ISSUE ONE APRIL/MAY 2014
don’t just travel, experience...
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Don’t just travel, experience
Not just another magazine about travelling, Rootless is a magazine about volunteer travel; Seeing the world whilst helping communities, saving the environment and leaving a postitive mark behind you...
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CONTENTS
20
What it takes to save a species...
08
How I quit my job to travel
12
Building playgrounds in Uganda
April May 4 ROOTLESS
32
Volunteer opportunities in Berlin
24
Volunteering at the San Francisco botanical gardens
How to volunteer at a music festival
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Teaching in Nicaragua
30
10 reasons to volunteer travel
46
Sculpture in Croatia
52
Volunteering at the ADC festival Hamburg
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unlock your mind...
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” Gustave Flaubert
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EXPERIENCE
Why I quit my job to travel...
By: Urooj Qureshi
What motivates an individual to turn their back on what they know and opt for the unknown: Urooj Qureshi didn’t realise what he had been missing until he took the risk. My decision to travel came as a surprise to many people. In 2012, after eight years as a social entrepreneur, I was headhunted for an important non-profit organisation in Ottawa, Canada. But I had already made my decision: 30 March would be the last day I would “go to work”. Growing up, my father – an airline manager – was often sent on international postings; meaning every three years we would move to a new school in a new city and learn new cultures and languages. My parents spared no opportunity to go on family trips as well: I was just 11 the first time my friends and I camped with Bedouins in a Jordan desert. My nomadic childhood meant that my feet never stayed grounded in one place until my late teens. In an effort to become independent, I tried my hardest to have a stable, life. I went to university, I bought a car, I worked full time – but it always felt like a bit of a struggle. I remember the day I decided to travel long term. During a two-week tour across Mexico I met a group of travellers who were heading through to Central America. I, on the other hand, had to return home. As I boarded my flight back to Ottawa, I wondered what kept me from going on, to Belize, Guatemala and further. Deep down that was what my heart
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desired, and once I realised that, something within me shifted. I started imagining all the places I would go, the things I would be able to do with my new-found freedom. Less than three months after the Mexico trip, I headed to Costa Rica, this time taking a more off-the-beaten-track approach to test the limits of my comfort zone. That trip turned out to be one of the most remarkable experiences of my life and I realised that great things can happen when I let down my guard. Since 30 March 2012, I have travelled from the tip of Cape Breton on Canada’s east coast to the source of the river Nile in Uganda. I have walked 850km across Spain on the Camino de Santiago and sand boarded the dunes of the Sahara. Travel has provided me with unexpected opportunities to grow and serve better as a social entrepreneur: inspired by the kindness of people in every corner of the world, I have helped find innovative solutions for communities in Europe, Africa and Asia. After three months on the road, I realised I wanted my travel to have more meaning, so I started exploring local initiatives to build a deeper connection with the communities I was visiting. My first stop was volunteering on an organic farm in a
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“The change I want to see is the world becomming one”
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small village outside of Timisoara, Romania, thanks to a tip from a traveller I had met in Spain a few months earlier. I was so inspired by this work that I reached out to my professional network, asking for leads to other grassroots volunteer programmes. The outcome of this single email was an invitation to Kenya and Uganda by two organisations, Elimu and the Canadian Friends of Pearl Children, who work to improve the lives of youth in some of the world’s most impoverished communities. I worked on the frontlines to understand their social objectives and assisted them in aligning their business and communications activities for greater impact. At Elimu, for example, we developed human interest stories to appeal to people back in Canada, using media, social networks and community programming strategies to deliver those stories with integrity and meaning. Working in the field, versus sitting in my office in Canada planning these activities, made a huge difference to what I delivered and how I felt about my work. Word spread about my work with youth education, and I was invited to help create a programme in Pakistan to improve the quality of education at a school serving at-risk children from poor families. I raised seed funding to start The Lotus Project, and the 2013 pilot project has helped more than 1,000 children at a
school in Karachi. At a distance now, I feel thrilled when one of the students signs up on Facebook and manages to locate me, when it was just a few months ago we started computer lessons at the school. Gandhi said “be the change you want to see in the world”. The change I want to see is the world becoming one; a global society built on trust and compassion. To be this change, I travel, I serve, and I encourage others who want to follow this path to do the same. I have raised well over $1,000,000 in funding for charitable organisations and I contribute countless hours as a volunteer. I also share my experiences by speaking at events worldwide and through my blog, living-being.com, hoping to help others find the courage and inspiration to travel and get involved in the world community. These days I am based in the small medieval town of Sibiu in the heart of Transylvania. Surrounded by the Carpathian mountain range, I am here with a girl that caught my eye early on during my journey. I call that girl my wife now. Together with her I am raising our baby daughter – the next generation travelling change maker. Though just six months, she is always excited to be outdoors, to travel and to light up the mood of strangers she meets with her charming smile. How grateful am I to have left my job to travel? More than I can express in words.*
“To be this change, I travel, I serve, and I encourage others who want to follow this path to do the same!” ROOTLESS 11
CREATE
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Building playgrounds in Uganda Interview with Rhian Morris,, a theatre design student from Nottingham Trent University, about her creative volunteer experience helping to build playgrounds in Uganda.
