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Green and Friendly - Why-AV - Africa and Asia Venture

Green and Friendly

Our thoughts on People, Responsible Travel and the Earth

PEOPLE

Global Citizenship in a Nutshell

Through the positive contribution and commitment of AV volunteers to our environmental, conservation and educational projects in rural communities, we aim to promote and encourage youth education, friendship and understanding in the developing world. We also believe that the only real way to learn and understand - and help protect - the different cultures of these people is to live among them for a meaningful period.

Commitment to Education

Everybody gains through the cultural exchange of an AV experience. The commitment of our volunteers to their project work allows a unique and rare insight into the culture and customs of very special tribes and peoples, many of which depend on developing good English language skills for their survival. Schools also benefit from the stimulus of a broader syllabus that AV volunteers are able to cover - which includes art, drama, PE and music - none of which would otherwise be taught.

"AVs have been an enormous help in creating and improving HIV and AIDS awareness among our children, enabling them to interact with people of different cultures." - Headmistress Roseve School, Kenya

Commitment to Youth Development

We have spent many years building the supportive relationships that exist between the schools we work with and ourselves. This support is further enhanced through the donations made to schools and projects by our volunteers. Each volunteer's donation is spent wherever he or she feels the money will be of most benefit.

Direct Sponsorship for Children - The AV Foundation

Our charitable arm, the AV Foundation (Charity No 1069099), founded in 1998, has provided over £240,000 of bursaries for the education fees of African, Indian and Nepalese children over the past 13 years. Currently, The AV Foundation supports the education of 60 children annually. These children would otherwise not have access to a basic education - an entitlement to which we believe every child has a right. We try to share the funding between as many schools as possible although, sadly, our pot of gold does have a bottom.

"AVs have been a big resource to our school for years....they have really helped in the support of the children and our development plans." - Headmaster Busesa Primary School, Uganda

A World of Understanding

Every AV volunteer will participate in an orientation course as soon as he or she arrives in-country, before project work or teaching begins. This time is specifically designed to introducing volunteers to the intricate and often delicate customs and cultural differences that exist between our volunteers and their hosts. Thus, we ask local people to come and explain all his themselves. Between us, we cover dress codes, greetings, conduct and the responsibilities of visitors to a new land, TEFL/project preparations, as appropriate, language skills, safety, security and health matters. This foundation provides our volunteers with the confidence of knowing that they have had the best possible preparation for and introduction to the adventures that lie ahead of them.

"I already know all of my 30 pupils by name. The grassy sports field is full of life every afternoon. The locals love us for teaching their kids....and I absolutely love it here!" - Harry Maitland, Nkwarungo Primary School, Tanzania

Long term Improvement and support

Many of the schools and villages we work with have buildings in need of improvement and repair. The AV foundation is able to provide for these projects and we source local labour, wherever possible, as part of our effort to help support local economies. We also provide aid for projects chosen and managed by the communities themselves.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Carbon Footprints

Every AV volunteer is encouraged to offset the carbon footprint they will create when travelling to their country of choice. Additionally, the presence of in-country representatives living quite close to schools and projects helps to ensure our travel is kept to a minimum and that our own footprint is as small as possible. Practically, our main effort is directed towards the Community, Environment and Conservation projects that we offer in Kenya and Uganda. These allow our volunteers to see for themselves, up close, the effect of environmental damage on the developing world and to help in a much more direct and personal way to protect and restore it.

THE EARTH

Corruption, unstable or weak government and failing economies have been mentioned in the same breath as the "Developing World" for decades - nothing new there. A more recent phenomenon has been the world population growth that continues to bring its own, unsurprising consequences, particularly in poorer parts of the world. More recently still, global warming has frightened us all into doing something - if we're not already too late - particularly as it seems that we, in the greed-ridden West, are almost entirely responsible for the present situation.

In many parts of the developing world, global warming has manifested itself through failed seasonal rains or out-of-season flooding, drought, famine and poverty. Such events have had devastating effects on so many people in rural Africa, who kill game to protect their crops, for eating or to sell to trophy hunters and who cannot afford (or understand the need) to replace the forests they cut down.

Like so much of the developing world, Kenya and Uganda have seen their share of deforestation and the illegal slaughter of bush meat (game of all sorts). AV has become involved, in its own small way, in trying to restore the balance in 2 particular projects that will protect the environment and help people and wildlife to live together- one in each country.

Kenya

AV has teamed up with a new wildlife conservancy at Soysambu, on the shores of Lake Elementaita, near Nakuru, in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. The idea of converting the 48,000-acre cattle ranch into a conservancy was launched in April 2007.

