COUNTRY SPECIFIC DOCUMENT WHAT TO DO NOW. Use this as a guide to keep you on track with your preparations for Training and your departure overseas.

Transcription

1 COUNTRY SPECIFIC DOCUMENT WHAT TO DO NOW Use this as a guide to keep you on track with your preparations for Training and your departure overseas. ACTION LOCATION COMPLETED from Desk Officer Checklist in read the Country Specific Document and Generic Document contained online and confirm you have read and understood every document by inserting YES in the READ column next to each document in the CHECKLIST and it back to your Desk Officer. Please be aware that this is confirmation of your acceptance of your place overseas therefore it is essential that we receive this confirmation. Visa/Work Permit if action is needed early to get a visa or work permit this is contained within the Visa Instructions below. Volunteers have had flights delayed because they have been disorganised with visa documents. Please communicate with your Desk Officer if you have any problems with the visa process. Doctor s Letter read the Doctor s Letter Request in the GENERIC DOCUMENT pdf and contact your GP s surgery to arrange this, we must receive this as soon as possible and at the latest by 1st June Please be aware that some GP s now charge for this service. Basic Disclosure apply for this as soon as possible. See Basic Disclosure Instructions in the GENERIC DOCUMENT pdf. InterHealth Information follow the instructions on the InterHealth Information sheet in the GENERIC DOCUMENT pdf and start organising any additional vaccinations from your GP or Travel Centre. The InterHealth website relevant to your country will give you information on malaria tablets. Travel advice we advise you to access current, country-specific travel advice by subscribing to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) free alert service or by following the FCO on social media via Twitter or Facebook. Passport Details - if you have not sent your passport details to Project Trust, please do so as soon as possible and at the latest by 1 st June Many Desk Officers will need them to obtain the relevant visa/work permit and they are essential for booking flights. Training Course Joining Instructions follow the instructions contained in the Joining Instructions below, make sure you know exactly when to arrive on Coll. Even if you have already made us aware on Selection, please make us aware of your dietary requirements by ing your Desk Officer by 1 st June Country Specific Document Generic Document Generic document Generic Document Internet Country Specific Document

2 2014. Fundraising please remember that your fundraising needs to be completed by the end of July. The fundraising team will have discussions during Training with those that are struggling. Volunteer Handbook (sent to you after Selection) - read your volunteer handbook, re-read, and be sure to show it to your parents. Bring it with you to the Training course. Preparation Research your host country in the library or on the internet, read relevant magazines and newspapers, there is a suggested resource list below. Learn how to cook, clean, and hand-wash and iron your clothing. Get stuck in around the house over the summer. Knowledge of First Aid is also very important. Country Specific Document

3 Visa and Work Permit Instructions Nepal Visa Information As you are aware Nepal is a new country and we are in the final stages of getting the MoU and working visas sorted for our Nepal volunteers. At present we are unsure of what documentation will be required and we will be in contact with you separately in this matter as soon as we have heard back from Nepal and the ministries out there. In the mean time please make sure that the following have been sent through to the office: A photo copy of your passport 2x passport pictures Your disclosure Your doctors letter It s important that these documents are sent up by the deadlines that have been asked for in the What to do now check list. I will be in touch with you as soon as I have heard from Nepal if there are more documents that are required. If you are unsure on any of these points please contact me.

4 Joining Instructions for Training Course 2: Monday 30 th June to Friday 4 th July 2014 Attendance All volunteers going to Nepal, Namibia, Honduras and Peru Aims Your Training Course is designed to give you sufficient information and the necessary briefing to obtain the maximum benefit from your year overseas whilst being of use to your host. Please remember that attendance and participation at Training is a compulsory learning unit of the Foundation Year in Global Volunteering and Citizenship. Travel Arrangements You will need to make your own travel arrangements to Oban on Sunday 29 th June. If you are driving up and would be interested in sharing petrol costs with another volunteer we can try to put you in contact with others in your area. Oban Accommodation You will also need to arrange accommodation in Oban for the night before the ferry. We suggest you do this as soon as possible as Oban gets very busy in the summer. You might like to stay at the Backpackers ( ), or at the Oban Youth Hostel ( ). You could try the Oban Tourist Information Centre ( ) if there is nothing available at the previous numbers. Don t forget to set your alarm for an early start and also remember that as a group your presence and enthusiasm can be a little intimidating - please be considerate to others. Oban to Coll The ferry leaves Oban at 0800 on Monday and you must make sure you are at the booking office no later than 30 minutes before departure to collect your ferry ticket and fill in a boarding card. To collect your ticket you must print out this letter and show it along with some form of ID at the checkin desk. You won t be allowed to embark without your ticket and boarding card. This is the only ferry that will get you to Training, so do not miss it! Please make sure you have breakfast on the ferry as we will be beginning Training sessions as soon as you arrive. This boat arrives to Coll at Do not get off at the wrong island! Staff will be at the pier on Coll to collect you. Requirements on Coll You will be staying at the Hebridean Centre and bedding will be provided. All training sessions will take place indoors, however, during your free time, you may want to go walking or even swimming in the sea and there may be a football match arranged one evening. Please note that swimming in the sea is unsupervised and you are not permitted to do so during adverse weather conditions or after drinking alcohol.