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Why did you want to volunteer? To give something back, to make an impact somewhere where it would be felt and used. Describe your everyday activities whilst you were there… Breakfast 7-8am Playground building 8-1pm Lunch 1-2pm Rest and chores 2-5pm Arts and games 5-7pm Dinner 7pm
Did you have access to technology whilst being there? If not, how did you cope with that? No, only when we went into town you could go to a ‘muzungo’ (western) café to get wifi if you wanted. I quite liked escaping from that though, it felt like you were immersing yourself more in the current environment when you weren’t worried about checking Facebook. Who did you meet that you really connected with whilst you were volunteering? A girl called Winnie and her younger sisters and brothers. All the children had their heads shaved in the traditional style, however Winnie had long hair so immediately stood out. When asked why she didn’t have a shaved head she would just smile and nod knowingly at you – she seemed very wise! She would take care of all her younger siblings and act like the mother, which made her seem older than her years. Every day while we were building they would come and talk to us through the fence, giving us bits of food they’d saved from their dinner. Every day without fail they would come to play and were just so energetic and playful! On the last day I only started crying when I said goodbye to Winnie, I don’t think she understood we were leaving as she was very quiet and confused. She (and about 10 other children!) took me to her house to meet her mum and get her contact details so I could send her some photos. When we drove off the next day they all ran alongside the bus until we got to the main road.
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What were some of your most memorable moments?
All of the crazy adventures we had at the weekends – abseiling down a 100m waterfall in Sipi Falls, white water rafting down the Nile and going on an amazing safari in Queen Elizabeth Park. But also the more simple times, just sitting in a circle eating dinner with the sun setting, or the children teaching us their games. What were your fears before travelling? 3 girls travelling around Uganda by themselves – the wisest of decisions? Did you overcome any fears whilst being there? It was absolutely fine! By the time we’d been working there a month we were so accustomed to everything travelling across such an unknown country didn’t seem like a big deal at all.
How have you changed since returning home?
I like to think I’m more open minded, and more aware of how helping people in a small way can make a massive impact. I think people need to be more aware of how other people are living right now; we shouldn’t be worrying about half the things we’re ‘worried’ about in the western world. What was the most difficult part of your trip? Saying goodbyes. Goodbye to the children, goodbye to the rest of our group, then goodbye to Uganda.
“she would just smile and nod knowingly at you – she seemed very wise!”
The friends that were made: Rhian standing at the top of a mountain with her fellow volunteers
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The final goodbye: Rhian waving goodbye to the children she met in Uganda
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“it’s such a different and more complete way of experiencing a country” And what was the most rewarding? The arts and play sessions with the children – as the local children didn’t speak much English and the teachers weren’t bothered about the children experiencing art lessons or learning a new game, we were pretty much on our own when it came to leading 200 children in different activities. This was mostly chaotic, but we learnt to go with this and rather than organising structured lessons we had a basic idea of an activity and let it naturally develop with what the children wanted out of it. Would you recommend other people to try volunteer travel too? Completely – it’s such a different and more complete way of experiencing a country, especially one so far away as Uganda. Going so far away across the world it is a way of connecting to an otherwise strange country, and developing strong bonds and everlasting memories. How did you spend your spare time whist you were there? We travelled around Uganda after our volunteering, my highlight was seeing and swimming in the crater lakes of Fort Punto, so gloriously beautiful. What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of doing the same? Extend your time in the country by travelling after your volunteering – you can talk to locals and people you’re working with and then decide where you want to go, and you feel confident enough about deciphering the different travel/accommodation options. Everyone should travel and volunteer, it’s priceless.*
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unlock your mind...
“Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.” Judith Thurman
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CONSERVE
What it takes to
Save a species... Interview with Megan Gibson, a student from The University of Exeter, about her volunteer conservation experience on the Northern coast of Cyprus.
a
g towards the se
runnin Baby hatchlings
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The University of
Exeter turtle proj ect
2013
Did you overcome any fears whilst being there? I met so many wonderful people and worked so hard that there wasn’t time to be scared of anything, just had to throw yourself into it!
Magan F inding t u
What were your fears before travelling? I didn’t know anyone before I left, I’d never travelled abroad alone before and I was worried what the food would be like (I’m a pretty fussy eater!)...
rtle egg s on the beac h
Where did you volunteer? I volunteered in Northern Cyprus (Alagadi) on the Marine Turtle Research Project. I’ve been the last two years in a row, the first year for a six week period and the second time for three months. Why did you want to volunteer? I studied Conservation Biology and Geography so working on a conservation project was relevant work experience, as well as letting me travel and meet new people. I also used the time I was there to collect data for my dissertation project on hatchling sea turtles. Also, I wanted to make the most of my long university summers while I had them! Who did you meet that you really connected with whilst you were volunteering? I made a lot of new friends on the project, (a lot of whom were actually on my course at uni but from different years) who I have kept in contact with. Due to the living arrangements, we all got very close pretty quickly! We still have regular get togethers which is always great fun.
