After working on the book for more than a decade, Haley was stuck -- and desperate
I just love to get out in the ocean. You are really out there, thinking in ways you haven't thought before. The best writing I ever possibly could do was after The Digest helped me go to Africa and Europe, and I was not known and I could just take my time and nobody was pressing me. God, I don't know how long it took me. I was working slowly, slowly. When I had done all the research, nine years, working in between doing articles for other magazines, I was ready to write. I didn't know where to go, didn't know what to do. I knew I had a monumental task. And I got on a cargo ship. I went from Long Beach, California, completely around South America and back to Long Beach. It was 91 days.
There's something about a ship. Usually I go out on freight ships, cargo ships. (I wouldn't get caught on a liner. How can you write with 800 people dancing?) But the freight ships carry a maximum of 12 people, and they tend to be very quiet people.
I work my principal hours from about 10:30 at night until daybreak. The world is yours at that point. Most all the passengers are asleep.
I had written from the birth of Kunta Kinte through his capture. And I had got into the habit of talking to the character. I knew Kunta. I knew everything about Kunta. I knew what he was going to do. What he had done. Everything. And so I would talk to him. And I had become so attached to him that I knew now I had to put him in the slave ship and bring him across the ocean. That was the next part of the book. And I just really couldn't quite bring myself to write that.
I was in San Francisco. I wrote about 40 pages and chunked it out. When you write well, it isn't a question so much of what you want to say, it's a question of feel. Does it feel like you want it to feel? The feel starts coming in somewhere around about the fourth rewrite.
I wrote, twice more, about 40 pages and threw it out. And I realized what my bother was: I couldn't bring myself to feel I was up to writing about Kunta Kinte in that slave ship and me in a high-rise apartment. I had to get closer to Kunta. I had run out of my money at The Digest, lying so many times about when I'd finish so I couldn't ask for any more. I don't know where I got the money from. I went to Africa. Put out the word I wanted to get a ship coming from Africa to Florida. I just wanted to simulate the crossing.
I went down to Liberia, and I got on a freight ship called appropriately enough the African Star. She was carrying a partial cargo of raw rubber in bales. And I got on as a passenger. I couldn't tell the captain or the mate what I wanted to do because they couldn't allow me to do it.
But I found one hold that was just about a third full of cargo and there was an entryway into it with a metal ladder down to the bottom of the hold. Down in there they had a long, wide, thick piece of rough sawed timber. They called it dunnage. It's used between cargo to keep it from shifting in rough seas.
After dinner the first night, I made my way down to this hold. I had a little pocket light. I took off my clothing to my underwear and lay down on my back on this piece of dunnage. I imagined I'm Kunta Kinte. I lay there and I got cold and colder. Nothing seemed to come except how ridiculous it was that I was doing this. By morning I had a terrible cold. I went back up. And the next night I'm there doing the same thing.
Well, the third night when I left the dinner table, I couldn't make myself go back down in that hold. I just felt so miserable. I don't think I ever felt quite so bad. And instead of going down in the hold, I went to the stern of the ship. And I'm standing up there with my hands on the rail and looking down where the propellers are beating up this white froth. And in the froth are little luminous green phosphorescences. At sea you see that a lot. And I'm standing there looking at it, and all of a sudden it looked like all my troubles just came on me. I owed everybody I knew. Everybody was on my case. Why don't you finish this foolish thing? You ought not be doing it in the first place, writing about black genealogy. That's crazy.
I was just utterly miserable. Didn't feel like I had a friend in the world. And then a thought came to me that was startling. It wasn't frightening. It was just startling. I thought to myself, Hey, there's a cure for all this. You don't have to go through all this mess. All I had to do was step through the rail and drop in the sea.
Once having thought it, I began to feel quite good about it. I guess I was half a second before dropping in the sea. Fine, that would take care of it. You won't owe anybody anything. To hell with the publishers and the editors.
And I began to hear voices. They were not strident. They were just conversational. And I somehow knew every one of them. And they were saying things like, No, don't do that. No, you're doing the best you can. You just keep going.
And I knew exactly who they were. They were Grandma, Chicken George, Kunta Kinte. They were my cousin, Georgia, who lived in Kansas City and had passed away. They were all these people whom I had been writing about. They were talking to me. It was like in a dream.
I remember fighting myself loose from that rail, turning around, and I went scuttling like a crab up over the hatch. And finally I made my way back to my little stateroom and pitched down, head first, face first, belly first on the bunk, and I cried dry. I cried more I guess than I've cried since I was four years old.
And it was about midnight when I kind of got myself together. Then I got up, and the feeling was you have been assessed and have been tried and you've been approved by all them who went before. So go ahead. And then I went back down in the hold. I had a terrible head cold, flu-ish like. I had with me a long yellow tablet and some pencils. This time I did not take my clothing off like I'd been doing. I kept them on because I was having such a bad cold. I lay down on the piece of timber.
Now Kunta Kinte was lying in this position on a shelf in the ship, the Lord Ligonier. She had left the Gambia River, July 5, 1767. She sailed two months, three weeks, two days. Destination Annapolis, Maryland. And he was lying there. And others were in there with him whom he knew. And what would he think?
What would be some of the things they would say? And when they would come to me in the dark, I would write. And that was how I did every night, only ten nights. From there to Florida. I remember rushing through the big, big Miami Airport. Flew back to San Francisco. Got with a doctor, and he kind of patched me up.
I sat down with those long yellow tablets and transcribed. And I began to write the chapter in Roots where Kunta Kinte crossed the ocean in a slave ship. That was probably the most emotional experience I had in the whole thing.
Come around about 1:30 in the morning, you've been working since 10:30 and decide you're going to take a little break. So you get up and you walk up on the deck. And you put your hand on the top rail, your foot on the bottom rail, and you look up. The first most striking thing is, man, you look up and there are heavenly objects as you never saw them before. You find yourself looking at planets at sea. And what you start to realize, you never saw clear air before. In some latitudes, down off West Africa, South America, on the night of a full moon, there are times you get into an illusion -- if you could just stretch a little further you feel like you could touch it. And you are out there amidst all Gods firmament and then you stand and you feel through the soul of your shoe a fine vibration and you realize that's man at work. That's a huge diesel turbine, 35 feet down under the water driving this ship like a small island through the water. Still standing there, now you start hearing a slight hissing sound. You realize that's of the ship cutting through the resistance of the ocean. With all that going on, feeling these man things and seeing the God things, that's about as close to holy as you are going to ever get.
Edited from a talk at Reader’s Digest, October 10, 1991, four months before Alex Haley’s death
Thursday 23 October 2008
West African Art
African art, crafts, and clothing are more popular than ever in North America and Europe. People love the way genuine African items let them connect with a peaceful, thoughtful world view that is the hallmark of many African cultures.
These days headlines in the West frequently report on Africa. Millions of tourists fly, ride, and even walk all over Africa every year. Because African art is so impressive and so uplifting -- while being quite affordable -- visitors and tourists almost always bring art, clothing, and crafts back home with them.
Why all the interest in Africa? Africa is different. Go to just about any large African city and you'll see what I mean. The downtown area may be populated with high rise buildings and people wearing business suits. It may not look all that different from the business districts of Chicago or Paris.
But then take a look at how people are getting to and from work. Most don't drive, they walk, often for miles. Huge freeway-sized paths filled with thousands of people walking flow in and out of the city.
That's often a Western visitors first clue that being born and raised in Africa helps you see the world in a dramatically different way. The more time you spend in Africa, the more you begin to appreciate the open, relaxed, thoughtful, and inspired view that permeates society. It can be a big breath of fresh air for anyone who normally lives in the hustle and bustle of LA, London, or even Albuquerque.
African art items deeply capture important aspects of the cultures in which they are created. A very skilled artisan can create an African mask, sculpture, or piece of jewelry that gives you a profound spiritual boost every time you see it.
Today you no longer have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to travel to Africa in order to get truly top quality art. Art experts living in Africa are working with Western business to establish ways to efficiently export quality art to consumers in the West.
Many of these changes happened when my long-time friend Joseph Bilson, who is an art expert in Ghana, West Africa, joined with me to figure out a way to make all the great art he was seeing in Africa available to people in the West. We soon realized we could create a web site, put high quality photos of our art items on it, and let people purchase the art with credit cards through an e-commerce system.
Rather than convince the likes of Wal-Mart or Bloomingdales to carry the art, no doubt with a huge markup, we are able to bring Africa's best art directly to the consumer at a dramatically lower price.
More so now than ever in history, the connective power of the Internet is making even the best art in Africa readily available to interested people all over the world.
These days headlines in the West frequently report on Africa. Millions of tourists fly, ride, and even walk all over Africa every year. Because African art is so impressive and so uplifting -- while being quite affordable -- visitors and tourists almost always bring art, clothing, and crafts back home with them.
Why all the interest in Africa? Africa is different. Go to just about any large African city and you'll see what I mean. The downtown area may be populated with high rise buildings and people wearing business suits. It may not look all that different from the business districts of Chicago or Paris.
But then take a look at how people are getting to and from work. Most don't drive, they walk, often for miles. Huge freeway-sized paths filled with thousands of people walking flow in and out of the city.
That's often a Western visitors first clue that being born and raised in Africa helps you see the world in a dramatically different way. The more time you spend in Africa, the more you begin to appreciate the open, relaxed, thoughtful, and inspired view that permeates society. It can be a big breath of fresh air for anyone who normally lives in the hustle and bustle of LA, London, or even Albuquerque.
African art items deeply capture important aspects of the cultures in which they are created. A very skilled artisan can create an African mask, sculpture, or piece of jewelry that gives you a profound spiritual boost every time you see it.
Today you no longer have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to travel to Africa in order to get truly top quality art. Art experts living in Africa are working with Western business to establish ways to efficiently export quality art to consumers in the West.
Many of these changes happened when my long-time friend Joseph Bilson, who is an art expert in Ghana, West Africa, joined with me to figure out a way to make all the great art he was seeing in Africa available to people in the West. We soon realized we could create a web site, put high quality photos of our art items on it, and let people purchase the art with credit cards through an e-commerce system.
Rather than convince the likes of Wal-Mart or Bloomingdales to carry the art, no doubt with a huge markup, we are able to bring Africa's best art directly to the consumer at a dramatically lower price.
More so now than ever in history, the connective power of the Internet is making even the best art in Africa readily available to interested people all over the world.
Cape Coast Ghana
Volunteers who have been working on the Ghana medical programme have started to work on an outreach programme going into the Orphanages where volunteers work in and around Cape Coast. Ian Birbeck from the UK office visited the programme last week; “ It was great to see the impact that volunteers were having helping to clean up wounds and small infections the children had. One of the problems at the orphanages is that basic cuts and injuries are sometimes left and become infected. The volunteers have made a real impact.”
