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It was the first time in years that my travels didn’t include a Mountain Equipment backpack, moldy shower curtains and sleeping on the couches of friends or near strangers. No, this trip would be in style. It would be all-inclusive, first-class and luggage with wheels. It would be a pair of white high heels instead of cement-covered shoes, and chartered buses instead of hitchhiking. There would be hot compresses on the plane, and magazines in my carry-on instead of burdensome travel guides. I was headed to the Dominican Republic for a weeklong Thanksgiving vacation with my cousin and two friends.
Apart from nearly getting hit by Hurricane Omar, the week was amazing. We were one of the few groups of Canadians at the resort, but that didn’t prevent us from making friends. On our second night in Punta Cana, we were walking to the club when an energetic girl ran up behind us to tag along. Sveta was on vacation alone, so we were more than happy to let her join our entourage for the night.
In turn, she introduced us to two fellow Russians she has also befriended at the resort. Both were in their mid-twenties and police officers back in Russian. The only problem? Unlike Sveta, neither Dima nor Anton spoke a word of English.
But for our group, it was a non-issue. A napkin was unfolded across the table, and pens were pulled out. Maps were drawn and names were written. It was hands-down the best game of pictionary that I’ve played in years. In the end, we spent three days hanging out with Dima and Anton. When a pen and paper weren’t handy, we’d draw in the sand or play pseudo games of charades. We’d search for common words and teach each other the names of basic nouns. “песок,” Anton said, pouring sand from his hand back to the ground. (And yes, as it turns out, vodka sounds roughly the same in both languages.)
I couldn’t help but think of my early days in Vanuatu, when I didn’t know the language and struggled to make myself understood, and to understand. I knew the language would come in time, but in the meantime I had to find a way to connect with people that didn’t involve words.
The skills of cross-cultural communication are the kind that you never lose, although they definitely need to be adapted to the context and the culture. It takes patience and perseverance, but most importantly, it takes a sense of openness. My own volunteer experience with Youth Challenge International definitely equipped me with these skills. I may not have packed carabineers, tarps or a medical kit for my latest trip, but I still brought along a sense of adventure and the desire to learn.
-Jessica Lockhart, International Programs Coordinator
It’s Monday morning at about 8:30am. I’ve just rolled into the YCI office on my blades with my backpack full and heavy, containing a large box of granola bars and a whole lot of apples. There is still about an hour and a half before the 18 volunteers arrive to start their week of training prior to their departure to either Tanzania, Ghana or Ethiopia. I rush about making sure everything’s in order – brochures ready, apples washed, dishes clean, laptop and projector ready to go and then I plug in my iPod to some speakers to make the whole atmosphere just a little more inviting. Finally, I sit down with my cup of green tea and I wait.
As usual, I’m feeling a little nervous about meeting everyone in person and hoping they all enjoy themselves and feel more prepared. A lot of careful planning has gone into this week, starting almost a month ago arranging accommodations and billeting, looking for guest speakers and re-vamping some of the sessions with colleagues. And then I think about how the volunteers must be feeling; it might be their first time in Toronto. Or it might be their first time traveling for this long and they could have some pretty serious pre-travel jitters. It’s also their first time meeting their team—the folks they’ll be living and working with for the next eight or ten weeks. They are definitely way more nervous than I am.
As soon as Katie and then Quinten arrive, I start to relax. I know things are going to go well when all 18 volunteers are on-time and ready to start just after 10 a.m. The week is packed full of activities and while I’m not facilitating each session, it’s like I’m the MC for the event. The stress still gets to me even after coordinating more than 12 pre-departure training sessions similar to this one.
On Monday after meeting our Executive Director, Bryan, a session on YCI history, risk management and staying healthy, the afternoon is like a circus show and the office is transformed. The volunteers split into four groups that take over different parts of the office. The Ethiopia group meet in my office for a conference call with Redmond from Ottawa, just back in August from his project, and an in-person meeting with Laura who went to Ethiopia a year ago. The Zanzibar group is on the couch talking with Justina, while the groups traveling to Morogoro and to Ghana meet with Davian and Heywon, respectively at different tables in our main space. Meeting alumni is almost always the favourite session during pre-departure for volunteers—all their last-minute questions are answered and many of their anxieties quelled. It’s been a really long day and everyone’s been really enthusiastic and energetic despite jet lag and first day jitters.
The rest of the week goes really smoothly with guest speakers arriving on time and everyone actively participating. Emanuel came in to talk about HIV/AIDS, which included inevitable giggles as a few condoms are passed around the room. Two guest speakers came from the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation and openly shared their very personal stories about living with HIV. I’ve had the privilege of attending lots of PWAF speaks and during this particular speak, I was personally blown away and really moved by the way one of the speakers made his presentation – through a theatrical story-telling approach that had us all listening so attentively you could definitely hear a pin drop!