Describe your everyday activities whilst you were there…
It was incredibly hard work in a very hot climate, with a lot of scientific data collection for research purposes. I had both day work and night work; Night work, starting at 7pm through to 6am, included patrolling 2km of beaches every ten minutes throughout the night looking for adults nesting (I had to tag the turtles, measure them, put a data collector called a tiny talk in the nest, mark the nest and cage it to prevent predation) and nests hatching (had to weigh and measure several hatchlings from each nest, try and make sure they reach the sea, again prevent predation). Each evening we had a visitors who joined us on the beach in the hopes of seeing a turtle nesting or hatchlings being released. Day work began at 6am and included collecting data on turtle activity on the beaches we didn’t watch at night, finding and caging nests, excavating hatched nests to count the clutch size and help any live hatchlings to the sea. Throughout the day the Project had many visitors who we spoke to, if a nest had hatched the previous night we did a public excavation the following afternoon which was to help raise awareness and funds which often allowed visitors to see a hatchling emerge. There were usually between 20 and 30 volunteers on the base at any one time so there were daily cooking and cleaning duties which were always a challenge.
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“getting to see and release a hatchling sea turtle to the sea for the first time ever...”
One of the first baby turtles to be found
Did you have access to technology whilst being there? If not, how did you cope with that? We had a few project phones to keep in touch on the beach at night, and irregular internet access at the base. We had one computer between the lot of us that was only really supposed to be used for data input. Actually, we didn’t have a lot of free time to waste on technology anyway so it didn’t really bother most people. Although, there were the occasional volunteers who liked to keep in touch with home and worked up huge phone bills...
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How have you changed since returning home?
I can’t wait get away and do something else like this! What was the most difficult part of your trip? Long hours working, trying to sleep in the heat with no air con (we lived in a converted goatshed and slept on mattresses on the floor, with a fair few rats/lizards/bugs around). The midges were a nightmare!
Day cyclin
g trips
And what was the most rewarding? The project has been running over 20 years and they are just starting to see a big increase in the turtle population. I loved the whole experience but on hatchling night releases, with excited tourists getting to see and release a hatchling sea turtle to the sea for the first time ever really reminded me just how cool it was to be working with turtles on a beautiful beach in Cyprus
dlife Making friends with the local wil
to , the sign t c e j o r p e Turutl
base camp
How did you spend your spare time whist you were there? What were some of your most memorable moments? The first time I went, myself and another girl who had arrived on the same flight were stranded outside the Cypriot airport after the girl supposed to pick us up had fallen asleep in the truck in the car park... we were there for a good hour with no idea what was going on and no phone to find out! Getting used to walking the beaches in the dark without falling over trying to spot the turtles, to then army crawl up behind them so we didn’t scare them back to the water. First (and billionth) nest I saw hatch, with loads and
loads of hatchlings all emerging from the nest at once and racing down to the sea Had a birthday party for a friend on a boat in the local harbour, which I fell off and broke my toe... ‘Being the moon’ – on evening hatchling releases someone would go into the sea and stand with a torch to guide the hatchlings in the right direction. Standing waist deep in a sea as warm as a bath with hatchlings swimming past you was amazing. Many many many more...
We didn’t have a lot of spare time, but spent it either swimming, sunbathing, sleeping or at the local beach bar with an ice cream! I did manage to visit the capital city Nicosia, which was beautiful. Would you recommend other people to try volunteer travel too? Yes! Without a doubt.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of doing the same?
Absolutely do it, you’ll meet some great people and make some really life changing and fantastic memories!*
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DISCOVER
Volunteering at the
San Francisco Botanical Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden relies on over 600 volunteers to keep the gardens looking spectacular. We find out how you can get involved and discover that anyone can join the team...
How can I help?
San Francisco Botanical Garden Society has 250-300 regularly active volunteers and almost 600 total volunteers. Without volunteers we could not exist. Volunteers help with a wide range of activities and programs. They grow rare and unusual plants in our nursery and work alongside gardeners to maintain our botanical gardens. What are the benefits of volunteering? Volunteering is a great way to develop new skills, gain experience for your resume, and contribute to a treasured resource within your community. It is a great way to; Meet and socialize with people who share a love of plants and gardening, Obtain free on-the-job-training/horticultural education by master gardeners, botanists and plant specialists Develop a green thumb, and to learn the ins and outs of gardening in the Bay area.
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Is there a minimum time commitment required? Volunteer positions vary in terms of the weekly time commitment and the duration of the volunteer commitment. In general, the minimum commitment for all regularly occurring volunteer positions (all but Special Events and Office Work) is six months. This is to ensure that time spent training a volunteer is repaid with a minimum amount of work. Volunteer shifts may be weekly or every other week, and may be for a full day or a half-day. How do I apply to become a volunteer? All you have to do is fill out the application form on our website and we will be so happy to have you join the team. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/volunteer
Do I need to have a green thumb? No! Although gardening experience or plant knowledge is a plus, for the majority of volunteer positions, absolutely none is required. One of the benefits of volunteering at San Francisco Botanical Garden is the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about gardening in the Bay Area. Our volunteers and staff have a range of horticultural experience, from weekend gardeners to tree specialists. We welcome volunteers with all levels of experience in order to foster a friendly and lively learning environment. What kind of volunteer do you need? Our volunteer needs change depending on what activities, programs, and projects we are running. There are several areas where volunteers are almost always needed including the bookstore, office help and special events set-up and tear-down.
