We have several stories on file about the experience of volunteers for Humana in India. Humana operates a college known as DRH Sikkim.
Sponsorship from Tata steel.
Do you have information about Humana in India? Tell us
Revised: 1st March 2010
A college and hotel complex. DAPP clothes bins.
Material to add to this page
Do you have information about a Teachers Group college? Please tell us
Last revised 1st March 2010
Institute for International Cooperation and Development
A Teachers Group college in Michigan
Material to be added to this page
We have started to receive emails with new material on IICD-Mi
Are there any ex-volunteers / ex-TG members who would be willing to edit this page?
This is one of three Teachers Group colleges in the USA. We have a wealth of information on file about this college including accounts, financial information, details of the Teachers Group members involved, its links with other Teachers Group enterprises in the USA, Tvind in Denmark and the Teachers Group offshore network, and many complaints by former students.
The other US colleges are IICD Massachusetts and CCTG in California
Do you have a story about IICD Michigan? Tell us.
Revised: 11th March, 2010
Institute for International Co-operation and Development
Teachers Group college in the USA
We have a wealth of information on file about this college including accounts, financial information, details of the Teachers Group members involved, its links with other Teachers Group enterprises in the USA, Tvind in Denmark and the Teachers Group offshore network, and many complaints by former students.
It was opened in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1986.
We have reports that IICD is collecting old clothes directly from the public in its own bins. See our gallery of Teachers Group clothes bins.
STORIES
Zahara’s story (IICD and Zambia, 1987-9)
Other stories by IICD Massachsetts students are found by searching here
Do you have information about a Teachers Group college? Tell us.
Last revised 28th February 2010
Campus California Teachers Group
College in Etna, northern California
Links have been restored
More material to be added
CCTG is a Teachers Group college in a remote mountain area of northern California. We have a great deal of information on file about this college, including reports from many former students, and evidence of the college’s links to other Teachers Group colleges in the US, clothes recycling enterprises, and finance and property companies.
NEWS
CCTG college has closed and the building is up for sale. Local informants have told us there was a severe flood in spring 2010, which led to the school being evacuated and shutting down. The building is for sale at $229,000. The CCTG website is silent on this event and we await any further information about whether CCTG will relocate and reopen.
WITNESS
Witness: ‘The Help Africa Fraud’ – CCTG college, USA
Personal statement and account of Campus California TG college, USA (submitted February 2009). By Matrice Jackson.
Many more stories on file. For the moment, please use the search engine.
Do you have information about a Teachers Group college? Tell us.
Last revised: 1st May 2010
International College for Co-operation and Development
Two colleges in the USA:
College for International Co-operation and Development
Winestead Hall, near Hull, UK
A Teachers Group ‘DRH’ residential college, advertising widely on the Internet as providing ‘training’ for young people wishing to volunteer in Africa. There have been many complaints about poor or non-existent teaching and low-grade facilities, and students have also complained of being obliged to work long hours unpaid collecting and sorting used clothes for commercial companies. We believe this is part of the Teacher’s Group’s system for making money. CICD is applying to become accredited by UK authorities – we will challenge this.
WERE YOU A STUDENT AT CICD?
DID YOU FEEL EXPLOITED, USED OR MISINFORMED?
DID YOU TRAVEL TO ENGLAND EXPECTING TO BE TRAINED AS A CHARITY WORKER,
BUT THEN FOUND YOU WERE JUST TREATED LIKE A SLAVE?
WERE YOU PRESSURED TO WORK WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTS?
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS?
We at Tvind Alert would like to hear from you. We are renewing our dossier of information and complaints from present and former students at CICD. We intend to challenge CICD’s official accreditation by UK authorities as a college certified to accept foreign students, on the grounds of the many complaints, allegations of misleading information, use of students as cheap labour in commercial clothing businesses, and questionable financial practices. Please send us your story in confidence to feedback@tvindalert.com. See more information below.
What is CICD?
Winestead Hall is a former hospital. It was bought by the Teachers Group in the 1980s and was run until 1997 as ‘Winestead Hall School’, a small boarding school for ‘emotionally deprived’ teenagers in need of residential care. Staff were not trained or qualified social workers and in 1997 following investigations by Humberside Social Services, the police and the Charity Commission, the school was closed down.
The Teachers Group immediately reopened the building as ‘The College for International Co-operation and Development’ (CICD), offering training to 16+ young people wishing to volunteer in Africa, with a new head teacher but some of the existing staff.
