Your Life: Destination adventure for Coventry gap year students

FEATURE writer Catherine Vonledebur chats with three gap year students from Coventry and Warwickshire about their itineraries, their budgets and their reasons for going on the biggest adventures of their lives.

MISSION 1: David Civil, human rights internship in Mongolia

DAVID Civil is 18 and from Coundon, Coventry.

He did history, psychology and English A levels at Coundon Court School and has a place to study a three-year history course at Nottingham University, this autumn.

The teenager lives with his parents Margaret and Paul and younger sister Lauren.

THE TRIP

A month volunteering with law and human rights organisations in Mongolia from July to August. Mongolia is 4,000 miles from Coventry, sandwiched between Russia and China.

David will be based in the capital city, Ulan Bator – geographically the most remote capital in the world. Soviet-style high-rise blocks sit alongside traditional tents - known as gers - which are dotted around the city. He will also travel to different parts of the country with other volunteers.

THE BUDGET

£2,400. “That’s everything - flight, accommodation and food,” he says. “I’ve been working full-time at Starbucks at Corley Services since I left school to raise the money.

“Although I do not agree with the increase in tuition fees, I am lucky I get my tuition fees, loans and a bursary paid for by the Government as my parents’ income is below £25,000.”

THE BIG IDEA

“I always wanted to have a gap year but I didn’t want a conventional year out. I looked for something different and this placement came up and fits the bill quite nicely.

“I found some websites very useful – particularly www.gapyear.com.

“I’ll find out a month before what exactly my placement will involve. I’m hoping it will involve human rights or politics.

“They still have a culture of domestic violence and forced marriage in Mongolia.

“I’ve been reading the reports by Amnesty International. Domestic violence is improving as is the democratic process, but torture is still an issue.

“I’ve read some stories of other students and the accommodation is mostly with families.

“They say it can be quite awkward as they do not speak English. I am trying to learn some Mongolian but it is very difficult.

It will be the rainy season while I am there.

“I’ve been told I need to pack smart clothes and things to keep me dry.

“It’s the most sparsely populated country in the world.

“The thing that fascinated me is the history and that it has been through so much.”

In the long term David hopes a human rights internship will be a valuable addition to his CV.

The placement has been organised by Projects Abroad - www.projectsabroad.co.uk

The company works with organisations such as The National Centre Against Violence and The Gender Equality Centre in Mongolia, encompassing everything from sexism in the workplace to domestic violence.

Other areas include human trafficking and child protection.

MISSION 2: Navraj Johal, charity trek to the Great Wall of China


GAP year student Navraj Johal did his A levels last year at Lawrence Sheriff in Rugby and plans to study medicine at Newcastle University in October.

The 18-year-old lives in Nuneaton, Warwickshire with his father Balraj, an optician who has shops in Coventry and Nuneaton and his mother, Navjot, who works for Coventry City Council.
The oldest of five children, Navraj has two sisters Gurveen, aged 17, and Jaspreet, 12 and nine-year-old twin brothers, Anoop and Suroot.

THE TRIP

A 13-day trek along the Great Wall of China departing mid-August for Childreach International.

THE BUDGET

Approximately £2,500, including food and accommodation

Navraj said: “I am writing to local businesses for sponsorships. I am determined that I will reach my goal by July. I’ve two sisters at Rugby High and we raised £120 selling homemade cakes.

“I am also roping in my family to help with ‘bag packing’ at supermarkets.

“I have set up a link for anyone who would like to make a donation, however small. Every little will help.”

* mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/navrajjohal

THE BIG IDEA

“During my gap year, I decided to do something worthwhile and identify how I could make a difference.

“I came across Childreach International through a friend who had already raised money for the charity last year by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. She is also walking the Great Wall of China.

“The allure of China, one of the most ancient countries in the world as well as raising money for a worthwhile cause was an opportunity not to be missed. There will be a group of between 10 and 12. I’m the second youngest.”

Arriving in Beijing, the group will head to where the Great Wall meets the vast Pacific after which we head for the hills through a mountain trail.

The arduous trek will take in thick forests, the Huangyaguan Fortress as well as the opportunity to visit Tiananmen Square.

“When I’ve mentioned it to people they have been surprised we’re going in August they say it’s ridiculously hot,” Navraj added. “I will have to take a lot of sun cream. I have been trying to learn some Chinese, but the accent is quite hard.”

PREPARATION

“I am a dedicated hockey player and captained my school team and I am very keen on keeping fit. I have recently joined a gym and do a lot of running.”

WHY CHILDREACH INTERNATIONAL?

“I definitely wanted to help children, particularly as I have really enjoyed volunteering at a disabled swimming club in Bedworth supporting young children with autism and cerebral palsy syndrome.

I was also really impressed by the way Childreach international works in genuine partnership with local communities in the developing world to help improve children’s healthcare, education and child rights and protection.”

WARWICK University PHd student Vicky Marlow took a gap year in 2008 after finishing her biochemistry degree course in Coventry.

The 26-year-old had already enrolled to continue her studies on a four year Masters and PhD science course at the University of Warwick. She is now in her final year and lives in Warwick.
THE TRIP

“In August 2008 I spent three weeks in South Africa volunteering on a game reserve focusing on Lion monitoring research. Leo Africa (Limpopo Eco Operation Africa) is a conservation project based in the Selati Game Reserve in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The focus of the research was to monitor numbers and behaviours of predators.”

THE BUDGET

£2,000, including accommodation and food in separate sex bunkhouses.

THE BIG IDEA

“I’ve always really wanted to go to Africa and see the wildlife. It was amazing, nothing like a national park, it was a private reserve.

We were lucky to be able to monitor three prides of lions while I was there, including two litters.

One set of eight-month-old cubs were three brothers.

It was more exciting than anything, especially seeing them up close, you realise how massive they are. We worked six days a week and had one day off.

“On one day off we organised a trip to the Kruger National Park.

“I feel my gap year gave me the opportunity to do something I really wanted to do.”

SO WHY TRAVEL?

HEAD of careers at Coventry University Norman Day says many students look to enhance their employability on a gap year, others just want “time out to chill”. Camp America, Soccer Camp US, the Erasmus study abroad programme and teaching English in Japan were attractive choices.

But the university also offers two schemes which are growing in popularity year on year:

* The Add+vantage scheme gives students the opportunity to learn a language from beginners Chinese (Mandarin) to Arabic, Japanese or Russian.

* The EU funded Leonardo Da Vinci Programme offers graduates a paid vocational work placement within Europe for six months. Students receive a grant ranging from 900 to 1,500 Euros per month.

The scheme was launched five years ago and now supports 100 graduates a year. Norman said: “These opportunities broaden horizons and offer new challenges. We also run Study China and Study India programmes in the Easter and summer holidays.

“China will be a world superpower in a few years and if a student has done a Mandarin course it makes them stand out. Australia is still one of the easiest countries to visit as you can get a visitors Visa for a year, but New Zealand the US and Canada are more difficult. Money is also big issue these days.”

Norman also advised gap year students to exercise caution when choosing a travel organisation.

He said: “There are an awful lot of dodgy companies out there asking for a big administration fees.”