Katie Hughes had a Footprinter Grant for her primary school teaching placement in Chile. Here is her final update – in her words “Unfortunately my time in Chile came to an end 5 months early due to the global pandemic. I was heartbroken when I found out I had to come back to Scotland at the end of March.” Things were looking so good! After spending two amazing months travelling in Chile and Argentina, I returned to the school at the beginning of March to […]
Rachel Azzopardi travelled to Otjikondo School, Namibia, supported by a Footprinter Grant. The pandemic brought her experience to an abrupt end, sadly. Here she tells how it felt to be rushed home from the Otjikondo we are so fond of, and that Rachel’s grown to love. This wasn’t the Otjikondo plan! It was never in my plans to be here, writing my final article, sitting at home, with a messily packed suitcase wide open on my carpet. Four months early. I find it quite hard […]
Katy Watters went to Otjikondo, Namibia expecting a full on year. It was cut short by the pandemic, but it’s pretty clear she got what she came for! Well done. Katy was supported by a grant from Hazel’s Footprints and trained with Project Trust. A busy term two at Otjikondo If I had thought my first term at Otjikondo was busy, my second term could only really be described as hectic! The new school year started a week later than normal and was due to […]
As for so many of our “Footprinter” volunteers, Ellen Whitehouse had her gap year cut short by the Coronavirus pandemic. Here she writes about her experience. Introduction If you had told me a week ago that I would be leaving my home in Zambia I would have laughed in your face, literally. But now I am writing this report with the sound of screaming children in my ears knowing that this is the last time I will ever hear them shouting and singing outside our […]
Richeldis Brosnan was awarded of our Footprinter Grants to travel to Jiayuguan, China as a volunteer in a school. Here she reflects on here time there – she certainly kept very busy! On the evening of the 29th of January all the Project Trust volunteers based in China were sent an email informing us that we were to evacuate China immediately. What ensued was a stressful 48 hours of travelling halfway across the globe, arriving back in the UK on the 31st of January. Although […]
Nik Janus is currently in China working as a volunteer teacher. He has sent us a report on how he’s getting on as a new coronavirus spreads across the country and beyond. Since my last report there’s a virus rampant throughout China which is spreading around the world now it seems. Hopefully, Project Trust will not see this as a big enough crisis to warrant sending the volunteers home early. What’s interesting is that there’s isn’t very much concern among the Chinese people. The school we are at is […]
Nik has been in China for two months now – he’s already come a long way since his first report. We’re really impressed that the Mandarin learning is coming on so fast! After a couple of months in China I’m starting to pick up the language; Although I am struggling with the characters, my speaking is starting to improve as well as my listening. It can be pretty frustrating when you are able to understand what somebody is saying but you’re unable to answer them! […]
Richeldis Brosnan reports on her experience in China so far, four weeks into her time volunteering with Project Trust. This report follows her previous report on her thoughts before she set off from home. Richeldis was awarded one of our Footprinter Grants to help with her work. I have been in China for four weeks. It is safe to say that we never quite know what requests our host school has for us each day. So far, my partner, Jamie, and I have been instructed […]
Izzy Richards completes a fabulous year at Otjikondo School in Namibia where she has volunteered teaching children for a year. She wrote to us before she set off, after her first term, after her second term and now as she finishes. Hazel’s Footprints gave Izzy a Footprinter Grant to help with the fundraising required for her year. Izzy Richards – Parent’s Day and Beyond I’m writing this from our hostel in Windhoek the day before I fly back o London. It all feels surreal, but […]
Nik Janus has just arrived in China for his year of teaching, partly-supported by Hazel’s Footprints Trust. Nik is from our local area – the Scottish Borders – and we’re amazed that he feels China doesn’t seem all that far from here! Nik also shared his thoughts ahead of the trip, back in May. Report from Nik Janus as he arrives in China The travel to China was a horrendous ordeal as we had a 7 hour flight from London to Dubai and then also a 7.5 […]
Mambo! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been interning for almost three months now! Time really is flying! I’m interning with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It’s also known as the United Nations (UN) Migration Agency. More specifically, I am working with the Somalia mission which is made up of around 400 staff. The main offices are in Nairobi and Mogadishu. In addition, there is a field and satellite presence in each region of Somalia. Life in Nairobi Despite the traffic (!) Nairobi is […]
Finding Project Trust Nine months ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that I would even come close to spending an entire year overseas. I went on a Project Trust selection course on the Isle of Coll having done some research. Yet, I still didn’t really know what lay ahead of me and didn’t really believe that it was something I would ever be involved in. Now, I have just over a month left until I board a plane which will mark the beginning […]
Rachel Azzopardi has been awarded a Footprinter Grant to head to Otjikondo School in Nambia for the 2019/20 academic year. Otjikondo School is very special to Hazel’s Footprints as this is where Hazel herself spent her gap year. We continue to support Otjikondo with an annual grant, and we are thrilled when we can also provide some assistance to those planning to dedicate a year of their lives to the school. Good luck Rachel! Report by Rachel Azzopardi ahead of her year at Otjikondo School After […]
Ellen Whitehouse was awarded a Footprinter Grant in May for her volunteer trip to Zambia. She will be teaching maths, computing and science at a school in Petauke, which is in the east of the country. Ellen Whitehouse is heading to Petauke, eastern Zambia I decided to take a gap year before university after my school trip in 2018 to Kenya. A group of my peers and I had raised a significant amount of money to take out to the school we were working with, […]
Nik Janus will be heading to China this year to volunteer in teaching. We were delighted to support this local chap with a Footprinter Grant. Good luck Nik! Nik Janus with some early thoughts on his year in China So, it’s the day of my finding out that I am being sponsored for £800. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders as it makes my job of fundraising a lot easier than it was. There is a plethora of emotions […]
September 14th 2018 was the day I announced to my parents that I wanted to do a gap year in China with the Project Trust. They were immensely supportive and in October I went off to Coll for the Project Trust Selection course. I remember the day when I got the email saying that Project Trust had accepted me as a volunteer, I was on the bus unable to open the email on my phone and had to wait until I got to school to […]
We have awarded one of our Footprinter Grants this year to Katie Hughes. She’s heading to San Alfonso in Chile to teach English at a primary school. It sounds like a thoroughly worthwhile volunteer year, and we wish her the best of luck! Katie Hughes writes ahead of her time in Chile In August this year I will be moving to a rural village outside Santiago, Chile with a partner whom I am yet to meet. But this daunting idea is something I have always […]
Parents’ Day Project We’ve spent most of this term getting ready for the Otjikondo’s annual “Parents’ Day”. It’s a day where parents and guardians of everyone in the school are invited to come and have a look around. They can speak to their child’s teacher, look in their exercise books and be present for the big parent meeting. On top of all this, the day is scattered with many stalls and events. There is a tombola run by some of the staff and a food and […]
Jamie Blaikie is just back from a year in Roatan, an island just off Honduras. He’s been teaching in a village school and has done it all with bucket loads of enthusiasm and dedication. He has also formed some fantastic friendships along the way. Great to hear Jamie! By Jamie Blaikie I have returned home after my year in Honduras! I am writing this to give thanks to the support you gave me to help me reach the country in the first place. The year […]
Izzy Richards is just about to leave for Otjikondo School in Namibia – she has been awarded one of our Footprinter Grants for volunteers heading to educational projects in disadvantaged communities. We are always especially delighted when “Footprinters” go to Otjikondo – this is the school Hazel put so much energy into when she was a volunteer teacher in 2001/2002. Reflections from Izzy Richards as she sets off When I think about how in six days (Thursday 30th August) I will be embarking on the […]
