Canada World Youth (CWY) is currently recruiting families and individuals interested in hosting two young women, one from South Africa and one from Canada, who will be taking part in an international cross-cultural exchange on the Sunshine Coast for 10 weeks this fall.
The hosting period on the Sunshine Coast is from Sept. 30 to Dec. 12.
Hosts share their home, daily life and culture with the two women, who will be participating full-time in volunteer and educational activities in the community.It's a chance to experience a unique cultural exchange and create lasting relationships that bridge culture and geography.
A non-profit organization, CWY runs several youth-focused initiatives through partnerships with more than a dozen countries worldwide. The Sunshine Coast, for the seventh year in a row, will be a Canadian host community for the six-month Youth Leaders in Action program. In this initiative, a group of 18 youth, half from Canada and half from South Africa, will spend three months living and volunteering in a township near Cape Town, South Africa, over the summer.
On Sept. 30, they will arrive on the Sunshine Coast for another 10 weeks of cultural learning and volunteering here.
This year, the exchange on the Sunshine Coast has a bit of a twist in that all 18 volunteers are female.
"This will give the volunteers a safer space to talk about gender issues and will encourage them to take on leadership roles," said Erin Moores, project supervisor for the exchange.
CWY welcomes all types of hosts - nuclear families, singles, same-sex couples, retired people. Members of diverse communities (religious, ethnic, racial, income level) are especially encouraged to become involved. Hosts are provided with a stipend of $168/week to cover costs.
If you'd like to be involved as a host or if you'd just like to learn more aboutother ways to become involved,contactJenny Groves at 604-989-0502 or jennifermgroves@yahoo.ca.
To find out more about the project or about what the group is doing in South Africa, check out http://logbook.cwy-jcm.com/bcsouthafrica.
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