Ethiopia P2P Volunteer Trips Appeal 2012

People to People Building a bridge with Ethiopia

2012 People to People Volunteer Opportunities in Ethiopia

Welcome!

People to People (P2P) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care and reducing the spread of diseases, including HIV/AIDS in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia and diaspora communities in the USA. Many of our projects are focused on strengthening health systems through partnerships with local hospitals and universities, in which we engage the global Ethiopian diaspora in an attempt to bridge the knowledge gap and address the country’s severe shortage of health and medical professionals. P2P is also engaged in a number of service-oriented projects, working in particularly with vulnerable communities, such as children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, the elderly, the deaf community, women, and more, devoting our time and effort to their health and empowerment.

Founded in 1999, P2P is an international organization, with headquarters in the US and an office in Ethiopia that serves as a focal point for all global chapters of the organization, including Canada, Sweden, Finland, the UK, and more. There are currently about 5,000 P2P members worldwide including doctors and other professionals who want to make a difference in the lives of people.

For those of you who have volunteered abroad before, you know how meaningful and insightful global service learning trips of this nature can be. For those of you who have not done so, we invite you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to explore, have fun, and make a difference in the lives of others.

Dates & Itineraries

•

Volunteer Trip #1 (“Deaf Education & Empowerment”) Addis Ababa & Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; July 31st—August 13th, 2012 (exact dates may change)

•

Volunteer Trip #2 (“Women’s Development Issues”) Addis Ababa, Debre Markos, Mekelle, & Lalibela, Ethiopia; August 15th—28th, 2012 (exact dates may change)

The tentative itinerary for the volunteer trip is as follows:

VOLUNTEER TRIP #1: “Deaf Education & Empowerment” DAY

DATE

ACTIVITY

1

Monday, July 30th

Volunteer departure from home

2

Tuesday, July 31st

Anticipated arrival in Addis Ababa (individual airport pick-up); overnight at Family Cozy Bed & Breakfast

3

Wednesday, August 1st

Group orientation; visit the People to People office and staff; city exploration

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People to People Building a bridge with Ethiopia

4

Thursday, August 2nd

Local NGO partner meetings with Ethiopian National Association for the Deaf (ENAD) and the Deaf Development Information Association (DDIA), including ENAD preschool; afternoon visit with staff and students at Addis Ababa University sign language program

5

Friday, August 3rd

Local volunteering at the LeaMcD Center for Deaf Services (www.leamcdeaf.com)

6

Saturday, August 4th

Local volunteering at the LeaMcD Center for Deaf Services

7

Sunday, August 5th

Early morning departure by private van to Bahir Dar; volunteer training and prep work; overnight at Summerland Hotel (www.summerbahirdar.com); group leisure time in the evening

8

Monday, August 6th

9

Tuesday, August 7th

10

Wednesday, August 8th

Day 1: Volunteer program (teach/conduct activities) with students at Yekatit 23 School for the Deaf in Bahir Dar Day 2: Volunteer program (teach/conduct activities) with students at Yekatit 23 School for the Deaf in Bahir Dar Day 3: Volunteer program (teach/conduct activities) with students at Yekatit 23 School for the Deaf in Bahir Dar; afternoon boat ride to historic islands of Lake Tana

11

Thursday, August 9th

Day 4: Volunteer program (teach/conduct activities) with students at Yekatit 23 School for the Deaf in Bahir Dar

12

Friday, August 10th

Day 5: Field trip with students at Yekatit 23 School for the Deaf in Bahir Dar

13

Saturday, August 11th

Early morning departure for Wollisso; overnight at Negash Lodge (www.negashlodge.com)

14

Sunday, August 12th

Leisure and activities at Negash Lodge; volunteer departure dinner & trip evaluations/review

15

Monday, August 13th

Departure from Addis Ababa (individual airport drop-off)

VOLUNTEER TRIP#2: “Women’s Development Issues” DAY

DATE

ACTIVITY

1

Tuesday, August 14th

Volunteer departure from home

2

Wednesday, August 15th

Anticipated arrival in Addis Ababa (individual airport pick-up); overnight at Family Cozy Bed & Breakfast

3

Thursday, August 16th

Group orientation; visit the People to People office and staff; project visits and city exploration

4

Friday, August 17th

Morning departure for Debre Markos; volunteer training and prep; overnight at FM International Hotel

5

Saturday, August 18th

Day 1: Leadership & Life Skills Training for Young Women at Amanuel Girls Boarding Home

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People to People Building a bridge with Ethiopia

Day 2: Leadership & Life Skills Training for Young Women at Amanuel Girls Boarding Home Day 3: Leadership & Life Skills Training for Young Women at Amanuel Girls Boarding Home Day 4: Leadership & Life Skills Training for Young Women at Amanuel Girls Boarding Home Day 5: Leadership & Life Skills Training for Young Women at Amanuel Girls Boarding Home Return to Addis Ababa; flight to Mekelle

6

Sunday, August 19th

7

Monday, August 20th

8

Tuesday, August 21st

9

Wednesday, August 22nd

10

Thursday, August 23rd

11

Friday, August 24th

Visit Healing Hands of Joy Mekelle Center for women survivors of obstetric fistula; meet with Safe Motherhood Ambassadors

