volunteering

Get You and Your Native Tongue to Sudan and Everything Shall Be Provided for Free

It is impossible to prepare for the enthusiasm, the commitment, the warmth, the surprises that teaching in Sudan will give you

– Angela Bamgbose, a social worker in MentalHealth

Today, Fuzeus will like to introduce a great volunteer opportunity that is actually provided for free.

Sudan Volunteer Programme, a UK based charity, was first launched in 1997 when ten volunteers went to Sudan for a seven week programme to teach in schools and colleges in Khartoum and Omdurman area. After 15 years of working, SVP has established links with universities all around Sudan and has had hundreds of volunteers fly out to Sudan and help thousands of Sudanese improve their understanding of English language.

SVP’s goal is to teach English to Sudanese people at various levels, mostly focusing on conversational practice and discussion groups with university students and other adults and also some secondary school students. According to the SVP website, although most Sudanese people take English classes for about 8 years, they have never had an experience of conversing with native speakers.

This is your chance to help out young people in Sudan get a better and unique education. As a matter of fact, good education is what Sudan needs right now in the time of war, which it has been at with itself for almost its entire post-colonial history. English is the second official language of Sudan and a vital component of the on-going peace process. This is not to say that education will be an immediate solution to all the unresolved problems but it will at least be a long-term remedy. Education has the power to change everything. Now continue reading to find more about this amazing program.

1. What will I be doing?

As I mentioned before, your job will be to help Sudanese develop the skills of speaking or even reading or writing in English. You will be in charge of teaching a class, which will include motivating people to express themselves by overcoming their shyness and reluctance to make mistakes. You will be working at a Sudanese university, which aims to organize two semesters of academic program.

2. Any Requirements?

It would be ideal to have some teaching experience before you join but this cannot be the case for most volunteers. Don’t worry. As long as you are either a naïve whose first language is English and studied at a university or similar institutions or a non-native English speaker who has an established qualifications, SVP will train you before the semester starts.

3. Is it really FREE?

Volunteers must pay the price of their own airfare to and from Sudan. Plus, if you do not have the complete insurance cover for your stay, SVP will provide you the insurance with about $100. However, except for the plane tickets and insurance, everything will be covered by the host institutions. SVP will arrange your accommodation and also pay 500 Sudanese pounds for the basic needs.

4. Will it be safe?

Considering the protests and wars that are going on in between Middle East crisis, violence in Darfar, and Arab spring, you may be concerned about the security this program can guarantee. Fortunately,   you will be working in the northern parts where people are the most friendly, most hospitable and the safest. Also, no one in Sudan will judge you by the places that you come from. If you are still concerned, SVP can connect you to one of the current volunteers in Sudan to confirm their point.

If you want to hear what it’s like from a past volunteer, read this review of the NGO, Sudan Volunteer Programme, a great article by a blogger, Petewiggins.

Now I have provided the basic information about this program. But I know this cannot satisfy you. If you would like to find out more this program and apply, please visit  http://www.svp-uk.com/

The Olympics and the Potential Game Makers Around the Globe

Olympic Games are just around the corner and London is congested by herds of people coming from all over the world. While everyone is getting excited for the spectacular opening ceremony tomorrow, 70,000 secret agents are quietly working behind the scene, busily triple-checking every little details of the event. Starting tomorrow, London 2012 volunteers, the Game Makers—a great title which these people fully deserve—will be at all venues to answer people’s questions.

Now, do not underestimate these Game Makers. Over 240,000 applicants have applied since September 2010 and more than 100,000 people were interviewed for the spot. After the thorough qualification check, they went through at least three training sessions to complete their knowledge for their roles. People’s eagerness to volunteer is pleasantly astounding and yet understandable. Indeed, it is an invaluable opportunity to gain experience, meet diverse people and be a part of the largest sporting event. Slowly but effectively, the Olympics have changed people’s idea of volunteering or at least, it got people interested in volunteering. Just like the companies that benefit by fanatically advertising their products during the Olympics, volunteering is gaining popularity.

Jeam Tomlin, who is in the games organizing committee, elaborates about this in his article, Can the Olympic experience help change the face of volunteering?, and explains further why this years’ volunteers, in particular, are making this phenomenon possible.

Read it and share your thoughts with us. Do you agree that volunteering has become more attractive or at least interesting? Or is this merely a short-lived Olympics effect?

Host a TEDx event at your high school!

We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearing house that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspire thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.

