Hello Go M.A.Ders!
Calling all art lovers or artistic beings!!!!!
Would you like to spend your winter break helping those in need and
sharing your talents with others? How about spending your winter
vacation in India helping children at an International art school
called Bornfree!!! You will get a chance to work with very gifted
children that have come from all parts of India. There are about 25
students who attend the Art school.
Bornfree International Art school is an incredible school located in
Bangalore, India, in the South, founded by John Devaraj, an art
sculptor. It is home to mainly children who are street, labored or
freed bonded labor children and it has become a people’s movement for
the liberation of toiling children.
Bornfree Art School educates and develops children through the arts.
Sculpture, painting, dance, music, theatre, photography and film
making along with reading, writing and math are taught are taught
within the school. Art is used to help generate an interest in
learning and get the children back into the mainstream of education.
If you would like to read more about Bornfree International Art School
please check out:
http://www.bornfreeart.org/born.htm
Dates of the trip: December 20th-December 27th.. Official volunteer
dates are December 24th -27th. Traveling is optional before the 24th
and after the 27th. There will be traveling and cultural exchange
activities before and after our volunteering projects at the Bornfree
Art school.
Activities will include:
- Helping to teach a dance or a music class
- Participating or helping with a theatre production
- helping/working on a major sculpture project
- You are required to bring a small gift from your home country to
for a game
There will be an informational session held in Kanazawa, Ishikawa ken
before our trip to India. It will be given by CIRS from India, living
in Kanazawa. The dates are yet to be determined.
Cost: You are responsible for purchasing and arranging your own flight
to Delhi. Ranges from 9 mon to 10 mon. If you prefer to skip the sight
seeing before hand that is an option, therefore you may want to fly
into Bangalore.
I will need to know if you are interested in attending the trip to the
Taj Mahal
Housing and food will be provided at the site and prepared to our
liking at a low cost.
**A cultural exchange with the local Bangalore University will be
arranged the day after we finish our work with the school.
**Official Sign-ups will begin September 30!!! 2008.
We are accepting only 15-17 volunteers… so please don’t wait!!
Interested? Intrigued? Want more information?
Email Marie Wojcik at
go.make.a.difference@gmail.com with:
- Your name
- Your prefecture or current location
- Briefly why you're interested in the trip
- How serious you are about being able to join this trip, and if
you'll be
- If you have a special talent musically or artistically that you
would be willing to share with the students.
- If you are interested in the trip to the Taj Mahal.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!!!! Please share with us
your artistic abilities, don’t worry if you think you don’t have any
artistic abilities, we would love to have you as long as you want to
volunteer and enjoy working with children!!
Marie Wojcik
Go MAD
Japan National Coordinator
Sharleen Estampador
Co leader
Tsubata, Ishikawa ken
 Develop Community Based Tourism in Piloki Village, Thailand
In partnership with Baan Dada Children’s Home, a new opportunity has arisen for volunteers to develop Community-based Tourism in a remote Karen village on the Thai/Burmese border. This is grassroots at its best. Please see
Community-based Tourism Thailand for more details.
Baan Dada Children's Home Seeking Child Sponsors
Baan Dada relies primarily on overseas child sponsors – former
volunteers, JETs and JET Alumni, and people like you– to keep the home
a happy, secure, healthy place for the now-52 children who live there.
There are 12 new children at Baan Dada’s who arrived recently and
desperately need a sponsor. Please view their biographies and photos
here and consider becoming a part of their lives:
http://www.baandada.org/support.htm
 Child
sponsorship ensures that the tireless Dada Richard Zoleta, the Project
Director, can provide three healthy meals a day, a safe place to live,
education at a local school, clothes and shoes, games and educational
activities, opportunities to participate in festivals and events in
their community, lessons in yoga, meditation, art, and music, and
perhaps most importantly, caretakers and role models for the children
who lack parents in their lives. Dada needs funds to pay the salaries
of the local women and men that he employs to care for the children,
the home, the sustainable community development projects, and the
land, including an organic farm that grows rubber, bamboo, various
veggies, fruits, and herbs for the home.
Please contact Lindsay Marsh at
tosujet@yahoo.ca for more details.
Laos with Room to Read
Laotian Commotion is a charity fundraising group run by
 Nagasaki JETs working to fund a new school in Laos with Room to Read. The intent is to get as many people involved as possible, across Japan and the world!
