CEI’s volunteer programme began in 2002. At an early stage, CEI  helped to implement an “International Teaching Volunteer Programme” under which a number of British teachers made short teaching visits to Uttar Bangla College mainly to take part in Workshops, helping to improve English proficiency among the students and the teaching staff. These early visits were coordinated  by Mr Peter Morrison (who served for some 10 years as the Education Officer of CEI) and, subsequently, by Ms Anne Howie, an experienced CEI Board Member. The first volunteers were Ms Sallie Buchanan and Dr Gill Scharer (2002), Ms Mary Gilles and Ms Norma Smith (2005) and Ms Liz Kristiansen (2008).

Following a collaborative link with the University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland, in 2008 UUC hosted two Irish Honours students Catriona Power and Adelaide Breen who spent a six-month period at UUC carrying out research on poverty alleviation. The following year, another visit took place with two new Irish students  Brigid Phillips, now Buckley, and Jacintha Cahill whose main focus of research was female empowerment. Brigid and Jacintha also worked as Tutorial Assistants, helping the UUC students especially of the English Honours class, improve their proficiency in spoken English . 

In 2011 we welcomed Miss Helen Mostyn and Mr Thomas Scurfield who conducted an impact assessment of CEI's work in Kakina in the fields of education, health and poverty alleviation.  In 2013, Mr Hugh Reilly was a teaching volunteer. 

 

Then, with support from the Scottish Government's Small Grants Programme, a successful three-year Scottish Volunteer Teaching Programme (2014-17) was undertaken.  Fourteen Scottish volunteers took part, helping to improve the ICT skills and English language proficiency of UUC staff members and students, directed by Ms Irene Graham, a Trustee of CEI. 

Volunteer Teachers (who visited UUC during 2014-17)

*Note:  During the three-year teaching programme, Irene Graham made a total of 10 visits delivering the teaching programmes and/or directing the activities in her capacity as the Director of this project.

 

Follow Up Teacher-in Residence Programme

As a follow up to the above, a "Volunteer Teacher-in-Residence" programme was established which aims to provide an annual three month residency. To date there have been four residencies. Irene Graham has undertaken three of these and Cathy Crawford one.

Volunteers in the USA, Germany and Australia

USA: Mr.Waliul Hafiz and Mrs. ShamseAra Hafiz have been two of our dedicated  volunteers in the USA (based in Bolingbrook, Illinois). Their fund-raising initiatives and support, especially for helping the vulnerable people (with assistance in cash and kind),has been extremely helpful in attacking poverty head on. They have been actively operating the US branch of CEI, with Mr.Waliul Hafiz serving in a voluntary capacity as its President.

 

Volunteers in Germany and Australia

Mrs.Tahmina Huq (Nargis), based in Berlin, Germany

Md. Jahid Faruki [Active CEI volunteer, based in Melbourne, Australia (previously in Malaysia)]

 

Sincere Thanks and Gratitude:

Many other individuals have also generously given their help and support, and we at CEI would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of them.

 

Volunteering Opportunity 

If you would like to volunteer as a visiting teacher of English or ICT,  or as a researcher with an interest in monitoring and evaluation, please submit your CV to [email protected] or email [email protected]