Ethical Training and Consultancy

We work as volunteers in developing countries across the world. Information on our work can be found on this page.

The latest edition of the Makelle Blind School Newsletter (November 2009) is now available. Click here to download a copy.

The previous edition (August 2009) is available here.

Last November, Ian returned from a week in Makelle at the Blind School. I took out a keyboard donated by Great Ormond Street Hospital school and puzzles, games, a brailler and braille paper and boards donated by the Visually Impaired Service in Hounslow Local Authority.

The children loved these gifts and they are using them during their break time. Although difficult to transport all the effort was worth it to see the children’s expressions.

The school has come a long way since I first visited it in early 2005. There is still so much to do and so many problems – the children are for example still very inactive all afternoon and during the weekend, often just sitting in the dust, but they are beginning to smile and look happier and healthier.

The kitchen is now in operation for cooking injura and I have ordered two gas cookers and shelving and a sink for the second cooking area.

Linda Mason has donated money for a garden to grow vegetables and whilst there I arranged for a gardener to work at the school one day a week. We hope eventually to provide some hens that the children should be able to care for.

The next project is the building of a shower block. We hope that a builder will be going to the school for up to a month in January and together with new donations we hope to make a start on the shower block.

On Saturday I met with Mitiku and now hope to properly connect the work our group have been doing with that of the American and Irish donors who have built a Library, Clinic and Shade House for the school.

Geoff, a VSO volunteer, is providing regular support to the acting school director and is beginning to bring together at a leadership level the various agencies and individuals with some responsibility for the school. This is extremely difficult but our fervent hope is that there will eventually be proper co-ordination, responsibility and accountability for the children.

I hope the selection of photos gives you some pleasure and shows just how important your efforts are to the school and to the children.

Thank you all so much.

Ian Draper
Ethical Training and Consultancy

A copy of the September 2008 edition of the Makelle Blind School Newsletter is available to view by clicking here.

At work in the Sensory Garden

Liz, Beth, Bryn, Melanie and Olivia all donated their time and effort this summer to work at the Blind School. Real progress is now being made with the shower block now complete and a sensory garden built.

Our next phase of work is to refurbish the toilets and to get the new water tanks installed and connected to the water supply.

To see a copy of this summer's report and next year's plan of action click here.

Oliver Roe, who is a builder, donated eight weeks of his time to construct a shower block for the blind school in Makelle.This project has been funded by donations to the blind school.

Oliver stayed with Geoff and Jane Cooper, VSO Volunteers, who have been in Makelle since 2006. Oliver worked alongside a local builder, Zemenfes. They drew up plans with the local education department and then worked with Solomon, the headteacher, to start the shower block. This involved digging firm foundations (many of the existing buildings do not have foundations and as a result often crack and fall down).

The shower block as it was when Oliver had to leave

Zemenfes is now working by himself to complete the work. Most of the materials needed to complete have been purchased from the donated money and hopefully the structure should be completed within a few weeks.

Crucially we also need help in developing learning for the students, especially during their out of classroom hours which are usually spent sitting around outside.

VSO in partnership with the Provincial Government of Madang in PNG have set up a project to develop leadership and management of school leaders. To do this they hope to appoint up to six UK headteachers or senior managers to work as coaches to a small cluster of schools. The clusters are arranged in families with the secondary and its feeder schools. It is hoped that two UK senior managers will work together in a cluster for a period of up to 6 months.

The project has been set up on a coaching model to allow the UK leaders to provide on-the-job practical support, guidance and problem solving. Those appointed will work as short-term volunteers, paid local salaries and on local conditions.

This opportunity offers an exciting and very different career break with the certainty of developing crucial skills and practice of leadership in schools. If you would like more information you can view the project details here or, to discuss this project further, please contact Ian Draper on 07962 448848 or Jean Hemsley on 07956 640196.

During July Ian went for a third time to PNG. This time he went to work with the volunteers working on the leadership programme, to assist them in delivering workshops and begin planning for 2009. The intention is to expand the programme to twenty volunteers in 2009 working in two provinces, Madang and Simbu in the highlands. Many of the problems in PNG relate to the terrain which is often impassable and the very distinct tribal areas (over 800) with different cultures and customs.

Our goal is to develop a coaching approach to leadership development by using experienced senior leaders from the UK to work alongside small clusters of headteachers in Madang and Simbu. Early evidence is suggesting that this is working well with the headteachers reacting very positively to the work we have been engaged with so far.

The next objective is to prepare a proposal to New Zealand aid to raise the funding to support the next two years of volunteers. The plan then is for Ian to return in February when the new volunteers arrive and support and induct them into the programme of work.

If you are interested in volunteering for a long-term period or a shorter visit to PNG and would like to discuss it, please contact:

ian.draper@ethicaltraining.com.

If you are interested in supporting any of these projects either directly by getting involved or indirectly by working with us in the UK, please call Ian on 07962 449948 or send an e-mail to ian.draper@ethicaltraining.com.