Discussion
Has anyone ever done anything noble like volunteering in africa or the like?
As a uni student, I am interested in doing something of this sort. My original plan had been to build school in south africa, but to be honest I am thinking this might not be such a bright idea, me being a young white tourist!
Basically, wanted to hear of others experiences, where they went, who they went through, what they did?
As a uni student, I am interested in doing something of this sort. My original plan had been to build school in south africa, but to be honest I am thinking this might not be such a bright idea, me being a young white tourist!
Basically, wanted to hear of others experiences, where they went, who they went through, what they did?
This is going to make me sound like a tossa but...
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other b
ks.
Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other b
ks.Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Austin.J said:
This is going to make me sound like a tossa but...
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other bks.
Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
He's probably a recovering alcoholic born again Christian, and god probably told him to do it or else.Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other b
ks.Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Edited by Dugiet on Thursday 5th February 14:43
Dugiet said:
Austin.J said:
This is going to make me sound like a tossa but...
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other bks.
Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
He's probably a recovering alcoholic born again Christian, and god probably told him to do it or else.Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other b
ks.Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Edited by Dugiet on Thursday 5th February 14:43
Dugiet said:
I think a lot of people who go over and help are christians who seem to think going over and helping out in the short term will actually make any difference, the reality is far different.
But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
Any help to those people is good and will probably make a noticeable differnce to their lives, even if it doesn;t change the country.But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
Austin.J said:
This is going to make me sound like a tossa but...
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other bks.
Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other b
ks.Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Dugiet said:
I think a lot of people who go over and help are christians who seem to think going over and helping out in the short term will actually make any difference, the reality is far different.
But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
I would have thought it was better for builders and contractors in that country to build a school using aid/money from the government. Thereby increasing tax revenue for that country, income for people in that country, and the seeds of a developing economy. Obviously theres all sorts of problems such as corruption infrastructure and skills base. The idea of a load of sociology and media students students going somewhere and bodging together a school just to make themselves feel better sounds a bit patronising to me. You could see them as taking away jobs from the indiginous people and holding back their economic development.But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
Why not do voluntary work for a local organisation? Sure, it's less impressive but it shouldn't be about impressing people.
In fact, you could probably help the little old lady down the road who finds it difficult to get to Tesco for the weekly shopping... every little helps.
In fact, you could probably help the little old lady down the road who finds it difficult to get to Tesco for the weekly shopping... every little helps.
Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 5th February 14:57
mouk786 said:
Dugiet said:
I think a lot of people who go over and help are christians who seem to think going over and helping out in the short term will actually make any difference, the reality is far different.
But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
Any help to those people is good and will probably make a noticeable differnce to their lives, even if it doesn;t change the country.But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
Austin.J said:
This is going to make me sound like a tossa but...
Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other bks.
Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Isn't it much harder to do when you're in a stable job with an income? Employers tend to expect you actually to turn up to earn that income, not be in another country.Why do students want to go volunteer in africa to build schools ect, most students can barely afford to eat, never mind go to africa, also whats the point? i mean yeah sure it's a good thing to do... but your a student, you should be drunk right now, infact why are you even on here and not in the pub? you fail at being a student!
A friend of mine went to mexico when he was a student to volunteer, came back 6k in debt, when he could only just afford his tuition, he said yes but i feel alot better about my self and some other b
ks.Do it by all means, but please, wait until you have finished uni and are in a stable job and some decent income.
Magog said:
Dugiet said:
I think a lot of people who go over and help are christians who seem to think going over and helping out in the short term will actually make any difference, the reality is far different.
But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
I would have thought it was better for builders and contractors in that country to build a school using aid/money from the government. Thereby increasing tax revenue for that country, income for people in that country, and the seeds of a developing economy. Obviously theres all sorts of problems such as corruption infrastructure and skills base. The idea of a load of sociology and media students students going somewhere and bodging together a school just to make themselves feel better sounds a bit patronising to me. You could see them as taking away jobs from the indiginous people and holding back their economic development.But i suppose helping building a school aint such a bad thing
ked from the ground up.Scotmove said:
Has anyone ever done anything noble like volunteering in africa or the like?
As a uni student, I am interested in doing something of this sort. My original plan had been to build school in south africa, but to be honest I am thinking this might not be such a bright idea, me being a young white tourist!
Basically, wanted to hear of others experiences, where they went, who they went through, what they did?
My advice is to get uni done with, and get a full time job overseas with an aid agency or similar if you want to make a real profound difference.As a uni student, I am interested in doing something of this sort. My original plan had been to build school in south africa, but to be honest I am thinking this might not be such a bright idea, me being a young white tourist!
Basically, wanted to hear of others experiences, where they went, who they went through, what they did?
There is always the chance that you don't.
There is the chance that you just want to combine a gap year with some 'getting-to-know-yourself' with some 'helping-the-poor-black-kids' so that you can come back with some beads, odd earrings, overgrown messy hair that vacuous uni chicks just love and weird growths of facial hair spouting on about how much 'the experience touched me like, doyanowhatimean' and then going to join an anti-capitalist outfit protesting that we should all abandon money and adopt the banana as our currency inorder to 'help-the-poor-black-kids'.... before then finishing uni, getting a haircut, a suit and a job in the city, making money out of trade that exploits 'the-poor-black-kids'
no personal experience, but a housemate went to ghana with the british council. check out their website as they have specific 'jobs' aimed at people with a certain skills set. my mate was a structural engineering student and as such was employed with a building firm. he worked on a school, a hospital, and learned to plaster on a job at the presidential palace.
he was there for 3mths then took a month to travel around togo, benin etc. never had one bit of trouble and hired a motorbike for a couple of weeks for the princely sum of £5.
i'd say do it whilst you still can.
he was there for 3mths then took a month to travel around togo, benin etc. never had one bit of trouble and hired a motorbike for a couple of weeks for the princely sum of £5.
i'd say do it whilst you still can.
Dugiet said:
I think a lot of people who go over and help are christians who seem to think going over and helping out in the short term will actually make any difference, the reality is far different.
my uncle appreciated their help regardless how 'little' the time they hadsaying that he was a missionary for the best part of 25 years
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