Volunteering with the International Citizen Service
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Original post by JoEdBo
It says I have to fund raise the £800, what about if I already have £800? 
The fund-raising stage of the placement has the function not only to contribute to the programme, but also to have volunteers starting to approach the world of not for profit organisations, get a feeling of what it means to fund-raise for a charity, and have them talking about their future endeavor to other people.
So it's not only about the money, but also (mostly) about making the programme your programme. It's a great exercise and will help you develop new skills that will be useful during the placement.
Sorry for the delay - College workload has been rather high of late! I know this is looking more and more like an essay, but I could honestly talk about my ICS experience forever! Hopefully this will be helpful for those of you who are in the process of deciding whether this is something you'd like to do... Right, now where was I?
Following my last post -recommend you read it here, if you've yet to do so (!!)- this post will elaborate more on the second objective of my placement: Youth Livelihoods for those who were out of education, in the Vellore area - the last 4 weeks of my placement, following our hugely successful Civic Participation module.
The work we did in our Livelihoods module was far more difficult and nuanced than that of our previous endeavors - we dealt mainly with problems around unemployment. The young-people we were trying to reach were much harder to find, (not as simple as calling up a school!) and in some cases - much less interested (typical young people - post meeting games of Cricket were used as bribes!) Having finally located the young people, gaining the trust and respect of the communities would be our next obstacle. In doing so we would have to try hard to understand some of the issues they faced and try even harder to provide as much help as we could, by way of the available remedies at our disposal.
We started by creating 'Youth Focus Groups.' The idea of the meetings were to get a broad discussion about some of the Livelihood issues that the young-people faced from a cross-section of different areas across Vellore; some YFG's were in rural villages, others in impoverished inner-city communities. Our efforts were well placed, as we managed to get a lot of information as to what exactly the young people were crying out for - it also gave us a chance to talk to the young people about the skills they had and others they might need to develop. We would then go on to use these initial contacts in the community to create workshops and more regular meets.
[video="youtube;9jG5nx_BBZg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jG5nx_BBZg[/video]
This video was just some test footage I uploaded a while back; a truncated YFG plus some other footage of us traveling home afterwards. Unfortunately I didn't get to film the questions I was able to ask in the meeting
but you can see the format!
One great aspect of our Livelihoods module was that we were able to plan our own sessions and workshops. This allowed us to incorporate as much of the feedback as we could from our YFG sessions into the module, and I personally found it very rewarding to facilitate a session I helped wholly plan. This all came to a head when we coordinated our 'big event' with a local NGO - Bharath Amma Social Service Organisation, or BASSO. Taken from their website: "BASSO is a Social Organization run by Mrs. Usha Nandhini which helps people in poverty gain skills. Basso works with tribal girls and women by giving free training in Tailoring, Embroidery and Handicrafts. The Organization helps Self Help Groups who are seeking out bank loans for business startups." A perfect double act for our Livelihoods work! They had a lot of experience in Livelihood training and acted as a great link to more young-people who could benefit from a few workshops.
After some co-ordination: setting up the event at BASSO's computer centre, inviting the young people and a few local speakers - successful business-people, employers and Reverend 'John Lewis' who ran an NGO providing trade skills training nearby - we were ready to go. Each of us got the chance to conduct a session; we helped build a relationship with BASSO which will no doubt continue; and the names and contact details of the young people were recorded for a later check up. There was a good turn out for the event, and we even got some news coverage:
Above: A clipping from a local Tamil Newspaper.
Our Livelihoods module taught me a lot about International Development, specifically the difficulties of working closely with a community. It isn't always easy, infact it can be very difficult, to make a direct impact to such an ingrained and seemingly impossibly large problem - especially in 4 weeks. To put it in perspective: 1 in 6 people in the world are Indian, and a majority of those are under 25; India suffers from chronic over-population in cities which effects employment opportunities; 90% of workers in India are part of the 'parrallel economy' and don't pay any taxes, so Goverment spending is a little stretched - minus any long-standing institutional corruption affecting the kitty.
I certainly didn't expect to get hundreds of young people into steady employment, and I think it's important to be realistic; understand that development can be an incredibly slow process, with marginal gains over a long period of time. I didn't get down about this fact, though; I realised that our work was only one piece in a much bigger puzzle, and that although we didn't complete it, [the aforementioned hypothetical and extremely intricate puzzle that is youth unemployment] without our piece the puzzle would be one step further away from being like it looks on the box. So yes, there are a lot of external factors that agitate the issue; by empowering young people and giving them the skills they need to move onto employment - we will get there eventually!
I have my first half-term break next week, (yessssss!!
) so I'll make a big effort to post again; I've still got the logistics and FAQ's of an ICS placement to cover. And for the grand finale? My Action at Home as a Returned ICS Volunteer!
Above: An abridged photo of the Vellore, South India Team.
(Our last photo; excuse the red eyes. *sob*)
Following my last post -recommend you read it here, if you've yet to do so (!!)- this post will elaborate more on the second objective of my placement: Youth Livelihoods for those who were out of education, in the Vellore area - the last 4 weeks of my placement, following our hugely successful Civic Participation module.
