2007 Africa (Tanzania) Summer Trip 
OUR BACKGROUND:
EP concentrates in serving underprivileged sectors of the society, especially studentsin developing countries. Every summer, EP hosts a summer camp in an underprivileged area, and its volunteers of diverse nationalities from all chapters joined hands to provide Health Knowledge Programs (including HIV/AIDS, first aid, home safety, personal hygiene) and highly interactiveEnglish Language Programs to the students of the chosen school or establishment.In August 2005, we served about 350 students of a middle school in an underprivileged area in the Guangdong Province of China. For details, please browse our website: http://www.epjhu.com/activchina.html
In August 2006, we served the students of MAHAKAVI BHARATHIYAR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL at Kasuva Village, Pakkam PO, Near Thiruninravur 602 024, Tamil Nadu, India , a school housing orphans and other unfortunate kids and is operated by an NGO known as Sevalaya formed since 1988:
http://www.sevalaya.org/index.html
For details of our Chennai Camp, follow this link:http://www.epjhu.com/06indiacamp.html
EP stresses the continuity and sustainability of services, and the EP initiative is meant to be an international movement. To achieve such goals, we promoted the formation of chapters outside of Johns Hopkins, especially at the places where we serve, to continue our work after our departure -- thus creating self sustaining and self-reliant mechanisms within the community being served --- thereby turning an otherwise one-off or short term service into a continuous, self-sustaining and long term project. Since our China Service Camp in August of 2005, we managed to promote the formation of 4 chapters in various places, one by the students of the very school in China our volunteers served in 2005, and two by the volunteers who participated in the China Service Camp: a chapter at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a chapter at the University of Toronto. And in August this year, 2006, our India Chapter was inaugurated by Mr. David Hopper, US Consulate General at Chennai, India.
Each chapter since inception has been actively serving the underprivileged sectors of their respective societies or communities. For example, the young members of our China Chapter (i.e. the very students whom we served last summer) had organized two service camps serving other even less fortunate students in nearby villages. Thus, those being served found themselves serving other more needy people, and EP volunteers found themselves establishing and leading chapters and fresh groups of volunteers to continue and to spread the EP imitative, thereby creating an ever-expanding team of volunteers eager to serve. Together, the EP family will serve with an impact, despite the transience of our stay in any one place.
TANZANIA TRIP INTRODUCTION:
This summer (2007), we plan to serve in Africa. Tanzania is an interesting destination for us. We shall, inter alia, serve the students of a secondary school in the impoverished Karagwe District -- which has no universities as yet.
As admitted in the official website http://www.tanzania.go.tz/districts/karagwe/karagwef.html: "The learning environment in many schools in that district is not very conducive given the dilapidated infrastructure of many schools, overcrowding, shortage of books, limited number of fully qualified teachers and low payment of teachers (resulting into high absenteeism)."
Furthermore, "access to educational opportunities is still very unequal for men and women in Karagwe district. Families are inclined to send the sons for further secondary education if the financial resources are not sufficient to educate all the children in one family. Apart from financial reasons many parents still do not believe that a girl can do as well as a boy in school. In addition there is always the fear that a girl will become pregnant. A third reason is that a daughter may be married to other families after completion of the studies, and as a consequence will contribute little to the development of the parents’ family. Hence it is still considered by many to be a waste of funds to educate the girls beyond Primary school level. However it is a well-known fact that a higher educational level will delay the first sexual contact and contributes to reduced risk of HIV transmission."
An important cultural issue to be addressed: "Traditional gender and cultural perceptions and practices that might contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS and that can contradict the efforts of the HIV/AIDS prevention programs are still important features in the communities of the Wanyambo of Karagwe District."
APPLICATIONS:
To secure a place in the August Tanzania Trip, members and volunteers are requested to submit an application form on-line. There are 2 application forms: one for self-funded volunteers, and another for sponsorship applicants. Alll applicants should state (in their applications) in details the languages the speak and write, skills (such as CPR/AED/first aid certification or instructorship), volunteering and leadership experience and interest, and an outline of their background (such as their home town, the high schools they attend, year of graduation, majors and minors, etc.). All applicants are required to deposit $200.00 as an assurance of his/her commitment to attend the trip, and in the case of air-ticket sponsees, to honor their commitments. The planning and preparation are time-consuming and costly, and each volunteer will be assigned specific tasks. Hence, dropping out is highly disruptive and undesirable.
To secure a place in the August Tanzania Trip, members and volunteers are requested to submit an application form on-line. There are 2 application forms: one for self-funded volunteers, and another for sponsorship applicants. Alll applicants should state (in their applications) in details the languages the speak and write, skills (such as CPR/AED/first aid certification or instructorship), volunteering and leadership experience and interest, and an outline of their background (such as their home town, the high schools they attend, year of graduation, majors and minors, etc.). All applicants are required to deposit $200.00 as an assurance of his/her commitment to attend the trip, and in the case of air-ticket sponsees, to honor their commitments. The planning and preparation are time-consuming and costly, and each volunteer will be assigned specific tasks. Hence, dropping out is highly disruptive and undesirable.
SPONSORSHIP:
There are two kinds of sponsorship. Firstly, promoters of EP chapters (outside JHU, whether in US or any other country) in accordance with the requisite terms and conditions will be awarded a free round-trip air-ticket to attend one EP overseas service trip. Secondly, on a need-and-merit base, highly qualified volunteers compete (last year, 2006, on a 1 in 10 ratio) fiercely for limited number of air-ticket sponsorship (which could either be 50% or 100% of the ticket). Typically, each sponsee will commit to assume specific duties in relation to the trip, and to participate actively in EP activities for one or two semesters.
There are two kinds of sponsorship. Firstly, promoters of EP chapters (outside JHU, whether in US or any other country) in accordance with the requisite terms and conditions will be awarded a free round-trip air-ticket to attend one EP overseas service trip. Secondly, on a need-and-merit base, highly qualified volunteers compete (last year, 2006, on a 1 in 10 ratio) fiercely for limited number of air-ticket sponsorship (which could either be 50% or 100% of the ticket). Typically, each sponsee will commit to assume specific duties in relation to the trip, and to participate actively in EP activities for one or two semesters.
CAVEAT:
The Trip, Projects, Destinations and Programs may change or be substituted, or be cancelled depending on funding, participation, weather, safety and other concerns.
The Trip, Projects, Destinations and Programs may change or be substituted, or be cancelled depending on funding, participation, weather, safety and other concerns.
