First things first - can we all take a minute to think about all those poor people affected by the Ugandan bombings this week in the capital, Kampala. It is distressing to think of everyone who must have been so frightened and upset by the attacks and we send out all our prayers and wishes that the the trouble will soon be over. To read more about the attacks click here: www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/12/uganda-bomb-blasts-kampala.

But now on to some exciting news - this weekend the interviews are taking place for the new set of interns to venture out to Jinja and help to continue the work of SALVE over there. We have had some fantastic candidates applying which we are sure means that two wonderful people will be going out to spend some time with the SALVE children and staff. We are very jealous but also very grateful that others understand and support the vital work that must be done for street children in Uganda. Good luck to all candidates and we look forward to seeing who the lucky chosen two will be!

Not only are we interviewing for new interns, but also for a few Local Fundraiser posts. These are very important positions as our fundraising drive has really begun and we need much more money in order to buy the land we desperately need. The Local Fundraisers will have a fairly free reign of things they can get involved with, from writing Trust applications, shaking buckets, and putting on events. Hopefully this will mean we can reach our target of £50,000 sooner than we think!

On a related note - watch this space for an exciting event in November...let's just say get your tartan out and your dancing shoes on! Thank you for reading and we hope you come back next week for more SALVE news.

Want to intern with S.A.L.V.E. in Uganda?

So it's that time of year again where we are looking for two amazing passionate people to go and intern with S.A.L.V.E. out in Uganda. And the deadline is approaching fast (this Wednesday!).

This is an exciting post for someone hoping to get more involved in the charity sector, which will provide excellent hands-on experience. The successful candidates will undertake a four month placement, and will be involved in all aspects of the charity's work on the ground. Interns will work closely with the charity's Ugandan staff in their work with children on the street through our street clinics, as well as on site at the charity's foster home. Interns will also be expected to help in the charity's community education program to help to address the causes of why children take to the streets in the first place, i.e. through research, syllabus design and facilitation. There will also be opportunities to assist our link schools, particularly assisting the teachers with (but not limited to) music, art, sport, debating and homework clubs.

As a relatively new charity, S.A.L.V.E. International offers the chance for very real experience, and the opportunity for interns to bring their own ideas to the table. We are looking for enthusiastic, dedicated applicants with a can-do attitude who are not afraid to get stuck in with any sort of work. There will be many duties within the local community, and we expect the successful interns to act as ambassadors for the charity, whilst also being happy to carry out a certain amount of administrative work behind the scenes.

This position is unpaid and the interns will be expected to finance their transport and living costs whilst in Uganda. Please download the full job spec from charity job (http://www.charityjob.co.uk/seekers/jobdetails.aspx?jobid=176779) and to have any questions answered please email info@salveinternational.org.

Please apply in writing, sending your C.V. and a covering letter explaining why you are suitable for this role to info@salveinternational.org by 12 noon on Wednesday 7^th July. All applicants must be available for interview on Sunday 18^th July and a training day on Saturday 7^th August. The successful candidates will depart for Uganda in early September 2010 and stay until the end of late December.

Many of our past interns have gone on to get their ideal job in the charity sector on the back of this experience. In fact one of our first interns Caitlin O'Neill (who now works in the fundraising department of a major charity in London) has even gone on to become a charity trustee and now heads our fundraising work in the UK.

And this is what Esther Dobson (another of our previous interns) has to say about her experience:

'My time in Uganda was certainly one of the most rewarding and fulfilling of my life as well as being a fantastic opportunity to build the skills and experiences needed to go on to do so much more. From the very beginning my intern partner Caitlin and I were welcomed into SALVE family and by the end of our 4 months we were good friends with a lot of the “full timers” living and sleeping on the streets. It was such a privilege to be part of the process helping some of the children through the transition from the streets to SALVE home and seeing their transformation as they became clean, educated, loved and accepted. Other projects I got involved with like creating an income generating project for poor mothers, research and educating local authorities about street children have been brilliant experience for my masters in social policy and will be invaluable in getting a job in project development in the international development sector. I am also very grateful for SALVE teaching me so much I needed to know to set up my own children’s home in Nepal, now a loving family to nine orphaned, abandoned and street children. Thank you SALVE!'