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EXPERIENCE
Teaching in
NICARAGUA
Interview with Chloe Whittaker, a Geography student from Sheffield Univeristy, who taught at a school in Nicaragua during her summer holidays. Why did you want to volunteer? I really wanted to travel abroad during my university summer holiday as they are a bit long and I get restless! But I wanted to do something worthwhile whilst abroad. I considered teaching as I thought I might enjoy it and it might be useful experience for the future. Where did you volunteer? Nicaragua, at a University in Esteli. I taught English to a class of 17-32 year olds, before travelling for two weeks. Describe your everyday activities whilst you were there…
Whilst teaching at the university I stayed with a host family, which was really interesting as they spoke very little English! I taught for 4 hours a day for four weeks. I had a beginners class so it was really hard work! In the evenings there was a lot of lesson planning to do but we did often get out to try the local bars and clubs. At the weekends our students also took us out for hikes in the countryside where we visited waterfalls and the coast.
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Did you have access to technology whilst being there? If not, how did you cope with that? There was an internet café near my host family’s home, which I used to Skype home every week or so. The internet was a bad connection though so I didn’t have much contact with home out there at all other than emails. Did you overcome any fears whilst being there?
I was afraid of meeting lots of different people that I would be working with for a month and the girl that I would be sharing a room with, in case we didn’t get along! The language barrier was also a concern as I knew very little Spanish. Whilst over there I did my best to learn bits of Spanish in the evening which was also a good way of getting to know the other volunteers. In addition to this I wasn’t sure how confident I would feel standing in front of a class for four hours a day, but I feel that I got a lot more comfortable with fulfilling this role.
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Who did you meet that you really connected with whilst you were volunteering? I shared a room at the host family’s house with a girl from the same uni as me. We were out on the same program from Sheffield Uni and so we got very close as we experienced the same challenges with the teaching, language barrier and being away from home. What were some of your most memorable moments? Some of the best moments were getting to know the locals on nights out and experiencing the local culture! Nights out in Esteli are so different- the music is like a fiesta and all the locals danced properly in pairs! I also felt very proud when my students received their certificates at a special award ceremony at the end of the course. They had showed really good progress in their English.
What were your fears before travelling? I wasn’t very fearful of travelling abroad- I think I was probably quite naïve about the dangers of visiting somewhere like Central America, although thankfully there were no problems anyway! I was more worried about whether I could pull off teaching English with no previous experience, and whether I would get ill! How have you changed since returning home?
I feel a lot more confident in myself when approaching new people and situations. I have also become a qualified teacher based on the experiences I had there! What was the most difficult part of your trip?
Missing my family, friends and getting to know the city I was living in. It was difficult at first to use the buses and know where to go for supplies. And what was the most rewarding? Completing the teaching and knowing I’d done an alright job at it! My students were really complementary and said they enjoyed my lessons, so that was very satisfying. I was also proud of the fact I was away from home that long and went somewhere unfamiliar by myself. How did you spend your spare time whist you were there?
We explored a lot of the local countryside and visited local historical landmarks. Would you recommend other people to try volunteer travel too?
I thought it was a really good way of spending time abroad as by volunteering you get to know what local life is like, which is far more interesting than visiting as a tourist. You get a far more interesting insight in to the culture of the place. I also felt good that I had achieved something there. What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of doing the same?
Get on and do it! It’s very rewarding and something which you’ll benefit from in the future too.
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DISCOVER
10 reasons to
Volunteer Travel
Almost every one of us dreams of traveling the world for a number of different reasons, but what really separates volunteer travel as a reason to go?..
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Intergrate into the local community
Volunteering lets you get close to the local community, which fills you up with insights that your average travel guidebooks can never share. Be it the off-track unexploited beautiful spots, great restaurants to try 100% delicious real local cuisine, the local music jam, or of invitations to beach volleyball matches and home feasts, parties and boat day trips‌ You will be a local-traveler not a surface tourist.
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Meeting new people
Beautiful people. Truly wonderful people. Sane people. Insane people. Colourful people. Expectedly or unexpectedly, you get to meet different people from many different countries and all walks of life. Working towards mutual goals, finding and sharing similarities and commonalities out of diversity also allows you to make friends more easily.
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2
Low cost travel
If you’re willing to volunteer for a few hours a day, you basically can live for free, and after work you still have the whole afternoon-evening-night as well as the whole weekend to explore the region. Money saved also means an extra cheap flight/train ticket to travel across regions or countries.
4
Learn new skills
When I was resigning from my previous job, my ex-boss was amazed and worried about my plan to do volunteer travelling saying she could not imagine me working on farms. Coming back from my first volunteer travel experience and telling her about my new expertise in tiling and concrete mixing and chicken diets and pizza yeasting, was a great feeling to be able to prove to her and myself that I could do more than just my daily routine of office life.
