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Category: Commitment to Community

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By scarsonnn


Sshristi

Suddenly, Rupali halted and peered up at me over her glasses as we sat in the dingy office. "You are comfortable teaching in the slum school, correct?" She seemed to be sizing me up, her suddenly steely gaze challenging me, expecting a typical foreigner's reflexive shudder at the mention of slums. Comfortable... an interesting word choice, to say the least, and certainly not a word that I would automatically associate with Delhi. Overwhelmed in every way, from the billowing blanket of smog that hangs over the cityscape to the unbelievable kindness and generosity that I have experienced? Absolutely. Claustrophobic, as anyone would feel with this many people packed into such a small area? Always. But comfortable... not exactly.

In fact, the beauty of India is the way it constantly surprises, challenges, and pushes me to break free of my comfort zone. And now, in posing this question, my volunteer supervisor at Sshristi, the small NGO I will be serving with during my time in India, whips out yet more of the unexpected (pretty much the norm so far in India). Ssrishti is an amazing organization, and has an impressive influence in fulfilling its mission of providing education to slum children. Part of the reason I selected this particular NGO was that I was confident that my previous experience teaching English in a small rural Thai school had prepared me well for anything I would face doing the same job in India... But now, within minutes of my very first day of work, my volunteer placement abruptly U-turns from instructing children at one of their two schools near the main office (located near a slum but certainly not inside of one) to this other proposition... And there Rupali is, with that quizzical eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer, looking me straight in the eyes. Knowing that the language barrier would never allow for me to appropriately express my concerns and reservations, the words are out of my mouth before I have any chance weigh pros and cons... "Of course," even managing to muster a tense smile. The tone in my voice was one of steely resolve to  combat that steely glaze of hers, although inside my nerves may or may not have been more similar to aluminum, if anything as strong as metal at all... But Rupali nodded approvingly. Apparently my feigned attempt at confidence fooled her. ...continue reading "When Culture Shocks"

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By mashod93

I recently received my placement of volunteer, which is working at an Oromo center in Old Maadi, Cairo, and I couldn't be happier!! I have been working with Oromo refugees that have been kicked out of Ethiopia and, most of them, smuggled across the boarders of Sudan. All of them forced to leave their families and sense of home behind, it has been amazing to see how willing and excited they are to learn English.

There is a very mixed group as far as levels of comprehension and vocabulary go so... ...continue reading "Meeting and learning to greet :)"

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By jamfanous

Discuss what study abroad program you are attending and why, what type of volunteer work/research you plan to do abroad.

My interests have constantly evolved but with the same underlining theme being sustainability.  I began college wanting to study environmental law but soon transitioned to topics such as international food justice, and urban health research and policy.  After studying the major flaws to America’s food production, I grew intrigued by food health specifically global health concerns with a concentration on food quality.

While searching for a study abroad program for the spring semester, I stumbled upon the CIEE: Business, Development, and Social Entrepreneurship program.  This program based in Legon, Ghana (only 10 miles from the capitol city Accra), is entirely new, the program combines entrepreneurship studies and cultural full immersion. The program provides a diversity of education and the freedom to follow your passion.

During my time in Ghana, I am planning to study urban nutrition in relation to food and agriculture policy.  I intend on either spending time working with individuals in the food and agriculture industry, with a local NGO assisting in urban nutrition projects and promoting urban health, or assist a small business related to health food systems or agriculture.

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By scarsonnn

My name is Sarah Carson and I am one of the Commitment to Community blog contributors for Spring 2013. At GW, I study International Affairs, concentrating in Development. More than anything, I love to serve--whether it's as a volunteer English teacher in Thailand, a Staffer for Colonial Inauguration, a leader of Alternative Winter Break Nicaragua, a volunteer intern at the Peace Corps, or Vice President of my sorority. In eleven short days, I will arrive at my new home for the semester, New Delhi, India, bringing that same spirit of service to a completely new environment. ...continue reading "Namaste!"

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By nfiszer

Olá! My name is Natalie Fiszer and I am in my junior year at the George Washington University. I am studying International Affairs, with dual concentrations in International Development and Global Public Health. I am passionate about pursing a career in international development because I find it incredible to look at the progress that has been made in the last 50 years in decreasing poverty and improving access to health care, both on the part of developing countries themselves, as well as assisting countries and organizations. I have had the opportunity to hear from amazing professors with firsthand experience who have made these transformations, and I have had the privilege of interning at the U.S. Peace Corps, and seeing how their grassroots development projects happen. Now it's my turn. For my semester abroad, I will be studying with a field-based SIT program, and I will have the opportunity to personally experience some of the stories I have heard, and to learn even more about the conditions around the world that will allow me to place everything I learn in class into a better context. ...continue reading "Bem-vindo à Bahia!"