The work we did in our Livelihoods module was far more difficult and nuanced than that of our previous endeavors - we dealt mainly with problems around unemployment. The young-people we were trying to reach were much harder to find, (not as simple as calling up a school!) and in some cases - much less interested (typical young people - post meeting games of Cricket were used as bribes!) Having finally located the young people, gaining the trust and respect of the communities would be our next obstacle. In doing so we would have to try hard to understand some of the issues they faced and try even harder to provide as much help as we could, by way of the available remedies at our disposal.
We started by creating 'Youth Focus Groups.' The idea of the meetings were to get a broad discussion about some of the Livelihood issues that the young-people faced from a cross-section of different areas across Vellore; some YFG's were in rural villages, others in impoverished inner-city communities. Our efforts were well placed, as we managed to get a lot of information as to what exactly the young people were crying out for - it also gave us a chance to talk to the young people about the skills they had and others they might need to develop. We would then go on to use these initial contacts in the community to create workshops and more regular meets.
[video="youtube;9jG5nx_BBZg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jG5nx_BBZg[/video]
This video was just some test footage I uploaded a while back; a truncated YFG plus some other footage of us traveling home afterwards. Unfortunately I didn't get to film the questions I was able to ask in the meeting
but you can see the format!One great aspect of our Livelihoods module was that we were able to plan our own sessions and workshops. This allowed us to incorporate as much of the feedback as we could from our YFG sessions into the module, and I personally found it very rewarding to facilitate a session I helped wholly plan. This all came to a head when we coordinated our 'big event' with a local NGO - Bharath Amma Social Service Organisation, or BASSO. Taken from their website: "BASSO is a Social Organization run by Mrs. Usha Nandhini which helps people in poverty gain skills. Basso works with tribal girls and women by giving free training in Tailoring, Embroidery and Handicrafts. The Organization helps Self Help Groups who are seeking out bank loans for business startups." A perfect double act for our Livelihoods work! They had a lot of experience in Livelihood training and acted as a great link to more young-people who could benefit from a few workshops.
After some co-ordination: setting up the event at BASSO's computer centre, inviting the young people and a few local speakers - successful business-people, employers and Reverend 'John Lewis' who ran an NGO providing trade skills training nearby - we were ready to go. Each of us got the chance to conduct a session; we helped build a relationship with BASSO which will no doubt continue; and the names and contact details of the young people were recorded for a later check up. There was a good turn out for the event, and we even got some news coverage:
Above: A clipping from a local Tamil Newspaper.
Our mention in a national newspaper: The Hindu.
Our Livelihoods module taught me a lot about International Development, specifically the difficulties of working closely with a community. It isn't always easy, infact it can be very difficult, to make a direct impact to such an ingrained and seemingly impossibly large problem - especially in 4 weeks. To put it in perspective: 1 in 6 people in the world are Indian, and a majority of those are under 25; India suffers from chronic over-population in cities which effects employment opportunities; 90% of workers in India are part of the 'parrallel economy' and don't pay any taxes, so Goverment spending is a little stretched - minus any long-standing institutional corruption affecting the kitty.
I certainly didn't expect to get hundreds of young people into steady employment, and I think it's important to be realistic; understand that development can be an incredibly slow process, with marginal gains over a long period of time. I didn't get down about this fact, though; I realised that our work was only one piece in a much bigger puzzle, and that although we didn't complete it, [the aforementioned hypothetical and extremely intricate puzzle that is youth unemployment] without our piece the puzzle would be one step further away from being like it looks on the box. So yes, there are a lot of external factors that agitate the issue; by empowering young people and giving them the skills they need to move onto employment - we will get there eventually!
I have my first half-term break next week, (yessssss!!
) so I'll make a big effort to post again; I've still got the logistics and FAQ's of an ICS placement to cover. And for the grand finale? My Action at Home as a Returned ICS Volunteer! Above: An abridged photo of the Vellore, South India Team.
(Our last photo; excuse the red eyes. *sob*)
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Megerrr
I went to an assessment day last week and I was wondering how long do they take to let you know if you've been accepted?
Normally a couple of weeks, depending on the workflow
Good luck with that!
I'm going to Zimbabwe with Progressio in July 2013?!
Only just started fundraising - it's hard when you have so little time?!
any one else going? any fundraising tips?
Only just started fundraising - it's hard when you have so little time?!
any one else going? any fundraising tips?
I've applied to go next summer and have been accepted by Raleigh. Got invited to a selection day but it was for those who wanted to go in spring so hopefully I'll get another invite soon! I want to make sure I have enough time for fundraising because although I have the money, it would be nice to raise some too. I know it might be different depending on who you go with, but how much volunteering do they expect you to have done previously? I've volunteered abroad before, but not a great deal in the UK. Also, do people normally get their choice of country? How old are people that go on it? I think I'll be one of the youngest. Are they generally students or not? Really hope I get accepted onto it. 
Thanks!
