Due to the current coronavirus pandemic the trip has been cancelled for 2020. Come back soon for news on 2021.
To read about how TEECH and supporters are helping Moldova in 2020 click here.
WELCOME TO THE DETAIL ABOUT volunteeRING WITH US in 2020
TEECH will be carrying out a project in the summer of 2020 at a school in a small village called Baccealia, Causeni District in Moldova, the poorest Eastern European country.
The project will be a challenge and there is a lot of planning and preparation to do before we set off on the trip but it’s achievable, with strong team work. If you are interested in joining the team then read on and find out what we are going to be doing, and then contact holly@teech.org with any questions, for further information or an application form.
The project will be a challenge and there is a lot of planning and preparation to do before we set off on the trip but it’s achievable, with strong team work. If you are interested in joining the team then read on and find out what we are going to be doing, and then contact holly@teech.org with any questions, for further information or an application form.
So what are the facts and other info.........
When: Saturday 15th August to Sunday 30th 2020 (Drivers from Thursday 13th)
Where: Baccealia, Moldova
Why: The team will be working at a school, for approx. 180 children, where they have no indoor toilets. They currently use an outhouse (small brick building) which has a concrete floor, and then holes in the floor which is over a pit. The team will turn one room within the school into a bathroom for the boys and one for the girls, containing toilets, hot and cold water, hand driers and sinks, which not only provides them with indoor toilets for the first time, but privacy and hygienic conditions. The team will also tile, lay flooring, paint and anything else we might have time for in the 8 days we are on site.
Where: Baccealia, Moldova
Why: The team will be working at a school, for approx. 180 children, where they have no indoor toilets. They currently use an outhouse (small brick building) which has a concrete floor, and then holes in the floor which is over a pit. The team will turn one room within the school into a bathroom for the boys and one for the girls, containing toilets, hot and cold water, hand driers and sinks, which not only provides them with indoor toilets for the first time, but privacy and hygienic conditions. The team will also tile, lay flooring, paint and anything else we might have time for in the 8 days we are on site.
What to expect:
* Tiling
* Plumbing of toilets, sinks, urinals, boilers
* Electrical work for hand driers, lighting, water heaters
* Carpentry and the construction of toilet cubicles
* Laying the floor with lino
* connecting waste pipes for the new toilets/sinks to the existing drainage
* And much more
- To see an amazing country: Moldova is very pretty and very different to what you may have experienced before. In villages, life is basic and people walk, cycle or use horse & cart to travel around. Homes generally have no running water (let alone bathrooms), therefore there are wells in the village to obtain water, and people generally have long drop toilets in small shed like buildings in their gardens. The school is connected to mains water, currently to the kitchen, but this can be tapped into for the new bathrooms.
- To be hot! Temperatures can reach 35+ degrees in August but it can feel cooler in the buildings, but be prepared for the heat!
- Toilet facilities: Whilst at the school there will be no indoor flushing toilets facilities (that is why we are there). We will use their existing toilets, which are outside and are just holes in the ground. We aim to take commodes, so those who would like to sit down can do. At night we would provide ladies with camping porta loos within the building.
- Shower facilities: Again there are no formal washing facilities, therefore we take tents to shower in. Each volunteer is asked to take a camping shower bag, which is filled with cold water in the morning and magically (as its so hot) will be very warm by late afternoon. The bags can be hung in the tents and do work really well. Flip flops are advised for showering in.
- There are sinks in the school, which can be used for hand washing.
- Sleep arrangements: Volunteers sleep in classrooms within the school. Classrooms will be allocated between men and women, therefore a sleeping bag and camp bed/air bed is required.
- Other people: You will meet those who might have been on a trip before, those that haven’t and those that are so hooked they've been doing this for years. Everyone is welcome and made to feel welcome.
- The locals: Each year the TEECH team is delightfully overwhelmed by the welcome received from the locals, their hospitality (they usually bring food for us to try) and the help provided on site.
- Drivers: We take 4 vehicles on the trip, therefore require volunteer drivers with PSV and HGV licences.
- The work: There are various tasks which will be undertaken to transform empty rooms into two bathrooms, including:
* Tiling
* Plumbing of toilets, sinks, urinals, boilers
* Electrical work for hand driers, lighting, water heaters
* Carpentry and the construction of toilet cubicles
* Laying the floor with lino
* connecting waste pipes for the new toilets/sinks to the existing drainage
* And much more
- Food: Whilst on location we have volunteers who take on the task of cooking for the team. A hot meal will be provided each evening with plenty of other food at lunchtime to ensure everyone is fuelled for the physical work they are undertaking.
- Tradesmen: We require volunteers with experience in carpentry, plumbing and electrical work. Even with no experience we hope to offer everyone the opportunity to work alongside someone with experience to learn a few new skills.
- What to pack and further information: Once volunteers have signed up, further monthly information will be provided on the run up to August along with packing lists and everything else you’ll need to know.
Due to unknown events with the event of Brexit in 2020, there maybe be unforeseen changes to the trip or additional documents we will require volunteers to complete. We will keep all volunteers updated if changes occur. At all times TEECH reserves the right to cancel a trip.
transport
Volunteers travel by coach overland.
The cost:
Each volunteers is required to pay £700.....the cost is split:
* £500 covers all expenses - the coach hire, 4 hotels on route to/from Moldova, food (not drinks) at those hotels (evening meal/breakfast), insurance, a t-shirt and food on location.
* £200 contributes towards the cost of the actual project - sanitary ware, electrical supplies, timber, plywood, paint, tiles and much much more!
Volunteers are encouraged to fundraise using TEECH preferred donation platform (currently being reviewed) to help towards their costs. Gift Aid rules are required to be followed when asking others to sponsor you (please get in contact to check the rules).
How to apply: For an application form then please contact holly@teech.org. On application a minimum £70 deposit is required to secure your place.
For further information also see our FAQ and How a Trip works pages.
Each volunteers is required to pay £700.....the cost is split:
* £500 covers all expenses - the coach hire, 4 hotels on route to/from Moldova, food (not drinks) at those hotels (evening meal/breakfast), insurance, a t-shirt and food on location.
* £200 contributes towards the cost of the actual project - sanitary ware, electrical supplies, timber, plywood, paint, tiles and much much more!
Volunteers are encouraged to fundraise using TEECH preferred donation platform (currently being reviewed) to help towards their costs. Gift Aid rules are required to be followed when asking others to sponsor you (please get in contact to check the rules).
How to apply: For an application form then please contact holly@teech.org. On application a minimum £70 deposit is required to secure your place.
For further information also see our FAQ and How a Trip works pages.
the current outdoor toilets.....
To read about the 2019 project trip see the September 2019 Newsletter