As we watch the war rage in Ukraine, there is a natural desire to want to do something to help. For most of us, this is not going to mean joining the International Legion (though amazingly 20,000 people from 60 countries have done so).
You can send money – and you absolutely should do so. There are many worthy choices, ranging from international organization such as the Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross, religious groups offering relief such as Samaritan’s Purse, or Mark Hamill’s effort in building an army of drones.
But beyond donating, how else to help?
What if there was a way where you could…
- Directly help Ukrainians 1:1
- Do it from the comfort of your living room
- For only one hour a week
- And it costs you nothing
How? By joining me as a volunteer in the ENGin program.
What is ENGin?
In a nutshell, the ENGin program connects students in Ukraine who want to improve their English with native or high-fluency speakers who conduct conversational sessions with them over Zoom.
Volunteers do not need to know any Ukrainian (I don’t), nor have any prior teaching experience. These students are able to hold a basic conversation in English but want to expand their vocabulary, understand slang, and work on their spoken English.
ENGin provides a wealth of structured session materials, but fundamentally it’s just having a conversation in English so the student can practice.
Ukraine ranks 30th out of 35 European nations for English literacy and the opportunities for learning English (even pre-war) were limited. English is the gateway to better jobs and by helping younger (ages 10-35) Ukrainians develop this vital skill, you are directly improving their lives and helping rebuild Ukraine in the future. Plus you might develop some international friendships along the way.
Join Me!
I encourage you to visit their site and learn more. After filling out the application, they schedule a brief video interview with you and provide some training on how their system works, what to do during a session, how to handle cultural differences and trauma experiences, and other basics.
I’ve signed up and hope to be matched with a student in early April.
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I also enjoy using LEBs! I have an empire of little guys for VPNs, larger guys for apps, and big guys for databases and storage. When I'm not in front a screen I'm into German Shepherd dogs, quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop roleplaying games, and forest hiking.
I enjoy writing technical articles here on LowEndBox to help people get more out of their systems. You can find me on LowEndTalk @raindog308
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