At the OOEIM orphanage outside of Cape Coast Tim Fazio from Australia and Charlotte Friis from Denmark were working on the project. The reward of a sweet was enough to persuade most of the children to come to the two gap year students and get checked out. One important reason for volunteers carrying out the work is to hopefully overcome the fear and suspicions some Ghanaians have about going to hospital. This creates some real problems in the hospitals with patients only coming to the doctor when the condition is really serious. It is hoped that the children will get used to being seen by the doctor without too much fear and trepidation.
Already many basic wounds have been tended to by volunteers. In one case they managed to spot a more serious condition and took the child into the Central Regional Hospital to get checked out by the experts
At the OOEIM orphanage outside of Cape Coast Tim Fazio from Australia and Charlotte Friis from Denmark were working on the project. The reward of a sweet was enough to persuade most of the children to come to the two gap year students and get checked out. One important reason for volunteers carrying out the work is to hopefully overcome the fear and suspicions some Ghanaians have about going to hospital. This creates some real problems in the hospitals with patients only coming to the doctor when the condition is really serious. It is hoped that the children will get used to being seen by the doctor without too much fear and trepidation.
Already many basic wounds have been tended to by volunteers. In one case they managed to spot a more serious condition and took the child into the Central Regional Hospital to get checked out by the experts
Working Abroad
For UK chemical engineers, the worldwide market is predominantly focused on the oil and gas and petrochemical industries with comparative consistent demand for engineers with both on and offshore experience to work in areas such as the Middle East, Africa, Caspian Regions and Western Europe.
Other active industries for Expat engineers are in the pharmaceutical and life science sectors – but indications suggest that demand is from isolated areas such as Singapore, Scandinavia and the Benelux regions.
Overseas work for UK engineers is available on both a contract and permanent basis – and it is the nature of this work that is all covered within this rough guide.
How do I know I have the necessary skills?
From a professional perspective industry knowledge and experience – specifically in the Oil and Gas sector, is the most important skill requirement. Traditionally, UK engineers have been very highly respected for their qualifications and trusted by clients to complete a job efficiently and effectively.
Generally, previous overseas work is desirable (inducing a Catch 22 situation) but with solid, relevant UK experience a UK engineer will still be in demand for employment overseas.
Qualifications and industry experience are necessary traits for an Expat engineer, but language skills are not essential. Professional capability is only half of the picture, as it takes a particular type of person to fit into the lifestyle of work overseas. It is great to have a sense of adventure, but working abroad requires much more than this. You should think long and hard about whether this is the right move for you or not.
Benefits of working overseas
Apart from the raised profile of going to work overseas, there are some other very real benefits. For most engineers, the most significant is the opportunity to get involved in the operational side of things and get out of the design office. A good deal of overseas contract work, particularly in the oil and gas sector, requires site visits and a hands-on management approach that is often not possible working in the UK.
There is also the potential for significantly higher pay rates to be negotiated. Expatriate engineers can command a pay rate premium, which can also be further escalated if the project location is classed as a hardship area, such as Nigeria and Iraq, where there may be personal risk involved.
A final key benefit is that of the experience of the assignment itself. The ability to come into contact with different cultures and nationalities and broaden ones knowledge is a key determinant in attracting contractors to work overseas.
Pitfalls to look out for when considering overseas work
Generally, there is a misconception that all work overseas includes tax-free pay. In fact, there are only a handful of countries where pay is completely tax-free and very often there is a liability to local taxation. The majority of countries will enforce some kind of taxation structure, but this varies from country to country, and in the case of the USA from state to state.
As regards UK tax liability, the basic ruling is that UK Expatriates can only spend 90 days in the UK in any one tax year to preserve their status as “non-resident” for tax purposes.
There are other general considerations to working abroad that should be thought about as well – including: work place climate, hardship locations, and how being away from home will impact on family life. Adequate research through speaking to colleagues, consulting with a recruitment agency, and investigating yourself using online resources will all help to build a picture of whether an assignment or location is suitable for you.
Services an agency can offer
Securing work overseas is a more complicated process to finding a suitable contract in the UK. There are a number of reputable recruitment agencies in the UK that have active overseas recruitment teams and solid experience of providing international recruitment solutions to worldwide clients.
When you work through a recruitment agency on an overseas placement, additional services, such as insurances, healthcare and in-country orientation can be expected on top of the standard placement service.
Overseas employment can be an excellent experience for the well-prepared engineer. Having both a certain sense of adventure and conducting adequate research are prerequisites for experiencing an enjoyable and rewarding placement; and contacting a reputable agency to locate suitable opportunities is a good first step in achieving this.
Other active industries for Expat engineers are in the pharmaceutical and life science sectors – but indications suggest that demand is from isolated areas such as Singapore, Scandinavia and the Benelux regions.
Overseas work for UK engineers is available on both a contract and permanent basis – and it is the nature of this work that is all covered within this rough guide.
How do I know I have the necessary skills?
From a professional perspective industry knowledge and experience – specifically in the Oil and Gas sector, is the most important skill requirement. Traditionally, UK engineers have been very highly respected for their qualifications and trusted by clients to complete a job efficiently and effectively.
Generally, previous overseas work is desirable (inducing a Catch 22 situation) but with solid, relevant UK experience a UK engineer will still be in demand for employment overseas.
Qualifications and industry experience are necessary traits for an Expat engineer, but language skills are not essential. Professional capability is only half of the picture, as it takes a particular type of person to fit into the lifestyle of work overseas. It is great to have a sense of adventure, but working abroad requires much more than this. You should think long and hard about whether this is the right move for you or not.
Benefits of working overseas
Apart from the raised profile of going to work overseas, there are some other very real benefits. For most engineers, the most significant is the opportunity to get involved in the operational side of things and get out of the design office. A good deal of overseas contract work, particularly in the oil and gas sector, requires site visits and a hands-on management approach that is often not possible working in the UK.
There is also the potential for significantly higher pay rates to be negotiated. Expatriate engineers can command a pay rate premium, which can also be further escalated if the project location is classed as a hardship area, such as Nigeria and Iraq, where there may be personal risk involved.
A final key benefit is that of the experience of the assignment itself. The ability to come into contact with different cultures and nationalities and broaden ones knowledge is a key determinant in attracting contractors to work overseas.
Pitfalls to look out for when considering overseas work
Generally, there is a misconception that all work overseas includes tax-free pay. In fact, there are only a handful of countries where pay is completely tax-free and very often there is a liability to local taxation. The majority of countries will enforce some kind of taxation structure, but this varies from country to country, and in the case of the USA from state to state.
As regards UK tax liability, the basic ruling is that UK Expatriates can only spend 90 days in the UK in any one tax year to preserve their status as “non-resident” for tax purposes.
There are other general considerations to working abroad that should be thought about as well – including: work place climate, hardship locations, and how being away from home will impact on family life. Adequate research through speaking to colleagues, consulting with a recruitment agency, and investigating yourself using online resources will all help to build a picture of whether an assignment or location is suitable for you.
Services an agency can offer
Securing work overseas is a more complicated process to finding a suitable contract in the UK. There are a number of reputable recruitment agencies in the UK that have active overseas recruitment teams and solid experience of providing international recruitment solutions to worldwide clients.
When you work through a recruitment agency on an overseas placement, additional services, such as insurances, healthcare and in-country orientation can be expected on top of the standard placement service.
Overseas employment can be an excellent experience for the well-prepared engineer. Having both a certain sense of adventure and conducting adequate research are prerequisites for experiencing an enjoyable and rewarding placement; and contacting a reputable agency to locate suitable opportunities is a good first step in achieving this.
Gap Year In Africa
In 2003 I decided to take a gap year between school and university to do a mixture of paid work, volunteering and independent travel. Fuelled by clichéd intentions of self discovery and broadening my horizons I set off on an adventure which I can now say with absolute certainty has changed me in ways I never thought possible. If you're in two minds about the value of taking a gap year, worried about the financial ramifications or just daunted by the prospect of organising and embarking on a new adventure then read on, and let me open your eyes to the possibilities it holds!
My volunteer placement was working in a small Tented Camp on an Island of Lake Baringo, right in the heart of Kenya's stunning Great Rift Valley. The placement was organised by a gap year company, the only viable way of doing this kind of volunteering since so much of it is about whom you know…and I didn't seem to know anybody in the safari business! For three months I lived on Safari, waking up to the sound of hippos yawning and the sight of sunrise over Africa. I felt massively privileged to live and work in a part of the world that very few people are lucky enough to see apart from on television documentaries, dubbed by Attenborough's dulcet tones.
Not a single day of my three months there was routine or boring, I discovered that in Africa no two days are the same and learnt to expect the unexpected! Whether it was taking the speed-boat for an impromptu spin to look for a reported hippo carcass, meeting with tribal chiefs or sitting down to dinner with the Italian Ambassador, every day was different. I felt more alive than I ever had before with my eyes wide open to the possibilities that each moment held. It taught me to be adaptable, to deal with what life throws at you and make the most of every minute…even if it means helping the locals to skin a crocodile!
I was involved in the running of the whole camp, organising reservations, managing the camp's marketing and P.R., being a hostess and water ski instructor, even teaching new recipes and IT to the African staff! The level of responsibility I was trusted with was beyond anything I'd been given before and gave me the chance to learn and develop so many new skills it's hard to know where to start. I can now speak a new language (badly!), run a hotel, make sales and know how to write environmental impact reports for the U.N. My bow, as they say, is now thick with strings!
Anyone can claim on their CV to have 'interpersonal skills', but how many people can say they've managed to keep sixty paying guests happy, managed an African staff of forty and still found the time to entertain kids around the pool! I've come away feeling as though I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I know the true value of my opinions and creativity and have so much more confidence in my abilities having proven them to the world. Never again will I be in an interview, stuck for examples of my skills!
I was once told that it's possible to tell in the first five minutes of meeting a fresher at University whether or not they've been on a gap year. It sounds ridiculous but it's true, those first conversations I had when meeting new people at University were so telling, those who'd had a year off to travel and work had more confidence in themselves, more to say and definitely knew how to have a good time! Whereas school leavers stuck in giggling packs, moving round campus like herds of startled zebra, gapers spoke to any and everyone. If you've spent the last twelve months meeting new people, living and working in strange new environments you're hardly a wall-flower when faced with a room full of strangers.
I was worried that taking a gap year would leave me feeling unenthused by the thought of study, plagued by unbearably itchy feet, but actually the reverse was true. I started my degree knowing exactly why I needed my education and aware of how lucky I was to be receiving one. I knew what I wanted from university and wasn't afraid to ask for it, changing from English Literature to joint honours with African Studies when I realised I wasn't enjoying the course. I'm in no doubt I'd have stuck with the easy option if I hadn't had a gap year, it definitely gave me new interests and attitudes to education. My English friends were so jealous when they heard I was writing essays on the lyrics of Kenyan rap songs rather than Chaucer!