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Learn a different language
Increase social awareness
Volunteer travel is a unique way to learn about the complexity of a different culture. You may have read and heard a lot about current issues from newspaper or TV, but actually being there first hand helping needy people who are facing those problems allows you to really walk in their shoes. When volunteers are exposed to a different world with endless uncertainties, it stretches and expands your comfort zone, and as a result opens your eyes to the wider world.
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Experience a healthier lifestyle
Volunteer work is a motivating way to throw yourself a physical challenge. If you do not mind getting sweaty, working on farms or building sites, getting involving in physical work is physically and mentally satisfying and often something you would rarely do at home.
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Staying with a native host gives you ample chances to practice your new language skills. When you have to use it every single day, you rapidly improve. Even if you are yet to learn how to count from one to ten, hosts are generally very happy to teach or exchange their language with yours.
Improve your future prospects
Having volunteered internationally makes you become a highly adaptable person. Skills such as communication, problem solving, and teamwork will greatly improve and If you have had no previous work experience in your own country, overseas volunteer experiences can be an alternative and even more incredible experience.
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Make a difference
By putting forth something constructive and leaving a positive change in the world rather than just watching, you give a meaning to your being while allowing others find a meaning in you.
Experience a challenge
Volunteer travellers will always go back home with a more enriched memories than the average tourist. You discover new things about the world, humanity and yourself. You learn to appreciate life and people in a deeper way, and it is so rewarding to give your time, passion, skills and energy to help others. Volunteer travel can truly make a difference to peoples lives, even if just in a small way, it creates an international community of like-minded people who aim to live a simpler and more appreciative life. The experiences you gain will be a lasting enrichment to your life.
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DISCOVER
Volunteer opportunities in
BERLIN
by: Luke Atcheson, Chelsea Solan, Aimee Stanton
We discover two amazing volunteer opportunities that all Berliners and non-Berliners must try...
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Swinging with the oldies Overcome your dancefloor shyness and German-language Angst... without the fear of anyone remembering your terrible moves! If you’ve got no rhythm and little-to-no German skills, busting a move with the regulars at the monthly Alzheimer-Tanzcafé could be right up your alley: most won’t notice your fumbling grammar or care about your stumbling feet anyway. Plus, it’s believed that music can help Alzheimer’s patients with memory recollection and self-rediscovery, and as a volunteer at the Tanzcafé you might get to witness the amazing effects first-hand. In a large, light-bathed room on the first floor of Kreuzberg’s Intercultural Family Center, a timid group of 12 or so sits around a long row of tables, helpers in tow. Opposite the door, three women behind a short wooden bar serve up coffee, tea and cake. Though some attendees are lively from the get-go (watch out for a certain toothless Don Juan who blows smooches to several ladies and shamelessly flirts with the female volunteers), most of the guests, dementia patients from local nursing homes with varying degrees of the condition, generally arrive in a state of glassy-eyed lethargy. Watch out for a certain toothless Don Juan who shamelessly flirts with the female volunteers. Don’t be fooled, though: once the music really starts pumping (Schlager to polka to Volkslieder), ears perk up and feet start tapping. As you shovel your last bit of torte into your mouth, a peppy woman wearing a large straw hat and feather boa bounds up behind a hunched woman in a
multicoloured wig, squeezes her shoulders, whispers in her ear and they’re off! The dancefloor quickly fills with swinging seniors, most of them in costumes befitting today’s Karneval party. “It is noticeable after one or two songs,” says longtime volunteer Andrea Wutz. Their demeanors change... they can often sing along with song lyrics and are very proud of it!” One small elderly woman even had her memory so jogged that during the group goodbye song, she was transposed back to her long forgotten youth and burst into a chorus of “Taler, Taler du musst wandern!”, starting an impromptu round of the age-old German children’s game. Beware, the old adage “Move your feet, lose your seat” works in reverse here. If you move too slowly you’ll end up awkward and alone, a wallflower once again, left to sadly clap your hands and longingly scan the room for a dance partner. But even if you aren’t quick enough to snag an Opa-aged waltz whirler, help is always welcome for preparing refreshments, chatting with guests and cleaning up at the Tanzcafé. If you’re busy from 2-4pm the second Monday afternoon of every month, there’s good news: three other Alzheimer-Tanzcafés meet in Spandau, Schöneberg and Treptow on the last Friday, first Wednesday and first Monday of each month respectively. If you’re really looking to strip away the dancefloor trepidation, why not boogie down at all of them? CS Alzheimer-Gesellschaft Berlin e.V. | Tanzcafé, Interkulturelles Familienzentrum, Wilhelmstr. 115, Kreuzberg, U-Bhf Kochstr. www.alzheimer-berlin.de.
