Why did you decide to volunteer with Operation Groundswell in East Africa?
Tyler: To start, the decision to volunteer abroad in East Africa in general came from my own curiosity. I’d been studying International Development and Political Relations within the region for a couple of years and I was greatly interested in seeing the region for myself, firsthand. The media paints a stark picture that is quite far from reality and this is something I had to experience for myself. I also felt that it would be a really great personal learning experience for me since the cultural barriers seemed so large.
I had looked into a few different organizations and each time I was afraid of falling into the spell of “voluntourism” – or the idea that I wasn’t actually achieving anything from a development perspective, but simply accomplishing my own travel goals. OG offered a unique approach towards development that seemed to fit with the ideas of development I personally had. Instead of going to a country to help ‘needy’ people, it was more about creating a cross-cultural learning experience, sharing ideas, and immersing yourself into another’s culture. Of course we worked in some rural areas and addressed the specific needs of the community, but these type of projects were done in conjunction with many of the locals, not autonomous from them.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer in East Africa.
Tyler: The trip I participated in was a bit of a balance between travelling and volunteer projects as I was in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. However, my experience as a volunteer seemed to be characterized by being adaptable to any situation. Sometimes I would get up early, head over to the project that I was supervising (road construction project), meet with the foreman and the workers and set out a day plan. After I would sometimes help out in the construction where I saw best fit, otherwise I would help out on the projects of my others team members, some of which included: goat farming, supplying an elementary school with textbooks, building a bridge, and providing a dairy cows to small households. Each day I definitely had a main task, but I often found myself working a variety of different projects, as well as helping out in different parts of my own project.
What made this experience unique and special?
Tyler: The trip for me was unique because I got to explore four different countries and really learn a lot about myself in relation to people I had met. People had their worries and stresses like in almost any part of the world, however, they were much more grateful for the things that they had and seemed to have a greater appreciation for life than many people, probably including myself, I know in Canada. Personally going off on my own with a team of thirteen whom I had never met previously was a really great experience. After only six weeks I felt a much stronger sense of independence and will to make my life something much more than ordinary. It was also amazing to see the strength of some of the local people. In Rwanda, I learned a lot about the genocide in 1994 and actually stayed with a family of women, the mother being widowed from the genocide. After such a devastating toll on a country in really is amazing to see how far Rwanda has progressed and the strength of the people that lived through the genocide and are living there.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Tyler: After returning home, I was unable to stop thinking about my time in East Africa. Six weeks felt like far to short a time and I began planning right away how I would again get a chance to go back. Personally, I felt much more confident in the direction I was heading (studying International Development) and knew that experiences such as these were something I truly enjoyed. Professionally, well, I decided I would apply to Operation Groundswell to be the trip leader for East Africa, and get to spend four months next summer in the region. I got the position and that is currently where my focus lies, planning an itinerary, contacting our local partners, and preparing for another amazing summer in East Africa. My experience really made a strong impact on my life, and I wanted a chance to guide others so that they made get to experience and create their own impact on the lives of others and themselves.