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PRESENTED BY RALEIGH INTERNATIONAL

A gap year can help shape your future, so do something that matters

With many young idealists considering their gap year options, sustainable development charity Raleigh International is encouraging young people and their parents to ditch the usual ‘backpacker’ trips in favour of an adventure that matters.

Published: 1 August 2018 08:39 CEST
A gap year can help shape your future, so do something that matters
Harry Richardson (third left) and three other Raleigh volunteers. Photo: Raleigh International

A gap year is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for young people to develop personally, experience career paths they never thought possible, and to gain a greater understanding of the world. However, many young people worry that they could waste both time and money on a year spent travelling when they could be gaining academic qualifications or professional experience.

Unlike an ordinary gap year, volunteering overseas with a reputable, experienced development organisation like Raleigh International offers young people more than just the opportunity to travel the world making a difference. It also gives them the chance to build skills for future careers or study that will help them stand out from the crowd.

Learn more about volunteering with Raleigh International

Harry Richardson, 18, volunteered with Raleigh on a Nepal Expedition in 2017. After not receiving the A-level grades he had expected, Harry decided to take a gap year before re-sitting his exams.

Harry Richardson. Photo: Raleigh International
 
“I decided I wanted to take some time out before further education, but I wanted the time to be spent doing something useful,” recalls Harry.

It was at this time that Harry’s dad suggested he went on a Raleigh Expedition.

“Someone he knew had done it after finishing school. Raleigh provided an opportunity to make good use of my time and also allowed me to take some time away from home to think about my next steps – whether it be university or a career.”

A Raleigh Expedition is a life-changing programme for 17-24 year olds that combines sustainable travel and volunteering in Costa Rica, Nepal and Tanzania. Young people live and engage with remote communities not visited by tourists, and work on meaningful projects that create lasting change and protect natural resources.

Whether you are in North America, Europe, or elsewhere, as long as you are 17-24 years old, have a valid passport, and a passion to help others, a Raleigh Expedition can be the opportunity that enables you to have an unforgettable experience of creating lasting change in the world.

Anyone inspired by Harry’s experience will be happy to learn that Raleigh is currently recruiting new volunteers for its Expedition programmes in autumn 2018 and spring 2019.

Download an Expedition Guide to discover more about life on Expedition

“I think volunteering is one of your best options that you can do with your time,” says Harry. “If you are in the situation where you want to travel but are unsure what you want to do with your time abroad, this allows you to do some good. It also provides the opportunity to become more educated in wider issues and life skills.”

Harry adds that he feels he developed significantly as a person while volunteering.

“Raleigh enabled me to become more decisive and I feel I have learnt a lot about teamwork and determination, which are key skills. It is not easy to learn practical skills like this in a classroom. I feel that the only way to gain skills like this is to do it practically in real situations, through experiences you get volunteering.”

Raleigh volunteers can spend their Expedition in beautiful Nepal. Photo: Raleigh International

Harry’s father, Nick Richardson, believes the experience of volunteering internationally with Raleigh International has really benefited his son.

“Volunteering with Raleigh International provided focus for Harry. It’s not just the travelling – it’s learning the skills of being out there on your own, planning the trip and doing your fundraising. It’s about putting life in perspective and gaining new skills – I think that’s what Harry did and he’s a lot happier and more focused for it.”

Crucially, young people shouldn’t feel bad about wanting to get something out of volunteering on their gap year. Raleigh believes that organisations who work through young volunteers to make an impact should also be committed to helping their volunteers develop personally. Skills such as team work, communication, adaptability and the passion to become active citizens back home, will benefit young people greatly throughout their personal and working lives.

“What I’ve learnt in being away from home while volunteering – having to problem solve and work with people you don’t know while overcoming cultural differences – it’s hard to see how these won’t be useful at university or when I’m working. I am now planning on returning to the UK to do resits to get into university,” says Harry.

Raleigh runs Expeditions in Nepal, Tanzania and Nicaragua & Costa Rica for four, five, seven and 10 weeks. There are limited places available on Expedition programmes departing between September to December 2018 and February to April 2019.

So, if you want to change your life and the lives of others – or know someone else who might be interested in being a Raleigh volunteer – share this article or click on the link below to learn more.

Apply to be a Raleigh Expedition volunteer

 

This article was produced by Raleigh International

TECHNOLOGY

Expat aims for gender balance in Danish tech

Bulgaria native Plamena Cherneva has created Codher to bring more women into the Danish technology industry and increase gender diversity within tech.

Published: 11 December 2015 13:55 CET
Expat aims for gender balance in Danish tech
Codher students hard at work improving their tech skills. Photo: Submitted

It’s no secret that Denmark has a rather good track record when it comes to technology. The small northern European country has consistently ranked near the top in studies comparing national technology industries and access to the benefits of the internet in an increasingly connected world.

In the past year Denmark has been named the world's most connected country, the most digital country in Europe, and was ranked number one in the world for green technology in a global report.

Yet the world of programmers and tech engineers has been plagued with one glaring issue: the lack of gender diversity. And not just in Denmark. At Google women make up only 17 percent of the technical employees, and at Facebook the figure is even lower at 15 percent. According to a survey conducted this year by Stackflow, out of the 26,000 programmers from 157 different countries surveyed only 5.8 percent identified as female.

Expat Plamena Cherneva is striving to bring gender balance to Denmark’s technology industry.

Cherneva came to Denmark from Bulgaria more than five years ago to pursue her ambitions in technology. But it wasn’t all roses and sunshine for her in her new home. 

“When I first came to study in Denmark, there were 20 students in my course but only two women including me. The only other woman dropped out before graduating due to a lack of support from the university,” she told The Local.

“It was certainly a struggle to graduate for me here in Denmark and to make a career for myself in technology. This was primarily due to the huge gender inequality I faced, which led to a lack of support and became a major barrier to developing a strong social network,” she continued.

This led to Cherneva taking the initiative to create Codher, a Copenhagen based organization that aims to “diminish the perceived barriers facing the IT industry and make it accessible for those who are interested in pursuing a career in the industry,” according to their website.

Codher offers workshops and seminars in programming, web design, IT project management and entrepreneurship. But the course offers more than just the educational side of technology, as Cherneva told The Local.

“Here at Codher we are not only helping students follow their academic ambitions, but we are supporting them and giving them a huge community within the world of tech, something I’ve felt is seriously lacking in Denmark,” she said.

Codher is not only available for women looking to get into tech, but to anyone wanting to get involved in the industry. The group has received support from many like-minded males.

“We don’t want to be labelled as some sort of new feminist organisation, so of course our doors are open to everyone. We are getting great support from men, helping us with organizing our workshops and mentoring our attendees,” Cherneva said.

Codher has already found a partnership with the Copenhagen based tech company Pandisign, which is are aiming to utilize the expertise coming out of Codher, and to improve the gender balance within the company. 

More about Codher can be found here. 

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