International Volunteering continued...

We have had a new volunteer at Youth Challenge Guyana since May this year. She's also from Canada, but volunteering through Youth Challenge International. Her assignment is with the Women's Entrepreneurship Program, but she can tell you more about it at 

IYIP Blog: 65 Shades of Entrepreneurship & Counting 

 

5 months in Georgetown!

Hard to believe that I've been in Guyana this long! Who would've thunk it? I don't feel like it's been five months. Do you? LOL. I remember when the opportunity arose, telling everyone, packing to come here and being slightly nervous. I remember thinking it's just a year - not forever, and I remember wondering if I'd make it for the year! Could I be an International volunteer? Would I like Guyana? Could I survive on a stipend? Would I be bored, lonely? Would I hate it?? And now, it's been FIVE MONTHS! So, take that!!

So, I ended up going out two nights in the past week. Once to the Hotel Tower for Karaoke/Happy Birthday party, and once to Night Cap Cafe for goodbye drinks. Both for VSO volunteers. Seems like a lot of VSO volunteers are saying goodbye these days. There are a lot of changes at VSO Guyana, one of the main ones being that they're about to become CUSO Guyana and so they are not taking in a lot of new volunteers this year until the dust has settled. So, we're dwindling in numbers... :(  Lotta "goodbyes", but not a lot of "welcomes".

These guys sell CDs from their karts

In any event, I continued with a lazy weekend (does it have to rain every sunday?) and watched the music cart go past again. I hear him long before he goes by, and I can't help but look through the window when he does. He's louder than the cars that cruise by booming music!!!

In Georgetown, there are a lot of guys selling pirated dvds too. And they're cheap. $100 each (about US or Cdn $0.50). They set up on the roadside and just literally stack them up like they're in a dvd store. I've even seen one guy just lay them down on the "sidewalk". It's not really a sidewalk, just a dirt patch on the side of the road. Imagine them doing that in Canada!

And then there's the other guy who goes by, not sure what he's selling, but his music is JUST as loud!

Selling food? Not sure

What I'm trying to figure is... can I just order my meals from this guy below and have him bring it hot everyday???

What DOES a volunteer do?

There are so many volunteer posts available all over the world, that a volunteer can do almost anything. Anything you want - that of course fits in with what the host country or agency/organization needs. Environmental work, teaching, nursing, supplying basic needs, just being an extra pair of hands or an expert in your field. Sometimes you may do all - and anything that is required on that day.

I came to Guyana to work with Youth Challenge Guyana. It is a one year stint for me and I will be advising on how to fund their recently developed 5-year Strategic Plan. And of course, this plan was developed with the help of another volunteer last year. Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) works with youth across Guyana in three main programme areas - Life Skills and Livelihoods, Education and Health. Guyanese have the opportunity through YCG to also volunteer and work in different regions across Guyana as a Volunteer Teacher. This is quite popular and gives many the opportunity to travel and experience parts of the culture that they may never have known otherwise. Persons are posted for 1yr in a school and many are inspired afterwards to stay for an additional year, or to pursue teaching as a profession and build on the experience they gained.

International Volunteers from Canada, Australia, Costa Rica for example also come to Guyana and volunteer with YCG for 5-6wk projects in one of the above-mentioned programme areas. Volunteers can come and assist with workshops, networking, literacy and classroom support and/or take part in many other projects being implemented at YCG. Other volunteers come for 3mths, 5mths - there are lots of options.

Naturally, there are many organizations you can volunteer with Internationally... depending on your country of origin, language skills, age, expertise. You also have the opportunity to come through Universities for research in developing countries - and at the same time work with an organization there. I volunteered through CUSO International but you all have your choices...

YCG is not the only place in Guyana you can volunteer, and of course you can volunteer in many other countries, including the one where you're already living. You don't have to even go far - unless you want to. 

But, why wouldn't you if you could?