Full Circle

I've now completed the full VSO cycle, from selection to interview to pre-departure training to placement and finally, re-integration. Yes, I've been re-integrated back into Canadian society.

What does that mean?

Well a big part of the 'reintegration process' is the VSO Reintegration Weekend that takes place in Ottawa. It's offered to Returned Volunteers (RVs) within a year of returning to Canada. I just attended the 3-day event this past weekend in Ottawa and it was great!

The weekend:
- provided RVs an opportunity to share experiences with other RVs
- helped RVs with reverse culture shock and managing the impact of re-entry
- helped RVs to think about next steps in their personal and professional life
- enabled RVs to explore ways of staying involved with international development and VSO
- allowed VSO to gather feedback that will help VSO improve their work

When I first received the invitation to attend the Reintegration Weekend I was quite surprised. I thought that since I had returned early from Malawi, I wouldn't be asked to take part. I spoke to staff at the VSO office and expressed my interest in the event - and also my over-riding sense of guilt! Did someone like me deserve to attend? Was it a good use of VSO's resources to fly me across the county and then put me up in a hotel? They assured me that my attendance was important - not only for me to process my experience, but also for them to receive my feedback and learn more about why I had returned early as this could help them in the future with their processes and systems. Well, that sounded reasonable to me.

So, how was it?

It was an amazing weekend of discussion, debate, learning, sharing, and laughter. The other RVs were wonderfully honest in sharing their stories and open to hearing mine. We were all amazed at how much we had in common in terms of our placement experience and often found ourselves nodding and saying, "Me too!" It was also wonderful to hear the differences - as this gives me insight into the possibilities that my next placement may hold. The weekend helped me to re-frame my experience and go deeper into what I've learned. It also gave me the opportunity to connect with some truly inspiring individuals. And, it's made me even more excited about my next placement with CUSO-VSO!

Be Mine?

Today is Valentine's Day - a tired, cheesy, commercial, over-blown 'celebration' of love...BUT... I'm thinking of all my friends around the world...especially those who are volunteering far from home and loved ones. I hope today, like all your days, is filled with all kinds of love.

"Love recognizes no barriers.
It jumps hurdles,
leaps fences,

penetrates walls
to arrive at its destination
full of hope."
- Maya Angelou

Destination: Vietnam!

I have a new placement! The joy! The anticipation! The anxiety!

I will be going to Vietnam for a 6-month volunteer placement with Uniterra. I will be working as an Internship Coordinator for the International Seminar, which has a long and well-established history dating back to 1948. The seminar takes 20 university students from across Canada and joins them with 20 students from the global South for a six-week educational experience. The seminar uses a grassroots approach to learning and offers students real-world understanding of development issues, the chance to work in a cross-cultural context in a developing country, and the opportunity to collaborate in a group project that supports a local development organization.

In my role, I will be working alongside another Canadian volunteer, as well as two Vietnamese coordinators. Together, we will coordinate and support all aspects of student fieldwork, guide the students, and facilitate the learning process and group dynamics. This year, the seminar will focus on the theme ‘Youth in the Workforce and the Socioeconomic Development of Vietnam.’ The field project is a collaborative venture with Uniterra’s partners in Vietnam and local stakeholders. All of the topics, methodology, and approaches are determined collaboratively in order to support the work and develop practical and useful materials and information for the partner organizations. Seminar participants will share their learning and experiences when they return to campus, as well as in their communities through public engagement activities.

Here is a look at the focus countries for the International Seminar over the years:

1948 - Germany 1949 - Holland 1950 - France 1951 - Canada 1952 - Europe 1953 - India 1954 - Europe and West Africa 1955 - Japan 1956 - Germany 1957 - Ghana 1958 - Yugoslavia 1959 - West Indies 1960 - Israel 1961 - Sweden 1962 - Poland 1963 - Pakistan 1964 - Algeria 1965 - Chile 1966 - Turkey 1967 - Canada 1968 - West Africa 1969 - Canada 1970 - Mexico 1971 - Colombia 1972 - Peru 1973 - India 1974 - Caribbean and Central America 1975 - Egypt 1976 - Guyana 1977 - China and Acadie 1978 - Senegal and Western Canada 1979 - Sri Lanka and Ontario

