After the stress of the final ‘A’ level year at St John’s and before the study starts again in earnest at University in the Autumn, Duncan Lorrain’s way of connecting with life is volunteering as a teaching assistant in Gunjur, Marlborough’s twin town in the Gambia.
As part of the exchange programme run by the Marlborough Brandt Group, Duncan, along with fellow ex-St John’s students Phoebe Studdert-Kennedy and Sophie Hay are immersing themselves in the rich cultural contrast between the two towns, living with local families and sharing their lives in a very different world.
Duncan is recording his experiences in a blog (click link), from being assailed by the almost unbearable heat when he first stepped off the plane in the Gambia, the introduction to the bugs scurrying over his mosquito net on his first night, being invited to a wedding during his first week, to the realisation of how his presence in the classroom could really make a difference particularly in the teaching of English.
It’s a long way from life in Marlborough, but a valuable and rewarding experience of a very different culture, before stepping back on to the educational treadmill in the Autumn studying French and International Development at one the country’s main universities.
At the heart of the exchange programme is the belief that we are all interconnected – I am being influenced by what you are saying, you are being influenced by what I am saying. We are all interconnected. There is a South African word which encapsulates this philosophy – ubuntu.
“Ideally we would send each student for a full year, which is what happened when the programme started thirty years ago” says Nick Maurice, Director of the Marlborough Brandt Group. But nowadays that’s unrealistic” he adds. “The pressures on young people who need to raise money during their gap year to fund tuition fees and the rest of their further educational needs means that three months, or one school term is a realistic period”.
“When they return they will be changed for life, they will become, what we term here, ’Global Citizens’” states Nick. “This experience will shape their attitudes, views and outlook for life”.
A different way of looking at the world awaits Duncan, Phoebe and Sophie when they get back to Marlborough.
Deputy Director required to volunteer for the Marlborough Brandt Group The Marlborough Brandt Group is heading in a new direction. The arrival of piped water and electricity supplies to Marlborough’s linked community of Gunjur in the Gambia allows us to shift our focus to supporting new business start-ups and helping existing businesses there to grow. In future our current director Nick Maurice will concentrate on supporting our business advisers and partners in Gunjur. This leaves a gap in our resources and opens up what we believe is a tremendously interesting and rewarding volunteering opportunity. We are looking for a Deputy Director to work alongside Nick. Our ideal applicant is likely to be a self-starter with a background in management and with a real interest and / or experience in engaging with people of different cultures. If you have these qualities and could fit two rewarding days a week into your current commitments we would very much like to hear from you. To find out more about this opportunity please go to www.mbg.org. For an informal chat about the position contact the office 01672 861116. Please send your CV to Nick Maurice nick@mbg.org by 30 April 2015. |