A good example of volunteers at work - as it should be

LA LÍNEA This is a prime example of proper volunteerism. People get together to actually DO something instead of sitting around talking and drinking. In this case it is at El Gato Andaluz, the cat rescue centre in La Línea. And it is another reason why it is so important for J.A.W.S. to have as many Spanish members as possible. We're not sure how long they've been going, but they obviously have a very active membership - not to mention sharing and working on Facebook, setting up websites (they have two: www.gatosdelalinea.com/ and www.elgatoandaluz.com/, though probably one of them is historical rather than updated) and using them, etc. etc. Of course, everything's in Spanish.

Jimena Instituto needs native English speakers

JIMENA After 20 years of Prospero volunteering to speak in 'native' English to help students at Instituto Hozgarganta, and never being taken up, a new teacher there has at last admitted that this would be a very good idea. So, we now need several people to come in for maybe an hour at a time to speak to all classes in English, according to a schedule Prospero has been given. This is NOT a full time commitment, and takes place from APRIL 8 TO 12 at various hours of the morning but could take up a whole morning if there aren't enough volunteers. This is a wonderful opportunity to be of help in our community and simply involves such things as reading, listening to pronunciation, answering questions, etc; in some cases the levels are pretty good, not so in others. In any case, it can be enormous fun! Please contact Prospero on jimenaprospero@gmail.com, as a comment below - but please leave a contact number or address so he can get back to you.

Bird watching summer volunteer programme cancelled after Junta withdraws part of its support

Data collected serves to measure climate change

TARIFA (Agencies) The Migres Foundation, a non profit organization, is dedicated to the observation, ringing, cataloguing and counting of bird migration across the Straits of Gibraltar. It counted heavily on volunteers to perform most of the field work, many of whom stayed at a youth hostel owned by the Junta. The hostel provided board and keep but the Junta has withdrawn the grant that made this possible. Nevertheless, experts and volunteers have been able to maintain two of the foundation's four observation points, an important fact that has allowed them to keep watching the thousands of birds that cross from Europe between June and September to winter in Africa. Sources at Migres>>>PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOU WILL SOON BE UNABLE TO READ THE REST OF ITEMS SUCH AS THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE SUBSCRIBED. Subscription information will be available soon.>>>

Letter from Haiti, by Andrés Rebolledo, a volunteer from Jimena

(Translated from, and photo: TioJimeno) This is hell, as someone said. I don't know how to describe the place. The only thing I can say is that everything has touched bottom.

The people, who could amount to between 2 or 3 million, are living in improvised camps, making tiny shelters out of a couple of sticks and old pieces of material. They have almost no possessions, they sleep on the floor and wander about looking for something to eat, drink or whatever. 

It is chaos in the suffocating, humid heat that easily surpasses that of Jimena on the hottest day of July or August.>