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Global Xchange is an innovative exchange scheme for young volunteers in Central and South Asia and the UK. In partnership with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Pattan Development Organisation (PDO) and Community Service Volunteers (CSV), Global Xchange provides a unique exchange experience to live and work together in each other’s countries as well as experience the culture and issues that young people face in their respective communities.
Since 2004, Global Xchange has been building active global citizens working through young people, communities and the media. So far 24 exchanges have taken place in 15 countries: Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Ghana, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Mongolia and the UK.
These exchanges have involved 440 volunteers, 320 host homes, 220 volunteer placements and 40 communities globally. The first nine exchanges show that Global Xchange reached about 5.5 million people.
Young volunteers between 18 to 25 years passionate about learning and working with others to help communities.
We all know that volunteering means giving your time, energy and skills to help other people, communities and societies. But did you know that by helping others, you are actually helping yourself by:
- experiencing the real world through hands-on work and meeting different people
- developing new skills like teamworking when you work with others to achieve a goal
- returning to the community some of what it has invested in you
- feeling motivated with a high sense of achievement
- boosting your career with new skills and knowledge – a career change perhaps?
- discovering new hobbies, interests, talents
- building your networking opportunities
- inspiring others around you!
Volunteers spend three months working in communities of their own country and three months working in the UK. The chance to live and work together for a total of six months will be an amazing education for the young volunteers. They will build close relationships with each other as a team and not just learn but actually experience what it means to be a young person in different country.
By immersing themselves in each other’s countries and cultures they will develop important skills to make a practical contribution where it is needed in local communities.
They will also understand social development, especially in governance issues of both, the informal community structures and the formal, local government structures.
This experience will give them the insights, knowledge and awareness that they will never get from books.
Living with a host home and family in a different country gives the volunteers the real experience of the local culture. By doing real work that help make a difference to people living in challenging conditions.
Volunteers are expected to concentrate on their personal goals and to think about how to help their host communities.
Six months.
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