In this Issue
Community Partnerships - The Heart of Our Mission
For 10 years, Amizade has successfully partnered
willing volunteers with developing communities to help
build a better world. From Aboriginal Australia to the
Navajo Nation, we work with nonprofit
organizations to address global problems including
poverty, inadequate education, cultural and
environmental preservation, healthcare, housing and
infrastructure. We have partnered with religious
missions, youth centers and orphanages,
schools and the U.S. Forest Service, to name just a
few.
Our partnerships are founded on mutual goals of
promoting strong, viable communities, sustainable
development projects and cross-cultural understanding.
Specific volunteer projects, be they
tutoring children, teaching English or constructing a
community center, are identified by partner
organizations and directly benefit local residents while
providing rewarding experiences for
volunteers. Many of our volunteers are return
participants, who spread encouraging words about their
service to family and friends. Sarah Dallas, a recent
volunteer in Montana said, "I will treasure my time at
the OTO Ranch forever, and I hope that I can go back
to work there in the future."
Throughout the partnership, Amizade commits to
recruiting and coordinating volunteers to meet
organizations' needs and goals, and in return,
organizations commit to working with volunteers. "We
are very proud of Amizade and the work your
volunteers have done here in Jamaica," said Matthias
Brown, site coordinator in Petersfield. "The impact it
has had on our members, communities and residents in
general is immeasurable."
Amizade best serves community development efforts
over several years, so we seek to maintain partnerships
for a minimum of five years. The costs
associated with partnerships - transportation, lodging,
meals and recreational activities for volunteers, as well
as some construction materials - are
covered in program fees. Amizade takes pride in
offering unique, safe and affordable programs, and in
the fact that more than 80 percent of program fees are
returned directly to partner communities. For more
information or to submit a partnership proposal, contact
Executive Director Michael Sandy at
mbsandy@amizade.org.
D
o you support our vision of community? Consider making a donation.
Quick Links
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Greetings!
Summer vacations offer exciting possibilities -- travel
to new places, meeting new people, spending time with
family or getting reacquainted with old friends. Summer
volunteer vacations with Amizade offer the same
amenities, but also provide opportunities to make a real
difference in the lives of children and others. This
summer, Amizade is pleased to announce two new
partnerships in Mexico and India, which we
hope will bring lasting benefits to communities and
future volunteers. We invite you to learn more about
our new friends and upcoming volunteer programs in
these countries.
Sincerely,
Alyson Walls, Public Relations Coordinator
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Helping Children and Families in India
In Hyderabad, India, a bustling, 400-year-old
metropolis, Amizade has partnered with Sunshine
Ministries to build a school, care for and educate
children and families living in poverty. Although India
occupies a small portion of the world's total land area,
it supports more than 15% of the world's population.
Despite
impressive gains in economic investment and output,
India faces problems such as the ongoing
dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir,
overpopulation, environmental degradation, extreme
climate, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious
strife.
Five years ago David Babu, a native of India and
current resident of Philadelphia, and his
wife Abigail, formed Sunshine Ministries to reach out to
the people of India. Sunshine Ministries currently
operates a temporary school out of a warehouse for
children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Most of the
children come from poor homes where their parents are
illiterate and cannot afford to provide them with quality
education.
Babu's organization also established a children's home,
which provides shelter, food, clothing and care in the
Christian tradition, as well as Bible Clubs, a youth
ministry and a computer training center which helps
women and children learn basic computing skills. The
training is free and additional employment counseling is
given to participants upon completion, which enables
women to get jobs and support their families.
Amizade volunteers will work with Sunshine Ministries,
starting with construction of a permanent school that
will educate 250 students
and house 40 on site. Amizade expects to begin
offering a range
of volunteer and service-learning programs in India
beginning October 16-30.
A Brief History of Hyderabad »
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Teach English and Help Preserve the Environment in Small
Mexican Villages
As part of a new partnership in Mexico, Amizade
volunteers may now participate in several projects near
the city of Puerto Morelos, dealing with environmental
preservation and teaching English as a Second
Language.
Puerto Morelos, a small fishing town about 20 miles
south of Cancun, is largely dependent on the mega-
tourism that has developed in the area. Over the past
10 years, there has been an explosion of Mayans from
rural areas of the Yucatan immigrating to this region in
search of better paying jobs with the tourism industry.
Villagers are eager to learn English to benefit from new
employment opportunities. Both
young and old residents can use English skills to sell
their crafts, work as guides in the forest they grew up
in, and obtain jobs in construction. There also is a need
to teach ecology, recycling, and water conservation,
as the influx of people has created huge growth in the
midst of five fragile ecosystems.
The organization known as Lu=B4um K=B4aa Nab A.C. is
dedicated to addressing challenges facing the Puerto
Morelos region, and Amizade has joined in these
important efforts. In Mexico, individuals can volunteer
for one- or two-week programs, or one-month
programs. On long-term programs, knowledge of
Spanish is required since volunteers will be teaching
English and other subjects including ecology, recycling,
crafts, hurricane preparation and First Aid. Amizade is
offering several programs in Mexico beginning next
month, in August and September.
Teaching English
in Mexico »
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Amizade Seeks Service-Learning Facilitators
Amizade is accepting inquiries and applications for 2006
Global Service-Learning Facilitator positions. Service-
learning facilitators cooperate with academic
instructors at West Virginia University and others to
integrate essential educational components on Amizade
courses, which take place around the world and in
many disciplines. Facilitator positions combine serious
professional development in this emerging, intellectually-
challenging field, with exciting employment and travel
opportunities.
Amizade is currently planning a service-learning
facilitators meeting in the Fall. For more information
please e-mail Michael Sandy at mbsandy@amizade.org,
or check
www.globalservicelearning.org for updates.
Course and Facilitator Updates »
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Volunteer Update
For the months of May and June, Amizade has 46
volunteers engaged in programs in Montana, Northern
Ireland, and the Navajo Nation, including eight students
from Fordham University in New York, 18 from
Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania, and 20 students
and chaperones from Arch Bishop Mitty High School in
California. Five volunteers are serving in long-term
programs in Bolivia, and one in Jamaica. We extend our
gratitude for their service and wishes for successful
experiences, life-long learning and productive
partnerships.
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