Some Useful Reasources About Poverty and International Development

So on my training weekend we were given some really useful resources about international development and poverty. I'm putting these here so you can get an overview of some of the thing the ICSVSO programme aim to address, give insight into the causes and effects of poverty and  also to provide reliable sources for statistics.

http://www.gapminder.org/
Gapminder is a website which provides statistics presented in an interactive graph which charts the statistics of a countries  life expectancy and GDP (gross domestic product) from 1800 to 2013. All countries are included on the interactive graph. It is an interactive platform where you can also look at a countries CO2 emissions, gender equality in education, country fertility, child mortality and much more.

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview.html: The Millenium Goals

In efforts of international development the UN came up with the Millenium Goals. These 8 goals focus on improving international development and eradicating the causes of poverty and it's effects. This is a great tool to have a brief overview of the areas which need addressing in International Development. Furthermore the ICS VSO programme integrates these goals into it's own structure and management.

http://www.happyplanetindex.org/about/

The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is an index which ranks countries on 'how many long happy lives they produce per unit of environmental input' This tool is great because it takes into account 'well being' and happiness as well as you're hard facts and figures regarding economy and GDP etc. It makes you realise that essentially the aim of international development is to improve the lives of individual people. Often while we are working towards changing external factors the end result is about having people live happy and fulfilling lives. The only thing I would comment about this index is we shouldn't develop problematic narratives such as 'They are poor but happy' or the romantic notion their is 'nobility in suffering poverty'; which some people might interpret looking at the countries which score highest in the HPI. The 'happiness' in the index is based on a ranking of 1 to 10 rating the worst and best possible life and individuals place themselves on this ranking. Individual rankings are therefore subject to a whole host of external factors and social attitudes which will differ individually and from country to country.

http://www.who.int/en/ World Health Organisation
The WHO website is great for statistics on global health statistics and breaking health news.

My VSO Journey: The Structure

So below is a table of the structure of my VSO journey. It's broken into 3 parts. First of all the 'Pre-Placement Phase', then 'On-Placement Phase and finally 'Post-Placement Phase'. You can see that the programme is incredibly well structured and organised to ensure the smooth running of things as well as make sure all volunteers are working to their best and informed abilities.

VSO Training Weekend: Brief Facts

It's been a month since I've updated but finally things are starting to come together in regards to my VSO placement. These last few days I've been up North at my training weekend prepping and generally having a proper good laugh; getting to know all the awesome people I'll be volunteering with.

I did start off the weekend with some trepidation.  Was I going to gel with my team? Was it going to be power point after mind numbing power point? Are my cheek muscles going to cope with permanent smiling in order to overcome my resting bitch face? And most importantly was I going to have a smoking buddy? Never mind the crucial stuff I should have been worrying about, like information about placement and what risks am I likely to face.

Luckily all my worries were unfounded: my team is sick, there was lots of participation led training, my face muscles survived and it seems half my team are a bunch of dirty smokers like myself. And while a lot of other worries and issues were addressed during the training, I'm informed enough to feel pretty chill about the whole process. My mind is however completely saturated with information now and it would be impossible to write down everything I've learned this weekend in one post. So here are a few interesting facts I've learnt about VSO, the Philippines, my team mates and myself to start with:

1) VSO ICS volunteers usually live in a host home with an in country counterpart. So I will be living
not only with my family but a Filipino VSO volunteer

2) The VSO try and match it's volunteers to placements that they feel best suited to the volunteers skill's and interests when volunteers get into country

3) On placement there are Active Citizenship Days where you can work with a in country volunteer partner to plan and carry out your own project that can help the community you're working in. For example organising a fun run to raise money for community resources or compiling a sustainable programme to help address important issues like health or human rights

4) The VSO really have a thing for acronyms

5) Cebu has a reggae scene

6) Filipino's are known for their passive and non confrontational attitude (hopefully something which will rub off on me)

7) It is, as my lovely team mate put it, 'roasty toasty' weather wise over there. Low temperatures in Cebu averaging 20c and high temperatures averaging 36c

8)  I'm pretty good at 'the hat game'/charades

9) My team have a wicked sense of humour

10) Everyone going to the Philippines value sustainable and ethical volunteer work

11) I'm not the only person thinking about taking a stuffed animal with me to the Philippines...phew.

12) I'm not the anti social git I thought I was...or maybe it's a super positive reflection on my team mates personalities

FAQ's About Donating

How can I donate?

• By visiting my Justgiving page www.justgiving.com/Zaffron-Hill you can donate via car or paypal

• Alternatively you can donate via text by texting ZAFF91 followed by the amount you wish to give to 70070 (e.g. ZAFF91 £10). 

