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You know, I've always wondered why there are fees associated with volunteering. Isn't it enough that people offer their time and skills at no cost?
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Thats a reasonable position to take and certainly where people have a PHD or extensive development experience. But what we offer is a training programme followed by development work in Africa. Our course is open to everyone irrespective of their previous experience and we offer a scholarship scheme for those unable to meet the costs of their training period. It would be wrong to divert funds away from the African projects to cover the costs of the initial training period we feel. While some people who join our 14 month programme have experience of development work and some have high academic qualifications in fields relevant to working in development, its also true that many do not - what they do have though is a commitment to making a difference in the world, whether that's working with children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and civil war or taking part in environmental projects,etc.