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Journalism in Belize You’d better Belize it! As Mark Harrison, NGO Volunteer with ProBelize, found out, Belize is a country that exceeds all expectations... in more ways than one! As a volunteer journalist, Mark got very close to the action, and managed to provide entertainment for everyone! Mark writes... 'When I applied for three months in Belize volunteering as a journalist I had no idea where the country actually was, let alone what to expect from my internship. The brochure described volunteer work as challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. I never expected that they had missed out one key word: dramatic. My first day at work was the most eye-opening experience of my life! I was quite nervous beforehand - it was like starting a new job - but the staff at ProBelize reassured me that my boss was a nice, reliable man and that I would be eased in gently.  I arrived bright and early with my confident, please-like-me face. I was briefly introduced at the morning meeting before the staff were given a roasting by the boss and one of the DJs was fired. A good start. Half an hour later my boss’s wife appeared and started having a heated row with the station’s secretary. I couldn’t quite understand the Creole, but was unconvinced when the secretary called out 'I no play your husband'. The wife clearly was not convinced either so broke the girl’s finger. She ran into the room I was in and locked the doors before calling the police and asking me to hold her finger back in place. When the police finally did arrive my boss pleaded with them not to arrest his wife before they all disappeared. After a quick respite for lunch I spent the afternoon in the studio whilst a crazy Spanish man spoke to me on-air in his mother tongue - of which my vocabulary range is 'si' and 'no'. It turns out he was asking me to be the godfather of his unborn child and also asking me to marry him - an offer I would have to politely refuse on various occasions during my stay. So, day one was fun. My work stories soon became the top entertainment source for my fellow volunteers, and any concerns that the rest of my time couldn’t live up to the explosive beginning were unfounded. In my time there my boss left his wife, spent time in prison accused of kidnapping the secretary before being fired and moving out to the tropical islands with his girlfriend. ProWorld quickly set about rectifying the problem and two bosses, two new sets of studios and a name change later things began to settle down. When I wasn’t caught up in perhaps the strangest soap opera storyline I’ve ever seen, I was gaining valuable journalistic experience and having a great time doing it. Every day I produced and read an international news bulletin as well as working on a local website. As the only radio station in the town of San Ignacio I felt I was really contributing to daily life in the area.  Not only was I learning a lot about my chosen profession, I was also doing it in a fascinating and beautiful country. Weekends were spent snorkelling the barrier reef, visiting Mayan ruins or just chilling by the pool. I also took the chance to travel and saw Guatemala and Costa Rica during my stay. Living with a homestay family gave me a unique look at life in Belize - and I even got to attend a family wedding in a country that knows how to party!My experiences as a volunteer more than lived up to the promises in the brochure and have taught me a lot more than I expected. I guess there’s only one incredibly cheesy way to sum up my experience out in Central America - unbelizeable!"   Name: ProWorldAddress: 1 Rockmount, 402 Fulwood Road, Sheffield, S10 3GD Click here >> for more info about this placement Click here >> for other placements with ProWorld  Tel: 0845 344 7603 |
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