STUDENT WALK OUTS AT CICD
Six walked out in 2000
Ten walked out in 2001
Twelve walked out in 2007
WITNESS
Valentina’s story (CICD 2009) – in English and Italian
Well, I just came back from the CICD in Hull with the worst experience feedback of my life I can say eh eh…..I totally confirm all of the facts that you wrote about….and it’s going even worst…I was on the GAIA program, leafleating 9 hours per day outdoors in the snow, with no toilet, got sick and they bring me to doctor and ask me to hichhike to come back alone with such a fever!!!
KT’s story (CICD and Holsted, 2009)
‘KT’ is from Estonia. ‘Ok..where do I begin….maybe from the very beginning. First of all, the promotors there, who search people to participate in this Humana program, they DO NOT tell the people all the things you really need to know. So when you go there with blue eyes, believing everything, you will fall hard and fast!’
Linda’s story of working for Gaia in Newcastle, UK (December 2007)
A Brazilian student’s story (CICD college, UK, 2007)
I am Brazilian. I spent one month in Hull, Winestead then came to Newcastle to drive a van colecting door to door clothes for then for one more month then I stop. There is no way to keep on doing this dirth job, I feel like a thief against the UK people, because people gave their clothes expecting that this is going to help someone but it is just for the pockets from that shit people from Humana.
A message from M: (29th November 2007): We are 10 people from England, Italy, Hungary, Brazil, part of September and November team. Between tomorrow and Sunday, finally, we are leaving this “school”. We would like send some news from here and some personal story, and pictures. About pictures of this ugly place we send to you soon.
A message from a German Student, AB: (CICD 2004)
There were One of Humana’s “school” in UK near Hull in Patrington, where I has a chance to be in summer-autumn 2004. Should be interesting some notes about the staff of “school”: three senior ladies from Denmark without any pedagogical (or any) degree, one ex-teacher from difficult teenagers closed school (the “school” now in the same premises) …. It is simply the sect – that is what I can say about that place. The staff recruiting the people from all world, they working for nothing, without weekends, it is not recommending to go to pubs for socialiing with local people, marriages are not allowed in any segment of school (“teachers” can not too teach and “students”-slaves can not live inside if they are married) and “teacher” should left a Humana in case of pregnancy. It is a shit place (in a very beatiful English landscape), simply slave driving in 21 century in Europe. They call it “reducing poverty in Africa”!
A message from Carol (CICD applicant, 2003)
Hi, I enroled the march team 2003 at CICD. After realising the unprofessionality and corruption of Humana, I decided to leave the program by the end of may. I have payed 1000 pounds to CICD and have also fundraised 700 pounds for them. Now I am trying to get some money back of what I have payed, but they are denying my request and are wanting to keep all the money for themselves. Their argument is that I have signed a ‘contract’ which proves that I knew about the school fee. What could I do? do you have any tips? Thanks in advance for your answer.
A message from Kate (CICD, 2002)
Where do I start, at the moment I am a student at CICD I am “fundraising” in Liverpool. I am actually researching their past and present situations and finding more and more evidence that this organisation is corrupt. But, I don’t want to walk away and not change anything. I want to get to the bottom of this and close them down, but how do I do this. Can you give me advise? I am thinking of doing some undercover research over the next week. You can call me on XXXXXXXXX. Hope to hear from you and prevent other people from feeding them more money. Thanks, K
Elaine’s story (CICD, 2002)
I joined the CICD in Winestead, nr Hull on 4 November [2002] thinking it was a legitimate organisation/charity and have since uncovered many distressing and dangerous practices. I have told them I want to leave and they are withholding £1,140 of my money and the same for 3 other colleagues. They refused to talk to us about refunds ……If I had not been convinced before I am most definitely convinced now that money is being siphoned off for some secret project – probably politically motivated.
A Canadian student’s story (CICD and Mozambique , 2002-2003)
I attended CICD in England from Sept. 2002 to March 2003 and volunteered in Mozambique for six months afterwards. I’m not a “Tvind Lover” or a member of TG. I have many stories that I’m sure you’d love to post on the website about how terrible Humana is. But the truth is I can’t bring myself to do that. For every terrible story I have (such as arriving in Mozambique alone and having to find my way to headquarters alone at night), I also have a few explanations as to why this happened.
A message from ‘Sylvie’: (December 2001) ‘I am a volunteer for the September Team 2001 at CICD in Winestead. I have decided not to continue the Program…..I have left CICD now, maybe sooner than planned. In fact all in all 12 people have left within a few weeks (8 from September Team and 4 others). Also there will be 2 more people leaving by the end of next week. As you might imagine there has been a lot happening during my short and very intensive stay at CICD. I and 3 other girls are now living together in Hull, we keep very much in touch with what is happening at CICD and have decided that it is important to do something about the organisation, there are just too many things VERY wrong and I find it incredible that the “school” has been able to operate in such a way for so many years.’
