Dar fur Sundan, Africa.?

Question

Ok, I have been searching the internet for about an hour, and I need some help.

I am 17 years old, and I am a junior in high school. I want to volunteer this summer (for the whole summer, maybe longer?) in the Dar fur region of Africa.

Now, I don't want to just go there and stay in a nice hotel and be served gourmet food. I want to go stay in a refuge camp, I want to be right out there with the Dar Fur refuges, helping them.

So what I am asking is...

Does anyone know any organizations or anything I could go to?? that allows you to be 17 years of age, and go volunteer over in the Dar Fur region. Also, I need something that is affordable. Like I know the money should not matter, but I am in the process of saving up for college, and going to New Orleans to help Katrina victims for spring break...so I need something that is affordable.

so please, anyyy one help! I have been looking for EVER, and I cannot seem to find anything, and I deeply want to be over there for the whole summer

Answer 1

Its spelled "Darfur." And "Sudan," not "Sundan." There are many organizations that you can volunteer with, such as Cross Cultural Solutions, Worldwide Experience, and Village Volunteers.

Answer 2

I agree with the first poster on your spelling. First, no it can't be spelled both ways. Second, it does matter because it shows your lack of research. How much do you know about the issue there? There are no refugees IN Darfur. They're refugees FROM Darfur and therefor living in other regions or countries. International volunteers, especially teenagers with no professional education/qualifications/experience, are discouraged from travelling there at this time.

I'm not trying to discourage you. I've lived and worked overseas and understand how you feel. Look into organizations like STAND (Students Taking Action Now Darfur) and Amnesty International. AI has a very strong Darfur program, which I'm involved with in my own city. I'm working at the Youth Darfur conference next weekend and am working at showings of Darfur Now, etc. (Darfur Now is an *excellent* documentary - I really recommend checking it out.)

Also, you may want to read the book Not On Our Watch by Don Cheadle. A great read and it will really give you a great background on the issue as well as some good ideas on how to move forward.

Answer 3

First of all I applaud you,you are a superior human being.Try to get informations on UNICEF or Doctors without borders website.Good luck

Answer 4

Because of your age and lack of skills, you aren't going to Sudan for the summer. Sudan has *plenty* of unskilled people there already -- unless you know how to build a water distribution system, or set up a refugee school, you are going to be in the way.

You can look into pay-your-own-way short term activities in other countries -- poor but not conflict zones -- but you will need to be prepared to pay for your flights, in-country transportation, health insurance, accommodation, food, security, translators, training, staff to create the service opportunities and then to supervise and support you in your service, liaisons with the police and local officials, etc.).

There is a listing of the more-than-30 member organizations of the International Volunteers Program Association (IVPA) that is a good place to find reputable volunteer-for-a-fee programs -- programs where you don't need to have much experience in order to participate, and the placements are just for a few weeks or months:

http://www.volunteerinternational.org/

Here is a web site that can help you learn more about the skills and experience desired by long-term placement organizations that put people in Darfur and other places, and how you can start gaining that experience locally, wherever you are right now, no matter your age, so that som d day you will be a viable candidate for such agencies:

http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volu...

If you want to help Darfur from where you are now, have a look at these web sites:

Help Darfur Now

http://www.helpdarfurnow.org



http://www.darfurgenocide.org

Save Darfur

http://savedarfur.org

HelpDarfur.

http://www.helpdarfur.org/