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Gap Year News and Diaries from Africa and Asia Venture

Gap Year News and Diaries from Africa and Asia Venture

Read the latest News from AV and visit the Diaries page for extracts from AV Volunteers in-country.

Latest News

Holi Nepal!Holi Nepal!

Hari Deakin is currently volunteering at Mahendra Jyoti High School in rural Nepal with 14 other Africa & Asia Venture volunteers. Right from the start Hari has had a fantastic cultural adventure ...

AV Graduate Volunteer Projects Work Experience with DifferenceAV Graduate Volunteer Projects Work Experience with Difference

Where are you heading after University in May/June 2010? - For those amongst you with potentially no job on the horizon and an unclear idea about the next step, it may help to think laterally and gain...

What would you swapWhat would you swap

Today is the first day of Fairtrade Fortnight (22 February - 7 March) and here in the UK office we have decided to swap our tea, coffee and bananas for the fair trade equivalent. We are also looking a...

Inspire MalawiInspire Malawi

Since volunteering with AV in 2003 Michelle Rowe, has spent her time leading groups of volunteers to the Ntcheu and Dedza regions of rural Malawi. Her non-profit organisation ‘Inspire Malawi'...

Year of the TigerYear of the Tiger

Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Tiger started yesterday on February 14 with lots of celebrations across the world.With dancing dragons, fireworks, and colourful parades, the Chinese definitely...

Chu Rum Faat – offerings and prayers to the Himalayas.Chu Rum Faat – offerings and prayers to the Himalayas.

Ever heard of Chu Ram Faat? I doubt many of you have, with the exception those who have volunteered with AV in the Lepcha community. The Lepchas are an extraordinary community who live in the foothill...

A Night of Love in the Barn!A Night of Love in the Barn!

AV Volunteer Becca Watts, who is due to volunteer with AV from May 2010 in Uganda, has been a busy little fundraising bee! A few weeks ago Becca organised a 'restaurant in our living room' eve...

Emi Green’s donationEmi Green’s donation

With Dave Cornthwaite's return to the UK after his gruelling paddle down the Murray River in Australia, he is on a mission to continue to help raise funds for the AV Foundation. His partner Emi Gr...

African Promise awarded Optimist Charity AwardAfrican Promise awarded Optimist Charity Award

Two years on from being founded by 2003 Kenya Community & Conservation AV Charles Coldman, his charity, African Promise, has been announced as one of the five winners of the Optimist Charity Award...

AV celebrates their 5000th volunteer!AV celebrates their 5000th volunteer!

AV is smiling today after celebrating the departure of their 5000th volunteer. Anna Walker and Peter Bell waved goodbye to the Mexico group yesterday morning at London Heathrow, with the 500...

Gap Years vital, especially for the mollycoddled!Gap Years vital, especially for the mollycoddled!

Written by Vicky Tuck - Principal of Cheltenham Ladies College.Although the recession has affected the numbers opting for this rite of passage, enthusiasm for taking a year out from studies to see the...

St Cleer for Tanzania – A RESULT!St Cleer for Tanzania – A RESULT!

We have an update from Tanzania AV Rosie Brigham.DRUMROLL.........Rosie's fundraising event, St Cleer for Tanzania, raised a staggering £700!! From all of us here at AV we would like to say ...

2476km done!2476km done!

From 6 October to 19 December 2009, AV Dave Cornthwaite paddled (and walked) the gruelling 2476km of the Murray River, Australia's largest river, from source to sea. Congratulations...

AV Alumni News...AV Alumni News...

Congratulations to Mexico AV Kathryn Raw...now Mrs Sales!! The wedding played host to a mini AV reunion as 5 of the 2005 Mexico girlies were in attendance + 1 Kenya AV, who were all appropriately...

A little help from my friendsA little help from my friends

In July 2009, eight AV volunteers headed to Uganda for their 5 week Short Venture and little did they know that their time in Africa would have such an impact on one young Ugandan.Izzy Lever, along wi...

AV Wedding!!AV Wedding!!

A 2009 wedding of 2002 AV volunteers!  A few weeks ago we announced the wedding of 2002 Kenya Community & Conservation AVs Alex Elviss and Simone Alves and we now we can show you the pictures...

Becky’s fundraising mission.....Becky’s fundraising mission.....

Becky Mellor is on a fundraising mission for her teaching project in Uganda from February 2010. Here's what she has been up to....."I organised a band fundraising night at a local village hal...

