Volunteers experience Swaziland with USPG
One of the ways in which USPG Ireland tries to highlight the importance of Global Mission is through the Experience Exchange Programme. They send volunteers from local Irish communities to live and work with the church elsewhere in the world so that they can return home to share the insights they have gained with their local communities. Run jointly by USPG and the Methodist Church, EEP has been in existence for over 40 years and placed volunteers in over 60 countries.
Recent EEP volunteers are Linda Frost from the Church of Ireland Theological College who spent 3 weeks with the Diocese of Swaziland and Nola Nixon from Tandragee, also in Swaziland, working in several Anglican primary schools and pre–schools, during her stay from May until December.
Read about Linda’s experience here
Read about Nola’s experience here
EEP participants must be at least 18, but there is no upper age limit. No special skills are required, but if volunteers have skills they would like to use that is be taken into account. EEP volunteers have taught in schools, worked on agriculture, building or health programmes, helped in vocation and rehabilitation institutions, assisted in administration and children’s and youth work.
Placements can be anywhere, are for between six to 12 months, and are personally tailored for each volunteer based on their preferences, background, skills, and availability. Groups or teams are not normally sent, but occasionally couples have been placed. To date volunteers have gone to Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, South America and Europe.