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By hwscott

Salt FlatsWell, I've spent the last week backpacking around the south of the country of Bolivia. I went to Tarija, the wine growing region, billed as the highest vineyards in the world; to Sucre, the official capital of the country, called the "white city" for the beautiful all white colonial architecture; Potosi, the highest city in the world that essentially funded the Spanish empire with its silver mines that are still functioning today; and to the Salar de Uyuni, the beautiful world famous salt flats of Bolivia. Interestingly, I  basically hit all the spots that my SIT program goes to on off years - the program switches off between two different focuses every semester. The focus for my semester was the conflicts around the TIPNIS indigenous reserve and the road the central government wants to build through it, as well as the Movimento Sem Terra in Brazil. In the off years, the students in the program study the movements around the mines, as well as go to Argentina, passing through the salt flat on their way.  As I was talking to my host dad, Alberto, after I got back, he remarked that I have seen and learned about more regions in Bolivia than most Bolivians. In all, I have been to 6 out of 9 departments (sort of like states) in the country. ...continue reading "Hey, now I’m a tourist!: Reverse Culture Shock Without Leaving the Country"

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By ecirrincione

Hello everyone! I'm back- after a big drama with the internet providers here in Jordan! Cheap and abundant wifi/3G is one thing I will definitely be a lot more thankful for once I am in the states. It is a big hassle here to get yourself situated with a good company, and mine just went out of business so I have been internet free the past few days.

I am leaving Jordan on Monday to spend three weeks in the US before coming back. My experience in Jordan has been overwhelmingly positive, and that is why I decided to stay for the whole academic year. Undoubtedly, my time abroad was only enriched by the experience of volunteering at the Mubarrat.

To backtrack, this semester I volunteered twice a week at the Mubarrat Um El Hossain. From their website : ...continue reading "Goodbye from Jordan!"

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By hfirlein

My semester in Cape Town has been truly transformative. I will take so many lessons from it, about myself, my goals, and the world around me. My time volunteering with the people of South Africa has shown me that poverty is one of, if not the most, important issue facing South Africa in particular and the Global South in general. Impoverished environments breed a lack of education, unemployment, and ill health. These, in turn, perpetuate poverty, and the cycle continues. It’s a big problem, one that no one person can tackle, and as I spent time volunteering in Cape Town, it was all too clear to me that the influence of one person is fairly small, and that even though one person can make a difference, it is often not as big an impact as that person would like. At times this realization was disheartening; I felt that because my contributions were small, they somehow weren’t all that worthwhile. But as I reflect on my time in Cape Town, I realize that the small contributions I made mattered to the people we helped; the men, women and children we provided with a meal, a listening ear, and a smile. These offerings are indeed small, but they are nothing to be scoffed at. The smallest acts of kindness are still kind, and they can provide hope to those who need it most. They can also profoundly change the actor. Showing compassion and finding the value in volunteer work, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can influence the way one views oneself and the world. ...continue reading "Reflections on Cape Town"

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By tokyostyle101

Despite being half Japanese, despite having lived here in when I was young, I had some experiences that I don’t think would have ever happened had I grown up in Japan and not come here for study abroad. Originally I had planned to arrive in Japan early just to be with family and get used to the lifestyle, however the opportunity to volunteer for the TOMODACHI Initiative came up and my summer gained a new purpose. If I hadn’t planned on being in Japan for the fall semester then I wouldn’t have had any intention of returning to Japan for the summer.

TOMODACHIThis lead me to get involved in Tohoku (Northeastern Japan) related service in a way that is much more sustainable then I had been able to do up until this point. I was working with high school students from the regions who were about to leave for a life-changing learning opportunity in Berkeley, California with the TOMODACHI Summer 2012 Softbank Leadership Program. I arranged and facilitated events with Japanese university students to find out how TOMODACHI can help students and young professionals follow their US related dreams and passions. I was able to physically GO TO Tohoku and volunteer for a few days and see with my own eyes the damage that a horrible earthquake and tsunami wreaked upon a small town, and hear with my own ears stories of those who faced that horror that day. Fundraising at GWU for a region that most people had forgotten of the following year was definitely a challenge, but I now believe that I was really approaching this service for Tohoku in the wrong way. Sending money to a region is not very sustainable. On a whim a donor can decide to withdraw their decision to donate, but this summer I was given the chance to make people to people connections that have much more directly tied to the region that I think I can help the most in. ...continue reading "これからも、ずっとTOMODACHIだよ!　From here on out we will always be FRIENDS!"

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By bbuck92

Valpo Surf ProjectThis week my volunteer work with the Valpo Surf Project came to an end. One of my last acts was leading a found object activity with the students. In our lunchtime discussion, after surfing in the morning, we presented our objects and our stories about the environment. Some objects included a mint leaf from the garden, trash we had picked up from the beach, and a pot of natural Chilean honey. Using these various objects as a springboard for conversation we talked about what we felt defined the environment and the role of the VSP in respect to that environment. Overall, our conclusion was that the VSP is a vehicle to organize to protect the environment, an environment that not only included the beach where we surf but also the neighborhoods where we work in Valparaiso.

This conclusion had much to do with my research for the semester. I was able to incorporate these definitions into my investigation of environmental citizenship, and explored in which ways the VSP promoted stewardship though molding young active environmental citizens.  While I suggested that the VSP has room to grow by explicitly incorporating a program of environmental citizenship rather than implicitly supporting it, I also recognized the successes of the VSP in instilling the values of responsibility and obligation in its students through activities such as trash collection each surf session. I hope to continue to study the ways of promoting active and responsible individuals committed to sustainability be it in a citizenship setting or otherwise. George Washington University offers a unique opportunity to present these ideals to a new group of “citizens” within a different community. ...continue reading "y todos deben cuidarlo!"

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