1980 - Tunisia 1981 - Ecuador 1982 - Costa Rica 1983 - Egypt 1984 - Haiti 1985 - Thailand 1986 - Mauritius 1987 - Zimbabwe 1988 - Mali 1989 - Leeward and Windward Island 1990 - Morocco 1991 - Botswana 1992 - Brazil 1993 - Indonesia 1994 - Benin 1995 - Vietnam 1996 - Peru 1997 - Peru 1998 - Vietnam and Botswana 1999 - Benin and Zimbabwe 2000 - Benin and Malawi 2001 - Vietnam 2002 - Vietnam 2003 - Benin 2004 - Malawi 2005 - Burkina Faso 2006 - Botswana 2007 - Ghana and Burkina Faso 2008 - Ghana 2009 - Peru 2010 - Nepal

Parting Shots

Well, I'm sad to report that my placement came to an unexpected and early end. After learning that the work I had come to do in Malawi had already been completed (the books are published!), staff at both MIE and VSO Malawi worked hard to find an alternative, but an appropriate role for me couldn't be identified. So back to the drawing board. I'm hoping that VSO Canada will be able to find a new placement for me soon.

I'm thankful for the experiences I've had in Malawi and am grateful for having met so many wonderful volunteers who are committed to contributing their skills and knowledge in the hopes that this country will prosper.

For those friends who donated to VSO on my behalf, I want you to rest assured that your donations have been put to good use! You donations will continue to support the amazing work of many VSO volunteers -

like my friend Rosy, whose work at Kamuzu Central Hospital fills me with awe and respect;

Dharini who has braved a rabies scare and is volunteering in the remote, far north of Malawi with the Chitipa District AIDS Coordinating Committee; Ling, a wonderful doctor at Rumphi District Hospital; Hanna, an amazing German midwife, who is volunteering in Blantyre; my Scottish pal, Anna, who is volunteering with Zomba Mental Hospital; and Chris and Jennifer Edwards, both doctors from the UK, who are stationed in the 'armpit' of Malawi at Trinity Hospital in Nsanje...and other friends like Rod and Carol who are volunteering to improve school life and access to education in northern Uganda; Jessica in beautiful, northern Thailand; China and Ale, two talented industrial designers helping disabled furniture makers in Kenya....and hundreds of other VSO volunteers around the globe! (click on the volunteer names I've listed above if you'd like to visit their blogs and read about their inspiring work!)

I sincerely want to thank everyone that has been part of this volunteer journey - those of you who financially contributed, friends and family at home and abroad that sent me encouraging messages to keep the homesickness at bay (especially you, Kristin & Tamara!), local volunteers that shared their tips and tricks to help ease the transition into a new country and new culture, the volunteers in my intake group that were able to commiserate and laugh through it all (especially you, Anna!), and VSO Malawi staff for their support. There are so many things that I am grateful to have experienced and so many things that I miss about Malawi such as...

the kindness, patience and humour of my colleagues at the Malawi Institute of Education....

the quirky signs of businesses dotting the landscape that always made me smile no matter how rough my day was...(my favourite was the 'God Willing Beauty Salon')...

the beauty of the landscape around my home...

the smiling faces of the children I'd see each day on campus and how this would put everything into perspective...

the amazing wildlife that left me with wide eyes and open mouth...

the human strength and perseverance I witnessed that humbled me...

the innocence, imagination and innovation of children...

the excitement of exploring new places with new friends...

getting filthy and being okay with it...

and especially the wonderful friends I made...like Caleb, a VSO volunteer from Kenya, who worked with me and helped me in countless ways every day...

Issa, my neighbour, who helped me settle into the community and fed me local Malawian food like nsima...

Grace, who would visit me at my home just to chat...she has three siblings named Ephless, Promise and Bright...she aspires to be a journalist one day...

Vella, a strong and soft-spoken young woman who comes from a family of nine...she volunteers with the Domasi Youth Alive group...

Chimwemwe, a beautiful, painfully shy girl who would visit me and bring mangoes from her family's farm...

and Malawi itself.

All Other Places Are Tame

Africa

The fascination Africa has always held for those who have visited her shores has hitherto been the fascination of Mistress, never of the wife.

