Masaka Site Team Interview

On Wednesday, I finally had my interview with the Masaka site team. These are the people who will be supporting me during my time in Uganda and are in charge of my placement (both NGO and homestay). After five minutes of being continuously cut off (two countries with terrible internet do not make for a smooth Skype call), I finally called their office and we spoke via phone which went much more smoothly.

  They inquired about the usual information (medical issues, food preferences, motivations, etc) and I think it went quite well. They asked me to explain what challenges I anticipate, how I'll feel working in a new cultural environment, what I know about development, and what skills I bring to the table. They were good questions and really made me think about the answers. 

 The next step now is for them to match my interests and skills and responses to a host organization. I'm hoping for The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). It's one of the larger NGOs they work with and the organization has a lot of different avenues that it covers regarding AIDS. I'm not so interested in the 'health' side (taking blood samples, etc); rather I'd love to be involved in AIDS education and awareness, community development helping orphans or families affected, and outreach programs. Once an organization has been selected for me, they will also pair me with a host family close to where I'll work. I'm very excited to find out where I'll be and who my 'new family' will be!

Book/DVD Sale

Yesterday was the big day of my book sale that turned into a DVD sale as well. A lot of my coworkers and friends donated some great items and I had a large selection to sell. There was less turn-out than I had hoped, even with the help of Aaron trying to advertise outside, but it was still quite successful. After the full day sale, I came out with over 2000RMB (about $350) and I still have two boxes worth of books, some promised future sales, and over 200 DVDs. Because of the high excess, I may hold another one; on the other hand I don't know if I should bother because the turn-out for this one was quite low despite frequent reminders and encouragement to come and check it out. 

  A generous friend of a friend who recently opened a book shop has offered to set me up with my own table, set my prices, and come up with a poster description of my cause and he'll put the remaining books into his shop. I left the DVDs at one of the schools with a sign so hopefully people will look through those and buy a few more if they're interested as well. 

  A couple more ideas that have been floating around have been: bake sale, BBQ, Fourth of July/Canada Day party, and pancake/pool party. Hopefully I can get everything (and everyone) into gear and get these going. Summer will be quite busy as we will only have one day off per week so I'll have to plan well. For now, I'm happy with the moderate success of my book sale and encouraged about my next fundraising event!

Fundraising

Fundraising is hard! I'm not the kind of person who is comfortable harassing people for money (which is why I'd never make it in sales) and I'm not very creative; so I find it difficult to come up with interesting and effective fundraising ideas. 

 I will be holding my used book sale in about a week now and I'm getting excited for that. I have had some people donate books so the stack is getting much bigger. I have a couple of friends who will be away for it so they have done some early shopping. I hope a lot of people show up and buy a lot of books!

  Other than that, I have some other fundraising ideas, but everything is so much harder to implement here in China than it would be back home. I can't just hold an impromptu car wash or a big bake sale (Chinese people aren't big on sweets). I'm thinking of doing an Canada/Independence Day party but then I need a venue. 

  Basically, fundraising is exhausting and stressful and I wish I was rich. If anyone has any suggestions on fun or interesting fundraising ideas, please be sure to let me know! 

Why Africa?

   When I tell people my plans for Uganda, a lot of people wonder why I choose to go to Africa when I could stay nearby here in Asia. The truth is, I would probably be happy anywhere, but Africa is the continent that calls to me the most; and it always has. Every since I was small, I dreamed of visiting Africa and in 2007, I finally achieved that dream. Along with a high school friend, I joined a tour group that spent 6 weeks overlanding and camping from Cape Town, South Africa to Nairobi, Kenya, traversing through six other countries along the way. It was still the most amazing experience I have ever had. 

   Every new panorama was more beautiful than the last. Every smile brightened the day and every child's giggle of delight at seeing a white person warmed my heart. We met traditional bushmen tribes in Botswana and learned how they have survived for thousands of years. We met people who live in the unforgiving environment of the Namib desert, people who live on the plentiful shores of Lake Malawi, and traditional Masai villagers. The breadth of Africa's diversity, both environmentally and culturally, is endlessly fascinating. From Cape Town's comparatively modern coast, to Namibia's deserts and adventure sports; to the tranquility of the Okavango Delta and the lush rainforests of Malawi; to riding elephants and walking with lions in Zimbabwe to the massive roar of Victoria Falls; and from the sober history of Zanzibar to wild game drives across the Serengeti. Every corner, every village, every person has a unique and interesting flavor that just doesn't seem to compare to the relative homogeneity of other places I have been. 

