I have been reading the news headlines and peruse over stories and news of the day. I am touch by the stories I read in the newspaper. The stories that connect two races; stories of how human kind can be good if not all times then most of the times; stories that made me weep silently; stories that touched my heart.

One outstanding story I read is about Nada Luthfiyyah and Maggie Hamilton. The two correspond with each other as Maggie volunteered to help Nada- a tsunami victim in India. Imagine when two different races and two different perspectives meet to share and help each other. The news article was written in way that touches every crevice in my heart. I wept.

Another story that caught my attention is the concern of an organization that is looking for host families that would receive volunteers. And concern for the low economy indeed affects them so few families are volunteering to host volunteers. It can not but prods me to thinking that yes it is difficult to accept strangers but what is more difficult is when you wanted to accept one and yet you can not because of economic reason.

Though stories like that of Jennifer Le Messurier- a recent graduate of a bachelors of Science degree major in biochemistry and nutrition directly volunteered in a local hospital in Peru- encourages everyone that even though life is hard, we can make it lighter with volunteerism.

And lastly I would like to mention about Olympic bloggers and volunteers. Nate Cooper, Elizabeth Tuttle and Erica Petterson have shared their experience in Beijing Olympics. The different views shared by these three give a glimpse of what it is like in a different culture. What it is like to be in Beijing Olympics. To understand the Chinese and its actions and decision making; to grasp a little of the ‘whys’ of the controversy of the Beijing Olympics; that made the world focus on just one culture. A culture that ones closed to the eyes of the world; but there is only one thing for sure.

Volunteerism is very much alive in the Beijing Olympics.

Have you ever heard of volunteering to build homes for those who are victims of a typhoon or simply those who are homeless? Well, there are numerous organizations that have those programs, here is an overview on how these programs works or even how this program can influence you to volunteer.

This kind of volunteer program is usually a non profit organization and mostly they work for at communities and even build partnership with the families that needs home. This kind of organization mostly needs volunteers that can help them in building homes and also by achieving their goal in the number of shelter that they are going to built for a number of families. The families that they have partnership with are chosen through applications and based on the level of need for the shelter.

In applying for this volunteer program, is easy as one two three, you don’t need to have an experience or skills in building homes you just have to have the passion and the dedication in your volunteer work. There are also other volunteers who have the same intention as you have that can contribute to the building of the shelters. Recently, some of these organizations have had their share of help in the building shelters around the world, examples of it would be in Myanmar, China and the US Gulf Coast. In Myanmar, due to the cyclone that hit the country, they have reconstructed and also built shelters that are for long term. And also in the Sichuan Province in China, they have had reconstruction of the homes and other infrastructures in the province after it was hit by an earthquake. Also in the US Gulf Coast, where it was damaged by the Hurricane Katrina, they have included cleaning up, counseling, and documenting human stories about what has happened aside from rebuilding the homes of the people living there.

With the opening of China to the world, lots of Chinese speaking people al over the world has come to answer the call of volunteerism. So many people indeed has flown half way around the globe to be part of the 70,000 volunteers that would try to cater to the needs of the tourist that flocked to China for this worldwide event- The Olympics.

The stories of the volunteers have been plastered all over the newspaper to be read by millions of people outside China eager to read stories of the Olympics held in this country.

Stories of how people have got a job to be a part of this prestigious event are just to be expected. All bilingual speakers are hired. From French speakers to Japanese speakers are needed to bridge the communication gap.

Volunteers from United Kingdom are also hired. Those Chinese speaking people who are adept with the English language are hired around the globe. Some also came from USA, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and more of countries.

There are who paid there own ticket to be able to volunteer in the Olympics. Chefs, translator and just somebody who can lead the tourist on the right way are hired by the government to be volunteers.

Learning your second language- English- is quite difficult when everybody is speaking your native tongue. It is even much harder to learn it when you are facing an irate English speaking client. Spanish professionals then should learn English in an environment that is conducive for really absorbing the language. A friendly and healthy interaction is a great factor in really understanding the language.

And what is more exciting is to really learn it from volunteers who does not only study the language but speaks it. Learning the English language in books and language tapes are just indeed different when you heard it in front of you- dynamic, live, and answering back, laughing back and questioning back, and of course can be requested to repeat it back.

There is a program in Spain where in they accept volunteers and the only qualification is that the volunteer speaks fluent English. The program is called Pueblo English. The native Spaniards are not allowed to speak the native language in this place to really push them to learn new English words to express thy self and wants.