Though it sounds cynical, a gap year undoubtedly secured my place on a competitive course, giving me the edge over other candidates. In an age when so many young people are coming out of A levels with top grades, and everyone's done a Duke of Edinburgh award and captained a sports team, it's very hard to make yourself stand out from the crowd. A gap year like mine, where you have a unique experience, give something back to poor communities and prove that you're able to organise and apply yourself does just that.
More importantly though, taking a gap year has changed the way I look at and engage with the world. Countries and cultures which always seemed abstract and distant from my life suddenly became real to me in a way that I could never have felt from watching them on television or reading about them in newspapers. Poverty really affected me for the first time. I have more interest in current affairs now, and what I feel is a vested interest in Kenya- it's become my second home. My gap year experience led me to set up a small charity to help the family of one of my African friends and I hope that my gap year will continue to have an impact of the lives of the people I met in Africa.
Being able to experience the developing world on its own terms, giving my time and energy not only to exploration, but to volunteer projects which really benefit the people whose culture and environment was enjoying has given me an experience infinitely richer than anything I've done before. The things I saw and did in those fourteen months have influenced every decision and friendship I've made since and have steered me onto a path I'd otherwise never have thought to take. If your aspirations stop at tourism volunteering isn't for you, but if you want to change the way you see the world and yourself, take a gap year!
My volunteer placement was working in a small Tented Camp on an Island of Lake Baringo, right in the heart of Kenya's stunning Great Rift Valley. The placement was organised by a gap year company, the only viable way of doing this kind of volunteering since so much of it is about whom you know…and I didn't seem to know anybody in the safari business! For three months I lived on Safari, waking up to the sound of hippos yawning and the sight of sunrise over Africa. I felt massively privileged to live and work in a part of the world that very few people are lucky enough to see apart from on television documentaries, dubbed by Attenborough's dulcet tones.
Not a single day of my three months there was routine or boring, I discovered that in Africa no two days are the same and learnt to expect the unexpected! Whether it was taking the speed-boat for an impromptu spin to look for a reported hippo carcass, meeting with tribal chiefs or sitting down to dinner with the Italian Ambassador, every day was different. I felt more alive than I ever had before with my eyes wide open to the possibilities that each moment held. It taught me to be adaptable, to deal with what life throws at you and make the most of every minute…even if it means helping the locals to skin a crocodile!
I was involved in the running of the whole camp, organising reservations, managing the camp's marketing and P.R., being a hostess and water ski instructor, even teaching new recipes and IT to the African staff! The level of responsibility I was trusted with was beyond anything I'd been given before and gave me the chance to learn and develop so many new skills it's hard to know where to start. I can now speak a new language (badly!), run a hotel, make sales and know how to write environmental impact reports for the U.N. My bow, as they say, is now thick with strings!
Anyone can claim on their CV to have 'interpersonal skills', but how many people can say they've managed to keep sixty paying guests happy, managed an African staff of forty and still found the time to entertain kids around the pool! I've come away feeling as though I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I know the true value of my opinions and creativity and have so much more confidence in my abilities having proven them to the world. Never again will I be in an interview, stuck for examples of my skills!
I was once told that it's possible to tell in the first five minutes of meeting a fresher at University whether or not they've been on a gap year. It sounds ridiculous but it's true, those first conversations I had when meeting new people at University were so telling, those who'd had a year off to travel and work had more confidence in themselves, more to say and definitely knew how to have a good time! Whereas school leavers stuck in giggling packs, moving round campus like herds of startled zebra, gapers spoke to any and everyone. If you've spent the last twelve months meeting new people, living and working in strange new environments you're hardly a wall-flower when faced with a room full of strangers.
I was worried that taking a gap year would leave me feeling unenthused by the thought of study, plagued by unbearably itchy feet, but actually the reverse was true. I started my degree knowing exactly why I needed my education and aware of how lucky I was to be receiving one. I knew what I wanted from university and wasn't afraid to ask for it, changing from English Literature to joint honours with African Studies when I realised I wasn't enjoying the course. I'm in no doubt I'd have stuck with the easy option if I hadn't had a gap year, it definitely gave me new interests and attitudes to education. My English friends were so jealous when they heard I was writing essays on the lyrics of Kenyan rap songs rather than Chaucer!
Though it sounds cynical, a gap year undoubtedly secured my place on a competitive course, giving me the edge over other candidates. In an age when so many young people are coming out of A levels with top grades, and everyone's done a Duke of Edinburgh award and captained a sports team, it's very hard to make yourself stand out from the crowd. A gap year like mine, where you have a unique experience, give something back to poor communities and prove that you're able to organise and apply yourself does just that.
More importantly though, taking a gap year has changed the way I look at and engage with the world. Countries and cultures which always seemed abstract and distant from my life suddenly became real to me in a way that I could never have felt from watching them on television or reading about them in newspapers. Poverty really affected me for the first time. I have more interest in current affairs now, and what I feel is a vested interest in Kenya- it's become my second home. My gap year experience led me to set up a small charity to help the family of one of my African friends and I hope that my gap year will continue to have an impact of the lives of the people I met in Africa.
Being able to experience the developing world on its own terms, giving my time and energy not only to exploration, but to volunteer projects which really benefit the people whose culture and environment was enjoying has given me an experience infinitely richer than anything I've done before. The things I saw and did in those fourteen months have influenced every decision and friendship I've made since and have steered me onto a path I'd otherwise never have thought to take. If your aspirations stop at tourism volunteering isn't for you, but if you want to change the way you see the world and yourself, take a gap year!
Travel to Africa
Many of my travel clients in the west express reservations about flying on African carriers. With some recent disasters, cancelled flights and terrible time performances I share their hesitation. Based on the need to find safe and efficient air travel I have started an investigation and found several African carriers to be actually outstanding and even better than some U.S. carriers or their European competitors.
My first choice for air travel in Africa is with Ethiopian Airlines. I've had the good fortune to work a lot with the airline and experience their service firsthand. The company has a long history that started with TWA. They have continued to be on the leading edge management, performance, service and fleet modernization since. They are one of the first to order the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” and the airport at ADD is the most modern and well-managed in Africa taking it's design from Atlanta's Hartsfield. What this means to the traveler is safe, courteous, comfortable service with efficient baggage transfer and on-time performance to meet connections. With an extensive worldwide network this also means connections throughout Africa, Europe and Middle East. ET has flights from IAD to FCO (Washington to Rome) en route to Addis Ababa and this can oftentimes be a less expensive than European and U.S. carriers to get to the continent.
low is a brief history of the airline:
8th April 1946:
The first scheduled flight took place to Cairo via Asmara in Douglas C-47 Skytrain. The national airline had been set up a few months earlier as Ethiopian Air Lines Inc., a joint venture with American airline, TWA (Trans World Airlines). Five US Government surplus C-47 aircraft were purchased for venture. Following the successful inaugural flight to Cairo, a regular weekly service was established. Weekly services to Djibouti and Aden followed, as well as a domestic service to Jimma. Demands for additional services were so great that towards the end of 1946, four more C-47 Skytrains were purchased. Since these aircraft were ex-US military, they had few comforts; all had folding bench-type canvas seats along the sides, with the central aisle kept clear so that cargo could be lashed to the floor.
1947:
Three more Skytrains were purchased for the international routes. These were fitted out in a `luxury' layout with 21 forward facing seats and were the first to wear the colorful Ethiopian Airlines livery.
During the late 1940s the route network was extended to Nairobi, Port Sudan and Bombay. Charter flights were also flown to Jeddah during the Hajj season, carrying pilgrims to Makkah.
1950:
Two Convair 240 aircraft were purchased, followed later by a third, for use on foreign routes. These higher-performance aircraft had fully furnished interiors and seats for 36 passengers. Their pressurized cabins allowed the aircraft to fly higher, in smoother air.
By the end of 1952 the faithful Skytrains were still the mainstay for the domestic routes, linking 21 towns and cities to the capital and carrying both passengers and cargo.
1953:
Three quarters of the airline's staff were now Ethiopian but expatriates still held most key posts. The Ethiopian government negotiated and new agreement with TWA with ultimate aim of operating entirely with Ethiopian personnel.
1957:
The fist Ethiopian commercial aircraft commander, Alemayehu Abebe, made his solo flight as captain on DC-3/C-47 aircraft.
The National Airline Training Project was set up with US Government help in Addis Ababa to train local pilots, technicians and supervisory personnel.
The airline established its own maintenance facility at Addis Ababa, reducing the need for maintenance overseas. In subsequent years the facilities expanded into a well-equipped center for maintenance, overhaul and modification work on aircraft, engines and avionic systems, not only for its own aircraft, but also for other airlines in the region.
The route network expanded with flights to Frankfurt.
1958:
The DC-6B Cloudmasters were purchased. These four-engined, 71-seat aircraft were used on the long-haul routes.
1960:
The airlines prepared to enter the jet age and decide that the Boeing 720B best met its requirements. However, the existing airfield serving Addis Ababa - Lidetta, which had been built in 1936 - was not suitable for jet operation, which required a long runway, and a decision was made to construct an entirely new airport and headquarters at Bole.
1961:
A new east-west service was inaugurated, linking Addis Ababa with Monrovia in Liberia, via Khartoum and Accra. This was the first direct air link between east and west Africa operated by any airline.
1962:
By December the new runway and control tower at bole international Airport were operational and two Boeing 720Bs arrived on their delivery flights. Ethiopian was the first airline in Africa to order Boeing 720B.
1963:
On 15th January the airline inaugurated its first jet service, from Bole to Nairobi. The following day the second Boeing inaugurated a new route to Madrid, via Asmara and Athens. Meanwhile the elderly Skytrains and their related civilian DC-3s continued to fly the domestic and cargo services and six further DC-3s were bought during the next decade. Despite their age, these aircraft were ideally suited to Ethiopia's rugged terrain and high altitude.
1965:
The company changed its legal status from a corporation to share company. At the same time the title was changed from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines.
1971:
Colonel Semret Medhane was appointed general manager, the first Ethiopian to hold the position.
1977:
A Boeing 720B flight simulator was acquired, making the airline independent of foreign airlines for its pilot training.
1979:
Two Boeing 727s were purchased for medium-range routes, to replace the oldest Boeing 720s.
1982:
he airline bought a third Boeing 727 and two de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo short-field transports for use on domestic services.
1984:
Ethiopian Airlines attracted worldwide attention on 1st June when its first Boeing 767 landed at Bole after a thirteen-and-a-half hour delivery flight from New York - setting a new world distance record for commercial twin-jets. The airline, which was a launch customer for the new aircraft, brought two of the advanced, wide bodied B-767 aircraft to replace the ageing Boeing 720s. In addition to their 190-seat passenger capacity the aircraft could carry 12 tones of cargo in the hold.
