With a deep belief in the transformative power of education, Geoffrey from Norfolk, UK, has devoted his life both in the UK and abroad to making education more accessible for all. Driven by his love of teaching, Geoffrey completed two overseas volunteering placements with VSO in the Maldives and the Solomon Islands in the 90s. Here we take a trip down memory lane, discovering Geoffrey's story while revisiting two of the countries that VSO used to work in.
A love for education: from childhood inspiration to life-long dedication
Geoffrey's passion for education began at the young age of 10, when one of his teachers left a long-lasting impression on him.
"I wanted to be like her, and I also wanted to do something meaningful that would benefit society," he recalls.
This led Geoffrey to attend a teacher training college between 1955-1957. Between 1957 and 1960, Geoffrey taught in a primary school in Nottingham. After this, he returned to Norfolk, where he continued to work as a teacher, becoming a head teacher for 26 years. In 1991, Geoffrey saw an advert in a teachers' magazine for an overseas VSO posting and decided to apply and take his teaching expertise overseas. Between 1991 and 1993, Geoffrey volunteered in the Maldives and worked in three of the Atoll Islands (Alif Atoll South, Alif Atoll North and Raa Atoll). He went to the Maldives with two science teachers and a dentist.
He started working at the Institute for Teacher Education as an on-site teacher educator. Geoffrey then visited all the schools in an atoll, met with the Maldivian teachers and listened to them while assessing their needs. He also held workshops for teachers and then worked alongside them in each school to develop methodology and the curriculum. After six to nine months, Geoffrey would then move on to another atoll.
The schools where Geoffrey taught were basic. There were many children in the classroom, although many left after primary school. The teachers were very hard-working and welcoming, and Geoffrey used the teaching aids they had. At the time, the Maldivian government was upgrading the curriculum to include more subjects and improving teaching methods, something that Geoffrey played a key role in.
During his time there, Geoffrey learnt Maldivian and formed friendships with local people, some of whom he has since returned to visit.
A second placement
In 1994, Geoffrey packed his suitcase and embarked on a new adventure, this time volunteering in the Solomon Islands in schools until 1998.
The schools were equipped with only the most basic items, including a worn blackboard and a limited number of tattered textbooks. The children had to provide their own exercise books and stationery. When Geoffrey was there, there were low adult literacy rates (less than 40%) and low school attendance rates for children. The government at the time though was heavily focused on an "Education For All Policy," which is why VSO volunteers were sent to help strengthen the education system. In addition, the Solomon Islands was and continues to be one of the poorest countries in the Pacific, currently ranked 151 of 189 countries on the Human Development Index and with a poverty rate of 25%1. Access to quality healthcare was also a challenge, with medical facilities non-existent or very far away. In addition, malaria was very prevalent on the islands.
The villages in which the schools were situated were scattered along the shores of the large islands. To reach these, Geoffrey had to travel by a small dinghy made out of fibreglass or aluminium and powered by an outboard engine. On his placement, Geoffrey supported education officers who were working with a group of schools. He visited the schools to assess their needs, held workshops and worked with teachers there, staying at least a week in each school and helping to improve their curriculums.
In every place Geoffrey visited in the Maldives and Solomon Islands, he drew sketches and wrote short books for the children.
Volunteering, a force for change
Geoffrey acknowledges how rewarding his volunteer experiences were. “The joyful part of my volunteering was being accepted by the communities, joining in their lifestyle and celebrating special occasions with them. It was lovely to be with the people, get to know them and see the food they ate. It was a wonderful part of my life, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world,” Geoffrey reminisced.
Geoffrey enjoyed immersing himself in the local culture and, despite being a Christian, was open to other religions, including Islam, which was prevalent in the Maldives. During his time there, he went to the mosque a few times with the local community to see the interior. Volunteering with VSO also afforded Geoffrey the opportunity to take his passion for education further afield.
The better the education, the better the citizens will be for tomorrow. Their future isn’t just to do with prosperity but being able to use any talents they’ve got either to make money or to do good or to serve their family," he told us.
After his VSO placements came to an end, Geoffrey went on to travel and volunteer abroad with the British Executive Service Overseas in Russia, Pakistan and Tanzania. He has also maintained a keen interest in world affairs and in particular with regards to climate change and conflicts.
Geoffrey has seen VSO evolve over time and move more towards localisation and active citizenship with people taking action in their own communities to bring about change, something that resonates with him. “What I learnt on my placement was that you cannot replicate English ways abroad. Things must be developed with the local methods of education,” he says.
Passing it on
Although VSO no longer works in the Maldives or Solomon Islands, the organisation continues to run inclusive and resilient education programmes in countries around the world. Geoffrey is inspired by VSO's education work and volunteering with the organisation has had a profound impact on his life, and so he has decided to leave a gift in his Will.
“I wanted to give money to organisations that are helpful and useful to the world’s society. I would say an enthusiastic yes to anyone who is thinking of leaving a gift in their Will to VSO,” he tells us.
Leaving VSO a gift in your Will means justice, peace and joy for all, not just the few.
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