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Sprouts and salvation Stop by the American Church in Schöneberg on Friday evenings and help feed hungry Berliners – no baptism certificate required. Don’t be too generous; the food has to feed around 60 families every Friday night. When handing out food to the less fortunate, always stand behind the broccoli box. Why? Broccoli is the most popular vegetable, obviously. God help you if you’re placed behind the Brussels sprouts box though, or you will find yourself offering copious amounts of the greens to someone who’s shouting “nein... nein... NEIN!” But that’s all in an evening’s work at the American Church in Schöneberg. A bell chimes every Friday at 5pm to signal the start of the food drive with dozens of people standing in the foyer of the grand, old church on the corner of Dennewitzstraße. It’s as chilly inside as it is outside and the people trundle into the main church hall, taking shelter from the elements. Young men push tartan granny trolleys, old ladies use every bit of strength to carry their Lidl ‘bag for life’ and little children run around attempting to suppress the boredom caused by waiting in line. The clientele vary in appearance, and one can’t help question whether they all are genuinely needy. Church council president Karin von Rosen, who has been with the project since its launch in 2005, assures us, “They have to be needy. They have to be with the welfare services, so we see they’re signed up and they need food.” Attendees need to show papers to prove they are on Hartz-IV. If they don’t have papers, Von Rosen and the volunteers advise where to go in the district to apply. No papers means no food, so chancers of Berlin stay away; you can’t just turn up and cater your Friday night dinner party. Expel ideas of a traditional soup kitchen
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from your mind – this food drive only provides the ingredients. The project collects leftovers from local grocery stores that won’t make it past the weekend such as fruit, veg, bread and unexpectedly, flowers – no matter the meal, all dinner tables need a centrepiece. “It’s a cooperation that we began when the Berliner Tafel had severe financial problems and couldn’t continue the soup kitchens,” Von Rosen explains. As you stand behind your chosen box an elderly lady yells at her husband about how much food they need. She flashes a card with a two and a one scribbled on it: two adults’ and one child’s worth of food. Don’t be too generous; the food has to feed around 60 families every Friday night. “Some people do try to take more,” Von Rosen warns. “They only pay €1 per adult and the children eat for free. The euro helps to pay for the gas and the running costs that we have here in the church.” It’s the only foreign church in Berlin providing the service, so it brings a unique group of attendees. “When we started this project there were a lot more Turkish people attending, but the neighbourhood has changed a little bit. Now there are a lot of Slavic and Russian families.” However, this isn’t something you need Russian for, or even German... in fact, you don’t really need English, as long as you have a finger to point with. And as if giving out food weren’t fulfilling enough, you even have the chance to salvage your soul by gathering round in circle time and giving thanks to the big man above for providing the hands that feed. If you fancy volunteering, drop by The American Church at 4:45pm any Friday night. The American Church in Berlin, Dennewitzplatz, Schöneberg, U-Bhf Bülowstr.
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unlock your mind...
“Not all those who wander are lost.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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DISCOVER
How to volunteer at a
Music Festival By: Will Coldwell
Volunteering at a music, film or art festival can mean getting free tickets, discounts or ‘crew’ perks, as well as gaining an insight into how major events are put together. How does it work? There may be moments when you’re dancing – in the mud, to an obscure post-grunge rock band with a man who looks distinctly like the Labour politician Tom Watson – when you begin to believe that festivals come together by magic. But you’d be mistaken. In fact, the great summer parties are a feat of hard work and meticulous planning, with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people coming together to set them up and ensure they run smoothly. However, turning a profit can be tough and many festivals – both arts and music – depend on volunteers to ensure they go ahead. As a result lots of organisers offer fans free tickets, benefits or discounts in exchange for helping out. It’s a great way to get into the often pricey events on the cheap and the perfect opportunity to plan out a summer of partying or travelling in both the UK and abroad.
Do I need experience? In most cases no experience is necessary but training will sometimes be provided What will I do? Most festivals get their volunteers to help out with tasks such as giving out wristbands, car parking, monitoring gates, litter picking or just keeping an eye on things. If you already have experience in things like first aid or stewarding you could end up taking on a role with more responsibility, such as managing a team of stewards. Depending on the role you take on you will be expected to work a series of shifts over the course of the festival. Oxfam, which manages the stewards for all of the UK’s biggest festivals, usually requires volunteers to do three eighthour shifts and you receive a food token for each, as well as plenty of free tea and biscuits.
How much does it cost? It’s free. Though in most cases you will be expected to pay a deposit to make sure you turn up to your shifts rather than disappearing in a flurry of cocktails and fancy dress after five minutes. Of course, while you save money on the event itself (and many organisations offer volunteers food vouchers) you should still budget for your food and drink. Will I miss my favourite band? Well, you will almost certainly miss some of the fun, although you should be able to swap shifts with your fellow stewards if your hours end up clashing with your dream performer. If you agree to do early and late shifts – such as helping set up prior to the festival and/or helping with the clean-up operation afterwards – you could find yourself free to enjoy the entire festival without working. And many people find festival volunteering a fun experience in itself; you get to make new friends and help bleary-eyed ravers find their missing glowsticks.