At the end of 1985, when the DC-3/Skytrains started to be withdrawn, the airline still had nine of these in service, all of them at least 40 years old. The last of these aircraft remained in service until October 1991. The main replacements were six 18-seater DHC-6 Twin Otters, and - for the busier domestic routes - two ATR-42sL fast and modern 46-seater aircraft.
1989:
The Cargo Management Department was established to afford special attention to the development of the airline's cargo services. Hitherto the airline had regarded its cargo operations more as a public service commitment that as a secondary source of income.
1995:
The airline's Engineering Division opened a new purpose-built jet engine test facility, allowing engines of up to 45,000 kg (100,000lbs) thrust to be ground tested.
April 1996:
As the airlines celebrated 50th anniversary the route network stretched from Europe (London, Frankfurt, and Rome) to China (Beijing) and Thailand (Bangkok). The Middle East and Indian sub-continent were well represented, and the airline's African routes reached Senegal and Ivory Coast in the west, Cairo in the north, and Johannesburg and Durban in the south. The fleet consisted of two ATR-42 and four DHC-6 Twin Otters for the domestic passenger services, one Boeing 737 and four Boeing 757 aircraft for the medium range passenger services and three Boeing 767s for long-range services. For its cargo and non-scheduled services the airline had one Boeing 707 freighter, one Boeing 757 Freighter, two Lockheed L-100 commercial Hercules and one DHC-5 Buffalo.
The pilot training school was equipped with a state-of-the-art flight simulator, replicating the flight deck of the Boeing 767. The simulator was also used to train crews on the Boeing 757, whose flight deck is similar.
In October 1996 the first of five Fokker 50s was acquired to enhance the domestic services.
1998:
Another giant leap was made with the launch of a twice-weekly service to Washington - the Airline's first destination in the America - and New York followed shortly after.
1999:
In February the ShebaMiles frequent flyer program was launched. Construction started on a new, ultra-modern terminal building at Bole International Airport to upgrade passenger services and cater for an anticipated increase in traffic. In November Scandinavia was brought into the route network for the first time with a new service to Copenhagen, Denmark, along with anew route to Maputo, Mozambique.
2002:
The airline embarked on a period of sustained growth and fleet modernization with plans to purchase, over the next four years, 12 new aircraft, Six Next-Generation B737-700s and six 767-300ERs were scheduled to replace the existing two B737-200s and two B767-200. In October night operations out of Addis Ababa were introduced, to supplement the daytime flights.
2003:
The new, 3,800 meter runway and control tower at Bole International Airport become operation, along with the spacious new airport terminal with its 21st- century facilities. Renovation of the older terminal began, to serve mainly domestic flights.
2005:
hiopian Airlines announced that it would be Africa's launch carrier for the new Boeing 787 `Dreamlinder', with a firm order for ten of these ultra-modern jets, and an option in five more. The order for the new fuel-efficient, long-range, passenger-friendly aircraft was valued at US$ 1.3 billion. Boeing begins production for the revolutionary new aircraft in 2006 and Ethiopian expects to take delivery from 2008.
My first choice for air travel in Africa is with Ethiopian Airlines. I've had the good fortune to work a lot with the airline and experience their service firsthand. The company has a long history that started with TWA. They have continued to be on the leading edge management, performance, service and fleet modernization since. They are one of the first to order the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” and the airport at ADD is the most modern and well-managed in Africa taking it's design from Atlanta's Hartsfield. What this means to the traveler is safe, courteous, comfortable service with efficient baggage transfer and on-time performance to meet connections. With an extensive worldwide network this also means connections throughout Africa, Europe and Middle East. ET has flights from IAD to FCO (Washington to Rome) en route to Addis Ababa and this can oftentimes be a less expensive than European and U.S. carriers to get to the continent.
low is a brief history of the airline:
8th April 1946:
The first scheduled flight took place to Cairo via Asmara in Douglas C-47 Skytrain. The national airline had been set up a few months earlier as Ethiopian Air Lines Inc., a joint venture with American airline, TWA (Trans World Airlines). Five US Government surplus C-47 aircraft were purchased for venture. Following the successful inaugural flight to Cairo, a regular weekly service was established. Weekly services to Djibouti and Aden followed, as well as a domestic service to Jimma. Demands for additional services were so great that towards the end of 1946, four more C-47 Skytrains were purchased. Since these aircraft were ex-US military, they had few comforts; all had folding bench-type canvas seats along the sides, with the central aisle kept clear so that cargo could be lashed to the floor.
1947:
Three more Skytrains were purchased for the international routes. These were fitted out in a `luxury' layout with 21 forward facing seats and were the first to wear the colorful Ethiopian Airlines livery.
During the late 1940s the route network was extended to Nairobi, Port Sudan and Bombay. Charter flights were also flown to Jeddah during the Hajj season, carrying pilgrims to Makkah.
1950:
Two Convair 240 aircraft were purchased, followed later by a third, for use on foreign routes. These higher-performance aircraft had fully furnished interiors and seats for 36 passengers. Their pressurized cabins allowed the aircraft to fly higher, in smoother air.
By the end of 1952 the faithful Skytrains were still the mainstay for the domestic routes, linking 21 towns and cities to the capital and carrying both passengers and cargo.
1953:
Three quarters of the airline's staff were now Ethiopian but expatriates still held most key posts. The Ethiopian government negotiated and new agreement with TWA with ultimate aim of operating entirely with Ethiopian personnel.
1957:
The fist Ethiopian commercial aircraft commander, Alemayehu Abebe, made his solo flight as captain on DC-3/C-47 aircraft.
The National Airline Training Project was set up with US Government help in Addis Ababa to train local pilots, technicians and supervisory personnel.
The airline established its own maintenance facility at Addis Ababa, reducing the need for maintenance overseas. In subsequent years the facilities expanded into a well-equipped center for maintenance, overhaul and modification work on aircraft, engines and avionic systems, not only for its own aircraft, but also for other airlines in the region.
The route network expanded with flights to Frankfurt.
1958:
The DC-6B Cloudmasters were purchased. These four-engined, 71-seat aircraft were used on the long-haul routes.
1960:
The airlines prepared to enter the jet age and decide that the Boeing 720B best met its requirements. However, the existing airfield serving Addis Ababa - Lidetta, which had been built in 1936 - was not suitable for jet operation, which required a long runway, and a decision was made to construct an entirely new airport and headquarters at Bole.
1961:
A new east-west service was inaugurated, linking Addis Ababa with Monrovia in Liberia, via Khartoum and Accra. This was the first direct air link between east and west Africa operated by any airline.
1962:
By December the new runway and control tower at bole international Airport were operational and two Boeing 720Bs arrived on their delivery flights. Ethiopian was the first airline in Africa to order Boeing 720B.
1963:
On 15th January the airline inaugurated its first jet service, from Bole to Nairobi. The following day the second Boeing inaugurated a new route to Madrid, via Asmara and Athens. Meanwhile the elderly Skytrains and their related civilian DC-3s continued to fly the domestic and cargo services and six further DC-3s were bought during the next decade. Despite their age, these aircraft were ideally suited to Ethiopia's rugged terrain and high altitude.
1965:
The company changed its legal status from a corporation to share company. At the same time the title was changed from Ethiopian Air Lines to Ethiopian Airlines.
1971:
Colonel Semret Medhane was appointed general manager, the first Ethiopian to hold the position.
1977:
A Boeing 720B flight simulator was acquired, making the airline independent of foreign airlines for its pilot training.
1979:
Two Boeing 727s were purchased for medium-range routes, to replace the oldest Boeing 720s.
1982:
he airline bought a third Boeing 727 and two de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo short-field transports for use on domestic services.
1984:
Ethiopian Airlines attracted worldwide attention on 1st June when its first Boeing 767 landed at Bole after a thirteen-and-a-half hour delivery flight from New York - setting a new world distance record for commercial twin-jets. The airline, which was a launch customer for the new aircraft, brought two of the advanced, wide bodied B-767 aircraft to replace the ageing Boeing 720s. In addition to their 190-seat passenger capacity the aircraft could carry 12 tones of cargo in the hold.
At the end of 1985, when the DC-3/Skytrains started to be withdrawn, the airline still had nine of these in service, all of them at least 40 years old. The last of these aircraft remained in service until October 1991. The main replacements were six 18-seater DHC-6 Twin Otters, and - for the busier domestic routes - two ATR-42sL fast and modern 46-seater aircraft.
1989:
The Cargo Management Department was established to afford special attention to the development of the airline's cargo services. Hitherto the airline had regarded its cargo operations more as a public service commitment that as a secondary source of income.
1995:
The airline's Engineering Division opened a new purpose-built jet engine test facility, allowing engines of up to 45,000 kg (100,000lbs) thrust to be ground tested.
April 1996:
As the airlines celebrated 50th anniversary the route network stretched from Europe (London, Frankfurt, and Rome) to China (Beijing) and Thailand (Bangkok). The Middle East and Indian sub-continent were well represented, and the airline's African routes reached Senegal and Ivory Coast in the west, Cairo in the north, and Johannesburg and Durban in the south. The fleet consisted of two ATR-42 and four DHC-6 Twin Otters for the domestic passenger services, one Boeing 737 and four Boeing 757 aircraft for the medium range passenger services and three Boeing 767s for long-range services. For its cargo and non-scheduled services the airline had one Boeing 707 freighter, one Boeing 757 Freighter, two Lockheed L-100 commercial Hercules and one DHC-5 Buffalo.
The pilot training school was equipped with a state-of-the-art flight simulator, replicating the flight deck of the Boeing 767. The simulator was also used to train crews on the Boeing 757, whose flight deck is similar.
In October 1996 the first of five Fokker 50s was acquired to enhance the domestic services.
1998:
Another giant leap was made with the launch of a twice-weekly service to Washington - the Airline's first destination in the America - and New York followed shortly after.
1999:
In February the ShebaMiles frequent flyer program was launched. Construction started on a new, ultra-modern terminal building at Bole International Airport to upgrade passenger services and cater for an anticipated increase in traffic. In November Scandinavia was brought into the route network for the first time with a new service to Copenhagen, Denmark, along with anew route to Maputo, Mozambique.
2002:
The airline embarked on a period of sustained growth and fleet modernization with plans to purchase, over the next four years, 12 new aircraft, Six Next-Generation B737-700s and six 767-300ERs were scheduled to replace the existing two B737-200s and two B767-200. In October night operations out of Addis Ababa were introduced, to supplement the daytime flights.
2003:
The new, 3,800 meter runway and control tower at Bole International Airport become operation, along with the spacious new airport terminal with its 21st- century facilities. Renovation of the older terminal began, to serve mainly domestic flights.
