Want to go overseas during the 2010/2011 holiday break? Well here is a different way to look at doing it and getting to see and meet some of the real people and cultures of new countries, and whats more you get to help others at the same time.
Dust off the hiking boots ready for action
Youth Challenge Australia is an Australian-based, non-profit, non-government organisation that actively engages Australian youth in community identified projects. Since 1992, YCA has mobilised young people to assist the growth of sustainable and positive community development both internationally and in Indigenous Australia.
YCA recruits and trains young people to support projects in Indigenous Australia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, India, and Vanuatu. Their development projects range from 5 to 10 weeks in length and focus on the poverty, education, gender equality and human rights, health and HIV/ AIDS, environmental sustainability and global partnerships.
If you are interested in being a part of a YCA program you can choose from the following programs available over the December 2010 to February 2011 period.
Mexico
YCA will be working in Mexico this December with the Niño’s Feliz Orphanage. Niño’s Feliz is the home of orphaned and abandoned children, in San Joaquin, Texcoco, Mexico. Mexico is home to more than 10 million orphaned or abandoned children and YCA volunteers have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of these children, both socially and through basic infrastructure work in the orphanage. The program focuses on the very real issues of poverty and hunger, education, child health & nutrition and environmental sustainability. The children of this orphanage face these issues on a daily basis. YCA participants have the opportunity to work with and learn from the community of San Joaquin so that these children have a better life.
www.youthchallenge.org.au/Mexico
Costa Rica
YCA has been involved with over 150 community-identified development projects in Costa Rica. YCA provides the opportunity for young Australians to partner with other young people from around the world and with local communities on community identified development projects. The projects range from capacity building and conservation work, to facilitating educational workshops and cultural exchange. The purpose of engaging with communities across this beautiful, biodiversity rich nation is to enhance the capacity of community members to engage in sustainable development. YCA projects in Costa Rica generally target four areas environmental sustainability, health, education and infrastructure.
www.youthchallenge.org.au/Costa-Rica
Guyana
The main issues facing the Guyanese community are the increasing spread of HIVA/AIDS, unemployment and lack of access to education, health and basic infrastructure. In response to this YCA projects in Guyana focus on the areas of health promotion (such as HIV/AIDS awareness), literacy and numeracy and youth skills, training and assistance. Volunteering in Guyana provides young Australians with the unique opportunity to volunteer in a remote, isolated and exotic location, where most travellers never set foot while playing an important role in health promotion and education programs. Volunteers also get to sleep as the locals do – in a hammock!
www.youthchallenge.org.au/Guyana
Vanuatu
YCA is gearing up from another fabulous project in Vanuatu in December 2010. Located on remote Vanuatu island, participants on this program will have the opportunity to work together and learn from developing communities whilst making an impact on both youth and community development in the Pacific. This program will focus on the issues of environmental sustainability, the eradication of poverty, gender equality, human rights and education. With a very real need at the grass roots level, YCA will again take up the challenge of supporting Vanuatu in partnership with local NGO’s towards positive community development.
www.youthchallenge.org.au/Vanuatu
If you are interested in applying for any of these programs please visit the YCA website: www.youthchallenge.org.au/YCA-Application or any of the above links for more information. Project dates can be found here: www.youthchallenge.org.au/Program-Calendar
Check out their You Tube video for more info too.
