Viva Network

During this last week I've been on work experience, helping out at Viva Network. Viva is a Christian charity organisation that links other charities together so that they can work together and help each other, etc. It's all on the website if you want to look! (Hint, hint.) I've actually been involved with the Facilitation Team - they're the ones that do the work to make everything else possible! (Like, for instance, organising conferences.)
It's been a brilliant time for me; I've really enjoyed the work and the people have been lovely. It's been really good experience to try out new things e.g. phoning up a travel agents - I was dreading that then it was fine when I actually did it. I've managed to work with 8 people in 5 days (!) which I thought was pretty impressive. It's because I moved around helping in the different departments, rather than focusing on one project.
The week's been slightly more tiring than a usual school week but feels so much more worthwhile as well, so that makes up for it. I got a lovely card today from everyone I've worked with, saying thanks and well done which I found very touching.
I've learnt quite a lot as well - about myself and about the world! For instance I feel more confident about doing things which I would have avoided like the plague before, and also more confident about meeting new people which I'm often tentative about.
I've had facts and figures thrown at me all week, so in case you're interested here are a list of what I think were the most interesting:
- 1/3 of the world's population are under 15
- 1 in 12 people is an Indian child
- 95% of British households buy bananas every week
- If we say each banana would cost about 30p, the person who grew/tended that banana will only receive a halfpenny, and 90% of the profits will stay in the western world
- More than 37% of children live in absolute poverty
- Memphis is a city in America and Elvis Presley was born there (no, I really didn't know that before!)

Don't know if that'll interest you, but thought it might make some people think! (Well, some of it might, anyway. There are loads of really horrid statistics like the absolute poverty one; you hardly realise but it's terrible.)

Anyway, it's been a great week and a real eyeopener. I'd love to stay for longer helping them, but unfortunately we only get a week. Maybe I'll come back in the future, though, who knows?