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Where can I do it? Lots of places! Countless music and arts festivals around the world rely on volunteers so it’s worth checking websites or contacting organisers directly if there’s a particular festival you want to get involved with. See examples below. Advice for a fist-timer “I would do it with a friend as you can usually get paired up with them,” says Natalie Ward, who volunteered to steward at Glastonbury festival in 2009. “And bring lots of snacks and a waterproof as you may end up standing in the rain for hours. But it’s really fun; you get to meet lots of new people and you usually get to stay in your own campsite with showers and more space. And with tickets costing £180 now it’s great to have a free ticket; it takes a lot of the pressure off to have fun and you can just enjoy yourself.” Where do I sign up? Oxfam stewards If you want to get yourself to any of the big-hitting British festivals (think Glastonbury, Bestival, Reading and Leeds), as well as a bunch of great smaller ones, such as Shambala and Boomtown, then you need to apply through Oxfam. The money Oxfam generates by running the service
goes back into its charity work and it raises £1m each summer through festival work. Applications to steward open in spring but you should register your interest now in order to get a reminder. You will need to provide details of a referee and pay a deposit in order to apply. For 2013 the deposit was up to £205, depending on the festivals you chose, but you only need to pay one deposit even if you plan to volunteer at several festivals. • For information and to register your interest visit oxfam.org.uk/stewarding or contact the Oxfam festival team on 0300 200 1266 or email stewards@oxfam.org. uk Work Exchange Team In the States, the Work Exchange Team does a similar job to Oxfam, organising festival volunteering opportunities for music fans across a large number of American festivals, including the Californian music and arts festival Coachella and magical dance rave-up Electric Forest in Michigan. Again, you earn your ticket through shifts and the roles you take on will vary from festival to festival. • For more information and to sign up visit workexchangeteam.com
“it takes a lot of the pressure off having fun and you can just enjoy yourself!”
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Festivals Abroad SXSW festival The week long “music, film and interactive” festival and conference in Austin, Texas, has become the darling of the hip, tech-savvy, entrepreneurial start-up world. It’s a huge event that runs each year thanks to 3,000 volunteers. The festival welcomes out-of-town volunteers, making it a great way for a newcomer to dive into one of America’s great modern cultural events. Out-of-town volunteers need to work a minimum of 30 hours throughout the festival as part of the conference crew or complete a minimum number of shifts with the production teams, with roles involving everything from technical support to registering visitors. Depending on the hours you work, you will earn wristbands giving you access to various parts of the festival. Limited hotel discounts are also available for volunteers. • For information and to register visit volunteer.sxsw.com Outlook festival If you want to combine amazing music with a beach holiday, electronic bass-fest Outlook – this year featuring Lauryn Hill and Busta Rhymes – is one of several in Croatia that takes volunteers. Roles include everything from box office to decor, and applications open in the spring. • Visit outlookfestival.com/get-involved or contact volunteers@outlookfestival.com for more details Electric Picnic A leftfield festival in Ireland, which combines top musical acts (last year the line up boasted Fatboy Slim and Björk) with art, performance and comedy. Volunteers
need to pay a deposit equal to the value of a weekend ticket, shifts last six-to-eight hours and volunteers need to clock up 24 hours over the course of the festival. Registration for this year’s event is not open yet. • Visit electricpicnic.ie/volunteers12 for updates or contact volunteers@electricpicnic.ie Sundance It is one of the world’s most-respected independent film festivals and every year more than 1,800 volunteers help make it happen. Sundance, which takes place in Utah each January, requires volunteers to help run everything from shuttle stops to theatre entrances. Volunteers from around the world are welcome to apply and will get the chance to see world premieres of new indie flicks in return for their hard work, as well as getting food vouchers and a golden ticket to the staff and volunteer opening night party. Applications open in August. • For more information visit sundance. org/festival/volunteer or contact volunteers@sundance.org Melt! This rapidly expanding rock and electronic music festival in Germany relies on volunteers to help its 20,000-capacity event run smoothly. Volunteers must be able to speak German but the work providies an insight into the backstage workings of a large event and the organisers give out certificates for anyone using the experience as a step into the music industry. • For information visit meltfestival.de/en/ meco/volunteers
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unlock your mind...
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust
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Photograph: Anna Badger
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CREATE
A Sustainable Permaculture Sculpture Project in
CROATIA Design students and close friends, Anna and Rhian, embarked on a volunteer arts project in the Croatian countryside, and discovered the amazing benefits of volunteer travel; meeting inspirational people & contributing to a more positive and optimistic future...
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Permaculture noun [ mass noun ] The development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.
