The Sunshine Coast will once again provide a home base for Canada Word Youth (CWY), a non-profit organization that enables young volunteers to become world citizens and serve various communities.
For the second year in a row, the volunteers will be participating under CWY's Youth Leaders in Action program. The group of 18 will consist of nine Canadians and nine South Africans who are paired together and placed with host families and in volunteer positions with local organizations.
The theme will once again be focused on health, with three to four days spent volunteering in the health sector. Like last year as well, the participants will spend half their time here and the other half in South Africa.
How does this year's group differ from the last? This time around, the participants will be all female. CWY project supervisor Erin Moores said that all-female programs provide a safer environment for women to express themselves in and focus on gender equity.
The women in this year's group range in age from 20 to 23. In addition to volunteering, they will be taking part in educational activities, where issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse and prevention of HIV/AIDS will be tackled, particularly during the South African portion.
While the young women get to volunteer in the community and work on social issues, another important part of the experience is living with a host family. Moores said the experience is based on cultural exchange and the program looks for families that have an open spirit.
"We're looking for families that don't just have the room in their house, but also are willing to put in a little bit of time with the participants," Moores said. "That can vary from family to family --- some families like to do a lot of tourist stuff, some families do little, but the idea is that they are willing to integrate the youth into their family life and treat them like a family member.
"The youth also have the responsibility to integrate into the family and try to be part of their lives and not really be a guest, per se."
The CWY program has proven popular and has been operating on the Coast for nine years. This year, the youth will be on the Coast from mid-September to December. While a few families will again act as hosts, Moores is looking for additional families who are interested in participating. For more information email [email protected] or call 604-740-6746.