One of the highlights of the week was a workshop on teaching literacy and English as a foreign language in a social justice framework. Elizabeth and Jeff brought their personal expertise from Korea, Nepal, Bangladesh and beyond and activated the group through a series of games and activities. Talk about energy in the room! Oh… and maybe just a bit too much noise as we engaged in role plays, musicals and a bit of stomping. So much so that our neighbour from downstairs came for a visit to lodge a noise complaint. That was definitely a first for any pre-departure training session I’ve been a part of!
The week continued with sessions on gender, youth development and an afternoon dedicated to planning and facilitating workshops. The volunteers participating in the CIDA-funded Tanzania and Ghana projects also spent a couple of days with Kelly from the Centre for Intercultural Learning. This two-day session focused on intercultural effectiveness, where everyone spent time with a guest speaker from the host country where they would be traveling, to ask any question that they could think of. The volunteers going to Ethiopia spent their last day with Jessica and I exploring the concepts of culture shock and cultural adaptation. We were also lucky to be joined by Lula from the Ethiopian Association of Ontario, learning a bit of Amharic and more about Ethiopian culture.
Another highlight of the week was the chaos of the end-of-pre-departure YCI packing party! Packages had been arriving from family and friends for overseas field staff in the weeks leading up to pre-departure. Past participants had been sending in gifts for people they met on project. Field staff had made different requests for items such as books and disposable cameras, as well as informational resources for programming. The piles in my office and spilling over to Jane’s office are pretty huge and all of it has to go! Random suitcases found on the street or collected from secondhand stores with slightly odd smells and colourful interiors litter the storeroom. The volunteers also arrived with lots of donated items for programming purposes. With some creative approaches to packing, we managed to get everything ready with almost everyone traveling with an extra bag full of “stuff” for the field. Cooperation at its best! Hopefully everything makes it in one piece and to the intended location and recipient.
All in all, it really was a successful week. We all got to know each other better and I’m so excited for everything the volunteers will experience while they’re overseas. I truly appreciate how much of themselves everyone gave to the week to stay engaged and learn despite their overwhelming sense of “come on already, let me on that plane!” And that’s where we usually say goodbye – at the airport. There we were in terminal three near the KLM check-in kiosks. Just picture it – 15 volunteers with two bags each (still re-packing stuff!) plus all their carry-on, and me handing out evaluation forms, making sure baggage tags are properly filled out, and seeing everyone check-in before that final hug.
The volunteers travelling to Tanzania and Ghana ready to go at the airport! That
It’s always hard to say goodbye to each group, especially because I’m not getting on the plane with them! But I am grateful and appreciative to hear all about their experiences, see their fantastic photos and how their contributions on project make change over time. Pre-departure training, while being probably one of the most stressful parts of my job as a Volunteer Program Manager at YCI, is also so rewarding. It’s the culmination of all of our hard work – volunteers and staff at YCI – getting to that point. It’s a pleasure to meet them in person and contribute to their learning before their overseas journey begins. I wish them all the best on project.
With the fall Africa country program pre-departure sessions over and the projects currently in action, it’s time to step up all the preparations for winter departures already!
The group en route to Ethiopia! This photo was posted by Olivier on his travel blog.
-Amanda Stephens, Volunteer Programs Manager
hello and welcome to my blog entry. my name is ben gibson. i am an international programs coordinator at youth challenge international. i have been working at YCI for 2 years. it is a very excellent and marvelous place to work. in my time here, i have met many friendly and pleasant human beings–splitting my time between HR and finance.
recently, i took time out of my hectic work schedule to embark on a road trip out to the eastern part of canada. i went to saint john, new brunswick / gros morne nat’l park in newfoundland / halifax, nova scotia. it was a very excellent trip–saw alot of interesting places, beautiful landscapes, et cetera. for this blog, i will be presenting you with some photographs of my trip out east, and have contrasted these pictures with some shots of me working at the YCI office in toronto. these are the facets of my game, friend: witness work and trip.
WORK:
Feel free to have a look at a couple of shots (this one and the one below) of me giving someone helpful feedback. Polite but firm is my way.
(See caption above.)
Here you see me working very hard at the YCI office. "giving it one-hundred-and-ten percent."
CRUNCHING NUMBERS. me on a calculator--this is where the magic happens.
Now here i am making headway on a seemingly insurmountable problem.
A lighthouse / Saint John, N.B.
This is me and my uncle in Saint John--about to go sailing.
Turned out there wasn't any wind on that sailing excursion. It was still relaxing though.
New Brunswick.
This is me driving an automobile and eating dulse. Dulse is dried seaweed. I wasn't huge on it, to be honest.
Here is a photo of me on the ferry from Nova Scotia to port-aux-basques, NFLD.
It's a 7 hour ferry ride. We got rocked around alot in our bunks. Off the hook, junior.
Our tent in gros morne park in NFLD. Rad landscapes all around the park.
Ryan Turner and I on a hike.
c/a/m/p/f/i/r/e
Another campsite we found. Right on the ocean!
Getting ready to cook up a lobster in Halifax. Very excellent and delicious.
well, that’s it for the photos. thanks for checking out the blog. check back often, as you will find many more eloquent writers from the YCI staff on here with their entries. have a good autumn.
XOXO, ben.