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“Croatia, a beautiful country with crystal clear blue sea, delicious fresh fruit, amazing architecture and welcoming people.” In the summer of 2013, one of my closest friends from University and I, embarked on our first ever volunteer travel experience with the organisation ‘work away’ (www.workaway.info). When we thought about the possibility of working in exchange for seeing another country, trying the local cuisine and meeting new people, we couldn’t say no to the idea. Both coming from creative courses, we wanted to try and find a project that would be creative and beneficial to a community. We knew that we wanted to find a volunteer opportunity in Croatia, a beautiful country with crystal clear blue sea, delicious fresh fruit, amazing architecture and welcoming people. When searching there were many great potential work opportunities, but then we found Ivan’s post about the possibility of volunteering on an ‘eco sculpture’ project, and we couldn’t think of anything more perfect! Ivan described himself as: “a 46 year old sculptor with many of my sculptures being used as installations in public places across Croatia. At the moment I am trying to establish a multi-functional art park. The project is based in the heart of a beautiful pine forest surrounded by Mountains in Solin, a suburb of the city Split. I’m a founder of the art association in Croatia which is involved in the creation of the community art park.” When we first arrived in Solin, it was late, we were exhausted and we were com-
pletely lost. Just as we were about to give up and check into a hostel, we saw a man in the distance riding a bicycle. As he got nearer we realised it couldn’t be anyone else but Ivan. With long dreadlocks curling down his back and a huge smile, he greeted us with a warm hand shake and I instantly knew that he was going to be a very interesting person. The sculpture park, nestled amongst the pine forest, had been taken over by Ivan’s sculptures. Wherever you turned there was yet another great mass of marble carved into a beautiful abstract form. He had a large work shed and nearby a huge circle of marble chairs stood facing one another. Each chair had been beautifully carved and each was individual in it’s own way. Looking at Ivan, slender in build, I could not imagine how he had managed to transform such huge pieces of rock into works of art. Almost everything in the sculpture park, Ivan had made, from the table we sat to eat dinner at, to the shower and even the toilet. It was incredibly inspiring to see how somebody could live so at one with nature and be so self resourceful. After Ivan had showed us to our tent he cooked an amazing fresh fish dinner, and I couldn’t have felt more grateful. Our daily tasks usually involved gardening and cleaning the forest area. Ivan grew all his own fruit and vegetables so there was a lot of gardening to be
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meal with all fresh ingredients. Our time staying with Ivan was very special to us, and continues to leave an impact on us even now. It was our first ‘work away’ experience and an overwhelmingly positive one contributing to a magical holiday. Ivan is one of the most generous, kind, thoughtful and inspirational people we have met and we wish him good luck with all of his future endeavours! His way of life was so different to what we know but so in tune with the earth and his surroundings. The work we did didn’t even feel like work as it was enjoyable and let us be more in contact with nature. We really enjoyed our time with Ivan and only wish we could have stayed longer to help more with the park and get more involved in the artistic development of it. We hope to one day visit Ivan again soon.
“Ivan is one of the most generous, kind, thoughtful and inspirational people we have ever met”
done. Working in the 35 degree heat was difficult but the work was not so strenuous and it felt good to do something physical which would help Ivan in the future. Ivan’s dream was to expand the park so that it became a community sculpture park. He had already cleared a large area of the forest, with the help of volunteers, to make space for more tents and provide a place for Ivan to run sculpture workshops. If we ever had time off, we made the most of it by exploring the beautiful city of Split. A coastal town with a spectacular old town and surrounded by the pristine Adriatic sea, it is a city I could never tire of. We spent our time by exploring the beauty of the Croatian countryside and swimming as much as possible. One afternoon Ivan took us on a bike ride to some Roman ruins in Solin, we picked fresh figs and cooked a delicious Croatian style
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DISCOVER
Moin Moin
ADC Fesitval Hamburg This year the Art Directors Club festival was held in Hamburg from the 13th to the 17th May, and relied on many volunteers to make the festival possible
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This year Hamburg hosted the ADC Festival 2014 which ran from the 13th to the 17th May. The festival brings together 600 leading minds in creative communication from all fields to celebrate the best work in advertising, design and illustration. Club members are renowned designers, journalists, architects, set designers, photographers, illustrators, directors, composers, producers and advertisers. The aim of the club is to continue to spread imagination and innovation in the creative industries in order to constantly improve the quality of design. The ADC is an appreciation of the work of professionals and juniors across Germany and the world. This year the focus of the festival was ‘Innovation’; Congress talks from world famous designers focused on the topic of the future economy and competing companies need for innovative ideas. The exhibition included work across all
categories including; Print, Audio visual, Digital media, Promotion, Branding, Set design, Design, Editorial and Craft. The exhibition is an inspirational event to be involved with and a brilliant platform for junior designers to begin their creative careers. The exhibition relies on a large number of volunteers to ensure it is a success and this year was no different. Katy, a student from Loughborough University, participated in a media course for which she “was mainly responsible for photography of the exhibition, congress and impressions. I was also involved in helping recording the congress each day. In addition to this i took photos for our personal university project”. She believes that getting involved with the festival was an excellent opportunity to learn about the creative industries and gain media and journalism knowledge whilst seeing the everything Hamburg has to offer.
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With credit and thanks to...
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Photography
Rhian Morris Jennah Green Jessica Rudd Martha Schlee Bamford Megan Gibson Chloe Whittaker Anna Badger Katy Feek Vanessa Ma Faye Gibbon
Text & Interviews
Urooj Qureshi Rhian Morris Megan Gibson San Francisco Botanical Garden Chloe Whittaker Work Away Chelsea Solan Aimee Stanton Luke Atcheson Will Coldwell Anna Badger
Illustration
All illustrations by Anna Badger Š Anna Badger 2014 Petra Esveld, Editorial Design, Summer Semester, Hochschule RhienMain.
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Rootless Magazine Š Anna Badger 2014