She held out no lure, for she was no courtesan. A man came to her in his eager youth, asking, praying that she would give him that which should make life good, and she trusted and opened her arms.

What she had to give she gave freely, generously, and there was no stint, no lack. And he took. Her charm he counted on as a matter of course, her tenderness was hid due, her passion his pleasure, but the fascination he barely admitted could not keep him.

Though she had given all, she had no rights and, when other desires called he left her, left her with words of pity that were an injury, of regret that were an insult.

But all this is changing.

Africa holds. The man who has known Africa longs for her.

In the sordid city street she remembers the might and loneliness of her forests, by the rippling brook he remembers the wide rivers rushing tumultuous from the lakes, in the night when on the roof the rain's splashing drearily he remembers the mellow tropical nights, the sky of velvet far away, the stars like points of gold, the warm moonlight that with its deeper shadows made a fairer world.

Even the languor and the heat he longs for, the white surf on yellow sand of the beaches, the thick jungle growth gently matted, rankly luxuriant, pulsating with the irrepressible life of the tropics.

All other places.... are tame.

- Mary Gaunt 1910

The joy of books!

Well, I’m sure many of you are wondering if I’ve actually done any work while I’ve been here in Malawi. To be honest, other than editing a few documents and a research report, things have been off to a very slow start. This is largely due to the fact that my placement seems to have created a great deal of confusion at MIE, my place of employment – and I think I’m the most confused of all! I’m trying to remain hopeful and waiting patiently for it to get sorted out…but in the meantime, here is some information about the project I came to work on…

The Read Malawi project was created in response to a need in Malawi. The need is for quality learning materials for primary school students. Read Malawi is based on the belief that if learners are to become literate readers and writers, they must have:
- quality materials to read
- an adequate quantity of materials that ensure frequent opportunities for individual and group engagement
- guidance and support in how to become successful in reading
- opportunities to make connection to literacy in their communities
- the chance to envision themselves becoming the authors of future books and texts.

Some quick info about Read Malawi:
- a unique book development program
- USAID sponsored
- Partnerships include Ministry Of Education Science and Technology, Malawi Institute of Education, University of Texas San Antonio, University of Texas, IED, Intel, RealeStudios, and UCB
- distribution of a minimum of 2,500,000 books

The phases of project implementation and roll out include:
- pilot study in Zomba schools (base line data collection)
- workshop for teachers, head teachers and primary education advisors (PEA’s) on Read Aloud
- practice of Read Aloud in schools
- follow up support visits from head teachers, PEA’s and MIE
- full teacher training in the Read Malawi model
- follow up support visits from head teachers, PEA’s and MIE
- full implementation of the model
- more follow up support visits from head teachers, PEA’s and MIE
- pilot study in Zomba school (post data collection)
- revision of model based on feedback
- national role out of program in over 1000 schools
- evaluation study

(I took all of these photos at the primary school on campus for the children of MIE staff.)

Snaps - Senga Bay & Kande

This past week I attended two conferences - first, the VSO Peer Conference at Senga Bay, Lake Malawi. This conference was aimed at bringing volunteers working in the education programme area together to share learnings, challenges and successes. The second conference, the VSO National Conference, was held at Kande Beach, Lake Malawi and was for volunteers in all of the 4 programme areas - education, HIV/AIDS, health, and secure livelihoods. Some photos from the week of conferencing...

Birds at Murande Cottages, venue of the VSO Peer Support Conference. Love the one on the right. Crazy bird.

I love these massive, colourful trees. Not sure what they're called, but the burst of bright orange always takes my breath away. This one is near the bus station in Balaka.

The blooms up close.

Senga Bay fishing boats, early morning.

Sunrise at Senga Bay. It was well worth getting up at 5 am to see this.

Calm waters at Senga Bay.

Bobbles takes in gorgeous sunrise at Senga Bay.

Kande Beach, VSO National Conference. This is the dorm room building.

Inside the dorm room- can you sense the excitement?

Somewhere along the way.

Fishermen setting out for the day, Senga Bay.

Some shops along the way.

The bar at Kande Beach, a good venue for learning. We all got a good laugh when the dog joined us, front and centre.

Fish anyone? At a stop, men try to sell us very fresh fish through the car window.