go, see, DO

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about what it is exactly that I'll be doing in Uganda. Valid question! The HELP International website breaks down a couple of the areas that we focus on, so I've decided to just include them in my blog. You can always access the HELP website for more info as well.

WHAT WILL I BE DOING IN AFRICA?!

HEALTH:Every year there are several volunteers that are excited to work in the field of health or medicine. Every year there is great need at local health clinics and hospitals for the skills of volunteers. From licensed surgical technicians to basic first aid, HELP volunteers with a myriad of skills and abilities have given time in several clinics around the region.In many areas, volunteers realize that development is hindered by the poor health of families. Many mothers do not realize the need to boil and disinfect unclean water. Children may go for extended periods without bathing, and the sanitary facilities at home may be anything but sanitary. Health is key to education, work, financial stability, and the general standard of living.

Teaching English as a Second Language: is one of our most popular projects in each country. From the very beginning, many of our partners asked us to come prepared to teach them English. A necessary skill in today's globalized market, English can often open doors to employment, financing, education, grants, and international attention through marketing.English classes serve different purposes in each country, which you can read by clicking on the country of your choice in the menu above. These projects are an excellent way for volunteers who may not be fluent in Spanish or Portuguese to get involved directly with the people of Latin America and develop lasting relationships. It also serves as an excellent window into another aspect of development: education. As you read about our English programs in each country we think you'll agree that it is one of our most successful projects.

Orphanages: From our first years in Latin America, HELP volunteers have been anxiously engaged in working with orphans across the region. In all of the countries we work in, orphans are in desperate need of attention, love, and social contact with outsiders. Furthermore, the facilities in which these children live often lack basic hygiene, sufficient staff, and basic supplies to feed and clothe everyone.Projects and time spent at the orphanages are often some of the most emotionally charged during the summer. Volunteers develop loving relationships for children that are left in dire circumstances and have little contact with caring individuals. While the staff at these centers are generally very concerned for the welfare of the children, lack of funding will often result in rooms full of children with only one or two caretakers to attend to all of their needs. In the end, the greatest gift we may be able to give to these children is a loving embrace and caring heart.

Basic Business: The HELP International Basic Business classes are designed to help micro entrepreneurs learn the very basics of how to run and improve their businesses. Through microcredit programs, many of HELP International's partners, give women (mainly) very small loans - anywhere from $100 to $500. These women may sell tortillas from their home, sell fruit or vegetables in the local market, or weave traditional textiles with her daughters and sell them in another village.HELP volunteers work with these women to teach them simple principles like how to save money, how to budget, how to negotiate for better prices, simple marketing strategies like creating a name and sign for your business, offering your best customers a deal for your goods. Through a simulated business game developed by Making Cents, a for-profit organization out of Washington, D.C., volunteers learn to facilitate and teach groups using participatory methods. The women learn principles in the game and are allowed to make risks and decisions without jeopardizing their financial situation or their families.

Community Development: In an effort to expose our volunteers to the wide range of projects within the broad field of development, HELP International encourages volunteers to explore the needs within the communities they are working and develop responses in conjunction with local leaders. As a result, HELP volunteers spend much of their time in the communities working on a myriad of manual labor projects designed to help families and communities meet some of their immediate needs.These projects may range from building houses for several families, painting a school, building desks for young students, starting a literacy class for the women in a village, or helping to build a community center. These community development projects offer volunteers a chance to work hand in hand with local leaders, explore local responses to poverty and need, and see both the good and challenging side of development.Community development projects are often an opportunity for non-fluent volunteers to get heavily involved with local families. These projects rarely require proficient use of language skills (after initial planning has been taken care of), and non-fluent volunteers generally find these projects to be some of the most rewarding. In the past, volunteers have also commented that several of the community development projects and manual labor projects are especially rewarding because the results and initial impact are seen almost immediately, whereas several of our other educational projects are part of a long-term strategy.

So that's a bit of a summary... If you'd like to see what the current volunteers are up to, check out some of my Blog links. They have some amazing pictures and descriptions of what we'll be doing all summer. Here's a picture I stole from Jackie's page... they are so cute! I just can't wait to get there!