Behind The News
Volunteers give up normal lives to help others overseas
It started half a century ago with a handful of volunteers helping out in some of the poorest quarters of the world. Now international development charity Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) recruits more than 1,000 volunteers
working in 32 countries throughout the world. And, as the organisation celebrates its 50th anniversary this monthwe talk to two teachers who gave up village life here in Wharfedale to help students in Ethiopia.
Just over a year ago husband and wife team Jan and Ian Gasper made a life-changing decision.
They opted to give up their family home in the picturesque village of Burley-in-Wharfedale for a small basic bungalow - in Ethiopia.
Ian, 58, was deputy head teacher at Ilkley Grammar School. His wife Jan, also 58, was the head teacher of Otley All Saints Primary.
But having dedicated the best part of their lives to educating children in Britain, the couple believed it was time to use their skills elsewhere and opted to sign up with charity organisation Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO).
The couple, who have one grown-up son, set off for Ethiopia on a programme helping develop teacher trainers at the
beginning of 2007.
One year on and they say they are loving the work they do.
Ian said: "We are very happy here. The Ethiopians are very welcoming and we have made lots of friends. It's a beautiful country - nothing like the stereotypical view of desert and starvation of the 1970s and 80s, but it is very dry in some areas and life can certainly be a struggle for many."
Ian and his wife are based at Haramaya University, one of the oldest universities in Ethiopia. It is located in Haramaya, a town in the Eastern Hararghe zone, about 500km from the capital Addis Ababa.
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| Jan at work in Ethiopia |
Ian is an advisor, visiting colleges and universities throughout the area to help staff introduce the Higher Diploma Programme (HDP) Scheme - a programme developed by VSO volunteers and the Minister of Education to improve the quality of education in Ethiopia. Jan teaches the HDP scheme to adults.
Ian said: "We work alongside a variety of other volunteers - a young man from the Philippines who is in his early 20s, a 74-year-old Canadian, and a 35-year-old Scot who runs English language
courses.
"Our main role is to help the education faculty staff improve their teaching skills. There are other volunteers in Ethiopia who come from India, Kenya, Ireland and Holland.
"All of our placements are aimed at developing the skills of our counterparts so that sustainability is possible after we leave.
"However, the reality of a fast turnover of staff for educational and sometimes health related reasons, such as AIDS, can make that difficult."
The couple also ran a training camp last summer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, an agency set up by the United Nations to protect and resolve refugee problems world-wide.
Despite the fact that they are thousands of miles away from friends and family, they say the work they are doing is incredibly rewarding and they hope to remain in Ethiopia for the next year.
Ian said: "Of course we miss family and friends, our garden and chocolate! We do email regularly and eagerly await food parcels but VSO staff are very good at preparing you to cope with missing things.
"We use BBC World Service and the occasional DVD instead of television and the laptop is vital for photography, music and communication.
"Our university is not typical of VSO placements - it is relatively rich and is very caring of volunteers, valuing the knowledge and skills we bring.
"We have a bungalow to live in while the other VSOs have apartments. Some volunteer placements have almost no facilities and accommodation is very basic.
"The organisation provides water filters, one electric ring, one kerosene ring, a blanket - it is surprisingly cold at times during the night - and a medical kit.
"Basic furniture is also provided. If you are in a hot area - 30C plus - you get a fridge provided but often not.
"Our basic monthly allowance has just been increased to 1650 birr - about £95. Inflation is over 20 per cent and the rise in basic foodstuffs is a real problem for many ordinary people who may be living on the equivalent of £2 a week."
But the basic living conditions have done nothing to shake the Gaspers' devotion to the project.
Ian said: "Our son Dan visited at Christmas, which was wonderful but other than that contact with family tends to be via email.
"Being out here, you learn to really value relationships, people and the quality of life as opposed to luxuries which we think we need but don't really.
"People and children are the same all over the world; just watch a mother holding the hand of a toddler, a young boy using a stick to keep a hoop of metal rolling, or people doing hard manual labour but laughing together.
"We know one young woman called Sophia who is earning about £20 a month and who spends a third of it on evening courses to improve her qualifications. Universities are expanding hugely due to World Bank support and courses and accommodation are free, allowing access and real opportunities. That's the basis of development for a really poor country.
"When we return we will find ways of continuing our support for development and VSO and sharing what we have gained and experienced.
"We'd definitely recommend VSO - especially to people with a sense of adventure, who are open-minded and flexible. If you feel you have a skill to offer people in developing countries - go for it. The rewards are immense."
10:58am Thursday 20th March 2008
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