New teaching summer camp launched in India

If you’ve always wanted to take a career break or add another experience to your gap year, it’s time to plan ahead for summer 2015 and two potentially life-changing weeks…

Volunteering organisation PoD has just announced details of a new summer camp working with children in India. The two-week placement is a great opportunity for first-time volunteers to join a supported and structured programme running activity sessions for local children in the city of Udaipur in the north of the country.

teaching children in India, with PoD Volunteer (2)

The aim of the project is to provide additional support to local staff and to improve the level of education of the local children in order to help them break the cycle of poverty. Udaipur is one of the most underdeveloped states with below average income and literacy rates in comparison to the rest of India, with less than 50% of females being able to read and write.

The work and what to expect

The volunteer team will run educational activities and games in schools and children’s homes. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to experience Indian culture through Hindi lessons, cooking sessions, optional yoga classes and henna workshops. The placement includes trips to famous Indian landmarks including the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, temples and palaces.

Accommodation

Volunteers will live in an apartment with each room having its own bathroom. The accommodation is simple but clean and has a TV room, dining room, kitchen, resources and lesson planning area and has Wi-Fi.

Recommended for… Those who enjoy working with children and experiencing the local culture in India

Be aware that… You should be realistic about how much you can achieve in two weeks, but your contribution is an essential part of the on-going project and support for the local community.

The two week placement starts on 12 July 2015 and costs £895. For full details including booking visit the project profile on www.podvolunteer.org

teaching children in India, with PoD Volunteer (1)

PoD is a specialist non-profit volunteering organisation with over 10 years’ experience arranging volunteer placements overseas who are committed to a responsible volunteering approach which they have carefully defined to guide us in the way they work. See more about their responsible volunteer policy here.

‘As seen on TV’ – the Amazon rainforest project you can join

Guest blogger Gemma, placement manager at volunteering organisation PoD, reveals more about their Amazon Conservation project recently featured on the BBC, and how you can join them…

The PoD team have loved watching the BBC 2 TV series ‘I Bought a Rainforest’ – not only is a great series to investigate the complexities surrounding rainforest conservation, but it also features our Amazon Conservation project location in Peru!

Wildlife photographer Charlie Hamilton James bought 100 acres of tropical rainforest on the edge of Manu National Park in south east Peru with the aim to conserve the area. The BBC documentary follows his journey into the forest and the difficult decisions he has to make when conserving his area of jungle. He learns that the conservation of the rainforest is not a simple issue to solve. To help understand the importance of regenerating previously logged or farmed rainforest and find out about the forest ecosystem Charlie and the film crew visited our PoD Amazon Conservation project location.

PoDVolunteer

In the first episode Andy Whitworth, the scientific coordinator who works closely with PoD volunteers at our Amazon Conservation project in Peru, demonstrated the different research techniques which help the research centre to have a greater understanding of the importance and biodiversity area of rainforest. The team documented all the species found on a mahogany tree using a ‘bio-blast’ which was due to be cut down by a local logger. It was incredible to see that there were so many species of beetle, ant, butterfly, bird and frog on one single tree. Unfortunately illegal logging is a big issue in the reserve and during the second episode Charlie follows individual loggers and gold miners.

Although it can be easy from an outsider’s point of view to blame the illegal loggers or illegal gold miners for the deforestation and the negative environmental impacts, the documentary follows individual loggers and miners which illuminates the complex issues. The illegal loggers and gold miners are desperate to make an income to support their families and there are often limited other options for them to pursue. It is incredible to see the juxtaposition of Beto, the illegal logger, who has strong love for nature and the rainforest, yet he cuts down 150 year old trees to pay for his daughter’s education.

How volunteers help the project

The PoD project in Peru has a real passion for helping to conserve the rainforest by working alongside the local communities. Volunteers at the Amazon Conservation project work alongside local communities to develop bio-gardens and agroforestry plots. Volunteers help develop food gardens with local mothers on wasteland which provides nutritious food for the families and even produces enough for the families to gain additional income by selling the vegetables at the local market. The biogardens provide healthy meals for 360 children at the local school, and since 2009 has increased local families’ income by 35%. This reduces the pressure for the local community to log illegally and helps to preserve the forest.

PoDAmazon3

The impact of the project

The agroforestry project works with local farmers to harvest sustainable woods and bananas. This is an environmentally sustainable alternative that protects the surrounding forest from illegal logging activity, encourages species diversity, increases soil nutrition, and creates carbon credits that can be sold to further support the project. Volunteers have helped turn 17 hectares of abandoned and degraded land into agroforestry plots, which have subsequently seen increased biodiversity, help plant over 10,000 plantains and 3,000 trees, and created the first program in Peru to ever commercialize carbon credits on behalf of a local community.

It is fantastic to follow the BBC series in the jungle – you get a real flavour for the rainforest and project location. We hope that this will encourage more volunteers to join the project and do their bit to help conserve the Amazon rainforest.

