VAP gets underway!

The international youth exchange which sees young people from all around the world volunteering in foreign organisations has begun! During their stay these young people will take part in the tremendous Volunteering Against Poverty project (VAP) and will make a documentary film to show as many people as possible the realities of poverty across the world.

As part of this exchange Konda Delphine and Elvis Ngollebong left OGCEYOD and Cameroon for one year to go to Europe. Delphine is now volunteering in the head office of the International Falcon Movement in Brussels where she is doing international coordination work which is vital for the VAP project. Elvis has travelled to the UK and is making a valuable contribution to the work of another International Falcon Movement organisation; The Woodcraft Folk. Both are settling in well to their new countries and learning to live and work in a different culture.

Meanwhile two new volunteers from the UK have arrived at OGCEYOD; Laura Hallsworth and Hywel Sedgwick-Jell have started their voluntary service here in Cameroon.

Laura and Hywel’s first impressions: “So far we’ve learnt about many cultural aspects, differences and customs, tried lots of Cameroonian food and have seen many interesting and unusual sights. It’s wonderful that we have gotten to know Limbe so well already. This was facilitated during OGCEYOD’s training period where as new volunteers we visited many of Limbe’s attractions such at the Wildlife Rescue Centre, the Botanical Gardens, local markets, beaches, nightlife, eating spots, and of course there has been fish in Down Beach on several occasions! Our time here has already been eventful and we have already had the chance to travel to other attractions such as Mount Cameroon itself. Finally we are looking forward to many things like learning more words in Pigeon and French, being involved in OGCEYOD’s upcoming programmes, finding out about further development issues here in Africa, and making a personal impact whilst meeting even more fascinating people!”

Laura said: I feel this kind of international exchange is really very valuable because it allows people to learn things about the world in a way that increases understanding of other cultures whilst braking myths and opening up new possibilities for everyone involved. Many of my preconceptions about life in Cameroon have been challenged and I’m coming to understand that the images of everyday Africans one sees on the TV screens in the ‘Global North’ have very little meaning in reality just as many of the images of America and Europe shown here in Africa give a very strange if not altogether false impression of life in ‘Developed’ countries.

Hywel said:  "My EVS placement in Limbe, Cameroon has been incredibly educational, enjoyable and interesting so far. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming VAP seminar in Medan, Indonesia, and getting started on our documentary project."

As part of OGCEYOD’s in-house training programme the new volunteers successfully completed many elements of training needed to carry out work in an NGO. Hywel and Laura have also started networking successfully with several organisations in the Fako region – particularly in relation to their special areas of interest and have been working hard to start their own personal projects.