5 Please bring: Essential A towel Smart clothes for the formal reception and ceilidh on the last evening Notebook, pens and all literature you have received about Training Wet weather clothing Optional Swimsuit Football boots or trainers Musical instruments, games etc for the evenings Project Trust has a no smoking policy and smoking is prohibited in all Project Trust buildings and vehicles. There is a bar which sells refreshments and Project Trust T-shirts in the evening, so bring plenty of cash as we have no facility to cash cheques. Departure The boat leaves Coll on Friday 4 th at 1015 and will arrive in Oban at Make sure you arrive fresh for the course as it will be an intense few days. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

6 Nepal Clothing lists Nepal has a British summer time climate: You will become acclimatised though and will need some warm clothes. A good jumper and coat as well as layers of clothing are important. People will judge you on the way you dress, clothes must be smart, business like and conventional for work, however, you can be more casual out of work. The following is a guide only: Item Nepal Male clothing list Quantity Remarks Trousers, respectable 3 Lightweight, smart for teaching. Jeans 2 Jeans are very hot but everyone wears them. Shorts 4 leisure only, ie after school Shirts-long sleeved 5 Long sleeves are better for work and prevent insect bites Shirts-short sleeved 2 Smart ones for teaching if it s a little hot. T-shirts 4 Leisure only. T-shirts can be bought cheaply out in Nepal Tie 1 tie A tie may be needed for formal occasions. Sweaters 2 lightweight sweatshirt/fleece. A smart one for teaching in Waterproof jacket 1 Lightweight underwear (minimum) 10 They wear out very quickly. (lots) Socks (minimum) 8 pairs Including Socks for travelling/ trekking. (lots) Night-clothes 1 or 2 Hanging out tracksuit bottoms are ideal Swimsuit and towel 2 Shorts can double up Sandals - strong 1 Hiking ones are most useful Respectable shoes 2 For teaching Other useful footwear 1 Trainers. Good quality shoes as they deteriorate quickly. (people don t wear walking boots in the project as they are seen as a tourist thing- take them for the holidays only) Sports equipment Optional sports shorts Mosquito net 1 A double bed, box shaped one is best, don t buy until training and we ll explain why. Mosquitoes are not the issues but they prevent other unwanted insects disturbing your evening sleep.

7 Nepal Female clothing list Item Quantity Remarks Skirts Jeans/trousers Shirts-long sleeved Shirts-short sleeved T-shirts or sleeveless shirts Dresses Sweaters/cardigans Cagoule or similar Pants / bras 12 / 6 (lots) Socks (minimum) Night-clothes Swimsuit and towel Sandals- strong Respectable shoes Other useful footwear Sports equipment Mosquito net 4 smart. 3 Leisure only. Jeans are very hot but everyone wears them. 5 Long sleeves are better for work and prevent insect bites 2 Smart for teaching, but not too tight and no straps. 4 Leisure only. T-shirts can be bought cheaply in Georgetown. 2 Not a necessity, but an option. 2 or lightweight sweatshirt/fleece. A smart one for teaching in. 1 Lightweight Take lots in dark colours, they wear out and look grubby very quickly. Waist slips may be needed if skirts can be seen through - IMPORTANT 6 pairs Including Socks for travelling these wear out fast (lots) 1/2 Hanging out tracksuit bottoms are ideal 1 swim in shorts and t-shirts. 1 Trekking ones are most useful 2 For teaching 1 Trainers. Good quality shoes as they deteriorate quickly. (people don t wear walking boots in the project as they are seen as a tourist thing- take them for the holidays only) Optional 1 A double bed, box shaped one is best, don t buy until training and we ll explain why. Mosquitoes are not the issues but they prevent other unwanted insects disturbing your evening sleep. Other points: You will need to take a sleeping bag, one with a comfort zone from 0-7 degrees should be sufficient. You can get additional blankets out there. The nights are cold with the altitude and clear skies. A wooly hat is a good idea as it does get cold in the evenings

