I kid.

WWBOD, or more accurately for how I’m feeling at the moment, ‘what would anyone else do’ is how I am feeling about my 10 weeks volunteering in Zimbabwe. I have now swapped from being truly in denial to being nervous. I’m concerned I’ll have forgotten to pack something (I always do those things, so this is a legitimate fear!); I’m concerned about how useful I’ll be; and I’m concerned I’ll have my first feelings of homesickness. These are all the tip of the iceberg. I’m sure if I thought about it, there would be more!

On the other hand, reading about Zimbabwe’s progress with the millennium development goals makes me forget about all of the above. So it’s a mixed bag. Combine this motivation with the immense support I’ve received so far and I don’t really need to ask myself what anybody else would do.

6 days until it’s here!

P.S. My volunteering excursion has made me learn a number of things already, without having departed. This includes being able to take 2 x 23kg suitcases on Kenyan Airlines! Combine this with 10kg of hand luggage and that’s a whopping 56kg. Amazing. (Not that I’ll be doing so because I am weak and feeble and have no chance of lifting even half that.)

There’s 27 days until I leave for Zimbabwe (all procedural developments, aside) and, considering my exams finish this week, it’s soon time to step up the fundraising effort. Here’s some ways you can help:

1. By spreading the link to this blog, particularly this post detailing why and what I am doing.
2. Spreading and inviting those you know to this event.
3. By posting/tweeting/facebooking my MyDonate page; posting on any relevant University groups, etc, would be amazingly helpful.
4. Any donations you can make, however small, would be most gratefully received!

All donations help Progressio continue its work and give the chance to young volunteers, like me, to help contribute to sustainable development programmes in failed states.

Originally posted at: http://thevolunteerdiaries.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/ways-you-can-help/

Zimbabwe currently faces a ‘triple threat’ of challenges: poverty and food insecurity, weakened human and material capacity of government, and high HIV and AIDS prevalence rates. Currently 20% of the population suffers with HIV/AIDS. The economic outlook in Zimbabwe, rather than progressing, has shown a steady decline in the past decade – particularly the past five. Here’s a snapshot:

• In 1995 Poverty Assessment Study Survery, 29% of the population were reported to live below the Food Poverty Line (FPL).
• In 2003: 58% lived below the Food Poverty Line. The Food Poverty line is this: a level of income at which people cannot meet their own basic needs.
• The total consumption poverty line increased from 55% to 72% in 2004.
• The impact of HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact on the country.
• Zimbabwe also suffers from other challenges: decline in economic performance, low productivity in agriculture due to recurrent droughts and lack of outputs. All of which have resulted in high unemployment.

Funding for development programmes has dried up in Zimbabwe, worsening the situation; most charities only provide humanitarian assistance. Progressio is not one of these charities. It helps those in failed states with sustainable efforts that can continue long after we are there. Development programmes often don’t go to those most in need. I hope to be part of this change! It would be wonderful if you could help young volunteers, like me, continue this change by donating here. Any amount, no matter how small, will be a tremendous help.

Originally posted here: http://wp.me/p2sRlG-o.

This headline by Slate has really bothered me.

Court Docs: Martin Had Drugs in System; Shooting “Avoidable”

Those are the two early takeaways from hundreds of pages of evidence made public Thursday.

Ah, yes, he had traces of marijuana in his system — something that neither side has considered relevant to the current case, but which Slate decides to highlight anyway. These kinds of things really bother me — he took ‘drugs’ therefore he was ‘dangerous’ and killing him was okay? The defence realise its irrelevance; the reporter realises its irrelevance — so why does Slate decide to pick an inflammatory headline despite all of the above?

(Source: Slate)