Senior Volunteer Network

Special Needs support in Ethiopia

Staff — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:42:05 +0000

Teachers of the deaf or those with experience in working with children with learning disabilities are needed at the Ethiopia Church of Mekane Yesus Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disability project. More details of the project may be found in the SEN magazine for February, which can be sent as a pdf file on request.

The director of the school for the deaf has asked for help in improving the overall methodology at the school, and training for teachers who have deaf students in their classes. At the two centres in Nekemte for students with learning disability, training in initial assessment and the development of a structured day-to-day programme has been requested.

Living costs in the country would be £3-4 per day for self-catering in a guest bungalow or £11 for bed and breakfast at a high class hotel. Volunteers would be picked up from the airport about seven hours drive from the centre. They would pay their own airfare.

Dates: November 2013

Contact Isabel Wodrow on svnetprojects@googlemail.com or 0114 2472145

In-service training in Tanzania

Staff — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:29:52 +0000

SVN has been asked to help with in-service training in Tuishimi Primary School, Arusha, Tanzania. This is a government school of 380 pupils and 16 teachers, and is backed by a Christian charity based near Derby. The school is well led and locally popular with good recent exam results, and has a good computer suite. This would be their first systematic staff training, and the Director hopes for the encouragement of teachers and improved teaching approaches as a result of our visit.

The visit could start with days of lesson observation and planning, followed by a block of in-service training and subsequent team teaching with teacher colleagues.

A team of three to four volunteers would be needed for a two week visit. Volunteer accommodation could be in the homes of teachers and friends of the school no more than 15 minutes walk from the school, or in small hotels in Arusha a bus ride away. ( This is an expense volunteers would have to meet in either case).

Dates: October 2013 or early 2014.

Contact John Hallett on calebsnet@aol.com or 01623 793863

New members go on projects

Staff — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:25:14 +0000

We are still reaping the benefits of our conference last November. Two people who were not then involved in SVN came to the conference to find out more about us. They are both now going on projects this year, one to Zambia and the other to Kenya. We thank God for bringing new volunteers forward, and pray for them as they take this step for Him.

Smile project completed

Staff — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:15:19 +0000

Isabel, our Project Manager, has now returned from a two-week visit to Sri Lanka on a partnership project with Smile International. She joined two Smile volunteers at their centre in Hambantota, which includes a nursery school with six members of staff.

The children live in poor conditions on the sand dunes,and the school provides meals as well as nursery provision each morning. The team spent the mornings teaching and supporting the staff, and the afternoons helping older children with their homework.

Other activities included a prison visit, some time seeing animals in a national park and helping a group of widows with food distribution and craft activities. They also spent time at a special school helping them to celebrate the Sinhalese New Year.

We look forward to hearing more from Isabel, and the future possibilities of projects with Smile.

Opportunities in Turkey and Azerbaijan

Staff — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:01:40 +0000

Steve Bryant of WEC has visited the International Gateway Academy in Istanbul and the Caspian Academy in Azerbaijan, two schools which take pupils to age sixteen. They have asked for help from SVN in the development of Special Needs support, the teaching of English as a foreign language and support in the teaching of English, including preparing pupils for IGCSEs. The teachers are American and use an American curriculum until pupils begin preparing for IGCSE exams.

Dates for the project are September to November 2013, and two weeks is suggested in each school. Volunteers may wish to work in one or both schools.

Air fare should be under £400, and contributions would be made towards board. Travel within the country, including to and from the airport, would be arranged by the schools.

One volunteer is already interested in this project.

For more information contact svnetprojects@googlemail.comIstanbul and he Caspian Academy in Azer

Home School weeks in Thailand

Staff — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 16:13:12 +0000

Volunteers with primary school experience are needed to assist with a week of co-operative and creative learning for children of cross-cultural workers (TCKs) who are usually home schooled. This will be held in Bangkok. Home school weeks are held to benefit primary children who usually learn in a home school setting. Participants represent several nationalities and not all have English as a first language, so the programme focus is on practical, creative and social activities rather than on core academic subects.

Minimum commitment is for twelve days, but there may be an opportunity to remain for longer to assist a homeschooling family in their regular location. Skill in practical subjects such as art, music, PE or drama would be appreciated. Flexibility is essential.

The cost would be £1000 plus, with dates of 15th to 19th October 2013. Volunteers need five days before the beginning of the home school week for orientation and planning.

For more information contact mrsjanecaine@hotmail.com.

Projects with Links International

Staff — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 15:19:14 +0000

Teams with opportunities for teachers to undertake teacher training will take place in Malawi from 10th to 24th May and September/October 2013. A project in Uganda is scheduled for December 2013. Costs will be around £1700.

Volunteers would be part of a team made up of medical, social work and business professionals as well as teachers.

For more information contact svnetprojects@googlemail.com.

Information on Links International can be found at www.linksinternational.org.uk. (Tel: 01903 778515)

UK with Smile International

Staff — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:39:30 +0000

Two or three volunteers needed to give training at the Smile International headquarters in Orpington, Kent over one or two days to ‘gappers’ who will be spending six to nine months teaching overseas. Dates: week beginning 10th September.

Volunteers may then travel with the gappers in October 2013 to their placements, and help them plan their teaching. At present one young person has applied for a gappers placement for 2013.

Contact svnetprojects@googlemail.com

First partnership with Links

Staff — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:44:41 +0000

John was involved with 31 teachers from 17 schools in an intensive two-week project, helped by two other women. The main emphasis of the training was on teaching methods and learning styles centred on the adage ‘I hear and forget, I see and remember, I do and understand.’ At each stage they encouraged teacher participation, and on each of the last days in a location they visited a couple of schools and ensured that each teacher had an opportunity to put into practise what they had learned.

John writes: ‘At each stage we were keen to learn from them of their particular problems and needs. As is so often the case they were very appreciative of the fact that we had come to help them and of what they were learning. It was very stimulating to have fellowship and work with an inter-disciplinary team, so that talk was not just on education but on health and agriculture etc., and the team had such an impressive varied experience. Overall the organisation was excellent with church links, travel and accommodation fine.’

Jane in Thailand

Staff — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:16:09 +0000

Jane writes:

I had a difficult first three weeks in Thailand as a guest in the home of an American missionary family. I thought I was going to help home school six-year-old Joshua, but I think I had the role of a grandma rather than a teacher. I had to trust God that He had a purpose in my being there.

In contrast I praise God that the next week was so busy and personally fulfilling. I am also sure that Joshua was able to accept the discipline of the school day and fitted in with the other children because he had got to know me and was happy with me beforehand. Helping me was a teacher from Australia who lives in Singapore, a clown from New Zealand, two teenagers from Germany, one from Switzerland and one from Australia. We all got on well with each other and everyone worked with enthusiasm. Many of the children were German speakers, so they were happy that they were able to receive some help with translation. The parents were very appreciative of our efforts and would like me to go again next year. I shall have to see how the Lord leads before making that decision.’