Why voluntary work overseas is a must
Fancy working in the United Kingdom and further afield for six months?
Interested in being part of a youth team with participants worldwide,
working on community enhancing projects? If your answer is yes, then
read on as Edwina Lawson explains how she did
it
As a fresher at Guys, Kings, and St Thomass medical
school in 1998 I never thought Id be looking for any additional
challenges. Studying intensively for five years in one of the most
expensive cities in Europe is something that you (and your parents)
want to get over and done with as soon as possible. But three years
down the line, I chose to put aside the intricacies of gallbladder
pathology for a year to see a bit more of the wider
world.
An occupational therapist treats a young child in Papua New Guinea during his VSO placement
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So here I am, in a tiny village in north Wales for
three months, living with a Nigerian girl and an English couple. After
that, Ill be off to Nigeria for three months. But if the wild,
green terrain of Snowdonia or the constant baaing of Welsh sheep
doesnt immediately appeal to you, you might still be interested
in the programme Im participating in, as it can take you
anywhere in the United Kingdom and the rest of the
world.
Opportunities
for anyone aged 17-25
The
World Youth Millennium Awards (WYMA) is a new scheme being run by the
Princes Trust and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and is open
to anyone between 17 and 25. The aim of the programme is to promote
understanding between different cultures through work that benefits the
community.
For six months,
you can be part of a team of 16-18 young people, half of them
from all over the United Kingdom, half of them from a developing
country. You live in pairs with a local host family and work on a
community oriented project, first in a specific area of the United
Kingdom for three months, followed by three months in the country of
exchange. The work placements range from education to homelessness and
from health to environment, and they vary in the United Kingdom and
abroad according to local needs and
facilities.
Working in
Wales and Nigeria for three months
Im
currently immersed in a very special venture in Wales, where adults
with learning difficulties are employed to recycle, make, and provide
products of commercial value or public interest. Its a
fascinating experience. As soon as the weather improves, I will be
working alongside these people towards the creation of a
“sensory” garden open to the general public—a garden
that stimulates each of the five
senses.
One day a week,
my counterpart and I meet up with the rest of the team and our two
project supervisors. This provides an opportunity to discuss everything
from the delights of Welsh winter to the more serious issues of the
community we live in. Weekends are the fruit of our collective
imagination and require a fair dose of cooperation and coordination on
our part. Up to now, weve come up with a tasty selection of
activities; concerts, pub evenings, beach strolls, hill walking, yoga,
sheep gathering, pancake parties
... all this on a budget of £15
($23, €23) a week.
Its
February now, and I still have five months ahead of me to change my
mind a thousand times about this exchange programme, when I head to
Nigeria for three months. Ive come to the conclusion though that
theres no point worrying about whats going to happen; so
far, my expectations have been met and
surpassed.
Why and how you
should get involved
The World Youth Millennium
Awards programme is not something you can dip your toes into: you have
to jump in. If youre looking for an intensely challenging and
even more rewarding adventure, then it could be for you. If you show
enough motivation you will be asked to attend an assessment day. Offers
of places on the programme follow from
there.
As part of your commitment,
youll be asked to raise £500 to contribute towards the
cost of the project (mainly subsidised by the
millennium commission). It may seem a
hassle, but fundraising gives participants a feel for the way
charities make most of their
income.
As I see it, the programme
offers an ideal opportunity for young people to come together and learn
about one anothers personal and cultural differences. The
experience depends entirely on the participants: their goodwill,
imagination, and flexibility. Still, the highest quality needed would
have to be equanimity, especially when it comes to the
weather.
The
Philippines: an engineer helping locals with the water
supply
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Im not sure which of these qualities I already
possess, or which Ill gain, but I am gaining so much in terms of
knowledge, wisdom, and
experience.
Working with disabled
people on a sensory garden probably wont increase my
understanding of neurology. But this work and this project in general
are making me more sensitive to the nuances of human interactions and
to the ingredients of individuality. I also feel that I have
been made more aware of my own abilities and limitations on
a personal and professional
level.
What you may get
out of it is up to you, although I can guarantee that whatever you do
youll find enriching places and endearing
people.
Edwina Lawson, third year medical student, Guys, Kings College, and St Thomass Hospitals Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, London
Email: edwina.lawson@hotmail.com
For more information on the World Youth Millennium Awards, get in touch directly with Voluntary Services Overseas through their web site, www.vso.org, or write to: World Youth Millennium Awards, Voluntary Services Overseas, Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2PN
studentBMJ 2002;10:259-302 August ISSN 0966-6494
