Tag Archives: fundraiser

My students work and my current life

Posted on by
1
Focus Group Discussion with community members

In the shade, under a huge tree of an unknown name (to me atleast), in the courtyard of a school in Paje, Zanzibar, Tanzania, my students begin their practice community assessment. On my side of things, it was a bit of a scramble to coordinate the placements with my Program Director between the students local NGO partner (ZANGOC) and the community leaders.

“Karibuni, you are most welcome to your village. Please come follow. Very welcome” The Sheha (village elder) lead Christine, my partner in crime volunteer buddy, and me to the court yard where the meeting will take place. All the village representatives were there from each part of the village.
“What do you do?” I get asked a lot these days.
In short, I’m in an vulnerable country teaching students about grant proposal writing while coordinating their practicums in different communities on Zanzibar. This will eventually give them the life skills in community assessment and community empowerment. This helps to alleviate and improve several different aspects of their lives in the community. I guess that’s not very short.
Member voicing their concerns

In a larger spectrum of things, my students are taught to solve community issues in their village or a larger town. Usually problems fall under the UN Millennium Development Goals. They are taught:

1) Assess a community for problems: This means gathering data, talking to community leaders, and different stake holders. Problems can go from access clean drinking water to uncontrolled dumping of garbage to accessing under-equipped medical facilities. This is currently where my students are, in the community assessing process.
2) Analyze their data that is collected: They find the most pressing problem in the community and set about a way to solve it.
3) Create a solution for the problem: This can take days, months, and years even to find a solution. And it could continuously evolve when new technology comes out. In the case of energy, finding solar panels as a solution. That technology changes rapidly. Or accessing potable water on Zanzi, they could use a solar de-salinator that can be easily built with pottery. Finding simple solutions with localized industries can take time to research and even more so to implement
4) Create a grant proposal: For funding should it be required, which most projects will. A successful grant proposal usually serves a the blueprint of how the project will be carried out. These are the classes that I taught before they went out to the community.
 
5) Implement the project: If the funding is successful, it would be hopeful that they themselves could implement the project. Not necessarily the case all the time though, although it would be advisable.
My students taking notes from the community members concerns

These are the things that I’m dealing with in Zanzibar. Obviously that procedure isn’t in complete detail, but it’s just to give an idea of what my volunteer job is.

For the next few days, I’ll be going to different communities that my students are sent to and checking up on how they’re doing. A few of my students are also placed in different NGO’s to work on issues they are interested in, which includes malaria, street kids, child marriages, clean water supply, etc.
Oh, woe is me. Time to tackle the worlds problems!

I was sent to volunteer in Africa…

Posted on by
Reply
My students at it again!
  • Malaria
  • Women empowerment
  • HIV/Aids
  • Child marriage
  • Street kids
  • Corruption in government
  • Drug abuse

Encompasses a small list of what my students are interested about. Their average age is mid twenties and they’re all interested in tackling issues of this size. They want to volunteer at their placements and on top of that, observe other class members who have gone into at-risk communities to do their research on community assessments to identify problems and try to find solutions for those communities.

To complete a year long course of “Emerging Leaders” program, they are to complete 2 grant proposals from the research they have done from the previous course in how to assess communities. They find the weakest links of the communities and address those issues. As part of this, I have given them the opportunity to also be placed in another NGO that best matches their interests and to begin working on the issues at hand.

Not one friend I know back home actively pursue the interests of these likes, of course each their own, but the idea of contributing time to make real changes in the world, especially with all the harsh criticism that’s vocalized almost everyday and spewing onto Facebook.

The only thing I see back home are people complaining about what’s wrong with the world. Few take charge to write to their MP’s. Even fewer still goes out to protests. And still, even less – and at this point I’m scratching the bottom of the barrel to say anyone I know – goes out to volunteer time, effort and commitment to try and change anything that they’ve complained passionately about in hot debates while we were hanging out.

Working away!

Why do I feel like we carry this huge misconception in the “West” that everyone else in the world are lazy if they’re not “rich.” It seems the “West” is even lazier and all we know how to do is complain.

It’s not that the people in the country doesn’t want change. Everyone I’ve come across are adamant about it. They want change in the biggest way.

Even more so in the less developed world. I see the most enthusiasm for change here than at home. In fact, they are working toward it starting with the community level. Changes there influence key decision makers that eventually gather momentum. Most approaches and methods include contacting politicians and key decision makers to accomplish change.

I was not prepared for the amount of enthusiasm and energy my students want this change. They crave it. They are so hungry to do something about it. They are so motivated to make the world a better place. If we soak up even just 1% of their motivation and apply it to ourselves in Canada, the impact from that would ripples a thousand times and create change in the direction that all Canadians want.

My students are doing it, how are we as a more “developed” country so far behind?