From Aug. 23 to Nov. 15, the Sunshine Coast will be hosting a group of 18 Canada World Youth (CWY) volunteers from South Africa and Canada.
The youth volunteers' three-month stay in the community will be the first stage of a CWY educational program. The second half of the program will take place in South Africa. The Sunshine Coast has previously hosted other groups of CWY youth volunteers from South Africa, Brazil, China and Mozambique.
Christine Anonuevo has just arrived on the Sunshine Coast to begin laying the groundwork for the program. There are a number of ways for interested parties to get involved with youth volunteers during their stay: become a host family for two youth volunteers, one from Canada and one from South Africa, or offer volunteer work opportunities to give CWY volunteers hands-on work experience.
Integration into a family and volunteer work with local agencies and organizations are key goals of the program. They provide youth volunteers an opportunity to learn about the region as well as the local lifestyle and culture. Together, they discover each other's values, beliefs, languages and experiences. What CWY looks for in host families is an openness and enthusiasm to share part of their home life with two young people, and likewise, to allow their lives to be enriched by these new relationships. Host families receive a weekly allowance of $168 for hosting two volunteers.
The CWY participants also integrate into their new communities by volunteering with local organizations. These volunteer work placements allow the participants to gain valuable work experience while making a concrete contribution to the community by providing more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service. Past organizations that have been involved with CWY have included: Shorncliffe Extended Care Facility, L'Ecole du Pacifique, Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living and the Salmonid Enhancement Society.
Founded in 1971, CWY is a world leader in developing international educational programs for young people aged 15 to 29. A non-profit organization, CWY is dedicated to enriching the lives of young people that have a desire to become informed and active global citizens. Since its inception, CWY has made it possible for close to 33,000 young volunteers from Canada and other countries to have safe and meaningful international experiences in more than 67countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
To get involved with this year's exchange, contact Anonuevo at 604-989-4971, or email [email protected].
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