8 Flip-flops and sun hats can be bought overseas but it s a good idea to take a baseball cap. A good pair of training shoes can be used for walking during the holidays. Clothes dry quickly from wet but constant hand-washing will wear clothes out.. Patterned shirts, simple stripes, for teaching look smart and it s not so obvious how well ironed they are. GENERAL POINTS ABOUT CLOTHING White clothes get easily and permanently stained and should be avoided; however volunteers have in the past found white a good colour due to bleach being heavily used in the hand washing process. Brightly coloured and patterned clothes look nicer in hot climates. Strong, hard-wearing material is recommended as hand washing is hard on clothes. Turn coloured clothing inside out if drying outside - it helps to prevent fading. Hand washing jeans is a nightmare so take a nail brush or vegetable scrubbing brush to give you a fighting chance. Synthetic materials are not suitable for hot climates. As much as possible should be cotton or cotton/polyester mix - the latter means you may not need to iron your clothes. Clothes for teaching and similar work must be clean and respectable. Revealing or semi-transparent clothes are most unsuitable and way-out, trendy fashion should be avoided. ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT The following items should be regarded as essential: A roomy rucksack for travelling and a day-sack for day trips/general use; 8 extra passport photos; money belt (or similar); sleeping bag and/or liner; washing equipment, toiletries. The following items may be useful: (availability overseas varies from country to country, check with individual desk-officers on training) airmail writing paper and envelopes, especially in the interior alarm clock hot water bottle can-opener/pen knife (Swiss Army knives are particularly good), books, playing cards, games camera and spare memory card (better two small ones than one large one in case you lose it or it becomes corrupted). Remember a download lead if necessary. radio/cassette/cd/md/mp3 and favourite music (in most projects you will not be able to download any new music so take plenty!), spare batteries/battery charger - BBC World service is on shortwave. You can buy cds very cheaply simple cook book - if you are going to cook for yourself, oven gloves, can opener sewing kit, including good scissors, string and a few clothes pegs torch, bring a good one and a spare as you need these

9 towel, kitchen towel. Solar charger is useful Blue tac and duck tape to secure things to the walls. Posters and postcards of where you come from and photos of family and your home background for the decoration of your room and to help answer questions about life at home. You will be quizzed on all your pictures. Equipment which may be useful: (Wait until training for country specific advice) General texts on your subjects for teachers An English grammar book and dictionary Books of instruction on games, arts and crafts, scouting and guiding (if you are keen) and music. Supplies of glue, drawing pins, Sellotape, blutak, scissors, rulers, pens (some coloured). NOTE: Airline baggage allowances may be as little as 20 kilos only. Confirmation of this will be given to you on your training course. You will be having to walk to your project and this could be anywhere up to 4 hours. So make sure that you can carry your bag! More information on this will be given on training.

10 Suggested Guyana Resource List It s certainly not essential to purchase every book that you can find about Nepal however it is recommended that you do some research on the country before coming up to Training. It certainly will make Training more interesting. If you want to get to grips with one aspect of Nepal that can be really beneficial before heading out to the country it will be the language. It will make your arrival and settling in a lot easier if you have a good base level of Nepali. Website: There are some good self teach videos on you tube which will help you with the sounds related to the language and to hear how words are pronounced. Books: The lonely planet travel guide is helpful with holiday ideas as well Kathmandu and basic language skills. They also do a good language pocket book. There are lots of great books on treks/ expeditions and the Ghurkhas if you are interested in developing your understanding on the country. Remember, if you do purchase anything please help Project Trust out by buying through the Amazon link at the bottom of the Project Trust homepage as that way 10% of the value of the order will be donated to us.