2005:
hiopian Airlines announced that it would be Africa's launch carrier for the new Boeing 787 `Dreamlinder', with a firm order for ten of these ultra-modern jets, and an option in five more. The order for the new fuel-efficient, long-range, passenger-friendly aircraft was valued at US$ 1.3 billion. Boeing begins production for the revolutionary new aircraft in 2006 and Ethiopian expects to take delivery from 2008.
Volunteer work in Africa
In some ways South Africa is different from the rest of Africa as there is less poverty and strife here. South Africa is home to some of the most spectacular game reserves and landscapes. Considered as the adventure capital of the world, South Africa offers many pleasures from the Gold Reef city in Johannesburg to hiking across the scenic route of N12.
It is known as the rainbow nation and has a diverse range of activities to offer and places to see. One of the most popular destinations in South Africa is the Kruger National Park, which is the icon of African Safari.
The Kruger National park is home to several lion prides, herds of wild elephants and thousands of other small and bid animals and birds. From spotting the elusive leopard at Sabi Sands to watching the lion pride enjoy a meal in the Mala Mala, this national park is one fairy tale ride. The Sun City and the Garden route are two attractions that you can afford to miss. The garden route is a natural theme park that is home to Dolphins and whales and if you are lucky enough, you might end up with a pearl of your own.
Why Volunteer In South Africa
South Africa lies deep in a myriad of colors that vary from the different cultures to the different flora and fauna that lies in the heart of this magnificent country.
Types Of Projects Available in South Africa
As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:
- Wild Coast wildlife conservation project: This is one of a kind project, which will bring out the best in you. As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will be surrounded by the stunning and awe-inspiring wild coast that stretches from Durban to East London. Situated in the Transkei homeland, it has some dramatic coastlines and will including working at the base camp as well as on the field. The age requirement for this project varies from 18-40 years.
As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will get different opportunities to work with wildlife under this project. You will get the opportunity to learn about the South African big cats and other wildlife during your stay. The different activities that you will be involved with as a part of volunteering in South Africa includes:
1. Patrolling the fence and looking for and removing snares and any other threat to the wildlife. Also assist in fence management as well as maintenance.
2. Assist in removing any alien vegetation and help towards controlling soil erosion
3. Wildlife research as well as monitoring their activity
4. Interaction with the locals and other monitoring activity of elephants
5. Working at the rearing centre for lion cubs
6. Attending as well as giving lectures on environmental issues and wildlife management
7. Participating in bush walks and taking game drives to help in identification of different species and interpreting their behaviors.
8. Assisting in cultivation of indigenous plants in a nursery. These plants will later on be used for rehabilitating the erosion sites.
9. Creating a catalogue of birds by monitoring their activity, breeding and behaviors.
- Wildlife Research and Rehabilitation: As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will be handling different wildlife research activities. You will be assisting field supervisors in the following:
1. Capturing of wild animals for collar tags and releasing them in the wild.
2. Observing complex procedures done on wild animals especially if they are injured
3. Grooming horses
4. Rehabilitation work on various animals including lions and cheetahs
5. Learning the coastal systems as well as the ecology and developing an understanding of the coastal dynamics
6. Assisting other volunteers and staff on various local community projects
7. Working with experienced staff in wildlife identification and identifying behavioral changes
Volunteer in South Africa Requirements
Age: The minimum age for volunteering in South Africa should be 18 or older.
Volunteer in South Africa Fee and Other details
There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:
1. Accommodation
2. Emergency evacuation services
3. Food/meals
4. Travel insurance
5. Transportation within the region
6. Emergency support
7. All types of training material
8. Supervision by local staff
9. Orientation on arrival
It is known as the rainbow nation and has a diverse range of activities to offer and places to see. One of the most popular destinations in South Africa is the Kruger National Park, which is the icon of African Safari.
The Kruger National park is home to several lion prides, herds of wild elephants and thousands of other small and bid animals and birds. From spotting the elusive leopard at Sabi Sands to watching the lion pride enjoy a meal in the Mala Mala, this national park is one fairy tale ride. The Sun City and the Garden route are two attractions that you can afford to miss. The garden route is a natural theme park that is home to Dolphins and whales and if you are lucky enough, you might end up with a pearl of your own.
Why Volunteer In South Africa
South Africa lies deep in a myriad of colors that vary from the different cultures to the different flora and fauna that lies in the heart of this magnificent country.
Types Of Projects Available in South Africa
As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:
- Wild Coast wildlife conservation project: This is one of a kind project, which will bring out the best in you. As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will be surrounded by the stunning and awe-inspiring wild coast that stretches from Durban to East London. Situated in the Transkei homeland, it has some dramatic coastlines and will including working at the base camp as well as on the field. The age requirement for this project varies from 18-40 years.
As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will get different opportunities to work with wildlife under this project. You will get the opportunity to learn about the South African big cats and other wildlife during your stay. The different activities that you will be involved with as a part of volunteering in South Africa includes:
1. Patrolling the fence and looking for and removing snares and any other threat to the wildlife. Also assist in fence management as well as maintenance.
2. Assist in removing any alien vegetation and help towards controlling soil erosion
3. Wildlife research as well as monitoring their activity
4. Interaction with the locals and other monitoring activity of elephants
5. Working at the rearing centre for lion cubs
6. Attending as well as giving lectures on environmental issues and wildlife management
7. Participating in bush walks and taking game drives to help in identification of different species and interpreting their behaviors.
8. Assisting in cultivation of indigenous plants in a nursery. These plants will later on be used for rehabilitating the erosion sites.
9. Creating a catalogue of birds by monitoring their activity, breeding and behaviors.
- Wildlife Research and Rehabilitation: As a part of volunteering in South Africa, you will be handling different wildlife research activities. You will be assisting field supervisors in the following:
1. Capturing of wild animals for collar tags and releasing them in the wild.
2. Observing complex procedures done on wild animals especially if they are injured
3. Grooming horses
4. Rehabilitation work on various animals including lions and cheetahs
5. Learning the coastal systems as well as the ecology and developing an understanding of the coastal dynamics
6. Assisting other volunteers and staff on various local community projects
7. Working with experienced staff in wildlife identification and identifying behavioral changes
Volunteer in South Africa Requirements
Age: The minimum age for volunteering in South Africa should be 18 or older.
Volunteer in South Africa Fee and Other details
There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:
1. Accommodation
2. Emergency evacuation services
3. Food/meals
4. Travel insurance
5. Transportation within the region
6. Emergency support
7. All types of training material
8. Supervision by local staff
9. Orientation on arrival
Wednesday 22 October 2008
Senegal
As previously suggested there is diving in Senegal. I spent a couple of weeks there last November and dived with Club Oceanium in Dakar run by Pascal. They run guided dives on a weekday and on a weekend you are welcome to dive with the local dive club on their club dives. The club consists mainly of French ex-pats and they are a very friendly and welcoming bunch. Let me know if you need the contact details.
There is also diving available in Sierra Leone with an ex-pat Italian guy called Franco who runs a bar/resteraunt on one of the beaches just outside Freetown. He has limited kit for hire and a couple of rhibs. He will charter it with a skipper for you during the week or you can join a group on a weekend.
All this however is probably a little too far North for you.
There is also diving available in Sierra Leone with an ex-pat Italian guy called Franco who runs a bar/resteraunt on one of the beaches just outside Freetown. He has limited kit for hire and a couple of rhibs. He will charter it with a skipper for you during the week or you can join a group on a weekend.
All this however is probably a little too far North for you.
West Africa Recreation
Anyone out there know of any recreational diving that goes on around West Africa areas??
I often find myself here for work and with the typical logistical nightmare West Africa is, I doubt if there is anything going on but you never know!!
I often work in Gabon,Cameroon,Equtorial Guniea,Nigeria or Ghana.
There are a lot of offshore oil expats working here. I wonder if anyone has managed to ship any diving gear through the wonderfull customs that operate here??
Waters are very clear offshore and there are BIG fish to be seen, but the police also have BIG guns!!
Let me know if there is any mad expats blowing bubbles in West Africa, thanks
I often find myself here for work and with the typical logistical nightmare West Africa is, I doubt if there is anything going on but you never know!!
I often work in Gabon,Cameroon,Equtorial Guniea,Nigeria or Ghana.
There are a lot of offshore oil expats working here. I wonder if anyone has managed to ship any diving gear through the wonderfull customs that operate here??
Waters are very clear offshore and there are BIG fish to be seen, but the police also have BIG guns!!
Let me know if there is any mad expats blowing bubbles in West Africa, thanks
Gap Year Placements
Work and learnGap Year Ghana projects are personally selected and monitored. We do not have as many volunteer work placements as some large gap year organizations. But because we are involved, we can be sure that work placements are well managed and rewarding.
English language and maths teaching
You can choose to volunteer in one of two two types of schools. Poor schools in villages and shanty towns are usually simple shacks with few facilities and up to 40 children per class, often with a wide age range. This is less challenging than it sounds because pupils are fantastically eager to learn. School volunteer work placements can also be made in middle class schools, much better equipped though classes may also be large. Again, you will find the pupils much more enthusiastic than their British equivalents.
Bringing materials and ideas from home can really help your progress. Nothing fancy - Ghanaian pupils will probably be thrilled to discover your favourite story book, or simple science experiments (e.g. what is a saturated solution) . Gap Year Ghana is keen to promote extra-curricular activites in Ghanaian schools, where the main focus is on the three Rs. Students with special skills, for example musicians and chess players, are therefore especially welcome on this gap year programme.
English language and maths teaching
You can choose to volunteer in one of two two types of schools. Poor schools in villages and shanty towns are usually simple shacks with few facilities and up to 40 children per class, often with a wide age range. This is less challenging than it sounds because pupils are fantastically eager to learn. School volunteer work placements can also be made in middle class schools, much better equipped though classes may also be large. Again, you will find the pupils much more enthusiastic than their British equivalents.
Bringing materials and ideas from home can really help your progress. Nothing fancy - Ghanaian pupils will probably be thrilled to discover your favourite story book, or simple science experiments (e.g. what is a saturated solution) . Gap Year Ghana is keen to promote extra-curricular activites in Ghanaian schools, where the main focus is on the three Rs. Students with special skills, for example musicians and chess players, are therefore especially welcome on this gap year programme.
Ghana and expoloring West Africa
Volunteering on a Placement Overseas in Ghana
Ghana is an intensely colourful land on the West coast of Africa. Once the British colony known as the 'Gold Coast', it is renowned for the friendliness and warmth of its people. Ghana has great beaches, wild savannah and dense rainforests. This English-speaking country provides volunteers with a wonderful introduction to Africa; it is politically-stable, safe, affordable and rewarding to visit.
