Service learning. Learning service. Community engagement. Community development. There are more terms that I could add to this list as well, all attempting to capture the essence and focus of development work through service. I could make this a discussion about what qualifies as service, what doesn't, and how we can make it sustainable. But instead of that, I want to talk more about the experience itself and my own personal reflections from this past week in Nepal.
Over Spring Break I had the privilege of bringing 19 University students to a rural village in Nepal called Tikapur. We were accompanied by a local organization called Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) who played an instrumenal part in establishing the community partner. While in Tikapur we had three main projects. Build a wall, teach computer classes, and create a library. This might sound like a short list, but we had our work cut out for us and had to push to the end to finish it all.
A few things really struck me about the trip. The first was the nation of Nepal. Nepal is a country prone to natural disaster, has a history of political instability, and is stricken by extreme poverty. The village we were working in had only dirt roads, the vast majority of homes were mud walls with thatched roofs, and the only vehicles were tractors for farming and construction. Needless to say this was a far cry from the glitz and glamor of Doha. The contrast isn't what struck me though, it was the quality of life and the feel of the place. Tikapur was a place that wasn't striving, wasn't looking for the greener grass on the other side. They were complacent. And not in a bad way. But they accepted what they had and worked through their simple daily routines. Now the negative side of this complacency is that it is actually a learned helplessness. This likely comes from years of neglect, lack of economic development, and lack of access to education. The positive side is that these people were happy. Happy with their lives, trade, family, and community. It was refreshing to see life simplified to this level and understand that happiness is not materials it is a way of life.
Another striking part of the trip was our students. In my time in Doha I have had several disappointing moments working with students here. Lack of commitment, not taking intiative, challenges developing a culture of involvement, etc. These challenges are part of working in Student Affairs and don't only exist in Doha, but they are challenges none the less. The group that took part in this trip was a shining example of my faith in college students and the reason why I feel so lucky to work in this field. This group was made up of 19 of the best and brightest students I have come across. Going into the trip I wasn't sure how the group would react to difficult conditions, a foreign environment, exposure to various social issues, and a long draining week. Our students respondent with critical reflection, resilient attitudes, support, teamwork, and appreciation for our host community as well as their own. It was a privilege being part of the trip and learning from these students and I hope to have more experiences like this in the future.
Finally the trip continued to spark my interest in global education. Earlier this year I attended the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) here in Doha. It opened my eyes to an entire new world of Education! From that point I have been captuivated by the idea of working in global educaiton delvopment in a future life. This plan continued to affirm that. There is so much great work being done in global education development but so much more left to be done. This was a great opportunity to not only contribute in a small way to the educational culture of that community, but also to expose our students to the inequity of education globally with the hope that they contribute in some way in their adult lives. Not sure where this interest will take me in the future, but for now it is one of the many paths I am looking to for future endeavors!
There is SO much more I could say about this trip. When I say it was an emoitional roller coaster, I mean it brought up a lot of questions. Why do we do service trips? Who learns? How do you close the educational gap globally? What is sustainable development? Are we objectifying the local community? What do you tell a crying child as our bus pulls away from the school? How do you communicate with people when there is no common language? And many more. I had many moments of reflection and am still processing through them now. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and look forward to future experiences as well.
Next on the agenda? South Korea for an international education conference next week followed by a week with Kristal in New Zealand!!! Never did I think I would get to NZ 3 times in one year...the crazy things we do for love! Until then, thanks for keeping in touch and talk soon!
Over Spring Break I had the privilege of bringing 19 University students to a rural village in Nepal called Tikapur. We were accompanied by a local organization called Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) who played an instrumenal part in establishing the community partner. While in Tikapur we had three main projects. Build a wall, teach computer classes, and create a library. This might sound like a short list, but we had our work cut out for us and had to push to the end to finish it all.
A few things really struck me about the trip. The first was the nation of Nepal. Nepal is a country prone to natural disaster, has a history of political instability, and is stricken by extreme poverty. The village we were working in had only dirt roads, the vast majority of homes were mud walls with thatched roofs, and the only vehicles were tractors for farming and construction. Needless to say this was a far cry from the glitz and glamor of Doha. The contrast isn't what struck me though, it was the quality of life and the feel of the place. Tikapur was a place that wasn't striving, wasn't looking for the greener grass on the other side. They were complacent. And not in a bad way. But they accepted what they had and worked through their simple daily routines. Now the negative side of this complacency is that it is actually a learned helplessness. This likely comes from years of neglect, lack of economic development, and lack of access to education. The positive side is that these people were happy. Happy with their lives, trade, family, and community. It was refreshing to see life simplified to this level and understand that happiness is not materials it is a way of life.
Another striking part of the trip was our students. In my time in Doha I have had several disappointing moments working with students here. Lack of commitment, not taking intiative, challenges developing a culture of involvement, etc. These challenges are part of working in Student Affairs and don't only exist in Doha, but they are challenges none the less. The group that took part in this trip was a shining example of my faith in college students and the reason why I feel so lucky to work in this field. This group was made up of 19 of the best and brightest students I have come across. Going into the trip I wasn't sure how the group would react to difficult conditions, a foreign environment, exposure to various social issues, and a long draining week. Our students respondent with critical reflection, resilient attitudes, support, teamwork, and appreciation for our host community as well as their own. It was a privilege being part of the trip and learning from these students and I hope to have more experiences like this in the future.
Finally the trip continued to spark my interest in global education. Earlier this year I attended the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) here in Doha. It opened my eyes to an entire new world of Education! From that point I have been captuivated by the idea of working in global educaiton delvopment in a future life. This plan continued to affirm that. There is so much great work being done in global education development but so much more left to be done. This was a great opportunity to not only contribute in a small way to the educational culture of that community, but also to expose our students to the inequity of education globally with the hope that they contribute in some way in their adult lives. Not sure where this interest will take me in the future, but for now it is one of the many paths I am looking to for future endeavors!
There is SO much more I could say about this trip. When I say it was an emoitional roller coaster, I mean it brought up a lot of questions. Why do we do service trips? Who learns? How do you close the educational gap globally? What is sustainable development? Are we objectifying the local community? What do you tell a crying child as our bus pulls away from the school? How do you communicate with people when there is no common language? And many more. I had many moments of reflection and am still processing through them now. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and look forward to future experiences as well.
Next on the agenda? South Korea for an international education conference next week followed by a week with Kristal in New Zealand!!! Never did I think I would get to NZ 3 times in one year...the crazy things we do for love! Until then, thanks for keeping in touch and talk soon!