• If you text donate, are a UK taxpayer and have a smartphone after you have sent the text you will get a text back with the opportunity to add GiftAid. This adds 25% extra to your donation at no extra cost to yourself. Furthermore it gives you the opportunity to leave a message and tell me who you are so I can say a big thank you to you!

Am I paying for your placement?

• No. My travel expenses and stay have already been sponsored by the government. 

If it's paid for why do you need a donation?

• Fundraising is part of showing my dedication and commitment to the VSO programme. VSO want volunteers who are serious about fighting the causes and effects of poverty and therefore fundraising is a great way to show this.

• By fundraising I can raise awareness  about my project and start to engage people in a meaningful dialogue about disability rights.

• The VSO is a charitable organisation and relies on your generous donation to carry on helping improve the lives of people all over the world.

Where is my donation going?

• The money you donate will be going to the charity VSO who will use this money to provide resources, training and skilled volunteers to it's partner charities in developing countries. 

What do the VSO do?

• It is the aim of the VSO to fight the causes and effects of poverty in an  effective, ethical and sustainable way. They do this by sending out skilled volunteers to work with partner charities in developing countries, as well as giving resources and financial aid. Volunteers work closely with the partner charity and community on specific projects. For example I will be working on the project 'Disability- Deaf Inclusion and Awareness.

What volunteer work am I doing?

I am working on a project called 'Disability- Deaf Inclusion and Awareness' where I will be:

• Increasing the awareness of Deaf youth on their human rights and civic duties by conducting learning activities with Deaf youth and awareness campaigns to reach out to the wider community

• Increasing access of Deaf youth to further education and skills training by developing training modules and conducting life skills and development leadership training.

• Increasing capacity of the GVSP in managing its Deaf programme through resource mobilisation and public engagement

Isn't this just a three month holiday for you?

• Definitely not. I have a strict scheduled itinary for my time over there and will be working tirelessly with my team members on our project 'Disability- Deaf Inclusion and Awareness'

• Furthermore the programme runs a strictly dry programme with a zero tolerance on alcohol and imposes an 8pm curfew for volunteer safety. Also in preparation for my placement I am quitting smoking; as female smoking is a cultural tabboo. It is therefore not going to be all fun and games for me.
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Why are you volunteering abroad and not in the UK?

• I have and will continue to be involved in volunteering and charity work in the UK. In fact part of my VSO programme when I return from the Philippines involves volunteering within my local community; using the skills I have learnt on placement as well as raising awareness about disability rights.

• My choice to volunteer abroad next year is not a dismissal of the issues Britain deals with today. Rather it stems from my own personal attachment to the Philippines, being half Filipina myself. Having seen firsthand the poverty and challenges people face on family visits, it has always been my wish to return in a capacity where I could help in any way possible.

Gualandi Volunteer Service Programme

During my time in Cebu I will be working with the Gualandi Volunteer Service Programme in partnership with the VSO. As you know I'm seeking to raise money for the VSO. This is so they can carry on working the GVSP. Therefore here is some background information on the charity your donations will be going towards.

GVSP VISION

A Deaf inclusive Filipino Society

GVSP MISSION

To harness the potential of volunteers in advocacy and education and to contribute in building sustainable resources.

GVSP CORE VALUES

To empower volunteers with the necessary knowledge, skills and values to become competent, creative and pro-active person, who are open to change and have a deep sense of Justice, Faith and Solidarity.

HOW IS IT RUN?

The GVSP relies on a mixture of hearing and hard of hearing volunteers, from both the Philippine and internationally. Using the skills, time and dedication of volunteers the GVSP can: effectively run campaign programmes; provide courses in sign language; help increase accessibility for Deaf persons; provide information about human rights and increase access to education

WHAT I WILL BE DOING

1. Increasing the awareness of Deaf youth on their human rights and civic duties by conducting learning activities with Deaf youth and awareness campaigns to reach out to the wider community.

2. Increasing access of Deaf youth to further education and skills training by developing training modules and conducting life skills and development and leadership training

3. Increasing capacity of GVSP in managing its Deaf programme through resource mobilisation and public engagement 

PRESENT GVSP CAMPAIGNS

'Break The Silence'

Is a campaign against Deaf child sexual abuse. The project has several functions. One of them is raising awareness about the prevalence of abuse against Deaf persons. Did you know for example that in the Philippines 70% of deaf women and children experience some form of physical and sexual abuse (statistic taken from GVSP website). Furthermore the WHO recorded that children with disabilities are four times as likely to experience violence than non-disabled children and are 2.9 times more likely to be victims of sexual violence.

