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!
Child rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential. Such as rights to basic needs for foods, health care, education and many more. In its effort to further promote and advocate for child protection, Ungweru Organisation with the help of team Catseye has been establishing Child Protection Committees (CPCs) in communities.
HIV and AIDS is a deadly pandemic which has led to deaths of millions of people worldwide and has also led to an increased number of orphans and reduced the rate of development worldwide. World Aids Day is held on 1st December every year, this is a day for people to show their support for people living with HIV and AIDS, unite in the fight against the disease, increase awareness and fight stigma.
Tamara is one of 16 goats that were donated to four support groups as part of cycle 4’s special project. Now, that cycle 5 is quickly drawing to an end, the team has gone for a second follow up to see how the previous cycle’s project is going.
We travelled to Ngabu, which is about an hour’s drive away from where we are based. So far in Ngabu, the team has met four support groups to which COWLHA (Coalition Of Women Living with HIV and AIDS) women belong. Last cycle, the team used their special project budget to initiate a pass on a goat project with them.
There have been 638,000 people estimated to be affected by the flooding here in Malawi according to the UNICEF USA website. 276 people have been declared dead or missing and as the rains continue, more and more are affected every day. Research done by COWLHA (Coalition of women living with HIV and AIDS) has indicated that over 1000 COWLHA members are also among those affected. Many in the camps and other shelters around Chikhwawa district have been going without food.
On 1 March it was Zero Discrimination day. On 28 February, we decided to visit Teen Club, who meet at the Chikhwawa District Hospital ART clinic every month. Teen Club is a group of children living with HIV and AIDS and are already taking ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs). The reason we visited Teen Club is because we wanted to talk about child therapy. In terms of HIV and AIDS, child therapy includes psychological, health, social and medical support. It also involves a technique called, progressive disclosure.
I brush my teeth twice everyday. Firstly, I fill a glass with transparent, clean and cold water and let it rest on the washbasin. Secondly, I grab my toothbrush, spread the bristles with plenty of toothpaste and place the head under the tap spout. With my left hand I turn the handle anticlockwise and, mesmerised, observe how the silky stream of water runs for two seconds. Immediately after, I turn the tap off, take the brush to my teeth and enjoy the cleaning process. When I am done, I rinse my mouth using the 150 ml of water contained in the glass.
What is international development? I would consult the internet for a clean-cut answer, but, unfortunately, in my modest Nicaraguan host home, we haven’t got Wi-Fi, or any kind of internet connection for that matter. Instead, I will try to summarise what exactly international development is from my own experience in this lovely country.
The previous weeks have, without doubt, been very challenging for the UK and national volunteers. Tiredness was notorious, some even took advantage of the lunch hour to sleep. It was an intense journey, but, in Group 2, we managed to surpass our aims.
Yesterday, we concluded our weeks of work in the community of El Pochote. We have made our respective reparations, like the securing of the aerators, closing the remaining gaps in the chambers and replacing the off-point locks.
A new week arrives like a new blank page with the hope that we write as many new moments as possible on it. Here I share some of these moments with you.
Just as in the week before, the UK and national volunteers united to give their best and further the development of Cycle 10. Both Groups 1 and 2 began the construction of the covers for the eco-latrines in El Pochote, some taking a little more time than others learning how to use the tools. We, in Group 2, have put in the work to improve for this coming week and thus have a satisfactory job.