If you would like to find out more about the project or find out how you can apply simply visit: www.podvolunteer.org/Conservation/amazon-conservation.html

Volunteer for PoD’s new community football team in Ghana

Volunteer organisation PoD has launched a women’s football team in rural Ghana  – and you could join them!

The ladies football team, which started in March 2014, involves up to 30 women between 13 to 35 years old getting together on the village football pitch for fun sports sessions every week.

Running football training in Ghana

They, and the community’s men’s football team, would love to have more sports coaching volunteers around the year to help them increase their skills. The community is keen to learn other sports too, so if you are more interested in netball, cricket, volleyball, rugby or anything else they would love to learn.

Gemma, from the PoD UK office who has just returned from her African visit says “It was fantastic to watch the ladies team develop while I was on my recent project visit; everyone was keen to learn new skills and proudly posed post match in their new football kits. It was great to see the community supporting the first ever ladies football team in their first match against the neighbouring village – especially against the spectacular backdrop of the red setting sun!”

The football kits for each player are kindly donated to the charity by a past volunteer, but donations are more than simple hand-outs – the time given by volunteers helps the women and girls develop skills beyond the classroom. The women have lessons with a teacher from the secondary school before the volunteers run football sessions for the squad.

the ladies football team, Ghana, Africa

These sessions help them to increase their in confidence in everyday situations. It is also a great way to encourage team work and inspire increased school attendance by having fun in a relaxed environment, since many girls drop out of school early to start a family or help their family income.

A confidential weekly women’s health group run by the community nurse has been established to compliment the training and allow the women to ask questions they may not want to ask in a regular clinic.

If you would like to get involved in coaching football or any other sports in Ghana find out more about how you can get involved on the PoD volunteer website – visit www.podvolunteer.org

Why responsible travellers should beware of lion parks

Guest blogger Erin Sparks, Placement and Volunteer Manager at PoD Volunteer, reveals the hidden shame of lion cub attractions

For many people, the idea of getting to play with, cuddle and even bottle feed lion cubs comes high on the ‘to do’ list lion cub (PoD Volunteer) when travelling to Africa and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity. However there is a darker side to this attraction.

This form of petting tourism is becoming increasingly popular, especially across South Africa, both to tourists who visit a lion park for a couple of hours and to volunteers who choose to spend a few weeks helping at these parks. Visitors and volunteers are told that they are saving lions in the wild by supporting these parks – but here are just some realities to make you think twice…

Problems for hand-raised lions

Many park owners claim to be releasing their hand-raised lions back into the wild. There are numerous issues with releasing hand-raised lions into the wild. These lions will always associate humans with food (as they have always been provided with food from humans while they have been growing up). Hand-raised lions will still have their natural instincts; however they will not have the same natural fear of humans that wild-born lions have, which will make them more likely to come into conflict with humans after their release.

Welfare of lion cubs

These lion parks make a considerable amount of money from tourists who pay for interactions with cubs. Generally, cubs that are aged between one and three months are used as these are most ‘suitable’; they are small, photogenic and at an age where the size of their teeth and claws mean that the damage they could do to tourists is limited. However, young animals (like humans) need a lot of rest and sleep whilst growing. On busy days when there are a lot of tourists wanting their chance to play with a lion cub, the cubs are not given time to rest. Regular interaction with humans can also cause health problems with the cubs. Many cubs in these facilities have been known to die of stress-related diseases and they can suffer injuries by being incorrectly handled by inexperienced staff, volunteers or tourists.

Damage to health

In order for the parks to be able to offer interaction opportunities with cubs, they are taken from their mothers after just a few days to a few weeks (depending on the facility). This can lead to viral, respiratory and nutritional problems with are common amongst hand-raised predators due to substandard milk formulas being used to replace the mother’s milk. This can lead to lower immunity and the regular contact with humans can cause the cubs to contract diseases such as ringworm (often passed from visitors’ own domestic cats at home).

Pressures on lionesses

The removal of cubs from their mothers at a young age also leads to problems for the mother herself as the lioness can go back into oestrus sooner than she should. This allows the park owners to breed from the lionesses at a much more regular rate than lionesses in the wild would reproduce. This in turn allows a constant supply of cubs that can be used for interactions.

The lion breeding industry is growing and with it so are concerns of welfare issues for these lions. Most volunteers and tourists who go to these parks do so unknowingly and with the best of intentions. When questioning the conservation ethics of them, they are told that they are helping to increase numbers of lions in the wild, but evidence of this is hugely lacking.

Canned hunting

Male lion (PoD Volunteer)These facilities need a constant supply of cubs at the right age for interactions, where they are still cute for photographic opportunities, small enough to cuddle and of little danger to visitors, which begs the question, what happens to these cubs when they are too old for interactions? There is no straightforward answer to this but there are a number of agreed possibilities that are widely accepted within wildlife circles. Many of the lions are sold to private collectors but the most commonly acknowledged destination for these lions is into the canned hunting industry. Canned hunting refers to the highly controversial act of raising an animal within a confined area and then hunting the animal within a confined area in order increase the likelihood of the hunter obtaining a kill. Therefore visitors and volunteers at such facilities are unwittingly supporting the canned hunting industry.