Millions have watched them and thousands have paid to attend them. TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, has been sensationally successful ever since it first launched in 1984. If you have not heard about it yet, TED is an invite-only affair that brings together the most inspirational and smartest minds from around the globe to share new ideas and old wisdom with the attendees. These talks are made available online and even as podcast so that anyone can watch and share his or her thoughts. By doing so, TED made it easier for people to access speeches of innovative thinkers who can provide them with a new viewpoint or give them an insight into many different areas.

But if you look around and care to observe, you will find that these innovative thinkers on TED are in fact, everywhere. People who excel in their profession are the potential TED speakers who have ideas worth spreading.

This is why in 2009, TED decided to launch a program called TEDx, the local, self-organized events that can bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TED website now posts great videos from TEDx events as well. Commonly, TEDx would be hosted by cities or universities such as TEDxTokyo or TEDxStanford. But recently, there has been an attempt by few high school students who convened the event at their own high school.  (Gunn High School to Hold First ‘TEDx’ event)

It is your turn to host TEDx at your high school.

Here are some general steps that you should take. This is just to give you an idea of what kind of work you would be doing. So for more information, please visit, TEDx website: http://www.ted.com/pages/organize_tedx_event

1) Find a supervisor: In order to host TEDx, you need to first get a license and in order to do so, organizers under age 18 must be supervised by an adult.

2) Find a group of friend or volunteers to organize the event

3) Start making a list of speakers that you would like to invite: Inviting speakers may take longer than you imagine. Be patient and reasonable. Sometimes the most inspiring people are in-fact our peers, and people who are in your own age group. Don’t forget to invite them as well.

4) Create Logo, select a venue, set a stage and create a program

5) Utilize Social Media

6) Find someone to record the event

Hosting an event is not an easy job. But it will be a priceless experience that you cannot easily gain as a high school student and an event like this will benefit your peers and school as well.

67 Minutes Matter More Than You Know

Nelson Mandela was an influential leader during the rule of Apartheid. He helped liberate South Africa and was the first Black president, changing the absolute rule to a democratic one. He faced many hardships along his journey, including several incarcerations. Through those hardships, he persevered and shaped the lives of the South Africans today.

In 2009 the UN General Assembly declared July 18 Nelson Mandela International Day where people devote themselves to helping others for 67 minutes. The purpose of this day was to commemorate the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent devoting his time to help liberate those who were facing oppression. By taking part in the 67 minutes of service, you would be able to help others who are being oppressed today, whether they are poor or abused. Taking part on this day would allow people to come together and make a difference, just like Nelson Mandela and all of his followers did in South Africa.

This day allowed people to come together with a common goal to help impact the lives of the abused and the poor. Even if you live miles away from someone else, you would still have the same goal as that person. You both would want to help others become somebody and live for themselves with no worries. That is exactly what Nelson Mandela did. He gathered people together with a common goal to free others, like them, who were being oppressed by Apartheid. He even opened a law firm that served the black people because none of the others, which were run by the white people, would help them. 67 Minutes

Completing one hour of community service would make a big impact on people’s lives. It is also very easy to complete. Completing one hour of service is like completing a one hour TV show; it goes by quickly and you can get a lot done within that hour. Just like the TV show, volunteering can keep you at the edge of your seat and satisfy you, making you feel relieved and confident. Sometimes it can leave you guessing, like a TV show sometimes does. You might want to know if the people you are serving are doing okay or not. Volunteering can leave you satisfied and make you feel like you actually got something done. Along with that, you would be making a huge difference, even though it might not seem like that much. One hour of service can make the people you serve feel good about themselves, look at themselves in a different way, and feel like they have actually learned something valuable that they can continue to use throughout their life. In conclusion, serving others for at least 67 minutes would help impact the lives of others as well as commemorate the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent helping those in need.

Successful examples of skills-based volunteering–Deloitte

Successful examples of skills-based volunteering–Deloitte

In the previous article, “If you are here to help…grab a shovel?” we talked about the concept of skills-based volunteering and how it can benefit volunteers. To reiterate, skills-based volunteering utilizes individual’s specialized kills and talents to strengthen the infrastructure of nonprofits, helping them build and sustain their capacity to successfully achieve their missions. Now, we will introduce companies that have successfully implemented this system and the first company on the list is Deloitte–one of the Big Four professional services firms that helps clients with issues such as auditing, consulting, financial advisory, and tax.

But before we go in depth about Deloitte’s work, let us briefly discuss about the campaign that enabled many companies to join skills-based volunteering–A Billion + Change. A Billion + change is a national campaign that aims to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based service by 2013. Companies can join to pledge to contribute their skill sets, filling critical gaps in community needs in areas including, but not limited to, financial and legal services, educational and environmental initiatives and programs for veterans ad senior citizens. Currently, the campaign combines companies’ pledge to reach its goal of mobilizing $2 billion to support community organizations. It was first launched in 2008 by the Corporation for National and Community Service and was invigorated in 2011 under the leadership of Senator Mark Warner. The initiative is supported by HP, the Case Foundation, IBM, and of course, Deloitte.