'Break the Silence' also works alongside the police in Cebu; providing staff with sign language courses and training. Without this basic training many crimes would go unreported due to challenges in communication and understanding.

'Fully Abled Nation'

The campaign goal was to create enabling environments for people with disabilities to participate in the 2013 midterm elections; increasing voter participation and active citizenship. This participation is crucial in helping people with disabilities have a say in how their country is run and also increase their political autonomy.

Masarap!: Bistek Tagalog Recipe

So one of the things I’m looking forward to on my placement is Filipino food. It’s going to be great sampling some authentic Filipino dishes (not there's anything wrong with my mum's Filipino cooking!)I’m going to use this blog to share a few Filipino recipes along the way, because it’s a cuisine that is not widely cooked or sampled in the UK. Today I’m sharing a really simple recipe that can be cooked in 10 minutes and is masarap (tasty)! 

Bistek Tagalog

Serves 4

Ingredients

-x4 beef steaks  cut into thin strips (rump, sirloin and fillet work best)*

-One onion cut into thickish rings

-Medium Soy Sauce

-Chopped or Minced Garlic

- Juice of 2 Lemons or Limes

-Brown sugar 1tsp

-Salt and Pepper ½ a flat tsp of each or season to your own personal preference

-Oil for frying

*For a meat free version of Bistek Tagalong you can use mushrooms and a firm block of tofu, both cut into strips

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients (minus oil) in a bowl, making sure the meat is evenly coated with sauce.

2. To maximise taste, cover bowl and leave to marinate. You can do this for a few hours or leave it to marinate the night before. Remember however that the acidity from the lemon/lime juice will cook the beef so don’t overcook the meat if you’ve left it marinating for a long time.

3. When you are ready to cook, separate the onions from the beef and sauce. Put a frying pan or wok onto a medium to high heat and add oil.

4. Once the pan has reached the optimum temperature (you can test this by dropping an onion ring in and if it makes a sizzling sound then it’s ready). Tip in onions and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook the onions before you have added the beef. They should retain some bite to them at the end of cooking.

5. Next add in the remainder of your mixture to the onion. Stirfry the ingredients for no longer than 3 to 4 minutes (this should leave the beef tender and juicy) or you can cook the beef to your own personal preference.

6. Remove from heat and plate up. You can serve this dish with noodles or veg but the customary practice is to serve it with white rice (sticky if possible as it soaks up all the yummy sauce) and sometimes a fried egg on top.

Enjoy!

Why The Philipines And What Am I Doing Over There?

Overview:

I'm travelling to Cebu (in the Philippines) to volunteer with the Voluntary Service Overseas in partnership with the Gaulandi Volunteer Service Programme. I will be part of a team of UK and national volunteers working on a project titled 'Disability- Deaf Inclusion and Awareness'. The project officially starts on January 8th 2015 and will last for 3 months. During my stay I will work as part of a team improving the lives of Deaf persons. Our aims are to: 

• Improve the access to basic services
• Advocate for equal education and employment opportunities
• Advance Deaf persons participation in the development processes
• Reduce social stigma surrounding Deaf persons
• Create acceptance, integration and participation of Deaf persons within their communities and society as a whole

Why Cebu and The Philippines?

The VSO offer volunteer placements in over 30 countries in Africa and Asia. While I would have been happy giving my time and skills to any one of those countries I chose the Philippines for personal reasons. I was born in the UK but I am half Filipina on my mother’s side. I have grown up listening to my mother speak Tagalog (the official dialect in the Philippines); eaten its food (sometimes to the squeals of disgust of my British counterparts, because who eats noodles for breakfast right?);seen my mother struggle to raise money to pay for my cousins medical bills when she contracted TB; visited my cousins, the living in less than favourable conditions; and researched Filipino history .The Philippines has thus always been part of my life growing up, still, I want to explore and experience my cultural heritage further.

While my visits to the Philippines total three in the last 22 years, on my trips I have seen the poverty faced by millions of Filipinos and recognise some of the contributing factors. On each visit I have felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness and guilt. I was adamant I wanted to fight the causes of poverty and it's effects; but unable to comprehend how I might do this. Up until recently there hasn't really been much I could do to help. I donated my mini scooter and gameboy (probably a little too reluctantly) to my little cousin when I was younger. Then when I started working I would contribute money to Box Aid during every humanitarian disaster.  It is only now with a degree, several years of volunteer work behind me and a whole free year that I know I have the skills and experience to help make a difference.