A group of 18 volunteers with the Canada World Youth Program — nine youth from Nicaragua and nine from Canada— will be calling Cochrane home for a three-month period this winter. The only hitch is, they’re going to need somewhere to stay.
Now, the hunt is on for local residents willing to open their doors and host the young do-gooders.
The educational program’s participants, all between the ages of 18 and 24, will be in Cochrane from Nov. 30, 2013 to Feb. 25, 2014. People are needed to share their homes with a pair of volunteers.
“Cochrane has been such a wonderful host in the past and there really is a lot of learn here in the town,” said Alison Steward, project supervisor with the Canada World Youth program. “I have a such an appreciation for the host families. It takes a special person to take on two people who aren’t their own children. But, the (hosts) do it because they want the world to have strong, confident active citizens.”
For the upcoming group of volunteers, their six-month stint in the Canada World Youth Program is divided between Somoto, Nicaragua and Cochrane — three months in each place.
While in Cochrane, the youth will be volunteering full-time with a number of community organizations. On Fridays, the volunteers will take educational day trips, where they will learn about hot topics such as water treatment, health care services, political systems and food security.
“The youth will be living in a community that’s different than their own — they can learn to make connections between what’s happening in their communities and what’s happening globally,” said Steward, a former participant.
For Tenille Christie, opening her home to the program’s volunteers also opened doors for her. After playing host to two young women in 2011 — one from Peru and another from the Northwest Territories — the 25-year-old Mount Royal University student found herself on a plane bound for Peru.
“It was a culture shock — but that was to be expected,” said Christie, who works at Cochrane Home Treasures, one of the local volunteer stops for the program participants.
While in Peru, Christie worked on one of the youth program projects, constructing adobe stoves with a chimney to improve the respiratory health of Peruvian people, namely women and children.
“I heard the girls talking about building these stoves, but they never said how tough it was,” she said with a laugh. “I sympathized with them — it was hard work.
“I found it to be the most eye-opening experience — I saw what they did and how they lived.”
Aside from playing host to the two girls, Christie and her boyfriend have opened their home once more, this time for one of the program’s leaders. Overall, she said her hosting experience has been a positive one.
“It just felt really natural to me,” said Christie, who is already planning to pay a visit to Nicaragua this fall. “I instantly clicked with each of the girls. I found it fascinating to hear and see what they were doing…. When they left, I was so upset.”
The program participants easily slipped into her household routine, she added.
Christie said she’s hoping to play host again for this winter’s stint of the youth program.
Hosts will receive $168 a week for hosting two participants.
For more information on the program visit canadaworldyouth.org, or contact Alison Steward at 403-399-2104.
