News
Volunteer in Australia: work on programs from Australia with GAPS
Wednesday, 25 February 2009 20:00
February 25, 2009
There's a lot of projects getting going with GAPS - and you can be part of the driving force working with teams in Australia for communities in Kenya and Rwanda.
GAPS is actively recruiting for teams working on exciting new projects and also has a number of specific positions advertised - click the link to find out more!
Click here for more information, to read job descriptions and to register your interest
Volunteer Africa 2009: Get involved in the field
Friday, 28 September 2007 09:11
January 27, 2009
See things like you've never seen them before - volunteer in Africa with GAPS this year
click here to see our full Volunteer Africa section with complete details and to register your interest
Volunteering in East Africa with GAPS is a fantastic opportunity to experience the real Kenya and see programs at a grassroots level while having a great time. At the same time, volunteers have an enormous impact on communities and our new volunteer programs - some specifically targeted at skill groups such as engineering, architecture, medicine and other health professions, early childhood education, some general such as teaching in Maasai schools and working in orphanages - are structured around real programs, not just tourist timetables.
In addition to running or partnering with the volunteer projects, GAPS will co-ordinate flights, in-country transfers, orientation both through talks in Australia and a three-day program in Kenya as well as offering two main sightseeing trips – a safari and a trip to Lamu – so that all participants get the chance to sample a little of what East Africa has to offer.
We aim to provide a broad, flexible and authentic experience whilst being highly competitive on price. Our program is designed to be more comprehensive than a number of others - we won't just drop you off at the project site and wave goodbye - and our staff are geared to make sure you stay safe and enjoy your East African experience as much as you should. Our last batch of volunteers who visited Kenya in December and January will tell you so themselves.
Hopefully the following pages answer most of your questions but if some are left unanswered please feel free to contact us through volunteerafrica@gaps.org.au. We hope you enjoy your trip and look forward to hosting you. Karibu!
Kenyan Village-Based Medical Educators Program (KVME): targeting simple solutions
Thursday, 16 August 2007 05:07
October 31, 2008
The KVME program, through partnership between volunteers in Kenya and the developing world, has establishing and conducting a training program for non-professional medical educators from villages in Kenya.
At present, there is a significant lack of understanding about a variety of preventable and manageable diseases (such as HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and diabetes) in Kenyan society. This problem is only heightened in non-urban village areas. KVME seeks to train senior members of village communities in Kenya to be basic medical educators covering key conditions appropriate to a Kenyan village context. Taking a culturally-sensitive approach, this would help in increasing understanding and hence reducing the burden of disease.
So far, progress has continued through work not only in Kenya but also remotely in Australia. On the ground, the GAPS Kenya office and the GAPS working partner Community Medicare Africa (CMA) have diligently prepared for the program through involving target communities in the program process. This work is crucial if communities are to take ownership of the KVME program in the future.
Meanwhile, a team of seven in Melbourne were in constant liaison. Their aim was to develop a curriculum which would derive maximal effect in the medical and sociocultural contexts of village communities surrounding Nairobi. The curriculum has targeted six key conditions selected to be targeted through simple health promotion and cheap and achievable basic interventions.
Soon, foreign and Kenyan volunteers in partnership will come together on the ground to conduct the trial program in May with the involvement of one pilot community. The culmination of work happening globally will be a program which hopes to turn around the health outcomes of the community and its people. KVME and its volunteers, in global co-operation, continue in the hope that future stages can work to change the outlook for many more communities at a time.
The KVME program is supported by a University of Melbourne grant. For more information email Director-in-Charge of Medical Development, David Liew at david.liew@gaps.org.au
IDP Relief Fund - Delivering for everyday Kenyans
Wednesday, 15 August 2007 17:07