All Projects Abroad Ghana volunteers live with local host families. The combination of Ghanaians' strong religious faith and hospitality makes living with a family a special experience.
African traditions combined with British influences have produced an exciting modern Ghanaian culture – open, musical and diverse. Although Ghana is a poor country, in recent times it has attracted new money and many Ghanaians are now returning home from abroad, bringing new investment and ideas with them.
Certainly, life in Ghana will enable you to encounter some unusual situations, from the unpredictable electricity and water supply, to seeing even the poorest families dressed up in their best clothes for church on a Sunday morning. You will also need to adapt to the bizarre and the unfamiliar, whether it be the car-shaped coffins or the banku and fufu you will have for lunch.
Volunteer Travel and Tourism in Ghana
Living in vibrant, colourful Ghana will feel like an explosion; an enchanting sensory overload. Music is a central part of Ghanaian culture, so in the bigger towns - especially Accra - you will hear some great live bands and have some memorable nights out.
There are many, many attractions and places to visit. You will want to see the slave forts and spend a night in the rainforest at Kakum Rainforest Reserve, feed wild monkeys at The Boebeng Monkey Village or elephant watch at Mole National Park. If you’re even more adventurous, consider the challenge of a journey to Timbuktu.
Travel across Ghana is cheap and easy, whether it be in a taxi, a tro-tro (a sort of minibus) or on a lake boat. There are clean, affordable places to stay and eat in all the main towns.
Ghana is a superb location for bird watching and is developing a good ecotourism philosophy. It’s also an interesting place for history lovers and, once your overseas voluntary work is over, it’s a great stepping-off point from which to explore West Africa
Ghana is an intensely colourful land on the West coast of Africa. Once the British colony known as the 'Gold Coast', it is renowned for the friendliness and warmth of its people. Ghana has great beaches, wild savannah and dense rainforests. This English-speaking country provides volunteers with a wonderful introduction to Africa; it is politically-stable, safe, affordable and rewarding to visit.
All Projects Abroad Ghana volunteers live with local host families. The combination of Ghanaians' strong religious faith and hospitality makes living with a family a special experience.
African traditions combined with British influences have produced an exciting modern Ghanaian culture – open, musical and diverse. Although Ghana is a poor country, in recent times it has attracted new money and many Ghanaians are now returning home from abroad, bringing new investment and ideas with them.
Certainly, life in Ghana will enable you to encounter some unusual situations, from the unpredictable electricity and water supply, to seeing even the poorest families dressed up in their best clothes for church on a Sunday morning. You will also need to adapt to the bizarre and the unfamiliar, whether it be the car-shaped coffins or the banku and fufu you will have for lunch.
Volunteer Travel and Tourism in Ghana
Living in vibrant, colourful Ghana will feel like an explosion; an enchanting sensory overload. Music is a central part of Ghanaian culture, so in the bigger towns - especially Accra - you will hear some great live bands and have some memorable nights out.
There are many, many attractions and places to visit. You will want to see the slave forts and spend a night in the rainforest at Kakum Rainforest Reserve, feed wild monkeys at The Boebeng Monkey Village or elephant watch at Mole National Park. If you’re even more adventurous, consider the challenge of a journey to Timbuktu.
Travel across Ghana is cheap and easy, whether it be in a taxi, a tro-tro (a sort of minibus) or on a lake boat. There are clean, affordable places to stay and eat in all the main towns.
Ghana is a superb location for bird watching and is developing a good ecotourism philosophy. It’s also an interesting place for history lovers and, once your overseas voluntary work is over, it’s a great stepping-off point from which to explore West Africa
Voluntary work in West Africa
Ghana is an exciting and popular place to spend some time on a volunteer project or work experience placement. Our voluntary projects in Ghana are available for anyone interested in volunteering in the developing world, including those on a gap year, career break or as summer work experience while studying.
Projects Abroad has many projects in Ghana, based in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Ho and the Akuapem Hills. Volunteers work on a wide range of projects including Teaching, Care, Culture & Community – including Building and IT Projects, Medical & Healthcare Projects – including Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery and Dentistry, Journalism, Veterinary Medicine, Sports, Business, and Law & Human Rights.
There are overseas voluntary work opportunities in hospitals, orphanages, newspapers, schools, sports clubs, veterinary practices and radio stations around Accra, Ghana’s capital city. We also have teaching, care and medical volunteer projects based along the coast in Cape Coast, in the ancient Ashanti capital, Kumasi and the capital of the lush Volta region, Ho. The Akuapem Hills (a more rural location) hosts further medical, care, culture & community and many teaching projects.
Projects Abroad has many projects in Ghana, based in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, Ho and the Akuapem Hills. Volunteers work on a wide range of projects including Teaching, Care, Culture & Community – including Building and IT Projects, Medical & Healthcare Projects – including Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery and Dentistry, Journalism, Veterinary Medicine, Sports, Business, and Law & Human Rights.
There are overseas voluntary work opportunities in hospitals, orphanages, newspapers, schools, sports clubs, veterinary practices and radio stations around Accra, Ghana’s capital city. We also have teaching, care and medical volunteer projects based along the coast in Cape Coast, in the ancient Ashanti capital, Kumasi and the capital of the lush Volta region, Ho. The Akuapem Hills (a more rural location) hosts further medical, care, culture & community and many teaching projects.
Working in West Africa
Before I go further, I have to state that I have been working with West Africa (WA) for the past 16 years from Freetown, Sierra Leone and covered especially the western realm of the West African region (one can check any prominent NGO, African studies outfits, universities/colleges, diplomatic missions, think tanks or any global government institute (s)�the Canadian Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship, for instance, has been subscribing for WA for the past 30-something years).
Gye Nyame Concord has done well in bringing the troubles of WA out for public knowledge, especially in the local and global Ghanaian community. I am indicating Ghana more specifically because WA is legally owned by Ghana (Before Ghana, Nigeria had owned it. And before Nigeria the British colonial regimes in West Africa had owned it). It is unfortunate that the poor management by the Accra-based Daily Graphic has brought WA down. It reveals also how Daily Graphic itself is managed.
Based in Ottawa, Canada for the past ten years and working via computer-assisted/online reporting tools (a new genre in journalism largely developed by the United States), I don�t know most of the guys down there in Accra, though my colleagues such as Sierra Leone�s Desmond Davies, the editor, Ghana�s Frank Afful, the Managing Editor, and Ghana�s Bernard Otabil, the business editor, and other staff workers in our London office, who have not been paid for almost one year, like me (I am owned almost $20,000.00), have been interacting with them. The Lagos, Nigeria-based correspondence, Ben Asante, is owned over ten thousands of British pounds sterling. Other correspondents, based in various parts of the world such as the Washington, U.S.-based James Butty (a Liberian), the Paris, France-based Ibrahim Seaga Shaw (a Sierra Leonean) and the Moscow-based correspondent, Kester Komelagah (a Ghanaian), have been communicating with me, complaining about their distresses. This atmosphere deeply undermined the enthusiasm of correspondents (Enthusiasm is one of the key elements in journalism�you may have the degrees in the world or write like Nigeria�s Wole Soyinka, if you don�t have it, you have to say bye, bye for the trade). I am revealing all these for short-changed subscribers of WA, as one Kwabena Yiadom-Boakye, wrote to ghanaweb.com, to understand the troubles WA went through before its slumber. WA was run in such a terribly abysmal way that it appears as if there were no managers. The Romanian owners did not trust the African editorial team, more out of racist reasons than incompetence or qualification�in fact, aside from me with Master�s degree from Canada�s Carleton University in Ottawa in journalism, most of the correspondents have Master�s degrees from diverse disciplines/or programs. The editor, Desmond Davies has Master�s degree in Mass Communication from U.K.�s Leicester University. In fact, Bernard Otabil, the business editor, has an MBA and repeatedly advised, or rather warned, the Romanians of the coming collapse of WA, to the extent of writing a realistic business proposal, pro bono, out of sheer zeal to help halt the declining WA but the Romanians, described variously as racists, did not take Otabil�s proposal seriously. Added to all these, as expected, both London and Accra officials of WA did not answer phone calls or e-mails or letters, a sign of poor management. In fact, almost all the Romanians who were moving through the offices of WA in London and Accra were semi-literate, have no understanding of a media outlet of WA�s range and operated it like what may be described as a Kumasi businessman/woman outfit--a buy and sell venture.
The value of reviving WA goes beyond any business novice with plentiful money-bag. As the chief mouthpiece of the entire West African region and as the forum for the discussion of West Africa�s development process, WA cannot be allowed to sleep in this crucial time of West Africa�s development history, where complicated development issues such the implications of juju-marabou, small arms proliferations, HIV/AIDS pandemic and other dreadful diseases, protracted security issues, poverty and cultural distresses call for a magazine of WA�s international calibre to explain West Africa�s development to West Africans (and Africans) and the rest of the world just as CNN, the BBC, Asia Week, International Herald Tribune, Time or Newsweek magazines do for the cause of the Western world�s development process. Still, in a region (and a continent) that is yet to not only understand each other but also do not know each other properly, WA remains the key regional outfit to do this based on its global reach, its clout, its history, its culture, its qualifications, and its experiences--a strategically sound value and vision for a region that is ranked by global institutions such as the United Nations as the poorest in the world. While Ghana has put WA to sleep (which reveals Accra�s low development vision and management), West African governments, private businessmen/women, ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and other governments outside West Africa can take over WA for the good of the region and the continent.
WA is a highly profitable outfit if managed properly on sound business principles. In fact, as I have discussed variously with my WA and other African/non-African colleagues, if managed well there is a huge market in the United States (Some colleagues tell me the continental European market has not been properly exploited for business). A Spanish or French edition, like Jeune Afrique or Time or Newsweek magazines, has huge market internationally not only in the western hemisphere but the increasing African population in the diaspora who are thirsty for sound analytical news about West Africa, Africa and diasporan Africans (Anthropologically and historically, most African-Caribbeans, African-South Americans and African-North Americans originally came from West Africa). An editorial policy based on these could open up huge markets for the profitability of WA in the long run.
Let those involved in reviving WA move on, driven by West Africa�s development process and the global development game being motored by today�s information system, and through this, help reinvigorate the region�s elements for progress
Gye Nyame Concord has done well in bringing the troubles of WA out for public knowledge, especially in the local and global Ghanaian community. I am indicating Ghana more specifically because WA is legally owned by Ghana (Before Ghana, Nigeria had owned it. And before Nigeria the British colonial regimes in West Africa had owned it). It is unfortunate that the poor management by the Accra-based Daily Graphic has brought WA down. It reveals also how Daily Graphic itself is managed.
