UK youths do volunteer work
By INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT
July 9, 2011
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — Ten British youth volunteers are in Manila to work for three months along with 10 Filipino youth professionals on a project to curb human trafficking and promote health awareness.
For 12 weeks, the first batch of this year’s participants in the International Citizen Service (ICS) Youth Action—an initiative funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DID) that gives thousands of young adults from the UK and other parts of the world an opportunity to join in the fight against global poverty—will live, learn and work together with Filipino youth volunteers from the VSO Bahaginan on a range of community-based action projects will be a partner in this project.
British Embassy Manila Second Secretary Political Chris Wright welcomed the volunteers at the formal launch of the project recently. “I have noticed that both of our countries share in common is a real desire, a real respect for human rights, a real respect for making a difference and a real interest in getting involved in making a difference ourselves,” Wright said.
He added that this experience changes not only the volunteers’ lives but also the lives of the people they volunteers will be working with. “This can make a real difference to the people that would have otherwise been trafficked, that would otherwise have less healthy lives. You’ll make a difference to their lives but you will also be making a difference to your own lives as well,” Wright said.
The British volunteers and 10 Filipino youth professionals will be divided into two teams and will work together on a range of community-based action projects in co-operation with the local government of Hagonoy, Bulacan.
“Together they will work effectively to deliver real impact at the community level – be it through supporting service delivery, through advocacy or peer education activities or through youth-led community action research around themes of health, human rights, environmental protection, climate change and youth participation,” Wright said.
Sixty more British youth volunteers and their Filipino counterparts will also be working with local government units and non-governmental organizations in Bohol, Cebu, Davao and Samar in the coming months.
For 12 weeks, the first batch of this year’s participants in the International Citizen Service (ICS) Youth Action—an initiative funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DID) that gives thousands of young adults from the UK and other parts of the world an opportunity to join in the fight against global poverty—will live, learn and work together with Filipino youth volunteers from the VSO Bahaginan on a range of community-based action projects will be a partner in this project.
British Embassy Manila Second Secretary Political Chris Wright welcomed the volunteers at the formal launch of the project recently. “I have noticed that both of our countries share in common is a real desire, a real respect for human rights, a real respect for making a difference and a real interest in getting involved in making a difference ourselves,” Wright said.
He added that this experience changes not only the volunteers’ lives but also the lives of the people they volunteers will be working with. “This can make a real difference to the people that would have otherwise been trafficked, that would otherwise have less healthy lives. You’ll make a difference to their lives but you will also be making a difference to your own lives as well,” Wright said.
The British volunteers and 10 Filipino youth professionals will be divided into two teams and will work together on a range of community-based action projects in co-operation with the local government of Hagonoy, Bulacan.
“Together they will work effectively to deliver real impact at the community level – be it through supporting service delivery, through advocacy or peer education activities or through youth-led community action research around themes of health, human rights, environmental protection, climate change and youth participation,” Wright said.
Sixty more British youth volunteers and their Filipino counterparts will also be working with local government units and non-governmental organizations in Bohol, Cebu, Davao and Samar in the coming months.
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