The financial challenges that faced Soysambu as a cattle ranch were insurmountable and there has been mounting pressure on its flora and fauna caused by the escalating conflict between wildlife and the increasing human habitation of the area. It is for this reason that the estate management saw the necessity to reinvest in and develop a wildlife conservancy, to protect this unique ecosystem. It also seeks to encourage the local communities, through education and participation, to play an active part in its long-term preservation and success. There is an abundance of wildlife and a number of communities within the conservancy boundary and, with the right investment of time, expertise and money, both should flourish along with the environment in which they exist.

The conservancy's Mission Statement reads:
"Soysambu Conservancy works to sustain wildlife species, indigenous livestock and habitat; supports local conservation initiatives; facilitates neighbouring development and educates the community in the value of flora and fauna in order to preserve the Rift Valley ecosystem for the benefit of future generations".

AVs spend up to 6 weeks at a time working on the Soysambu Conservancy in a range of tasks designed to help achieve the Mission, whilst learning a lot about the joys and frustrations of turning good ideas into something tangible and enduring. Tasks include community, environmental, conservation and some basic ranching skills.

Uganda

AV has been working with partners in Uganda, on and around the River Nile, for the past 8 years. Recently, Wildwater Reserve, a Uganda-based charity, has acquired ownership of nearly 100 islands on a 70 kilometres stretch of the river, as well as the banks on both sides, with a view to restoring the rapidly fading natural beauty of the area, whilst simultaneously benefiting the local population, wildlife and flora and fauna. It is simply not enough to say to the poor, local communities that live hand-to-mouth that they should preserve and protect the islands and riverbanks by not cutting down the trees - they have no other way to live at present. AV has been invited to join Wildwaters Reserve in its ambitious plans for the long-term restoration project that will involve a large number of communities. Some examples of the work involved include:

• Chimpanzee Sanctuary. With the destruction of the magnificent tropical rainforests of equatorial Africa, chimpanzee populations are dropping dramatically from within their traditional homeland. The lucrative ‘bush meat' trade of adult chimpanzees means the young are often orphaned or kept and sold on the black market to zoos and private collectors. The UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) are now recovering these poorly cared for and traumatized chimps - re-introduction to the wild at this point is simply not an option. The 32-hectare Itanda Island is to become a chimp sanctuary. The fast flowing Nile makes 50% of the island impossible to get to and, thus, negates the need for electric fencing that so many sanctuaries require.
• Local Farming. On both banks of the river adjacent to Itanda Island, small plot farmers grow maize, tomatoes, watermelons, avocados, pineapples, papayas, jackfruit, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, aubergines, cassava and mangoes. All these crops are a good food source for the local population and the chimpanzees and the creation of the sanctuary will ensure an on-going, long-term demand for local produce from potentially hundreds of farmers.
• Relocation. Local farmers who have been using the riverbanks and islands to grow their subsistence crops have been financially compensated to move and provided with new land located close to their own communities.
• Information Centres. Interpretation and cultural centres on the mainland are to be built and will focus on different areas, including culture, the River Nile, primates, environment and biodiversity.
• Other Programmes. Many employment opportunities have been created and a volunteer programme, aimed at the local communities, means volunteers are able to coach football, plant trees and crops, improve school facilities, teach, monitor wildlife and improve visitor centre facilities in the area.
• Tree Planting. For every tree used in construction, at least 3 similar species will be planted on adjacent islands as part of the habitat restoration and reforestation that will see over 250 hectares of Central Forest Reserve replanted in a sustainable forest.
• Solar Powered Water Purifiers. These will provide thousands of litres of drinking water for the local community free of charge, dispelling the need for dangerous river access.
• Sewerage. A clear water sewage treatment system will ensure waters re-enter the river cleaner than when extracted.

AV Around The World

UK

We work hard to reduce our environmental impact at work by:

• Recycling our paper waste, cardboard and toner cartridges
• Supporting Fair Trade and buying its products.
• Being vigilant about our energy consumption in the offices.
• Offsetting all carbon footprints from staff flights out of the UK.
• Arranging for regional representatives to interview applicants, thus reducing travel costs and carbon footprints.

In Other AV Countries

We employ local people, as far as possible, to make up the AV teams for guiding, transport, building skills, language training and local knowledge.

We spend time making sure our volunteers know how to travel responsibly, through teaching and advice on the following:

• Protection of coral reefs whilst diving.
• Respect for wildlife of all types and what causes it stress
• Protecting the natural eco-system of an area by avoiding the illegal removal of local flora and fauna and shells.
• Asking permission to take photographs of local people.
• Actively supporting local economies through the purchase of local goods and market produce.
• Using local transport and guides wherever possible.
• Living within the community as part of the community.
• The value of using water sparingly.

This list is not an exhaustive list and AV always tries its best to find ways of working in harmony with both people and the environment.