It has only been possible to start having volunteers from the UK in the last 12 months or so. Previously, the situation just felt too unstable and unpredictable to take the risk.
This term we have no less than 6 volunteers aged between 16 and 22. They have been thrown in the deep end: arriving just as the school communities were taking in the loss of a particularly lovable rogue, known throughout all the 4 schools, they started work. Within a couple of days they were hearing about health and life situations that really shocked them. All the events recorded in previous posts have been their day to day fare just as it is mine. At first, they did not know what to say to people when they realised they had a difficult story to tell but little by little they are becoming part of the communities where they operate and making real friends.
They are really putting their skills to good use: teaching literacy and numeracy, IT and debating skills. Their term here will have a real impact on lives on-going. I believe too their time here will also have an on-going impact on their own lives. It will be hard to take everything for granted in quite the same way again.
They have really done exceptionally well, adapting to some fairly primitive conditions and still having something to give. Not all volunteers do half as well!