Leave for Change

I mentioned in my previous post that there are two new volunteers in town.  Gulnur and Renee are here for between 3-4 weeks on the WUSC/Uniterra Leave for Change program.  At home, they work for the University of British Columbia (UBC), who helps supplement their travel expenses so they can volunteer during their vacation time. Part of Gulner and Renee's responsibility to UBC is to keep their colleagues informed about their experiences.  Check out Gulnur Birol's UBC blog posts to learn about what she is doing for BOCAIP, the organization for whom I  work.  She is here to evaluate two different models BOCAIP uses for a program to provide psychosocial support to orphans and other vulnerable children and their caregivers (living in situations like Violet's family-- see previous post), to help BOCAIP determine which is the most effective and sustainable of the two models.  Part of her project involves interviewing project staff, clients, and stakeholders in the different communities where the program is run.  I haven't yet had an opportunity to see BOCAIP in action in its different sites, so I am learning vicariously through Gulnur's observations.  I think we both agree that BOCAIP is making a difference in the communities it serves.