Based in Ottawa, Canada for the past ten years and working via computer-assisted/online reporting tools (a new genre in journalism largely developed by the United States), I don�t know most of the guys down there in Accra, though my colleagues such as Sierra Leone�s Desmond Davies, the editor, Ghana�s Frank Afful, the Managing Editor, and Ghana�s Bernard Otabil, the business editor, and other staff workers in our London office, who have not been paid for almost one year, like me (I am owned almost $20,000.00), have been interacting with them. The Lagos, Nigeria-based correspondence, Ben Asante, is owned over ten thousands of British pounds sterling. Other correspondents, based in various parts of the world such as the Washington, U.S.-based James Butty (a Liberian), the Paris, France-based Ibrahim Seaga Shaw (a Sierra Leonean) and the Moscow-based correspondent, Kester Komelagah (a Ghanaian), have been communicating with me, complaining about their distresses. This atmosphere deeply undermined the enthusiasm of correspondents (Enthusiasm is one of the key elements in journalism�you may have the degrees in the world or write like Nigeria�s Wole Soyinka, if you don�t have it, you have to say bye, bye for the trade). I am revealing all these for short-changed subscribers of WA, as one Kwabena Yiadom-Boakye, wrote to ghanaweb.com, to understand the troubles WA went through before its slumber. WA was run in such a terribly abysmal way that it appears as if there were no managers. The Romanian owners did not trust the African editorial team, more out of racist reasons than incompetence or qualification�in fact, aside from me with Master�s degree from Canada�s Carleton University in Ottawa in journalism, most of the correspondents have Master�s degrees from diverse disciplines/or programs. The editor, Desmond Davies has Master�s degree in Mass Communication from U.K.�s Leicester University. In fact, Bernard Otabil, the business editor, has an MBA and repeatedly advised, or rather warned, the Romanians of the coming collapse of WA, to the extent of writing a realistic business proposal, pro bono, out of sheer zeal to help halt the declining WA but the Romanians, described variously as racists, did not take Otabil�s proposal seriously. Added to all these, as expected, both London and Accra officials of WA did not answer phone calls or e-mails or letters, a sign of poor management. In fact, almost all the Romanians who were moving through the offices of WA in London and Accra were semi-literate, have no understanding of a media outlet of WA�s range and operated it like what may be described as a Kumasi businessman/woman outfit--a buy and sell venture.
The value of reviving WA goes beyond any business novice with plentiful money-bag. As the chief mouthpiece of the entire West African region and as the forum for the discussion of West Africa�s development process, WA cannot be allowed to sleep in this crucial time of West Africa�s development history, where complicated development issues such the implications of juju-marabou, small arms proliferations, HIV/AIDS pandemic and other dreadful diseases, protracted security issues, poverty and cultural distresses call for a magazine of WA�s international calibre to explain West Africa�s development to West Africans (and Africans) and the rest of the world just as CNN, the BBC, Asia Week, International Herald Tribune, Time or Newsweek magazines do for the cause of the Western world�s development process. Still, in a region (and a continent) that is yet to not only understand each other but also do not know each other properly, WA remains the key regional outfit to do this based on its global reach, its clout, its history, its culture, its qualifications, and its experiences--a strategically sound value and vision for a region that is ranked by global institutions such as the United Nations as the poorest in the world. While Ghana has put WA to sleep (which reveals Accra�s low development vision and management), West African governments, private businessmen/women, ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and other governments outside West Africa can take over WA for the good of the region and the continent.
WA is a highly profitable outfit if managed properly on sound business principles. In fact, as I have discussed variously with my WA and other African/non-African colleagues, if managed well there is a huge market in the United States (Some colleagues tell me the continental European market has not been properly exploited for business). A Spanish or French edition, like Jeune Afrique or Time or Newsweek magazines, has huge market internationally not only in the western hemisphere but the increasing African population in the diaspora who are thirsty for sound analytical news about West Africa, Africa and diasporan Africans (Anthropologically and historically, most African-Caribbeans, African-South Americans and African-North Americans originally came from West Africa). An editorial policy based on these could open up huge markets for the profitability of WA in the long run.
Let those involved in reviving WA move on, driven by West Africa�s development process and the global development game being motored by today�s information system, and through this, help reinvigorate the region�s elements for progress
Schooling in West Africa
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are three of the world’s four least-developed nations. School attendance and literacy rates are low. Girls as young as 8 leave school to help with domestic chores and to care for their siblings. Boys drop out to grow and harvest crops and raise livestock. Many children never attend school because their families cannot afford fees or materials.
In this Initiative, Geneva Global will partner with Strømme Foundation, a Kristiansand, Norway-based relief and development organization, to give these children an education and put them on a path to lead productive lives. Strømme will operate speed schools that enable older children to catch up to a fourth- or fifth-grade academic level in eight months.
Education is one of the surest ways to improve life in West Africa. Without even a primary education, children are likely to remain impoverished for the rest of their lives.
Children study at a speed school in Bougouni, Mali, one of three operated by a Malian nongovernmental organization that will partner with Strømme Foundation in this Initiative.
This Initiative will remove that hurdle for thousands of children, while helping their parents to see the importance of prioritizing education
In this Initiative, Geneva Global will partner with Strømme Foundation, a Kristiansand, Norway-based relief and development organization, to give these children an education and put them on a path to lead productive lives. Strømme will operate speed schools that enable older children to catch up to a fourth- or fifth-grade academic level in eight months.
Education is one of the surest ways to improve life in West Africa. Without even a primary education, children are likely to remain impoverished for the rest of their lives.
Children study at a speed school in Bougouni, Mali, one of three operated by a Malian nongovernmental organization that will partner with Strømme Foundation in this Initiative.
This Initiative will remove that hurdle for thousands of children, while helping their parents to see the importance of prioritizing education
Save The Children In Africa
West Africa
The countries of West Africa have suffered through civil war and chronic food emergencies, with the increased prevalence of children recruited as soldiers, exploited as labourers, or orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.
Save the Children Canada works in Burkina Faso and Mali where we focus on preventing the exploitation of boys and girls (child labour, street boys and girls), improving education services, promoting children's rights, and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Our Programs in Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, since 1995 Save the Children Canada has supported non-formal education programs in various regions of the country. The main objective is to reinforce and develop both non-formal and formal education capacity and protect children from entering the labour force to survive. Since 2004, through the Canadian Coalition on HIV/AIDS and Youth in Africa program, a partnership with the Canadian agencies of CARE Canada, World Vision and Plan, Save the Children Canada has been working with vulnerable communities to teach healthy lifestyles and HIV/AIDS prevention to children and youth.
Our Programs in Mali
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking as one of the most underdeveloped nations. Our non-formal education program that fights child trafficking in Burkina Faso, is also working in Mali. The program provides prevention and protection mechanisms for boys and girls who may be encouraged to migrate alone into cities where they are vulnerable. With CIDA support, Save the Children Canada has conducted a study on child labour in the Office du Niger agricultural region that will be used to better define our future programs on the issue.
The countries of West Africa have suffered through civil war and chronic food emergencies, with the increased prevalence of children recruited as soldiers, exploited as labourers, or orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.
Save the Children Canada works in Burkina Faso and Mali where we focus on preventing the exploitation of boys and girls (child labour, street boys and girls), improving education services, promoting children's rights, and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Our Programs in Burkina Faso
In Burkina Faso, since 1995 Save the Children Canada has supported non-formal education programs in various regions of the country. The main objective is to reinforce and develop both non-formal and formal education capacity and protect children from entering the labour force to survive. Since 2004, through the Canadian Coalition on HIV/AIDS and Youth in Africa program, a partnership with the Canadian agencies of CARE Canada, World Vision and Plan, Save the Children Canada has been working with vulnerable communities to teach healthy lifestyles and HIV/AIDS prevention to children and youth.
Our Programs in Mali
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking as one of the most underdeveloped nations. Our non-formal education program that fights child trafficking in Burkina Faso, is also working in Mali. The program provides prevention and protection mechanisms for boys and girls who may be encouraged to migrate alone into cities where they are vulnerable. With CIDA support, Save the Children Canada has conducted a study on child labour in the Office du Niger agricultural region that will be used to better define our future programs on the issue.
West Africa Jobs
rePlan (www.replan.ca) is a Ghana-registered firm of 70 planners, architects, engineers, social scientists and community development workers headquartered in Toronto. rePlan's focus is on resettlement, social impact assessment, worker housing, and associated community engagement and development, and the firm is known for its pioneering work in addressing complex social, economic and housing challenges at natural resource projects around the world. In West Africa rePlan is currently working on resettlement projects in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Nigeria.
rePlan is recruiting bilingual French/English senior staff with experience in resettlement for our current and proposed projects in French-speaking West Africa.
Project Managers: Senior development planner, social scientist, architect, urban planner or lawyer with a master’s level qualification and five or more years of experience, internationally and in West Africa, project managing complex community based projects on resettlement, housing or infrastructure construction. Must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is required.
Community Development and Community Consultation Specialists: Intermediate development expert, social scientist, communications expert or planner with five or more years of experience in community consultation, participatory planning, capacity building and social assessment. A master’s level qualification and planning and implementation of community development/community consultations and sustainable livelihood initiatives are required. Candidates must have experience in French-speaking West Africa and must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is required.
Livelihoods Experts: A social scientist or community development expert with five or more years of experience managing complex community based livelihoods projects involving resettlement, preferably in the mining sector. Candidates must have experience in West Africa. Must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is is required.
Architects/Planners: Intermediate planner/architect with five or more years’ experience in planning, design and construction of affordable housing. Experience in a range of architectural practices; team player w/ability to lead design work in a multi-disciplinary team, in collaboration with local consultants. Must be fully proficient in AUTOCAD and other graphic computer software (at least all Adobe Design Premium CS3). Experience of participatory design, community consultation, and the ability to explain architectural and planning principles to a wide audience. Design-built experience is an asset. Must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is an asset.
These are site-based positions. Initial contract of up to one year, with possible extension; US$ salary and benefits. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Please email CV and cover letter in English as a Word document or pdf to careers1@replan.ca
rePlan is recruiting bilingual French/English senior staff with experience in resettlement for our current and proposed projects in French-speaking West Africa.
Project Managers: Senior development planner, social scientist, architect, urban planner or lawyer with a master’s level qualification and five or more years of experience, internationally and in West Africa, project managing complex community based projects on resettlement, housing or infrastructure construction. Must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is required.
Community Development and Community Consultation Specialists: Intermediate development expert, social scientist, communications expert or planner with five or more years of experience in community consultation, participatory planning, capacity building and social assessment. A master’s level qualification and planning and implementation of community development/community consultations and sustainable livelihood initiatives are required. Candidates must have experience in French-speaking West Africa and must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is required.
Livelihoods Experts: A social scientist or community development expert with five or more years of experience managing complex community based livelihoods projects involving resettlement, preferably in the mining sector. Candidates must have experience in West Africa. Must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is is required.