A message from AP: (December 2001) ‘You may like to know that 12 peopel have walked out over the last week at the scool in hull. There are a long list of reasons the scool is inhumaine it should be closed down, why they are allowed to opperate in this or any country is beyond me they are a sick organization that need no more help from decent inocent peopel.’
Adele’s story (CICD,2001)
Had I been told about the fraud charge I wouldn’t have paid a penny, let alone £115.00, and would not have proceeded with the enrolment. What do you think my chances are of getting my money back, just by asking politely? And if I don’t get it back, I want people to know that this organisation is still very much alive and kicking in a small corner of England.
Steve’s story (UK, 2001)
“It was totally apparent from the beginning that this was some form of a con. But what could it be? I could recognize straight away that the teachers were parrot fashioned brain-washed, reading the old script of a sales pitch….Here is my question. With all those people that really want to do some good out there, is it not possible to set up a genuine charity organization here in the UK? If your site is right (and I believe that it is) then they are stealing from the public of this country who want to donate”
Annelie’s story (2000)
Annelie left the College for International Cooperation and Development near Hull, England, after only a few weeks, when she realised she was becoming psychologically pressurised. With others at the college, she found she had not been told all there was to know. She was assisted in her escape by her father and Tvind Alert, and her story was subsequently published in The Times.
Gita’s story (2000)
“Some might say that asking questions is wrong, but not in this case, I was determined to find out who I would be working for, I wanted to know who the Managers or the top guys of Humana were and I wanted to know whether they knew who I was or was I just another statistic – a solidarity worker from New Zealand…..” Gita found out, and left.
HOT MONEY
Who owns Winestead Hall and CICD?
CICD is owned by an offshore company registered in Jersey, Argyll Smith and Company, a subsidiary of key Teachers Group financial holding company, Fairbank Cooper and Lyle. We believe the Teachers Group has organised its finances so that CICD pays an unusually high rent to Argyll Smith – a legal, convenient and easy way to pass money from the school budget into tax-free offshore accounts.
So instead of paying for improved teaching and charity work, a disproportionate amount of the school’s fees (and volunteers’ fundraising) goes towards rent payments, and is taken abroad. This method of ‘externalising’ cash was identified by British charity officials in their investigation into the school in 1997, when it was Winestead Hall School. The school was closed down as a result. Argyll Smith and Company is mentioned in the 2001 Danish police report.
The offshore rent racket
HOT MONEY
Student fundraising
As part of the ‘education’ at this college, students have to ‘fundraise’ – that is, beg on the streets. This is in addition to the ‘joining fee’, ‘course fees’ and travel expenses they also have to pay up front.
HOT MONEY
Old clothes
The college has very close links with Planet Aid Ltd, Green World Recycling, DAPP UK and the ‘Gaia Movement’, which are all parts of the Teachers Group business. One of CICD’s directors, Birgit Soe, is manager of Planet Aid. CICD students often have to collect and sort olfd clothes as part of their ‘training’. Many complain of being made to work long hours collecting used clothes. DAPP UK students have complained about living in bad conditions in houses in Newcastle or Manchester.
CICD has its own blue ‘charity’ used clothes boxes. Sometimes these are marked ‘College Aid’. Although CICD is NOT a registered charity, this is apparently legal. We do not know where they sell the clothes, but we think they are sold through other Teachers Group companies to their own clothes brokers, using a system to hide profits. See our file Hot Money: Laundering old clothes in Europe.
Are you one of those students working to collect clothes? We would be very interested to hear from any students who have worked for any of these used clothes businesses. We will use this information to complain to the authorities. Were you being asked to work without a work permit? Were the pay and conditions reasonable? Did you have the correct permissions to collect clothes, place clothes banks, or carry out street and house collections?
Who runs CICD?
Karen Barsoe
Head teacher, and also a director and company secretary. (Danish member of the Teachers Group since c1971)
Birgit Soe
Company director (as of 2007). Her day job is as full time manager of Planet Aid UK
Birgitte Erichsen
Listed as a director in 2007. Her given address is that of a Teachers Group office.
Mikala Gottlob
A former director, but now believed to be running Teachers Group companies in Russia or China.
Helle Lund
A former director, who was previoiusly also associated with Humana UK, closed down for financial irregularities in 1997. Now a manager of Gaia in the USA.
ACCREDITATION AS A COLLEGE FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
We are challenging this. If you have any new information to include in the dossier we will take to British authorities, please send it to us at feedback@tvindalert.com.
PRESS AND MEDIA
School of thought. Cruel Mind Games – Inside the Secret World of a Cult (The Times, 2nd May 2000). By Michael Durham
Do you have information about a Teachers Group college? Please tell us
Last revised: 6th May 2010
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