It was my friend Irene who helped wake me up from my summer lethargy in Rome. After one year in Italy I felt like I had reached a sort of crossroads in my life, but I was barely able to make up my mind about what I wanted for dinner, nevermind anything longer-term.
She suggested getting out of the city for awhile to breathe a bit and think about things. I also hoped being in the countryside in a beautiful peaceful place, with a bit of routine would also help put things in to perspective.
Within a few days I had found a placement on two organic farms in the Italian countryside via Helpex – a website that helps place volunteer farm helpers with hosts around the world, in exchange for food and board. Given my tenuous financial situation and need for a bit of simplicity, I thought the concept was a good fit.
A long dormant idea about volunteering abroad also came back into focus. I had previously been put off by the long application process and the fact that a lot of organisations seem to be dubious hidden agendas, often charging exorbitant fees for placements. I didn't like the idea of relatively well-off Westerners seeking personal gratification to help the poor and downtrodden.
During my own research I inadvertently stumbled across the website of the Sudan Volunteer Programme (SVP), which places teachers in Sudanese universities and secondary schools as a way of facilitating language and cultural exchange. Their website - while basic - contained a lot of no-nonsense, practical information and I immediately warmed to their approach and philosophy.
Another appeal was that the organisation was well established and had been sending volunteers o the country since 1997. Unlike the aforementioned practice of charging high fees, SVP volunteers are required to cover their airfare and other pre-trip expenses, although accommodation and a small local stipend is provided. Once the idea was planted, all sorts of questions suddenly crowded my mind, the main one being - was I really up for Sudan?
After a couple of days pondering this point I followed the step-by-step instructions on their website and sent in my application. The next day I left to start my first placement on a farm in Montefalcione in the Avellino province near to Naples. There was sparse internet coverage at the farm, but I did manage to get online a few times to check my emails, but there was no response from SVP.
Ten days later and still without any news I was settling into my second placement on a farm further north, near to Bologna. I decided to send a follow up email to SVP and rather surprisingly I received a same-day reply from the coordinator David in London. Apparently my application had been misplaced.
We arranged to have a chat on Skype and one night after dinner (and a couple of glasses of wine) we managed to catch each other online at the same time. It was a rather informal chat, ranging from details about the programme, Jane Austen and my experience to date with Sudanese culture.
What became apparent during the course of the conversation was that if I wanted to go to Sudan the opportunity was there for the taking. I felt slightly exhilarated and giddy at the prospect.
A couple of days later David sent me a formal invitation. He had penciled in a tentative arrival date for October 15. This was at a time when riots were erupting across the Muslim world, as fury over what was considered a blasphemous film reached fever-pitch. The British and German embassies in Khartoum had also both been breached.
After putting it off, I finally checked Sudan's official status on the Australian Government website. Staring back at me from the screen - and highlighted in red - was DFAT’s uncompromising travel advisory, stating simply: “Do Not Travel”.
I feel torn, on one hand I think it's my time to move forward and take up other challenges, but here in such an idyllic setting it's also hard to contemplate leaving Italy.
She suggested getting out of the city for awhile to breathe a bit and think about things. I also hoped being in the countryside in a beautiful peaceful place, with a bit of routine would also help put things in to perspective.
Within a few days I had found a placement on two organic farms in the Italian countryside via Helpex – a website that helps place volunteer farm helpers with hosts around the world, in exchange for food and board. Given my tenuous financial situation and need for a bit of simplicity, I thought the concept was a good fit.
A long dormant idea about volunteering abroad also came back into focus. I had previously been put off by the long application process and the fact that a lot of organisations seem to be dubious hidden agendas, often charging exorbitant fees for placements. I didn't like the idea of relatively well-off Westerners seeking personal gratification to help the poor and downtrodden.
During my own research I inadvertently stumbled across the website of the Sudan Volunteer Programme (SVP), which places teachers in Sudanese universities and secondary schools as a way of facilitating language and cultural exchange. Their website - while basic - contained a lot of no-nonsense, practical information and I immediately warmed to their approach and philosophy.
Another appeal was that the organisation was well established and had been sending volunteers o the country since 1997. Unlike the aforementioned practice of charging high fees, SVP volunteers are required to cover their airfare and other pre-trip expenses, although accommodation and a small local stipend is provided. Once the idea was planted, all sorts of questions suddenly crowded my mind, the main one being - was I really up for Sudan?
After a couple of days pondering this point I followed the step-by-step instructions on their website and sent in my application. The next day I left to start my first placement on a farm in Montefalcione in the Avellino province near to Naples. There was sparse internet coverage at the farm, but I did manage to get online a few times to check my emails, but there was no response from SVP.
Ten days later and still without any news I was settling into my second placement on a farm further north, near to Bologna. I decided to send a follow up email to SVP and rather surprisingly I received a same-day reply from the coordinator David in London. Apparently my application had been misplaced.
We arranged to have a chat on Skype and one night after dinner (and a couple of glasses of wine) we managed to catch each other online at the same time. It was a rather informal chat, ranging from details about the programme, Jane Austen and my experience to date with Sudanese culture.
What became apparent during the course of the conversation was that if I wanted to go to Sudan the opportunity was there for the taking. I felt slightly exhilarated and giddy at the prospect.
A couple of days later David sent me a formal invitation. He had penciled in a tentative arrival date for October 15. This was at a time when riots were erupting across the Muslim world, as fury over what was considered a blasphemous film reached fever-pitch. The British and German embassies in Khartoum had also both been breached.
After putting it off, I finally checked Sudan's official status on the Australian Government website. Staring back at me from the screen - and highlighted in red - was DFAT’s uncompromising travel advisory, stating simply: “Do Not Travel”.
I feel torn, on one hand I think it's my time to move forward and take up other challenges, but here in such an idyllic setting it's also hard to contemplate leaving Italy.
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