My experience in this program has not only been a learning experience for me, but it has also been an experience that has been instrumental in me looking at my generation differently. I used to be very cynical so when I looked at global problems such as climate change or broader problems such as poverty, I did not have a lot of hope for the future. Now, I have hope. This is not only because of my thirteen peers in this program but also looking at fellow students differently. We have a lot ahead of us in the future and school is a time to ensure that growth not only happens, but it happens in a positive manner that benefits many people.
Throughout my time at the University of Waterloo I have continually been humbled. In class, I am always amazed at the level of articulate answers and questions that some of the students have. Over time, I have had responses that I am proud of but being humbled never stops. There always seems to be another student that is more successful, smarter and more confident than me. I have started to use this as a challenge but these students are also my friends and I am proud of their accomplishments. My time in university has given me a good view of this generation and I am proud to say that I have hope that we are able leaders to solve future Canadian and global problems. My personal growth is challenged by these students and friends and all of the lessons I have learned along the way will be tested in Kenya.
The funny thing about personal growth is that it is tested in small ways every day. It might be a paper, work or stressful relationships but in each of us is a way out. There is a saying I have always really loved, “tough times don’t last, but tough people do”. It is an element of personal growth that I think we should all follow. We never get out of these times alone; it is our relationships that we build with others that help us get out and move on. Living in my new home in Kenya will be very different. I won’t have the same comforts that I have in Canada, both in terms of material things but also the friends and family I know I can rely on. All this means in Kenya is that I will try to be as open as possible and hope to build similar relationships in my new home. One of these places that I will attempt this is the organization I will be working for, Education for Life.
I will be volunteering in the slums of Kariobangi in Nairobi, Kenya for Education for Life, an organization that focuses on providing education to youth that grow up in slums and especially those that are neglected because they have AIDS. This deadly disease is an epidemic across the world but especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya has 1.5 million people living with the disease, the world’s fifth largest figure according to the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html). This organization is dedicated to combat this disease and is a grassroots, sustainable organization that is trying to change things on the ground, one kid at a time. Across the developing world, education is seen as the way out. If a kid is bright, he can get away from the slums, go to a proper school and hopefully get a job that could in turn lift his family out of poverty. With the world’s 86th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, Kenya is in the middle of the pack for global economic power yet has large amounts of inequality, both in Nairobi and Mombasa but in the smaller cities and towns as well. The problems that exist in Kenya cannot be fixed with one solution; they will take time, patience and hard work by millions of citizens to overcome. The only way to do it is support the organizations that are working to make the country a better place and convince others to do the same. I think that Education for Life is one of these organizations and I believe that they are believers of the mantra “tough times do not last, but tough people do”. They fix what they can and do not let the substantial problems of their country get them down. I hope to fight through the tough times on this trip and help, in whatever way I can, to ensure that tough times won’t last for the friends I will make.
I remember when me and you got together for our presentation in first term and you were talking about cynical you were.
ReplyDeleteYou said you were having a tough time researching the MDGs because of this cynicism.
Would you say you still feel the same about the MDGs?
I like this mantra, it is very hopeful. I too was very cynical about the problems in the world, it's hard not to when you read that the aid given by countries such as Canada and the US, can be used by the governments of places like Kenya and Uganda (or others) for perpetuating power for the elites. But I find hope in you, and all the Beyond Borders students, who recognize the need for change and the need for justice, and try to work towards that in individual and global strides.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Natalia, the antidote to the cynicism I have is personal stories of people that are trying to change the system. Would I still say I am cynical about the MDGs? Probably but only because I only see stats and not the personal stories. When you talk to these people that have seen and experienced these problems but still have hope for the future, it is much easier to be optimistic.
ReplyDeleteAnd to be honest, I think my cynicism is one of my worst qualities. It does nothing good and the negativity it causes is responsible for many different personal and global problems, from confidence issues to issues such as poverty that can't seem to go away. I think the only way out of this is to find hope wherever you can and hold onto it.
this post reminds me of something sarah always says to me: 'hold fast to love and justice'. hold fast. keep loving and keep fighting. and maybe one of your biggest fights will be against cynicism, both your own and societal. and so: hold fast, hold on tight to this hope! it's an important message for anyone, on any journey, but especially for you and your fellow beyond border travellers :)
ReplyDeletewith love from your proud older sister