'The programme is designed to provide volunteering opportunities for 18-25 year olds who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to go to a developing country.'

Suzanne Elvidge listened to the Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, talk to a group of young people who'd been away with Platform 2

Gap years are now de rigueur for young people before university – but what if you can’t afford it, don’t have the opportunity to take a whole year off or aren’t going to university?

At Greenbelt 2008, Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development and a supporter of Greenbelt, met with returning Platform2 volunteers to hear about their experiences.

What does it involve?

Platform2 is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and run by Christian Aid, Islamic Relief and BUNAC.

The programme is designed to provide volunteering opportunities for 18-25 year olds who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to go to a developing country.  

The ten week projects, which involve around 2,500 volunteers, include schemes such as constructing community buildings, caring for and teaching children, building infrastructure at eco centres, and assisting in HIV clinics, and could be in Ghana, South Africa, Peru, India, Malawi or Nepal.

The young people each had a briefing day in the UK, followed by a one week orientation in the destination country and then a nine-week project.

They explained to Douglas Alexander the culture shock they all experienced on arrival, from having to get water from a pump, to shock at the levels of poverty and the huge contrast between rich and poor within only short distances in countries like South Africa.

But also that they came away with lasting friendships, both within their teams and with the young people they worked with.

Why take part?

Douglas Alexander’s interest in the project stems from his own experience of volunteering in a project building a school in Southern Kenya, though he admits his construction skills may not have been entirely up to scratch.

He sees projects like these as important not only for the communities overseas but for the young people who volunteer.

The young volunteers said that the Platform2 projects had changed them, making them more aware of global issues, more mature, and more aware of the difference between our society and societies in developing countries.

They found being with people 24/7 was tough, and they missed their home comforts, but all seemed changed by the experience, including the volunteer who had been chased by an ostrich… but all seemed optimistic that there are possibilities to change the world, not necessarily all at once, but through support, volunteering, protest and lobbying the government.

So, if you are 18-25, what’s stopping you… no strings attached, but be prepared to work hard, and to change.

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