(Here is a complete list of pledged companies up to date:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/61428762/Website/Pledge%20Companies_EXTERNAL_7_2.pdf)

As a very active member of this campaign, Deloitte has been greatly contributing to the society with its skills-based volunteering.

“While so many nonprofits have sophisticated social missions and programs, they often struggle with the same business challenges as for-profit companies. We believe that the most valuable resource we can contribute to nonprofits is the one we offer our clients everyday—our intellectual capital and business knowledge. Helping nonprofits to become stronger organizations is the most lasting contribution we can make to our local communities.”

– Barry Salzberg, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte LLP

A snapshot of Deloitte’s skills-based volunteer program composes of following: year-round volunteerism/IMPACT Day, Pro Bono, Board Leadership, Thought Leadership and Problem Solvers Fund. The core project within the program is pro bono work, which has long been a fixture on the Deloitte’s community involvement landscape and is now a key driver of its community involvement strategy. On June 1, 2008, Deloitte launched a pro bono program that provided the resources and infrastructure necessary to support up to $50 million in cross-functional pro bono engagements. Thus pro bono service became a part of the business units’ annual planning and budgeting process, allowing Deloitte to distribute its workforce more efficiently. Compared to the past when the service was only provided on an ad hoc basis, Deloitte became more strategic in project selection. At the same time, Deloitte is also providing the board leadership, the most valuable assets the business community can offer, and problem solvers fund, which provides large-scale grants to support local community initiatives where Deloitte employees are engaged in capacity building, pro bono and other skills-based volunteer projects.

Due to its constant effort to give back to the world, in 2011, United Way Worldwide–a coalition of charitable organizations in the Unite States– honored Deloitte with two Summit awards for volunteer engagement and community impact in education. Deloitte was especially recognized for its dedication to increasing high school graduation rate and advocating college-going culture in America by contributing its employee’s professional skills and knowledge to serve nonprofits through skills-based volunteering and pro-bono work. The Spirit of America and Summit Awards program is United Way’s highest national honor of corporate citizenship, recognizing United Way Global Corporate Leaders with the most comprehensive commitments to strengthening communities. Applicants are evaluated by corporate peers and local United Ways.

“We’re grateful for Deloitte’s continued leadership and longstanding support. They’ve been instrumental in driving progress in education, corporate philanthropy and volunteer engagement,” said Brian Gallagher, United Worldwide president and CEO. “The organization’s strong culture of service, innovative thinking, and unwavering commitment to strengthening communities is making a real impact.”

After years of perfecting its strategy, Deloitte finally has an efficient and highly successful volunteering plan. Deloitte is now promoting other companies to do the same as well. Here is a video of the interview with Evan Hochberg, the national director of community involvement at Deloitte, at the 6th Annual Edelman Change and Employee Engagement Summit.

Celebrities Volunteering and Giving Back—Bill Gates

Celebrities Volunteering and Giving Back—Bill Gates

 

“If you show people the problems and you show people the solutions,they will be moved to act”

At Davos—an annual meeting in Switzerland for World Economic Forum—Bill Gates showed up with tubers of cassava. “I don’t know what Swiss customs will say about it,” said Mr. Gates, “I’ll put it in a nice plastic bag or something.” To the meeting where top class people were expecting some caviar with wine, Bill Gates presented cassava and pitched his charity work. Ever since 1994, when he first established Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and even after he had left Microsoft, Gates continued his work in philanthropy. According to Infographic, Bill Gates has given $28 billion to various charities since 2007, which accounts for almost 48% of his net-worth. Say what you will about Bill Gates, but you cannot deny that he has made some impressive, if not phenomenal, impact on our society with his charity works.

1. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  • Number of employees: approximately 980
  • Asset trust endowment: $33.5 billion
  • Grant making areas: Global Development Program, Global Health Program, United States Program
  • Locations – Seattle, Washington / Washington, D.C / Delhi, India / Beijing, China / London, United Kingdom

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world. Its primary aims are to improve people’s health and give them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people–especailly those with the fewest resources–have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. “We want to give it back to society in theway that it will have the most positive impact,” said Mr. Gates. In building a foundation, he studied the philanthropy work of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. In fact, he consulted Rockefeller several times to model their giving. In 1994, he sold some of his Microsoft stock to create William H. Gates Foundation, which in 2000 was combined with other family foundations into one–Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

2. Bill Gates and his wealthy companion

In 2006, Warren Buffett–the most successful investor of the 20th century–announced he would donate 85% of his $44 billion fortune to charity, naming the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation as the main recipients. He had previously announced to make such a donation in his will, famously saying that he wanted to leave his children enough money so they could do something, but not so much that they could do nothing, and inviting comparisons to Andrew Carnegie, who liked to say that “the man who dies rich dies disgraced.” He also added that watching Bill and Melinda Gates donate so much of their wealth during their lifetimes inspired him to kickstart the process of distributing his own wealth. “I urge people to unbotton their wallet, pull out a check, reach into their purse, whatever it takes,” Buffett, 91, said last year in a YouTube video. “You will find that when you give a dollar and something of yourself, a lot more than a dollar comes out the other end.”

3. Global Health & Development Program

The Gates Foundation has been a major influence upon global health, donating over $800 million to the annual budget of the United Nations World Health Organization and United States Agency for International Development. Currently, president of the Global Health Program is Trevor Mundel and for the Global Development Program, Chris Elias is in charge. These programs focus on areas with the potential for high-impact, sustainable solutions that can reach hundreds of millions of people. Their major works include supporting agricultural development, providing financial services for the poor, reducing the burden of water-borne diseases and raising awareness of these issues. One of their current accomplishment is the rice research. Between 2007 and 2010, this foundation had offered 19.9 million to the International Rice Research Center. The aid was intended to support the increasing demand the world has placed on rice. The foundation  claimed, “To keep up with worldwide demand, the production of rice will have to increase by about 70 percent in the next two decades”

4. United States Program

Under the president Allan Golston, the United States Program has made grants for education within U.S. The foundation introduced a U.S. libraries the initiative with a goal of “ensuring that if you can get to a public library, you can reach the Internet.” Public libraries nationwide were provided with grants for installing computers and training technical support. Also, in a belief that more than one in five students should be able to read and grasp the content, Bill and Melinda Gates invested more than $250 million to create new small schools, which reduced student-to-teacher ratios and divided up large high schools through the schools-within-a-school model. The foundation also provides university scholars program in which about 10 members of each undergraduate class and one member in each class in each of the professional schools can get full scholarships.

If you are here to help…grab a shovel?

If you are here to help…grab a shovel?

With hectic schedules that you manage everyday, it can be difficult to find time to volunteer. Some of you may want to spend that time memorizing SAT vocabulary words and attending mock trial to receive that acceptance letter from your dream school; others may spend it learning Chinese or taking accounting classes for resume building. Indeed, flying off to Uganda to tackle poverty will definitely not be your top priority in daily life. However, if you realize how efficiently volunteering can benefit you, you might change your mind. All you need is the right match, which can be arranged by skill-based volunteering. You no longer need to grab a shovel to remove sod from the ground for habitat, unless you choose to. When properly planned out, volunteering can help you find great connections, learn new skills and also have best moments of your life.

What is skill-based volunteering?

The resources for volunteers across the nations are being stretched like never before, with the countries seeing both a significant increase in needs and a measurable decrease in the financial resources available to meet those needs. In order for non-profits to maintain certain levels of service, they need to increase their capacity to meet the growing challenge, which requires a variety of skills and expertise that may not be available within the organizations themselves. At the same time, the corporate sector is beginning to recognize the fact that it can create greater impact on social issues by offering its own best resource—its professional expertise. Thus, at the intersection of the challenges to be met comes skill-based volunteering. This innovative approach takes benefits of individuals’ skills and experience to help service organizations sustain their ability to bring real solutions to world problems.

What can SBV do for you?

1) Make connections

Skills-based volunteering opens the door to those seeking to use their personal and professional skills and talents to serve others. Because most people participate in areas of their interest or specialty, you can make special connections with professionals.  Connections made while volunteering build on trust and faith in participants’ personality and morality. As a participant, you can prove your ability and expertise while volunteering, which will increase chances of getting a job or an internship that you want. Well-designed programs can strengthen relationships as well as the productivity because people will get the change to collaborate with people of same interest from all over the world.

Below are links to organizations that connect individuals and companies with volunteer opportunities with additional information about SBV

2) Build skills

Skills-based volunteering can be an opportunity for you to practice your skill sets and even acquire new ones without having to worry about getting fired. You can either go after something that you really know or engage in something outside of their comfort zone for experience’s sake. Usually, skill-based volunteering thrives when it comes to non-profit management. This commonly requires deep analytic rigor and modeling financial analysis for the non-profits. People who already have these skills can get the crux of their skill set while putting the core competencies to work and people who do not can practice and eventually acquire them.