  I visited the Olduvai Gorge, the so-called Cradle of Humanity, and stood before the place where we first began. It is humbling and a bit unbelievable to think that these people began in these harsh conditions and survived to bore the entirety of humankind.  Everything about Africa is humbling; from the size of its lands to the size of its animals and to the warmth, generosity, and joy of its people. I never once felt threatened or in danger. I never once failed to see the smiles on the faces of the people we met. I never once thought I would never be back. 

  I cannot wait to return to Africa and stay in one place for a long period of time. I can't wait to try to dig deeper into the culture, learn and understand the history, and help in any way I can. I don't see Africans as poor people incapable of progress or helping themselves; I see them as resilient, intelligent people who have been afforded a different lot in life and are trying to make it work. I have no doubt I will enjoy each and every minute I'm granted on that wonderful continent.

Up and running!

  This past week has been great as my first donations have come in from friends, acquaintances  and even a stranger (well, a stranger to me). I want to say thank you first of all to all of you who have gotten my fundraising up and running by donating, or just by sharing my page with others (especially since most people are much more popular than I on Facebook). My Go Fund Me page is officially 'live' now so hopefully others can search and donate as well (check it out here).

 I also sent out the first call for book donations to my co-workers and plan on posting flyers and asking for donations in the foreigner-heavy area of Shekou.  A lot of people have committed to donating books so I think I'll have a really good selection and hopefully make a lot of sales. I have also been brainstorming other ideas for how to fundraise but if anyone reading this would like to provide suggestions, they are more than welcome!

  That's the most recent news for now so I won't bore you all with another super long post. Please keep telling other people about my cause and if you're in the Shenzhen area, come to the book sale! It'll be Tuesday, June 4th with more details to follow! Thanks again everyone for your wonderful support :)

How this next adventure came to be

As most who are reading this probably know, I have spent the past two and half years in two cities in China. I graduated at the end of 2009 with a Bachelor's degree, majoring in Sociology/Anthropology with an added Psychology extended minor (totally useful in the real-world, I know). After graduation, I didn't really know what to do but had always wanted to live abroad so I looked at my options. The most blatantly simple option was to teach English. It seemed like everyone was doing it, it was OK money, and it didn't seem too difficult. After about a week of searching around the web, I came across a school called Langston in the Northeastern city of Shenyang. This particular school caught my eye because they offered an internship program for 3-5 months, learning the ins-and-outs of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) as well as providing Mandarin Chinese lessons. This was the perfect option since I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy teaching (I'm not very patient) and I didn't want to be locked in for a year-long contract.

In November 2010 I arrived in Shenyang and began my China adventure. I heard many stories before I left of friends/family members my friends knew who went to teach 'for a year' and were still in their respective countries 3, 5, even 10 years later. I figured I'd never be one of those but four months turned into a year, and then a city change and job change has put me at two and a half. By the time I leave for Uganda, I'll have been in China for almost three years and that is mind-boggling to me.

I can't really remember how I imagined China would be, but I can say that what I imagined isn't even close. There are a lot of differences between Shenyang and Shenzhen (the city I am in now) but although they are geographically and culturally different, everyday life remains pretty much the same. Friends ask me about the strange things I encounter but the differences between here and Canada shrink by the day as I get used to them, or absorb them into my daily life or routine. There are some obvious differences always mentioned by foreigners, such as lax smoking laws, spitting in the streets, children going to the bathroom on/beside the sidewalk, and the language barrier, but most of the other things I have adjusted to with ease.

I think one of the biggest reasons I have adjusted so well is that I can communicate quite well in Chinese now. Normal struggles that foreigners face when arriving here with no language base don't affect me. It also helps me to understand the culture better and interact with people on a deeper level. I have had a great three years in China and will miss it when I go. The main reason I'm leaving is to pursue my chosen career, not because I don't enjoy my life here.