There is a lot of money in this industry as people are willing to page large amounts of money to shoot a lion, and canned hunting makes this possible for people who have limited time and hunting skills as the animal is in a confined area. The money that can be generated from selling lions into this industry is enough for lion parks to sell their lions that have previously been used as interaction cubs to canned hunting facilities where tourists can have the ‘ultimate hunting experience’ by shooting a lion.

Avoiding the worst

It is of paramount importance that PoD only works with projects which are sound in their conservation ethics, where the project is truly needed and where volunteers are needed to assist with their work. We do not believe in working with projects which offer nothing towards the conservation of the species that they work with or where they simply offer an ‘experience’ for the volunteer such as hand-raising and cuddling lion cubs, especially when the future of these cubs is so bleak.

To view PoD’s carefully selected animal placements click here: www.podvolunteer.org/animals.html

To read more about PoD’s responsible travel policy click here: www.podvolunteer.org/responsible-travel-policy.html

Have you had an experience of one of these lion parks or projects? How do you separate the ‘good’ from the ‘bad’ in terms of animal conservation projects? Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter using @Goodtrippers.

 

Meet the sun bears of the Wildlife Rescue Project, Thailand

The sun bears of southeast Asia are classed as a vulnerable species, but there are some good news stories. We caught up with PoD Volunteer to hear about how three of their resident sun bears, Ginger, Ben and Jessia, are getting on at the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Thailand…Bear_Praew

Currently the PoD Wildlife Rescue project in Thailand is home to 28 rescued beers, both the Malayan sun bear and the Asiatic black bear. Almost all bears at the centre were previously kept as pets in private homes and temples, however, a few were also confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade as cubs. Caring for the bears is not easy – they are very destructive, eat a lot, need large enclosures to be without stress, and because of their past as pets (being fed the wrong food) their medical condition needs close attention. Some bears are diabetic or have bad teeth from eating sweets for many years before they arrived at the Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Bear_PindaThe arrival of Ginger, Ben and Jessia

In September 2012, the centre received a call from a temple in Southern Thailand asking for help with some unruly bears. It’s very common in Thailand for people to donate wildlife to temples, even though they are far from ideal locations to keep wild animals, and in many cases medical care and sufficient nutritional food is not available. Thankfully, in this case the abbot had called the Wildlife Rescue Centre for assistance.

On inspection, the enclosures at the temple were not strong enough and two of the bears regularly escaped from the cage, destroying property in the local area. To reduce the threat to the community and improve the welfare of the bears, the abbot had decided that the best decision was to give them up.

 

Life at the Wildlife Rescue CentreBear_Ben

All three rescued bears, named Ginger, Ben and Jessia by the team, moved straight to the large open enclosures at the Wildlife Rescue Centre. This is where the real work (and skill) comes in as the centre tackles the issue of getting the bears to embrace sharing an enclosure!

Jessia is a rather boisterous character and in the first few weeks Ginger was not particularly welcoming towards her over-enthusiastic approach. In the initial introduction – when the gates between the enclosures were opened – Jessia ran straight up to play with Ginger but it was a bit too much and Ginger decided to climb to the top of one of the bear towers, making it clear that Jessia was not allowed to follow her!

Bear_PheemaiOver the weeks, the Wildlife Rescue Centre continued to introduce the bears in small sessions. As time progressed, Ginger became accustomed to the energy that Ben and Jessia both display. The centre continued to separate the bears at feeding time to ensure that competition didn’t emerge, but the centre is happy to report they are now living together very peacefully.

The more relaxed they are, the more their personalities shine through: Jessia and Ginger often play together, but Ben has always remained more distant. Jessia has taken a shine to a particular spot on a concrete tree while Ben very much enjoys searching for food that volunteers hide. Ginger has lost a good amount of weight and hopefully, with the large enclosure and her balanced diet (with less candy!) she will be healthier every day. The three bears all sit together while feeding and share the same climbing trees – it has definitely been a successful integration.

Would you like to join the team and volunteer with PoD at the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Thailand?Cleaning one of the bear pools

  • You’ll be helping to look after over 300 rescued animals including bears, primates, birds, reptiles and other small mammals.
  • Tasks including feeding the animals and cleaning their enclosures
  • You could also be helping construct new enclosures and taking visitors on tours
  • You’ll be working 6 days a week, 6.30am – 5pm but the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, just remember you’ll get more out of it the more effort you put in!
  • The centre is based on temple grounds around 100m south of Bangkok – this peaceful location is by a lake which houses a few ‘gibbon islands’ used to rehabilitate rescued gibbons. It’s 25km from the beaches of Cha Am and Hua Hin.

 

For more information about the project, including dates and prices, visit www.podvolunteer.org/Animals/wildlife-rescue-thailand.html

 

 

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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.

school children in PeruThe 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.volunteering in Peru

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.

teaching in PeruAccommodation

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 credentialsLaguna Churup, Peru

  • 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.

PoD volunteersVolunteering 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.

getting involved

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.

herd of elephants6. 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 bottlesMany 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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