Jill Burdett
Location:
United Kingdom
Regions of interest: Asia, Africa
Skills: work with children, women's empowerment, teaching, marketing/strategy, fundraising, environmental issues / alternative energy, economic development, construction
Volunteer Activity:
Global-Ghana Youth Network January 01, 2010
Stories by this Volunteer
Test time!
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
July 29, 2011
So that time of term has arrived, the testing week. We had the oppertunity at the start of term to test the children and place them in the specific classes depending on ability, while getting a clearer picture of what the children understood and what they still were confused with. So this time round we were all very excited to see how they have improved while we have been in-country teaching, and im very very pleased to say the results have been fantastic! biggest improvement was one girl who improved from level 1 in maths to level 4! yes three levels in a summer. Its great to see that all the time spent teaching has made such an impact, so not only have we have an absolute joy teaching the...
Music anyone?
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
July 19, 2011
A typical day in the school is far from typical. The children by all accounts continue to astonish me. They are not only incredibly kind and sweet natured, but also gifted in various way. Most memorable was last week when one of the volunteers had a leaving party. For lunch we had some rice and stew, biscuits and even crisps! We had a few songs and some dancing, but everyone was slightly somber as the teacher who was leaving was going to missed. One boy in particular takes a lead and often acts like a father to all the children, appeared to appreciate this reaction and decided to lift everyones mood- how you ask? by song! He started tapping on the desk and withing seconds was standing on a chair...
Recycle recycle
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
July 19, 2011
In true GGYN style we have completed more recycling, after the success of the fashion day. We have continued to work further with another Omprakash organisation- Trashy bags, a fully recycled Ghana based business. At school we have started collecting our used water sachets at break time, we then clean them,dry them and then get painting them! this is the fun bit all the kids love this as finally get a chance to get messy and have fun. Most popular designs include ghana flags, flowers and the names of teachers (this is incredibly popular with all the staff!). This means that the kids get involved in recycling but also painting and art which is a key aspect of any school! However the best bit is that afterwards, in partnership with...
Fashion show
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
June 09, 2011
World travellers project is currently underway at the ggyn school. We have so far visited Ghana, France, wales and denmark. For our french day we decided alongside cultural studies and role play using the french language we would have a fashion show to celebrate the style in france. Instead of the usually fashion show we collected old used material from the surronding area, including water sachets, plastic bags and old papers and let the childrens creativity go wild. By using a GGYN passport and acting out passport control and a flight it gives the children the oppertunity to play out various scenarios and do various subjects under a fun and exciting topic heading! the only question is.....where next?? ...
Training complete!
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
May 03, 2011
im very excited to say that training for the recruited GGYN volunteers from strathclyde university is complete! now less than a month till said training can be put into practice. The Strathclyde volunteers have all had teacher, cultural, and "whats the point of development" sessions, alongside being able to meet and hear from omprakash's own willy! so its fair to say these volunteers are prepared and excited to get out to ghana. This training has also been part based on the experiences that i have had with GGYN through the help of omprakash. And im sure that this time next year these same volunteers will be starting a whole new project through the network that Omprakash has provided. Exciting time ahead im sure!! ...
Nearly time
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
April 11, 2011
Nearly time for me to go back to ghana, flights booked, class plans made and plentiful supplies of energy are being stored up in prep for after school dancing and football.The usual day...em is not usual i suppose. The very best thing about the experience is the creativity the kids have, the best has to be the random rapping session that just happened...a they do! and soon i was too rapping along with the kids, yes i was dancing like i was beyonce and yes i looked ridiculous! but everyone loved it, the stangest thing about this wasnt the fact that i was white or western, but rather that a woman would feel able to participate in dance or music in such an open way. These two things in the...
Interest for GGYN
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
February 13, 2011
While continuing to spread the GGYN love around glasgow i though of an idea to get those who come into my work place involved in the ggyn love ( a small cafe in the west end) when i thought it may be nice to reuse our bottle caps from milk bottles as counters for the kids in ghana. Within a week local children where also wanting to get involved by bringing in there own! and wanting to learn more about ggyn and the school. Just shows smallest things can grow....slowly but surley!!
First day of School....again
Global-Ghana Youth Network, by Jill Burdett
November 30, 2010
My first day at school.So we all know the fear that fills any child on there first day of school, however as an adult of 21 i thought i had passed those days of sleeping like tommorrow is christmas, while being filled with nerve racking excitement and fear. This was the start of my first day teaching in the GGYN School. I stand in front of 20 children ages ranging from 3-10 for which most of them this is not only there fist day of GGYN school, but also there first ever day of school. Soon the ridiculous nature of my fear passes, i realise that these children are really nothing to fear, a group of intellegent, respectful children whos only wish is to learn. As a teacher what more...