12

Saturday, August 25th

Volunteer work with HHOJ Mekelle Center

13

Sunday, August 26th

Early morning departure for Lalibela; exploration of the ancient rock-hewn churches and historical sites; overnight at Tukul Village (www.tukulvillage.com)

14

Monday, August 27th

Further exploration of the cultural sites and leisure activities at Lalibela; return flight to Addis Ababa; volunteer departure dinner & trip evaluations/review; overnight at Family Cozy Bed & Breakfast

15

Tuesday, August 28th

Departure from Addis Ababa (individual airport drop-off)

 

Program Description Trip #1: Ethiopian deaf children experience discrimination in education, healthcare, job skills training and opportunities, and everyday communication and activities. For this reason, we are developing a program in partnership with local deaf organizations already engaged in serving this vulnerable community. During this trip we intend to learn from their experiences and efforts in greater detail. Our hope is that the end result will be the development of a thoughtful and thorough program of life skills training, Ethiopian Sign Language (ESL) training, job training, public education/outreach, and educational support for the deaf community in Bahir Dar (where there are currently no real services available). We will be volunteering with two deaf schools, one in Addis Ababa and one in Bahir Dar, teaching leadership and life skills, and engaging the students in all sorts of activities and games.

Trip #2: Throughout the world, women do the vast majority of the work but earn only a fraction of their male counterparts. Women also face a whole host of other challenges and are often relegated to second-class status. Taking account of these hardships and the unique situation of women globally, international development has slowly but consistently moved in the direction of recognizing and addressing these challenges that women face throughout their lives. On this trip we will explore some of these issues, meet with local change-makers who are engaged in serving women and girls, conduct a 5-day leadership & life skills training for young women who have been orphaned by

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People to People Building a bridge with Ethiopia

HIV/AIDS, and spend time learning about obstetric fistula and meeting with Safe Motherhood Ambassadors. It is our hope that young women (students, professionals, the “young at heart”, etc.), especially those of Ethiopian origin, will join us for this important trip and become empowered, so that they may return home and become advocates and change-makers themselves.

In addition to the volunteer component, these trips will provide an opportunity to see local development projects in action. Volunteers will meet with local NGOs and make field visits to various projects designed to make a difference in communities in need.

Finally, volunteers will have time for periodic sightseeing and leisure, providing an opportunity to see some of the many fascinating sights that Ethiopia has to offer.

Volunteers will experience some of the historical and archaeological heritage, nature/wildlife, and more. All of this will give volunteers an opportunity to experience Ethiopian culture and engage in what amounts to a potentially very powerful crosscultural exchange and learning experience.

Costs The program fee for trip #1 (“Deaf Education & Empowerment”), which spans 14 days/13 nights, is set at $1,500/person.

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People to People Building a bridge with Ethiopia

The program fee for trip #2 (“Women’s Development Issues”), which spans 14 days/13 nights, is set at $1,700/person.

This fee covers all expenses from the moment you arrive in Ethiopia until the moment you leave, but it excludes the cost of roundtrip international airfare, travel visa, and any other personal shopping or expenses once on the ground. Each volunteer is responsible for applying for their travel visa, as well as making their own airfare arrangements and communicating these to P2P well in advance of any travel. A deposit of $350 toward the program fee must be received by May 31, 2012 to secure your spot. Please make checks payable to “People to People”.

Local Partners For the first trip program we are partnering with the Ethiopian National Association for the Deaf (ENAD), the Deaf Development Information Association (DDIA), the LeaMcD Center for the Deaf, and the Yekatit 23 School in Bahir Dar. ENAD will serve as the lead partner organization and will work closely with IMHO to make all arrangements and ensure our entire group is properly cared for throughout our stay.

For the second trip program we are partnering with Healing Hands of Joy (HHOJ) and the Amanuel Girls Boarding Home (a project of P2P). As we will be conducting our own leadership & life skills training for the young women in Amanuel, the P2P Ethiopia office will be the primary local implementing partner.

How to Apply If you are interested in volunteering with P2P this August, simply fill out the 2012 P2P Volunteer Application & Waiver and return it to: Greg Buie, P2P Chief Operating Officer 1115 Larrabee Street #301 West Hollywood, CA 90069 Please make sure your application is complete and has been signed wherever a signature is required. Also, a photocopy of your passport photo page is necessary. There is a nonrefundable volunteer application fee of $50, which will be applied to your overall program fee if you are accepted as a volunteer. All checks should be made payable to “People to People” and included with your completed application. Applications must be received by May 15, 2012.

What’s Next?

You will be notified by email as soon as your application has been received and processed. Over the next several weeks leading up to the trip we will be communicating with all volunteers regularly about exact travel plans, flight arrangements, suggested immunizations, payment, what to prepare for, what to expect, other trip details, and more. A non-refundable deposit of $350 is due by May 31, 2012, and full payment will be due no less than 3 weeks before departure. It is often easiest to pay in full upfront, although it is up to you to decide how you would like to do it. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns. We look forward to you joining us in Ethiopia for this memorable experience!

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