Thanks!Original post by abi95
I've applied to go next summer and have been accepted by Raleigh. Got invited to a selection day but it was for those who wanted to go in spring so hopefully I'll get another invite soon! I want to make sure I have enough time for fundraising because although I have the money, it would be nice to raise some too. I know it might be different depending on who you go with, but how much volunteering do they expect you to have done previously? I've volunteered abroad before, but not a great deal in the UK. Also, do people normally get their choice of country? How old are people that go on it? I think I'll be one of the youngest. Are they generally students or not? Really hope I get accepted onto it. Thanks!
Thanks!Hi Abi! there is no requirement for people to have volunteered before. You only need to show that you have - somehow - helped others. But it can be anything from making a cake to your neighbor to working in your church etc. It's mostly about attitude and motivation. So, you'll be fine.
You will be with people aged 18-25.
As for the country, it is not easy to match the your season availability with the country + the agency you requested, but they always make their best to do so; i.e., you might want to go to a specific country in summer, but the country might not be taking volunteers in that period, so you might be offered a different placement. But they definitely take your preference into account!
Good luck
Original post by giancarlo-ICS
Hi Abi! there is no requirement for people to have volunteered before. You only need to show that you have - somehow - helped others. But it can be anything from making a cake to your neighbor to working in your church etc. It's mostly about attitude and motivation. So, you'll be fine.
You will be with people aged 18-25.
As for the country, it is not easy to match the your season availability with the country + the agency you requested, but they always make their best to do so; i.e., you might want to go to a specific country in summer, but the country might not be taking volunteers in that period, so you might be offered a different placement. But they definitely take your preference into account!
Good luck
You will be with people aged 18-25.
As for the country, it is not easy to match the your season availability with the country + the agency you requested, but they always make their best to do so; i.e., you might want to go to a specific country in summer, but the country might not be taking volunteers in that period, so you might be offered a different placement. But they definitely take your preference into account!
Good luck
Thank you very much!
I know the country is definitely running next summer because they've already put the departure dates up, so hopefully
Hey Guys! I submitted my application to take part in the ICS programme. I was wondering how long does it take them to get back to once you submit your application? I was also wondering if anyone knows if there is a Nov departure date? It's just I'm in a contract with work until Nov and then I turn 26 in Feb so would be over age I'v taken part in a similar programme a few years back. Hope it isn't a disadvantage.
I'v taken part in a similar programme a few years back. Hope it isn't a disadvantage.Original post by **gemma**
Hey Guys! I submitted my application to take part in the ICS programme. I was wondering how long does it take them to get back to once you submit your application? I was also wondering if anyone knows if there is a Nov departure date? It's just I'm in a contract with work until Nov and then I turn 26 in Feb so would be over age I'v taken part in a similar programme a few years back. Hope it isn't a disadvantage.
I'v taken part in a similar programme a few years back. Hope it isn't a disadvantage.I received a reply in a few weeks and had an interview in London about a month? Maybe 2 months after!
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by dulciemae
I had mine today! Was really nice, everyone was lovely; the prospective volunteers and the people directing it. You'll be given group tasks throughout the day, nothing daunting don't worry, and then an interview towards the end, asking you generally about why you want to do the programme - times you've worked well in groups, your strengths and weaknesses etc. I didn't prepare for it though, and neither did anyone else in the group but I think the best answers come from the heart - although it certainly wouldn't have hurt me to give these things a thought beforehand! Have fun!
Hi! I have an assessment day on thursday and i'm having a bit of a last-minute panic about what to wear! it says smart-casual on the email, just wondering what girls were wearing at yours? thanks!!
(edited 11 years ago)
Anyone going to Zimbabwe July 2013?
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by bizza93
Anyone going to the Raleigh assessment day in London on the 23rd january??
cheers!
cheers!
I'm planning on going on the 1st February. Have they sent you an email inviting you? Where are you hoping to go?
Hi guys, does anyone have any info on the 'Team Leaders'? I turn 23 this year, definitely interested. Their website basically just says they exist and you apply as you would for the ordinary scheme.
What sort of people do they look for experience wise? And what sort of experience is necessary?
Are there any perks? I.E. Lower fundraising targets, perhaps higher allowances or something?
What sort of work actually is involved? As I say, the website description is laughably vague. Do you do this in addition to being involved with a project, or are you primarily working as a coordinator for other volunteers?
This is a great scheme, can't believe I didn't know this existed until today. I'm currently doing a self-funded six month placement with a sports development NGO in Uganda, having a great time but paid-flights and vaccinations wouldn't have gone a miss :P
What sort of people do they look for experience wise? And what sort of experience is necessary?
Are there any perks? I.E. Lower fundraising targets, perhaps higher allowances or something?
What sort of work actually is involved? As I say, the website description is laughably vague. Do you do this in addition to being involved with a project, or are you primarily working as a coordinator for other volunteers?
This is a great scheme, can't believe I didn't know this existed until today. I'm currently doing a self-funded six month placement with a sports development NGO in Uganda, having a great time but paid-flights and vaccinations wouldn't have gone a miss :P
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by abi95
I'm planning on going on the 1st February. Have they sent you an email inviting you? Where are you hoping to go?
Yeah i got and email, well I'm hoping to go to Nicaragua!!
So exciting!Quick Reply
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