‘It’s not a holiday, you need to be mentally and physically prepared for it but it’s so worthwhile’

Founded in 2002, Suas Educational Development is a movement dedicated to supporting high quality education in targeted under-resourced communities, with programmes in India, Ireland and Kenya.

Since then, 540 young people have been involved with our Partners on the Suas Volunteer Programme. Eric was on placement in one of the two primary schools in Mombasa, Kenya that Suas is partnered with, Kongowea Primary School.

As part of the preparation, volunteers have to raise a minimum of €2,995 which covers a donation to the partner organisations, flights, accommodation, insurance, training costs, global perspectives expenses, coordinators and in-country support and a contribution towards the running costs of the programme.

Eric Scanlon, a final year International Relations student recently returned from a ten week volunteership in Kenya. Originally from Meath, he hadn’t done much volunteer work when he applied for the Suas Volunteer Programme in the winter of 2007. Unfortunately, even though he was selected for the summer placement in 2008, Suas had to pull out of Kenya due to political and civil unrest in the country.

Not deterred by this, Eric went to Kenya this summer. His sense of adventure and the desire to give something back spurred him on in the decision to apply for the programme. In order to raise the sponsorship, Eric recruited his friends to organise raffles, they also packed bags in supermarkets and did bucket collections.

The months leading up to the placement are extremely important for the volunteers. There are three weekend seminars which prepare the volunteers for what they may encounter in their new home.

At these seminars volunteers learn the basics of the language, all about the culture of the country they are going to even down to what to wear and more importantly, what not to wear. Former participants are crucial to this preparation. They pass on all their experience and advice and help the volunteers in any way they can.

These weekends are the volunteers’ best opportunity to meet other successful applicants and get to know the people on the team they will be travelling with. After successful completion of the weekends the volunteer embarks.

Life in Kenya

Eric’s day started early in the morning with a walk to the school through the more run down areas of Mombasa. “Not a nice place to walk,” he said, “security was prearranged with the chiefs [of the towns] because white people don’t just walk through those areas.” Until 3pm, he and another volunteer helped in the classroom as classroom assistants.

There were five classes in the school in which ten volunteers helped out. The more ability the more responsibility was given, in some cases the volunteers taught class themselves. Class sizes averaged about 120 children. The ten week placement is broken up by a development week called the Global Perspectives Week.

This takes place in the fifth week of the placement. The volunteers travel to the UN complex in Nairobi. Here they have a chance to take a step back and to put what has been seen at a local level into a broader context.

Previous volunteers have met representatives of UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, Concern and other local NGOs. Eric said, “The week really rejuvenates you and makes you look forward to going back to work.” The Global Perspectives week gives the volunteers a chance to get answers to some of the questions raised during their placement.

After the week in Nairobi, the volunteers are brought back to their schools for the last week of term after which they set up summer camps for the remaining three weeks. These summer camps are run exclusively by the volunteers.

There are smaller class groups and are aimed at preparing the students for the KCPE (Leaving Cert equivalent) which takes place in November.

The overwhelming generosity of the people was one of the things that stood out in Eric’s mind. Eric even visited some of the students homes where the family made them so welcome, offering a group of seven volunteers a place to stay. “When you see the kids’ backgrounds it makes you want to help them more, they are so full of hope and aspiration and so appreciative of everything we do as volunteers.”

Eric intends to return next year as a Devlopment Coordinator. He is very much aware that those interested in volunteering should be mindful of the dedication it takes. “It’s not a holiday, you need to be mentally and physically prepared for it but it’s so worthwhile.”

Eric is also the first year rep for the Suas Society here in DCU and urges everyone to get involved. He has made many friends from the programme; a few of the students even joined Facebook to be able to keep in touch.

The closing date for applications is 21st December and all the information is on the website www.suas.ie.