to have covered shoulders and legs before entering certain building or areas, if in doubt just ask).

And an extra one for luck!

11. Hellos and Thank Yous- It’s easy to learn two words before arriving into a new country. A smile and even a badly pronounced “hello” or “thank you” will get you a long way and they will respect you for trying!

At PoD Volunteer we want to ensure that a volunteer’s impact is always positive and never damaging so we advise our volunteers on our social, economic and environmental policy in our project information booklet when volunteers apply for a placement overseas.

If you would like to explore the world and volunteer you can view a range of project options from PoD Volunteer here: http://www.podvolunteer.org/Type-of-Volunteering/

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Spotting orangutans in the Sumatran jungle

Love orangutans? Want to spend days and nights in the depths of the Indonesian jungle? Here’s what happened when Goodtrippers visited the small Sumatran town of Bukit Lawang and explored its wild jungle in search of the endangered orangutan…

High up in the trees sat a creature with fur that glowed orange in the light – it was our first sighting of a wild orangutan. This was day one of a six-day trek through the Sumatran jungle in Indonesia, and we were here to spot one of the world’s most endangered, and endearing, animals – the ‘person of the forest’, the orangutan.

There are thought to be less than 6,600 orangutans left in Sumatra (and under 54,000 in Borneo). Their jungle habitat is being chopped down at a rate of knots to supply the huge demand for resources such as timber and palm oil. Sickeningly, some baby orangutans are also taken from their mothers and sold as pets.

The small Sumatran town of Bukit Lawang, on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park, has become something of a wildlife-lovers destination thanks to its orangutan rehabilitation centre. The town was devastated after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 but has rebuilt itself with ecotourism initiatives including jungle treks that are sensitive to the natural surroundings and local wildlife.

Trekking – this is no leisurely stroll

You can choose from a variety of treks from just a few hours to several days exploring the National Park. We choose the latter and spent seven days and six nights in the depths of the Sumatran jungle. Be aware that while you don’t need to be an expedition expert, a decent level of fitness (and aversion to creepy-crawlies) does help. We were covering around 10km a day but the hills are incredibly steep, and the climate hot and humid, making it tough going. You will be wading chest-deep through streams, traversing slippery ledges, swinging through the jungle on vines, and climbing down waterfalls (yes, really!).

Acommodation – a basic camp

Nights are spent on the ground (in your sleeping bag) under makeshift canvas camps, all together with your fellow trekkers, guide and porters. The rain will be kept off but the open-sided tent means anything can crawl in (I was convinced a rat was running over me during one night – but I was so exhausted I just didn’t care!).

The local guide and porters really make the trip special. Our guide was a keen environmentalist and would point out various flora and fauna as we trekked (it’s not just orangutans; the jungle is home to an incredible number of plant species, insects, birds, snakes, mammals, even Sumatran tigers although you would have to be very lucky to see one – they prefer to stay as far away from humans as possible…).

It’s clear the trek team have grown up in this environment and are extremely jungle-savvy. Our porters could carry 20kg backpacks containing the group’s bedding, equipment and food while walking at twice the speed we could manage! And if you get into a spot of bother (which I frequently did), they were there with a helping hand.

Food – a jungle feast

The food on the trek was a wonder in itself. I was expecting basic rations of beans and rice but our porters cooked up a veritable feast of Indonesian dishes that would be welcome on any restaurant menu, every evening. Spicy chicken, sambal, vegetable curry; and when the rations grew lower the porters gathered food from the jungle – fresh fish, banana shoots and greens.

It was an incredible experience, although I must admit to relief when we reached our final destination (the going had gotten incredibly tough and there was not much energy left). The end of the trek was celebrated with a refreshing dip (fully clothed!) in the river before the porters strapped together several large rubber rings… This was to be our final jungle ride, a fun-filled white-water rafting journey all the way down the rapidly moving river and back to Bukit Lawang. What an experience!

The Indonesia Jungle Adventure (Sumatra) is available to book via Frontier – visit www.frontier.ac.uk for dates, prices and more information.

This post was originally published on the Inspiring Travellers website (www.inspiringtravellers.com)

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Britain’s best wild beaches

Summer is finally on the horizon and what better way to spend the free time on this island nation than beside the seaside.

Britain’s coastline is almost 18,000km long dotted with thousands of beaches – and not all littered with amusement arcades, funfairs and fast-food cafes. The country is blessed with a wealth of rugged, wild, secluded or simply tranquil beaches up and down the country – perfect spots for swimmers, walkers, wildlife lovers or those just looking to escape the crowds.

So whether you’re looking for campsites or hotels by the sea, here are just a small selection of Britain’s best ‘wild’ beaches (this is just a few to start you off – if you’ve got a favourite wild/quiet/secluded beach, share it with us!).

Holkham, Norfolk (c) Creative Commons_photoaf

Holkham Bay, Norfolk

When the tide is out, this beach looks like it goes on for miles. Surrounding by pine forest and shaped by sand dunes, this expansive beach is the perfect place to take a picnic, lie back in the sea breeze and get lost in the huge Norfolk skies. As a National Trust protected area, you really are in a secluded spot free from tourist traps (the nearest place for a cup of tea will be the small van in the car park, or the fancy Victoria Hotel outside the entrance – which is a long walk from the beach itself!).

Beer Beach, Devon

A bit busier than Holkham, this pebble beach in the little fishing village of Beer has popular beach cafes, deckchairs and walkways. If you’re up for a walk, take the South West Coast Path west to Branscombe beach and enjoy the beautiful views from Beer Head.

Sandsend, Yorkshire

The village of Sandsend is quieter than its neighbour Whitby, and arguably prettier. Attracting walkers for its clifftop rambles along an old railway track (part of the Cleveland Way), you can drink in the views of the village and out across to St Mary’s Church in Whitby. Down on the mainly sandy beach, you can while away the time exploring the rock pools before getting a cream tea in one of the beach front cafes.

Achmelvich, Highland (c) Russel Wills, Creative Commons

Achmelvich Bay, Highland

Achmelvich is really a cluster of remote and rugged beaches three miles long stretching from Loch Inver on the west coast of Scotland. It has been awarded a blue flag for 13 consecutive years, as well as being recommended by the Marine Conservation Society and winner of a Green Coast Award.

Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire

This National Trust managed Welsh beach is full of stunning geology (sandstone cliffs, volcanic rock and fossils), evidence of ancient people (and Iron Age fort overlooks the beach), and wildlife (this birdwatchers’ paradise also attracts seals). Lots of sand, space and safe swimming make this an attractive location to spend an afternoon as you gaze out to sea at the outlying islands and beyond.

Do you have a favourite wild, remote, secluded or quiet beach in Britain? Let us know in the comments below…

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