Summer Programmes 2011
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THETHI SUMMER PROGRAMME 2011
Spend time in an Albanian village. Do something special in one of Europe`s most remote mountain communities.
Pashka, 17, and Sofia, 15, have lived in the Shala Valley all their lives. Their education has been sporadic. They are needed on the family farm and after all, in accordance with normal custom, they will probably be married before they are 20. But convinced by their appetite for learning on the Summer Programme, their father is sending them to secondary school in Shkodra.
Thethi is an ancient village in the northern mountains of Albania. It lies in the Shala Valley, one of the most beautiful and remote areas in Europe. Though in summer the meadows are a mass of colour, this is a tough place to live. In winter, the village is often cut off by snow for up to five months.
For nearly fifty years, Albania was cut off from the world by the most repressive of Stalinist regimes. Now, in a new democracy struggling to maintain public services, Thethi is under threat. Over a recent winter, the school was shut for seven months. Health services are minimal. Faced with this, and the allure of western Europe, many young people are leaving.
But in the summer of 2008, the village school opened again. Over eighty children attended a Summer School run by The Balkans Peace Park Project (B3P). In the renovated school, children were taught basic English and environmental awareness by a mixture of international volunteers and local Albanian teachers. For without the means to communicate with foreigners, Thethians will not be able to host the growing numbers of tourists on whom the survival of their community now depends.
` We teach in the morning and in the afternoon we`re free to chill out, walk in the mountains or play basketball with the local kids. And the food on the farm where we`re staying is amazing, all homegrown. Beautiful place, fantastic experience` (International Volunteer, 2008)
Needed:
- Teacher volunteers, over 21, ideally with experience of teaching English as a foreign language (but not essential).
- Volunteers to assist teachers, preferably with experience in other fields like music or drama, but the main requirement is enthusiasm.
First Module 11th July – 29th July 2011
Second Module 1st August – 19th August 2011
The programme works more efficiently if volunteers commit for the full three week module however we know this is not always possible please apply and we will see how we can make you part of our programme
If you are interested please download the application form here.
You can email the application form or any questions about this programme to us at summerprogrammes@balkanspeacepark.org
OTHER REGIONS
Plans for projects requiring volunteers in our other regions (Kosovo/Montenegro) are still under development. If you have any specific interest in these regions please email us summerprogrammes@balkanspeacepark.org