St Cleer for TanzaniaSt Cleer for Tanzania

Do you fancy warming the cockles, joining some festive cheer and seeing some amazing performances in Cornwall? On 12 December 2009 Rosie Brigham will be holding a Benefit Christmas Concert at St Cleer...

Birthday in the Bush!Birthday in the Bush!

Rachel Fernandez, currently volunteering in Kenya with AV, celebrated her Birthday as never before - in the African Bush! With the other AV volunteers at Soysambu Conservancy, Rachel enjoyed her 19th ...

Mission Kenya 2010Mission Kenya 2010

Chris Perkiss is spending the first part of his graduate gap year raising funds to get to Kenya and volunteer on the Environment & Community project with AV. Here he tells his story....."It h...

17 ways to make your gap year happen!17 ways to make your gap year happen!

Victoria plans to volunteer in Tanzania with AV from January 2010 and is working her little socks off to raise the funds to get there.Since finishing School in the Summer she has worked a total of 17 ...

Busesa Poem by Anna DadswellBusesa Poem by Anna Dadswell

When we first came to BusesaWe didn't know what to expectWe were ready for a great adventureIt turned out to be perfect Uganda is a beautiful countryOf lakes and big green treesWith noisy bir...

Kenya’s Got Talent!Kenya’s Got Talent!

Talent show at Marinyn Primary School by Hattie Landells - Kenya 2009We woke up at 7am to the usual sounds of children playing at school before lessons start at 8:20.  This particular day, however, l...

Charlotte and Ollie’s gap year fundraising effortsCharlotte and Ollie’s gap year fundraising efforts

Charlotte & Ollie are volunteering with AV in Kenya early next year on the Gap Year Environment & Community project. Like most of our volunteers, they plan to raise the money themselves a...

A walk down memory laneA walk down memory lane

George Tarus, a former teacher at Kipriria School in the Nandi Hills, Kenya has been taking a walk down AV memory lane."I visited Kapnyeberai High School today where my sisters go to school and I...

Join the England football team in South Africa AND volunteer!Join the England football team in South Africa AND volunteer!

Congratulations to the England football team for beating Croatia (5-1 what a score!). Let's wish our boys good luck for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.If you want to see Capello's lads ...

Volunteers make a difference in IndiaVolunteers make a difference in India

If you didn't see the Times newspaper at the weekend, you will have missed Lang Seong Tamsang's comments in response to their recent article 'Mind the Gap Year'. Lang Seong Tamsang is ...

Help for DennisHelp for Dennis

Becky Benton has literally just stepped off the plane from Africa only to continue helping her local community in Uganda, where she volunteered for 4 months at Busesa Primary School. During ...

African Promise Update from Charles ColdmanAfrican Promise Update from Charles Coldman

This time five years ago Charles Coldman (Kenya, Feb-May 2003) had just come to the end of his four month placement as an AV volunteer based in the isolated rural community of Kasigau, Kenya. Fas...

How many miles to NairobiHow many miles to Nairobi

Ellie Wagstaff kicked off her fundraising efforts for her Kenya Environment & Community volunteering project at a local Church coffee morning last weekend. After deciding a cake stand wouldn't...

Homecoming QueenHomecoming Queen

Good morning Lynette (AV Africa) I thought you might like to see a photo of Olivia as she came through the barrier at Heathow!!  Definitely a mixture of happiness and relief to have finally made ...

Andrew Crowe sums up his Malawi adventureAndrew Crowe sums up his Malawi adventure

Andrew Crowe has just returned from four months volunteer teaching in Malawi at Chikupira School, near Zomba. He has very kindly put together a little slideshow on You Tube of all his favourite p...

Do you want your world to be a better placeDo you want your world to be a better place

It takes YOU... to be the difference you want to see!And in the words of Jack Johnson ......." I Would turn on the TV but it's so embarrassingTo see all the other people I don't know...

Every little helps.....Every little helps.....

It's pretty tough in the job market at the moment and those of you trying to raise money for your volunteering project with AV will know what a challenge it is to fundraise.Kirsten is planning to ...

AV Foundation reaches the World Wide WebAV Foundation reaches the World Wide Web

Here at AV we are very pleased to announce that the AV Foundation has launched its website, http://www.avfoundation.org/. A vital element for all that AV stands for, is the AV charitable arm - The AV ...

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