I am ready to move on from teaching now. My patience is starting to wear thin and I don't feel fulfilled in my job. I have always thought that international development would be a good fit for me: different cultures, working abroad, challenging, and helping others. I have a lot of worries about this field (to be discussed in a later post), so before I pursue it as my career of choice, I wanted to assuage (or confirm) my fears and the best way to do that was by finding and internship or volunteer opportunity.

I searched for months to find a suitable internship and the amount of options available were both a blessing and a curse. I wanted something that would truly immerse me in development work so I wouldn't just be around as an extra pair of hands for building a school or something. I also preferred Africa because I've had a fascination with the continent for as long as I can remember. I didn't want to have to pay (or not have to pay too much) and I wanted to be in the field for about 6 months. There are countless pay-for-voluntourism opportunities through companies like Cross-Cultural Exchange but I felt that I wouldn't get the depth through their programs. I had narrowed it down to a small NGO based in Ghana called Challenging Heights who works to fight against child labour and help former child slaves, and FSD. In the end, although FSD was more expensive, I felt the experience I would get from the training, hands-on focus, and established network would allow me to make a well-informed decision.

 So that has brought me to this point: in China and on the verge of Africa, figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. I hope this experience will help me figure it out; but if not, there's always tour guiding, flight attendants, becoming an accidental millionaire...

A New Adventure Begins

   As most of you have probably heard by now, I have been accepted to a six month internship program through an organization called the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD). They offer a few different programs, but the internship appears to be very comprehensive with a combination of education, training, and hands on practical experience. In mid-September, I will arrive in Masaka, Uganda in Eastern Africa and will be there, working with a local NGO until March 2014. From the information provided to me so far by FSD, upon arrival an orientation week will occur for myself and the other interns in our area. This orientation week includes basic language training, information about the destination, safety and security training, and basic training in some areas of development that we will be exposed. After that first week, the other interns and I will be placed in our homestays and our host organizations (one intern per NGO) where we will conduct interviews of the employees to discover their mission, goals, and any issues they face in their work. This first 'work' week will also include training on developing a needs assessment that will be used to formulate a work plan for the project(s) I wish to pursue. Week 3 will include further training on writing grant proposals and will be spent finalizing the work plan for my remaining 5 months.

   Although the interns will work at different locations, we will have regular meetings and a mid-term retreat together to discuss the work we and our organization are doing, brainstorm solutions to any problems we are facing, and discuss how best to ensure that our projects remain sustainable, both in the short-term while we are there and in the long-term after we've left. We will also be provided with various educational workshops and cultural activities to ensure we make the most of our time in country.

As my internship nears completion, I will be creating a final report that evaluates my project(s) in general and assess their impact, sustainability, and possibilities for expansion. This internship is an amazing opportunity for me to get valuable, hands-on experience in the field while also having the support of an established organization which will provide me with the education necessary along the way. This is going to be a very independent kind of job so it will test my critical thinking, creativity, and flexibility. Thankfully, I think that a lot of the experiences I have had so far, both in school, work, and everyday life have prepared me well to face these challenges.

My main goal throughout this internship will be not only to assess my personal strengths and weaknesses while attempting to make a difference in the community, but to get a realistic view of development work and whether it will be a feasible career option for me. As I've discussed with many of you, I am very interested in the field but worry about the logistics, politics, and general outcome of this type of work.

I think that's a long enough post for now so I'll end off with a hope that you can help me on this journey by donating some money using the donate button above. The donate button will redirect you to PayPal where you can use your bank account or credit card. I know most people don't have a lot of money to spare and I appreciate any amount you can give, whether it be $2 or $200. My program fee (which covers my homestay and meals, education and support materials, support from the organization, insurance, and a small seed grant that goes directly towards the project(s) that I implement is $8000 and I'm hoping I can raise at least half of that. For US citizens, FSD is a registered charity so any donations are tax deductible. If you wish to donate directly through them to receive a tax receipt, please let me know and I'll provide you with the necessary information on how to do that (do not donate through PayPal). I will be sure to keep this blog up to date so that you can see where your valuable money goes to along the way. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all the support I've received so far!