• You are here: Home | Links

Links - Africa and Asia Venture

Links

Safety, Security, Insurance

Homeway
Specialist providers of good range kit for your gap year.  AV volunteers receive a 10% discount.

Inter Health
Inter Health offers professional advice and a range of medical supplies at discounted rates for volunteers.

International Passenger Protection.
Provides you with financial protection against AV’s viability.

FCO
Tons of useful advice to travellers of all ages.

AMREF
AMREF aims to close the gap that prevents people from accessing their basic right to health.

The Flying Doctors Society of Africa
They provide medical air rescue for all AVs throughout East Africa.

Green, Ethical

Climate Care
Arrange to offset your carbon footprints and more.

Tusk

TUSK has been supporting wildlife conservation, communities, and environmental education in Africa since 1990.

Endangered Wildlife Trust

AV work in partnership with the Endangered WIldlife Trust in Costa Rica to protect the critically endangered Leatherback turtles nesting on the Pacuare Nature Reserve.

Friends of Conservation
One of East Africa's leading conservation bodies, but with a global vision, working to focus not only on wildlife, but also on the local communities whose lives are inextricably entwined with it .

Rainforest Concern

AV works in partnership with Rainforest Concern in Ecuador and Costa Rica. The charity was established to protect threatened natural habitats and the biodiversity they contain, together with the indigenous people who still depend on them for survival.

The Royal Geographic Society
Established in 1830 to promote 'the advancement of geographical science', today it is a dynamic world centre for geographical learning - supporting research, education, expeditions and fieldwork, as well as promoting public engagement and informed enjoyment of our world.

Soysambu Conservancy

The Soysambu Conservancy, in Kenya, works to sustain wildlife species and indigenous livestock while, at the same time, supporting local conservation initiatives and neighbouring community developments.  It also encourages community education in the importance of preserving its valuable fauna and flora, for the benefit of future generations.

The Travel Foundation
The Travel Foundation is a charity that helps local people (and the natural environment) at destinations around the world, making sure they benefit from tourism - now and in the future. It finds the best ways to protect and enhance the natural environment and ensures that local families in need can make a living out of tourism.

Wildwaters Reserve 
Adrift rafting company established the Wildwaters Reserve to work closely with local communities along the Victoria Nile, Uganda. Severe encroachment and tree cutting along the river and mid-stream islands of the Nile prompted the company to explore community/conservation and restoration ideas and Wildwaters Reserve is the result.

Old AVs & their Projects

African Promise
Charles Coldman was in Kenya with AV in 2003. He set up his charity, African Promise, whilst at Exeter University to rebuild the primary school in the village he lived in whilst on AV. He has now decided to develop the initiative into a long-term venture with the vision of advancing education in Kenyan primary schools.

Build up St Anthony's Malawi
Vicky Bayliss travelled with AV to Malawi in May 2003. Since then she has spent much effort in raising funds for the school she taught at there – St Anthony’s. The money is used to rebuild classrooms and facilities and to provide materials.

Chikupira Foundation
Tim Hughes came with AV to Malawi in 2007! He has established a foundation to support the Chikupira Model School he taught in and has plans to rebuild and re-stock much of it – many of his plans are beginning to take effect.

Dave Cornthwaite
Dave was one of our earlier AVs (!) and has since set up his extraordinary charity to create an adventurous spirit in people and help them to raise money for their own charities. Dave also appears in the Guinness Book of Records for skateboarding across Australia (5823 kilometres) in 2006, raising £000s along the way.

GAFFER
Ben Ramsbottom was at Kasigau, in Kenya, with AV in 2001. He set up GAFFER (Goalposts And Footballs For East-Africa Region) on return to UK. GAFFER's aim is simple - It helps to provide simple but effective and sustainable solutions to the problem of limited sports' facilities in rural Africa. In addition it utilises the contact with the local communities to provide comprehensive Health Education in the face of the HIV epidemic and malaria crisis.

Inspire Malawi
In 2003 Michelle Rowe volunteered with AV in Malawi. Since then Michelle has set up Inspire Malawi. Inspire Malawi supports teachers and schools in the most isolated of villages in both Dedza and Ntcheu District. Overcrowding is a problem across the country in rural schools with class sizes often exceeding 100 pupils. With little, if any, money available for maintenance, these schools can quickly fall into severe states of disrepair.  

Likweni Primary Challenge
Lucy Jones wen to Malawi with AV in 2005 and taught at Likwenu Primary school. Since returning to UK, she has challenged herself to raise funds for rebuilding the school and sending pupils from it on to secondary education.

LivLife
Max Griffiths went with AV to Tanzania in 2001. (Some of the brilliant video footage he took can be seen on our website now!)  Max returned to UK determined to do something for the people he had left behind and ‘LivLife’ is the result – working together with local communities, listening to their needs, and developing projects alongside them, as partners.

St Anthony's Nursery School
In August 2001 Gina Rose travelled to Malawi with AV and spent three months teaching in primary school. Whilst there, she saw the need for a nursery school and this became the next goal in her life - to raise the necessary funds to build a properly equipped nursery school for the children of Chilumpha village. It opened in October 2002! See how it happened on her website.

The African Pulse
Katherine van Wyk went with AV to Zimbabwe in 1999. Since then she has moved to South Africa and set up her own charity, The African Pulse, which equips young people to make informed life choices in a world affected by HIV and AIDS. Its aim is to provide schools and communities in Africa with innovative, relevant teaching resources and skills to promote healthy living.

Useful Sites

Adrift
The first rafting company on the River Nile and the one always used by AV.

Gap Enterprise
Independent advice and help with planning your gap year from John Vessey.

Gap-Year Guidebook
Just what it says!

Kenya Airways
The airline we fly to Africa with.

Lonely Planet
Lots of great information on all aspects of travelling to your chosen destination.

Rough Guide
As for the Lonely Planet.

Snowgoose Journey Planner

This is a great planning guide for anyone intending to travel in any capacity - young or old!  There is a specific section on gap years.  It contains a 80 pages of information and a similar amount of journal blank pages to fill in as you travel. 

UCAS Major Events/Higher Education Fairs
The major HE fairs run by UCAS throughout the year.

UCAS Regional Events/Higher Education Fairs
The regional HE fairs run by UCAS throughout the year.

World Wide Volunteering
Lots of information and stories on volunteering exploits around the world.

Year Out Group
This is the non-profit organisation that provides a series of benchmark standards for applicants to meet before being granted membership. Continued membership then depends on those standards being kept to. AV is a founder member.

Foreign Embassies and High commissions in UK

AFRICA

Uganda High Commission, London.

Kenya High Commission, London

Tanzanian Embassy, London.

Malawi High Commission, London.

ASIA

Chinese Embassy, London

Indian High Commission, London

Nepalese Embassy, London

Royal Thai Embassy, London
Royal Thai Consulate in Hull

MEXICO

Mexican Embassy, London

British Embassies / High Commissions Abroad

AFRICA

Uganda (British High Commission), Kampala
Kenya (British High Commission), Nairobi
Tanzania (British High Commission), Dar es Salaam
Malawi (British High Commission), Lilongwe

South Africa (British High Commission), Pretoria

ASIA

China (British Embassy), Beijing

India (British High Commission), New Delhi
India (British Deputy High Commission), Kolkata

Nepal (British Embassy), Kathmandu
Thailand (British Embassy), Bangkok
Thailand (British Consulate), Chiang Mai

MEXICO

Mexico (British Embassy), Mexico City