In fact, many corporations are implementing this system to procure the benefits. They are allowing their employees to volunteer in a most efficient way. They match teams of employees with non-profits and provide strategic advice on issues critical to the nonprofits’ business models with their professional skill sets. Any skill-based program that aligns with company’s culture and values while recognizing the needs that exist in community can effectively capitalize employee’s specific skills and strengthen internal relationships. Currently, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Cisco System, intel, Wells Fargo and more have successfully implemented the system.

3) Grow healthy mind and body

Let’s face the fact. Volunteer may not be the most entertaining way to spend your time. But by using skill-based volunteering, you have the motivation to do good work while exploring your interest and passions. At the same time, it can be an escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school or family commitment. Experience of helping others out side of your box can also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and visions that can carry over into your personal and professional life. Pretty soon, using personal talents or professional competence will be the most common way for volunteers to help non-profit organizations.

Now, with numerous volunteer opportunities available, how do you choose the right position? Before you make your choice, you should ask following questions.

  • Do you prefer working alone or as a part of a team?
  • How much time are you willing to commit?
  • What skills can you bring to a volunteer job?
  • Are you better behind the scenes or do you prefer a more visible role?
  • What causes are important to you?

Again, when you answer these questions beforehand and properly plan out for the volunteer work, you would be pleasantly surprised by your experience.

Celebrities Volunteering and Giving Back – Nicole Kidman

Celebrities Volunteering and Giving Back–Nicole Kidman

“I find trying to solve problems and saving lives far more important than my film career.”

In 2002, Kidman first appeared on the Austrian rich list published in the Business Review Weekly with an estimated net worth of $122 million. After 9 years, her wealth was listed at $304 million, down from $329 million in 2010. Some of the secretly communist individuals may think, “wow, diamonds must really be her best friend” But not quite so. This Australian actress knows how to use her money. She supports a number of charities such as 21st century leaders, artists for peace and justice, breast cancer care, cinema for peace, FARA, global green plan, jeans for genes, red cross, kids wish network, musicians on call, UNIFEM, UNICEF, the McGrath foundation to name a few.

1. An ambassador and spokesperson of UNICEF

Since 1994, Nicole has been a UNICEF ambassador and spokesperson in Australia for the child welfare organization. She was first motivated to join this international organization when she witnessed the pictures of how the war had affected the children living in Rwanda. Ever since, she participated in several campaigns to raise public awareness about UNICEF’s programs. She donated $200,000 towards UNICEF Australia’s programs for children in the Australian outback and the Asia Pacific region, which was spent for kids in central Australia, East Timor, and Burma. Also, when she received some money as a gift from her friend, Paul Newman, she handed over the check to UNICEF Australia in person during her visit to Sidney over Christmas. “Deciding how to spend the money was incredibly difficult but I have chosen projects close to my heart and home—UNICEF projects that will help make a real difference in Australia and its neighboring countries,” said Nicole. Due to her active involvement, Nicole was honored as a “Citizen of the world” by the United Nations.

2. A goodwill ambassador for UNIFEM

After listening to a BBC radio report in 2005 about UNIFEM’s work in Cambodia to help rural women create economic alternatives, Nicole’s mother persuaded Nicole to work for UNIFEM, a branch of UN specializing in the welfare and rights of women and children. And in January 2006, she was announced as the new goodwill ambassador for UNIFEM. “She called me up and said, ‘you’ve got to hear this!” said Nicole. Soon after, Nicole was addressing international audiences at UN events, raising awareness through the media and testifying before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs to support the International Violence against Women Act. In 2006, she visited Kosovo to learn about women’s experiences of conflict and see UNIFEM’s effort. “I hope I can act as a conduit, that I can be the person who tells some of these stories,” said Nicole. Hoping this will be a lifelong commitment; she also visited Sudan, Congo, Liberia, Afghanistan and Cambodia.

3. Breast Cancer Awareness

In 1984, when Nicole was only a teenager, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Nicole had to temporarily halt her education and help provide for the family by working as a massage therapist. Fortunately, she survived and ever since, breast cancer has been a cause very close to Nicole’s heart. She recognized the importance of bringing awareness to the illness. At the London premiere of the Interpreter, she proudly showed off a pink breast cancer awareness wristband, which was given to her by a fan. In September 2006, she unveiled a giant pink ribbon on the Stardome at Madame Tussauds in London for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She sated, “I am honored to mark the beginning of Breast Cancer awareness Month and I hope that this cancer research UK campaign will raise awareness of breast cancer amongst women of all ages and encourage them to report any unusual changes and go for screening if they are over 50.”