Architects/Planners: Intermediate planner/architect with five or more years’ experience in planning, design and construction of affordable housing. Experience in a range of architectural practices; team player w/ability to lead design work in a multi-disciplinary team, in collaboration with local consultants. Must be fully proficient in AUTOCAD and other graphic computer software (at least all Adobe Design Premium CS3). Experience of participatory design, community consultation, and the ability to explain architectural and planning principles to a wide audience. Design-built experience is an asset. Must be fully bilingual in French and English. Experience in implementing resettlement projects to international best practices, including International Finance Corporation (IFC) policies and performance standards, is an asset.
These are site-based positions. Initial contract of up to one year, with possible extension; US$ salary and benefits. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Please email CV and cover letter in English as a Word document or pdf to careers1@replan.ca
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Migration
Illegal migration continues, but is hard to track because most migrants enter a country legally, but then overstay their visas, according to the 2008 International Migration Outlook released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
"It is difficult to reduce unauthorised migration through border control measures alone," the study notes, "When there exist genuine labour needs and employers have limited means for recruiting abroad, legal entry, followed by job search and overstay, seems to be one way used in practice to match up supply and demand."
OECD writes it is hard to stop needy employers from hiring willing labour.
Some countries are fighting against such employers by offering a special permit to migrants who fall into illegal status to report illegal employment or exploitative employers to authorities.
Thus far in 2008, authorities in Spain and Italy, two popular destinations for job-seeking migrants from West Africa, estimate about 25,000 clandestine migrants, many from Sub -Saharan Africa, have arrived to their shores.
"It is difficult to reduce unauthorised migration through border control measures alone," the study notes, "When there exist genuine labour needs and employers have limited means for recruiting abroad, legal entry, followed by job search and overstay, seems to be one way used in practice to match up supply and demand."
OECD writes it is hard to stop needy employers from hiring willing labour.
Some countries are fighting against such employers by offering a special permit to migrants who fall into illegal status to report illegal employment or exploitative employers to authorities.
Thus far in 2008, authorities in Spain and Italy, two popular destinations for job-seeking migrants from West Africa, estimate about 25,000 clandestine migrants, many from Sub -Saharan Africa, have arrived to their shores.
Apply online for Jobs in West Africa
Rising technology gives way for easier access to recruitment online. In fact most applications sent into companies are done online, without the possibility of physically handing in one’s resume. This new way of recruitment allows online searching for jobs abroad much simpler. In order to find online recruitment in West Africa, such as in Ghana and Nigeria, one will search for sites that offer job listings for abroad.
West Africa
Interview-Spain eyes West Africa as investment destination
By Pascal Fletcher
22 November 2007
DAKAR, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Spain is turning to West Africa as a potential investment destination in a commercial and political offensive linked to trying to control flows of illegal migrants to its territory, its industry minister said on Thursday.
Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade Joan Clos this week led a large Spanish business delegation to Senegal, where he was due to sign a bilateral investment agreement.
Clos travelled from Angola, where he signed a similar accord on Wednesday, along with a memorandum of understanding for a financial cooperation programme with the oil producer.
Spain, which last year launched a "Plan Africa" for stronger political and economic engagement with the West African region on its southern flank, is also negotiating an investment agreement with Mauritania, officials said.
Clos told Reuters that an illegal migration crisis, which saw more than 30,000 Africans risk their lives in rickety open boats to reach the Spanish Canary Islands last year, had shown the need for better trade and cooperation with West Africa.
"The signing of the reciprocal investment accords aims in this direction, to make things easier to start a cycle of investment and business participation which helps to develop the economy (of the region)," the minister told Reuters in Dakar.
"This is confirming our policy of boosting relations with West Africa," he said in an interview.
Clos was accompanied by executives from 60 Spanish companies who held met in Dakar with counterparts from 120 companies from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Guinea, Cape Verde, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.
The delegation included executives from Spain’s major energy company Endesa (ELE.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) and from other companies in the energy, agro-business, infrastructure and tourism sectors.
Although Spanish fishing companies are active along the West Coast of Africa, Spain’s trade with the region is still minimal. Imports from West Africa account for only 3 percent of Spain’s total imports, while Spanish exports to the region were 1 percent of the national total.
Bilateral trade with oil-exporter Angola is more developed and reached nearly 572 million euros ($848 million) in 2006.
By Pascal Fletcher
22 November 2007
DAKAR, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Spain is turning to West Africa as a potential investment destination in a commercial and political offensive linked to trying to control flows of illegal migrants to its territory, its industry minister said on Thursday.
Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade Joan Clos this week led a large Spanish business delegation to Senegal, where he was due to sign a bilateral investment agreement.
Clos travelled from Angola, where he signed a similar accord on Wednesday, along with a memorandum of understanding for a financial cooperation programme with the oil producer.
Spain, which last year launched a "Plan Africa" for stronger political and economic engagement with the West African region on its southern flank, is also negotiating an investment agreement with Mauritania, officials said.
Clos told Reuters that an illegal migration crisis, which saw more than 30,000 Africans risk their lives in rickety open boats to reach the Spanish Canary Islands last year, had shown the need for better trade and cooperation with West Africa.
"The signing of the reciprocal investment accords aims in this direction, to make things easier to start a cycle of investment and business participation which helps to develop the economy (of the region)," the minister told Reuters in Dakar.
"This is confirming our policy of boosting relations with West Africa," he said in an interview.
Clos was accompanied by executives from 60 Spanish companies who held met in Dakar with counterparts from 120 companies from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Guinea, Cape Verde, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.
The delegation included executives from Spain’s major energy company Endesa (ELE.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) and from other companies in the energy, agro-business, infrastructure and tourism sectors.
Although Spanish fishing companies are active along the West Coast of Africa, Spain’s trade with the region is still minimal. Imports from West Africa account for only 3 percent of Spain’s total imports, while Spanish exports to the region were 1 percent of the national total.
Bilateral trade with oil-exporter Angola is more developed and reached nearly 572 million euros ($848 million) in 2006.
Jobs in West Africa
Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Ghana, and Senegal are amazingly welcoming places to work. But you need to be on the ground in West Africa to really have a chance at securing a job here. Employers have heard too many assurances from expats “guaranteeing” they can be on the next plane over. If you can meet with a prospective employer in person, you will give yourself a tremendous advantage over the promise-makers.
Most people assume the biggest challenge to finding work in a foreign country is jumping through the bureaucratic hoops. It’s not. It’s finding a job. The paperwork comes later.
All the West African countries maintain strict quotas for work visas. Smaller companies are usually allowed only one. So if you find a prospective place of employment that already has one foreigner on its payroll, you cannot legally work there. If a prospective employer does have a work visa to grant you, your biggest task is to convince him or her to spend the few hundred dollars in fees for the work visa. If you are willing to foot the bill, your chances increase significantly. Larger companies have more work visas to grant. If you have a technical skill, such as engineering, you can reasonably expect fees and processing times to diminish or disappear altogether. As one senior manager of a gold-extracting equipment company said to me after I half-jokingly asked about employment, “Get an engineering degree and you won’t have a problem.”
For those with only a liberal arts degree, jobs are obtainable. Some expats find teaching English rewarding. But while it may pay well in other parts of the world, not in West Africa—first, because there is an influx of volunteers willing to do the job for free and, second, because schools cannot afford to pay foreigners anyway. An expat teaching English literature at the top university in Ghana (Univ. of Legon) makes around $200 per month. While this is a considerable sum in a country where most people make $1 per day, it is still on the low end of a livable expat salary.
Many expats find well-paying jobs at foreign embassies. If you have a college degree and managing visa applications sounds good to you, embassies hire visa officers with surprising frequency. Since security concerns preclude them from hiring locals for these positions, and embassy regulations require them to pay expats at host-country pay grades (usually around $10 per hour), expats often find themselves in a narrow pool of applicants for a well-paying job. Bear in mind that in a Francophone country you will need to speak French.
Most Western countries maintain websites where they post these expat-hire positions. Other places to look include notice boards at places frequented by foreigners. Some embassies also publish e-newsletters on a periodic basis that contain job postings. If all else fails a friendly email to the consular section inquiring about employment might turn up an otherwise undiscovered opportunity. Since embassies usually hire expats from other Western countries, don’t just look at job postings for your own embassy.
Other job opportunities depend upon your area of expertise and qualifications. If you are willing to work in a high-risk country, your bravery may well be rewarded in countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where other expats rarely job-search. Journalists can sometimes pick up a freelance contract to tide them over until a longer-term job comes along.
Most people assume the biggest challenge to finding work in a foreign country is jumping through the bureaucratic hoops. It’s not. It’s finding a job. The paperwork comes later.
All the West African countries maintain strict quotas for work visas. Smaller companies are usually allowed only one. So if you find a prospective place of employment that already has one foreigner on its payroll, you cannot legally work there. If a prospective employer does have a work visa to grant you, your biggest task is to convince him or her to spend the few hundred dollars in fees for the work visa. If you are willing to foot the bill, your chances increase significantly. Larger companies have more work visas to grant. If you have a technical skill, such as engineering, you can reasonably expect fees and processing times to diminish or disappear altogether. As one senior manager of a gold-extracting equipment company said to me after I half-jokingly asked about employment, “Get an engineering degree and you won’t have a problem.”
For those with only a liberal arts degree, jobs are obtainable. Some expats find teaching English rewarding. But while it may pay well in other parts of the world, not in West Africa—first, because there is an influx of volunteers willing to do the job for free and, second, because schools cannot afford to pay foreigners anyway. An expat teaching English literature at the top university in Ghana (Univ. of Legon) makes around $200 per month. While this is a considerable sum in a country where most people make $1 per day, it is still on the low end of a livable expat salary.
Many expats find well-paying jobs at foreign embassies. If you have a college degree and managing visa applications sounds good to you, embassies hire visa officers with surprising frequency. Since security concerns preclude them from hiring locals for these positions, and embassy regulations require them to pay expats at host-country pay grades (usually around $10 per hour), expats often find themselves in a narrow pool of applicants for a well-paying job. Bear in mind that in a Francophone country you will need to speak French.
Most Western countries maintain websites where they post these expat-hire positions. Other places to look include notice boards at places frequented by foreigners. Some embassies also publish e-newsletters on a periodic basis that contain job postings. If all else fails a friendly email to the consular section inquiring about employment might turn up an otherwise undiscovered opportunity. Since embassies usually hire expats from other Western countries, don’t just look at job postings for your own embassy.
Other job opportunities depend upon your area of expertise and qualifications. If you are willing to work in a high-risk country, your bravery may well be rewarded in countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where other expats rarely job-search. Journalists can sometimes pick up a freelance contract to tide them over until a longer-term job comes along.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)