If you want to teach your students about this charity project, they can provide you with lesson plans and resources, along with ideas for how to get your school involved in fund raising.
They have written a great PDF cook book for JETs, that costs 1000 yen. All profits go straight to the fund! If you'd like to order a copy, have any ideas, want to join a project or find out more about Laotian Commotion then please email
nagasakijen@yahoo.co.uk
Thank you to All Sellers in The 'Christmas Cards That Give'
Campaign
On behalf of Baan Unrak Home of Joy in Thailand, a heartfelt THANK
YOU! goes out to our team of card sellers in Japan and in North
America. Every year, we sell thousands of dollars worth of cards,
which goes directly to Baan Unrak to support the 110 children living
there by giving them opportunities to quality education.
Please write to Marie at
gomadcardsales@gmail.com if you would like to take part in the
2008 "Christmas Cards That Give" campaign. Thank you!
CARD SELLERS NEEDED
Can you imagine your life without school? It's reality for
 many
children in India.
GoMAD is trying to change that, hopefully with your help.
Go M.A.D. Charity SIG and a small slum community in Dinhata, India are
teaming up to sell multi-purpose cards to help build a school and
orphanage for the community.
The money raised will give hundreds the neccessary skills to rise out
of poverty.
We need card sellers! No cost to you at all--you are just
supplying the enthusiasm, kindness, and compassion to sell the cards
for those less fortunate. Contact Marie Wojcik at go.make.a.difference@gmail.com
if you would like to Go Make A Difference.
GROUP VOLUNTEER TRIP
ORGANIZERS NEEDED
A group of volunteers can accomplish a lot in a short amount of
time. Often, first-time volunteers prefer to travel in a group, as it
may feel more comfortable and safe. It also saves time and allows them
to work as a team.
Energetic individuals are needed at orphanages, schools, and
children's centers in various countries to teach (English, Japanese,
Science, Arts, Music, etc.), guide the students in games/activities,
set up special events such as Mini-Olympics, help directors with
specific tasks, ie. maintain the computers, write project proposals,
cook meals, and garden, and have fun!
We can bring over much-needed donations, such as clothing, toys, and
school supplies, and get group discounts on weight allowance with most
major airlines.
Go M.A.D. encourages all trip goers to fundraise in their local
communities prior to departure. The financial contribution we make to
the projects is significant, especially in a group.
The position of Trip Leader requires some email and calling time,
effort in fundraising and promotion, and organizational skills, and
motivation once at the project. But as some of us know, it is
well-worth the time & energy!
WHEN: Go M.A.D. trip leaders are needed for each of the major holiday:
Spring (end of March), Golden Week for JETs (beginning of May),
summer, and Christmas.
WHERE: Choose any project, in any country listed under International
Projects and contact the director with your proposed group volunteer
trip.
Also, feel free to please contact Rachel Allen at gomadfunds@gmail.com
for more details.
 JOIN OUR LISTSERV!
Join the (Yahoo Groups) Go M.A.D. Listerv! Ask questions, keep up on
the updates and be in the loop about upcoming projects and volunteer
opportunities -- best of all, it's free!
If you'd like to submit a few words or photos of your volunteer experiences abroad, please write to Marie Wojcik at
go.make.a.difference@gmail.com
On the JET Programme? Join Go M.A.D. Special Interest Group (SIG)!
Go M.A.D. is a proud member of National AJET as a SIG. Sign up for free and receive updates on upcoming Go M.A.D. group trips to volunteer projects around Asia! Please visit the site
http://www.ajet.net
Make a Difference in India: December 2008:
Details will soon be posted!
It is in childhood that people form their view of the world and how to act within it. If children are socially and economically
marginalized, know only poverty and hardship, discrimination and abuse, that experience will shape them as adults. If on the other
hand society ensures the freedom and dignity of children, creating the conditions in which they can develop their potential,
they have the chance to grow to a full and satisfying adulthood, assuming a constructive role in society.
- Amnesty International
Due to the recent disturbing activity in India, I am sad to inform our
volunteers that our 2008 trip to India to volunteer at the Bornfree
Art school has been cancelled. GO MAD wants to keep in the mind the
safety of our volunteers and keep it a top priority. Please keep
looking for updates for our spring volunteer trips.
Thank you!
Happy Holidays!
Marie Wojcik
Japan National Coordinator
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