Want a deeper insight into what an ICS placement looks like? Read the amazing blogs written by our past and present volunteers. Enjoy the journey!
Having now been here for five months, El Bramadero feels like home and all the things I found difficult back in October have become second nature. So I thought it about time to describe those everyday things which are so different here to back home.
It would seem quite the cliché for a ‘middle class Christian girl’, former Chapel Prefect no less, to be taking part in an overseas volunteering placement in Zimbabwe. Whilst I may fit the stereotype, the reality of an ICS placement couldn’t be further from this generalisation, which became very clear from the very beginning of my ICS journey at the orientation and training weekend. The group of people that I was surrounded by were from different walks of life, with various faiths or none at all, demonstrating an open-minded and accepting attitude towards these differences.
It's funny how life can be. The very same framework that you have for perceiving the passing of time can be so easily warped by something as seemingly benign as a halfway point. Your experience heading towards this mystical benchmark is one that seems to strain with an agonising lack of progress away from Day One as if traipsing through thick temporal treacle or being in some way magnetically repelled by the future. Your thoughts are consumed by doubts about ever seeing anew the green, green grass of home.
Host homes and host families can sometimes be the most intimidating part of your 10 week Progressio ICS placement. But there is no need to worry! Your families will welcome you into their homes with open arms and for those 10 weeks you will become their son or daughter, they will introduce you to everyone as their own child. They really want you to be there, so there is no need to feel shy.
This is what to expect from your host homes:
Day to day life
En la semana 10 logramos la meta que teníamos en terminar de construir los filtros de agua que se les dio a cada beneficiario. Fue una semana muy cansada para cada uno de los voluntarios porque habían algunas familias que contaban con el material suficiente en el momento que andábamos construyendo los filtros, entonces nos llevábamos un poco más de tiempo, pero gracias a Dios contamos con un equipo de voluntarios muy amables el cual ayudaron a las familias a conseguir material para los filtros de agua.
In honour of International Women’s Day, on 8 March 2016, the Rowa Runners took a moment to outline women that they have found inspirational. This year the focus of International Women’s Day is ‘A Pledge for Parity’, recognising equal pay, equal rights.
Ida Pfeiffer (1797-1858) - by Becca
You're probably thinking what on earth have you got yourself in for? Three whole months of your gap year living in the 'murder capital' of the world.
What you will come to experience in the coming 12 weeks will be more than the stereotypical and clichéd "life changing" and "memorable" experience where you "really find yourself" on your "gap year". Although these may be true, you will more importantly be working on a project for a community that deserves your attention and hard work.
One of the main things I worried about when going away for three months was the expected lack of sports and fitness I’d be involved in. In my head, I planned to go on morning runs before work but this was simply too unrealistic for someone who struggles to get out of bed thirty minutes before they’re meant to leave. This meant the first couple of weeks I was left doing little.
The acrid smell of the hundred chickens in the garden, the smoke of the rubbish that is being burned everywhere, not to mention the stench of the latrine. The boredom (“no wonder everyone goes to church all the time - there's nothing else to do here anyway!”). The hair-raising, spine-chilling insects.
A dos semanas de concluir el voluntariado del ciclo 14 estamos muy felices por empezar la construcción de los filtros en donde todos hemos aprendidos nuevos conocimientos gracias a la capacitación que recibimos por parte de ASOMUPRO.
Esta semana fue muy importante porque todos los voluntarios aportamos ideas para poder avanzar en el trabajo.
