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!
The team first met Msofi during facilitations at one of the villages we visit, Chaleza. A friendly lady who was keen to participate and ask a number of interesting and challenging questions, she was already becoming memorable. Since then I think it’s fair to say that Ella Msofi has had quite an impression on us, so much so that we thought we would share her with you.
This Saturday we will be celebrating International Women’s Day, (which actually falls on the day before, Friday 8th), at the Casa de Cultura in the centre of Marcala. The event, which has been organised by the ICS volunteers in conjunction with one of our partner organisations, the co-operative COOMUPL, will hopefully be an enjoyable family day and celebration, as well as provide local women with the opportunity to sell products, crafts and food to the community.
I am Erick Antonio Garcia, from a town called Dipilto, in Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua.
Gender inequality is a major problem in Honduras and this week the group have been working on projects focused on promoting gender equality. Gender-based violence has been a long-term problem in Honduras, however it has escalated significantly in terms of numbers and brutality following the coup d'état in 2009. Merly Eguigure, a coordinator of the women’s movement Movimiento de Mujeres por la Paz Visitación Padilla has stated the following:
Over the past month we have been working hard in the fields on several different stages of various processes with our partner organisation, COMUCAP, specifically dealing with aloe vera, oranges and coffee. Our task has been to work alongside the local men and women and learn how to operate the necessary tools safely and imitate the methods they employ. This way we can be left to our own devices, work more effectively and take minimal time away from those kind enough to be teaching us their way of life.
‘Volunteering’ What is it about?
Every person will have their own perception of what it means. Running workshops, stakeholder management, conversing with local authorities… this is the first step on a very serious career as a Development Worker for some. For all the meetings and authorizations, report writing and deadlines, the easiest role to forget and the most important duty we hold here is to be a servant to the community, in whatever capacity it may be.
In Malawi malnutrition and under nutrition are some of the factors which are hindering development and economic progress. One of the major reasons for under nutrition is a lack of intake from all the dietary food groups, which would be required by the body to function and fight infection.
In a town like the one we are volunteering in, where there are multiple issues including such simple problems as access to a continuous water supply all year round or adequate security from health threats such as Chaga bugs or Dengue fever, I wasn’t expecting the environment to be a particularly high on the agenda here.
The first week of February has become a very special date for those people who are believers or interested in knowing more about religion - the UN celebrated the World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW). Its objectives are “to promote concord between all people regardless of their faith” and to increase “dialogue among different faiths to enhance mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation”.