The program really started the hard way as most good intentions programs. The getting of volunteers is just one of the many problems. How could you lure English speaking people to help other human being? Yes, but answers came from no where. Several English people of diverse age range come in to help the program grow.

The beautiful scenery and enchanting place in Spain lure so many English speaking people. Those people who also would like to learn the Spanish language are also attracted to the program.

Before volunteering abroad there are some things that you should consider, these are the things about the organizations and the charities that you are willing to render your service to. Like if they are stable enough or do they meet your expectations that you want in an organization and all, here are some of them.

You need to first research about them and what are the organizations interests and all. What are the goals that they opt to achieve for the organization and so on. You should also know the programs that the organization has, so that you will know what you are going to and getting into.

Second would be, is the organization stable. You should look into the fact if the one that you are going to give your service to is a stable organization that just doesn’t disappear.

Third, once you have researched on that, then I think it is time to render your service and make a commitment to the organization, a volunteer that has a strong work ethic and is willing to help the organization in achieving its goals.

Lastly, it doesn’t really mean that you have to follow all these guidelines and tips, you just have to know what kind of organizations you are involved with, know it more before rendering your service.

School for the deaf and mute has always been rare especially to Third World countries. If there are schools indeed they badly need the support of everyone to make one a very functional school for the blind and mute.

It was hard already for students to compete for job market deaf and mute as they are. So the best remedy is to train them to become teachers or jobs that won’t need that much sound communication.

Teaching profession for the deaf and mute school is the best first step job that these students should be taking as a deaf and mute person. But how can they be able to fulfill such wonderful dream if the only level of education they can attain is the grade school level for the school does not have the qualified deaf and mute teacher to even teach these kids up to high school level of education

For those volunteers who feel that they are inadequate to help these students because they are not adept with sign language are wrong because as persons with two hands. We can do a lot to help these students achieved their dreams and make the best of it.

Here are some of the works that some volunteers do on their volunteer work abroad in a deaf and mute school.

• Helping the staff with computer software program if you have any knowledge about computers.
• Plumbing works all over the school.
• Painting jobs.
• Donating hearing aids for the deaf students.
• Electrical works around the school. Some deaf and mute school are not very well funded that classes are held with inadequate light.
• Raising fund to buy hearing aids or for teacher’s training.

Volunteering abroad is an exciting moment for both students and civilian. In fact, there are many who were craving to volunteer abroad. It’s an experience worth to remember, it is as well the best option to choose when you want something to change about yourself. There are many things you will learn about volunteering abroad, aside from learning their culture, volunteering abroad will help you know your capabilities as well as your weaknesses. If you want to have an experience about volunteering abroad, the best place to locate yourself is at Spain.

There are various choices of the volunteer works that you can choose in Spain. You can choose working at the Iscle Castle which is located in Vidreres known as the town from the XII century. Mostly, volunteer’s work here is to help working on the renovation of the castle particularly on its damaged areas. Volunteer is subject to work on cleaning the surroundings of the castle; help lead the visitors on the castles significant areas and also volunteers as well are accountable in informing visitors about their ecological and natural values which is full of archaeological materials.

Perhaps as a volunteer you would want to try on Spain’s “Monitoring the State of the coastal fauna and recovering old rural paths at Creus Cape”. This part of Spain is one of the most interesting places to see. What volunteers can do here is basically to monitor the state of the coastal fauna and also recovering the old rural paths within the area. Aside from that, volunteers also can do the work such like picking up rubbish from the various beaches in the area, disseminating information about the environmental respect among the beach users and marking the routes of the prehistoric heritage within the area. These are just some of the available international volunteer work in Spain, though very simple but yet help you mold into the better you.

My skin tone and blue eyes made them happy and I am also happy about that. I was lavished with care and love by these black people.

There are just some races that are looked at and examined with such appreciation and awe. The people in the European countries and USA are just examples of these. The fair skin, blue eyes human specie is admired with great envy by other race.

I was equipped to be the best teacher volunteer to ever come across in this black land. And to my surprise, my mere presence is more than enough. My daily stories about my Spanish land is good enough to give them hope and encouragement. I don’t even know if they understood my stories or how they understand the English language I used.

For the fact that I am not the first volunteer to step on African land to do volunteer perhaps they understood for they already learned to say yes and no whenever I asked a question or two.

It is not what I could teach them that amaze them but the daily tussle in the mud and the daily activities I do together with them like carrying of water from the water supply that made me like hero to these black people.

Now, my first scent of Africa is very fulfilling. I didn’t only learn a few words of African heritage but also tried to live the African way for a few days. I shared the glory of my race for a few weeks and I am fulfilled. A memory best told to the next generation.