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New Horizons - Sanna - Yemen

 
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crewmeal1



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 5:30 pm    Post subject: New Horizons - Sanna - Yemen Reply with quote

I was particularly interested to see a job advert in the International Job Section for 15 teachers required at the above college. They are offering $1000 a month for 33 hours teaching plus 7 hours admin. I've already seen the negative comments posted about the college back in 2004. Does anybody think that they will achieve their goal of recruiting teachers bearing in mind the current situation in Yemen?

It's a country I would have loved to visit but in these times I guess it's a no no!
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yemen is an amazing, unique country. But yes, it's definitely a huge no-no right now. It's extremely unstable; some parts of the country more than others. Additionally, Yemen is facing an impending water shortage and food crisis. If you're still interested in the region in a socio-political sense, you can keep up with the news and what's generally going on there via the Al Jazeera, Yemen Times, and Yemen Observer websites.

BTW, New Horizons is a training center, not a college. Big difference! Anyway, it's rather reckless of them to entice naive teachers with "cultural activities and free field trips..." as if everything is back to normal.
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sliim



Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2012 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see that YCMES is also hiring. While I have worked at neither of these places, I did meet with the admin of New Horizons in Aden back in the day. They seemed ok, but one can never tell how things are for certain until you are owed a paycheck.

But really, I think Nomad Soul has the right idea. I like Yemen too, but now is a very bad time to go. There is unrest just about everywhere, especially in Zinjibar, where seriously heavy fighting is taking place.

Believe it or not, Yemen was quite safe a few years back, safe enough to hitchhike from Sanaa to Aden. While it has a bad reputation for kidnappings, etc., most of those incidents in the past had to do with disgruntled tribes using foreigners as bargaining chips against the government. Rarely did the kidnapped foreigners suffer harm. That said, there are also times when things went quite bad.

As for now, I would not consider Yemen at all. There is a seriously sticky web of political rivalries tearing the country apart. The dirty details are too involved for a post like this, but to the unacquainted this could mean getting caught in the middle of something you did not look for.

IF (and that is a big caps IF) I went to Yemen today I would only trust Amideast. I�ve worked for other places there and the lackadaisical attitude some places have towards employee safety is quite shocking. I once showed up for work at a refinery only to find it blockaded by military trucks and big guns�someone blew up the pipeline nearby and things were on high alert. You would think the employer in such a situation would�I don�t know, mention something about it maybe? No. It�s all business as usual. Just another day at the office. Gee, why were you 10 minutes late? In 2009, some teachers were told to go home by their governments after the American Embassy bombing, and this resulted in a few teachers being ripped off by local institutes upset at their leaving. Amideast, I don�t suspect, would behave this way. Other places are hit and miss.

If you would like details, pm me, as I should keep the info on the thread appropriate.
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crewmeal1



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see the same position(s) with New Horizons has emerged again. I guess they didn't have much luck the first time round. How on earth do they expect to get 15 teachers after what happened at the weekend?
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sliim



Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2012 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crewmeal1,

I would suspect that from their perspective, shooting or no shooting, they have to continue on about their business.

Nevertheless, $1000 per month for a qualified teacher is not a salary, even in Yemen.
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crewmeal1



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I take a quote from the BBC story regarding 3 Filipinos kidnapped this week:

"Yemen faces daunting challenges: widespread poverty and malnutrition, a secessionist movement in the south, rebellions across the country and a fight against al-Qaeda militants.

Last week a Swiss woman was kidnapped from a town on the west coast of Yemen."

The full story is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17469183

You would need danger money to work in Yemen now.
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sharter



Joined: 25 Jun 2008
Posts: 878
Location: All over the place

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:13 am    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

When I was in Jubail we had a clique of 'British' Pakistanis who refused to even speak to the other non-Muslim British teachers.

People like that will apply for jobs like this one. It's not about the money for them.

I would imagine that any 'British' Pakistani with Yemeni visas would have his prostate tickled at Heathrow. And rightly so.
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sliim



Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crewmeal1,

New Horizons has always been the lowest paying institute in Yemen, as far as I know. Only a few years back they would offer $300 per month. So I think that they consider $1000 to be generous.

But it isn't. Inflation is high in Yemen and although it is touted as low-cost place, it is only low cost if you live like a Yemeni and pay Yemeni prices, which is not the case. Even if you try to live like a Yemeni, you will often be charged double or more than what a Yemeni would pay, for nearly everything.

And as for danger money, well, don't get greedy. They do offer "cultural activities and free field trips to historical sites in Yemen." Pretty much covers that, I'd say.

In truth, "historical sites" can be anything from the skyscrapers of Hadaramaut to the local mosque. And "cultural activities" can be also loosely interpreted. Hey, wanna come to my cousin Ahmed's wedding? Up for some qat this afternoon? Really makes your teeth look cool!
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crewmeal1



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Even if you try to live like a Yemeni, you will often be charged double or more than what a Yemeni would pay, for nearly everything."

I know that from living in Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Pakistan. That's why I used to get my friends to shop for me.
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crewmeal1



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Even if you were accepted and wanted to start in New Horizons or YCMES, I doubt whether you could even get into the country.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17644405

What a shame it has got this far.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 3:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

crewmeal1 wrote:
What a shame it has got this far.

So true... all of my friends who taught in Yemen over the last 10 years or so loved it. Even the ones who taught the military spoke positively about their students.

Life wasn't easy there, but it was rarely dull.

VS
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crewmeal1



Joined: 08 Jul 2010
Posts: 75

PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The BBC are reporting that the main airport is open again. But for how much longer? no one knows.

I fully agree with you VS, Yemeni students are some of the most respectful students I've taught, and hopefully will go on teaching here in the UK. They are not spoilt, they have very few issues, enjoy their lives to the full. Even teaching them in Jordan was a pleasure.

I sometimes wonder if this Arab spring has done anything good. There seems to be no real leadership and command in any of the countries so far. All it has achieved is a vacuum whereby the military seem to be in control. I may be wrong saying that, but look what's going on in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen. None of these places can be called stable at the moment.
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