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This fall, we have a number of projects headed overseas, including one to Costa Rica in November. Want to read more about what a YCI project in Costa Rica looks like day-to-day? Check out today’s featured volunteer blog: Po-Yi’s Diary.
“Organizing events in an unfamiliar setting was difficult. We always had to keep in mind the ‘Tican’ time, meaning that locals can come whenever they wanted to even two or three hours after the start time. In spite of the challenges (that was why we were there!), our ’social projects’ were very successful since they opened our eyes to the difficulties that Juanilama have been facing. The knowledge we gained from the events and activities we planed will help the next YCI group to sustain whatever development we and the Juanilamans have left off with. . .“
While we currently have volunteers in the field in Ghana, Tanzania and Costa Rica (and a group headed out to Kenya next week), it seems that our volunteers in Tanzania are the most active bloggers. Today’s featured volunteer blog is My Tanzanian Adventure, coming from Stephanie, one of our volunteers in Zanzibar.
“Monday afternoon I facilitated my first Girls’ Health Club meeting. We talked about what the girls wanted to learn about and discuss. Most of the girls want to learn about puberty, health pregnancy, underage pregnancy, malaria, and family planning. At the end of class, I had the girls role play some scenarios that I had made up. It was funny because the girls were very shy when discussing topics but they jumped at the opportunity to act!. . .”
While YCI hasn’t exactly been active in our blogging pursuits over the last six months, our volunteers have been more than making up for it by writing about their own journeys with YCI across the globe. (And let’s face it–reading about our partner’s work in Tanzania is probably far more interesting than reading about our Toronto office’s favourite lunch spots.)
Check out Trip to Africa, today’s featured YCI blog, to learn more about our programming in Tanzania!
“The final time we met, he asked us “Is there anywhere around here to get tested for HIV/AIDS? I have not been tested for a very long time, and it is important that everyone get tested every few months.” We told him our partner organization conducted tests, so we went with him and his friend to the center to get tested; the results for both, thankfully, were negative. It goes to show that the message here is spreading, and that people are not only aware of HIV/AIDS, but that people know that there is somewhere for them to go for help. . .”
Sarah, YCI’s administrative assistant, finished up her last day at YCI two weeks ago. Apart from keeping YCI smoothly operating, her time here was also full of big announcements–first, she got in to grad school. (Three times, to be exact. But just for the record, we only had cake once.) And then, Sarah announced that this summer, she would be joining the Otesha Project on a bike ride across Alberta and British Columbia.
Read about how Sarah chose to engage in volunteer work in Canada on her blog, Being the Change.
Good luck Sarah! We miss you!
“I am in Calgary! Woo! After a very long couple of days, I am so glad to be here and settling in before my big ride begins tomorrow. . .”
This is my third month with YCI as the new International Programs Director and my first blog. After living away from Canada for the past four years and skipping the last four winters, its been great to be back in Toronto. The transition has been relatively seamless and I’ve really enjoyed being back.
Prior to working with YCI I spent time in Chad, Sierra Leone, Angola, South Sudan, Sri Lanka and Palestine, as well as York, England for a graduate degree in Post-war Reconstruction. I’ve been managing diverse programs in the field from health and education to de-mining, which has provided a great foundation in programming and management and will hopefully mean I’ll be well-placed to take on this new challenge here at YCI.
The past two months have been a steep learning curve. Leaning about YCI programs in East and West Africa as well as Central and South America, meeting staff and volunteers, participating in a strategic overview and budget design for the coming financial year have meant a busy and thorough induction. YCI has a long tradition of volunteer engagement, strong partner support and youth focused programming and the coming year will see a renewed commitment in how YCI views programming and how we can ensure maximum impact within the communities we work.
The IPD position includes oversight of staff in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda for our CIDA funded program as well as collaboration with out Alliance partners in South and Central America and the Group Leaders who facilitate volunteer groups. There is also a focus on financial management, reporting to donors and working on the quality and expansion of YCIs programs.
Next month I head back to the ‘Continent’ for a five-week trip to Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda. An opportunity to see our programs up-close, meet our local partners and volunteers and assess the possibility of expanding YCI programs into Uganda. This will be the first time I’ve traveled as a visitor compared to being a field staff and have a lot to condense into a short time.
Ghana and Tanzania are new countries for me so I look forward, as always, to seeing a new place. I traveled briefly in Uganda and spent a lot of time in Kenya traveling back and forth from South Sudan and this will be my first time back after a long hiatus, and with four countries in five weeks, I’ll have lots of time in airports, on the road and back in the field. I can’t wait.
- Steve Cumming, International Programs Director
She was instantly recognizable as an exchange student. It wasn’t her red hair or her unusual dotted red shirt that made her stand out—it was the pocket translation dictionary that she held in her hand.
I met Helka on school registration day for my final year of high school. Apart from family trips to Mexico and the United States, I had never really met anyone who wasn’t Canadian before. I envied my friend Angela because her grandmother was British (which, for a born and bred northern Albertan, seemed very exotic) and asked my friend Mike endless questions about his time in Germany. So when I saw Helka struggling to thumb through the pages of her Finnish-English dictionary, I knew I had to meet her. That same afternoon, I called her host family and asked her to coffee.
The questions came quick and fast. I wanted to know anything and everything about Finland. But the first question was, by far, the most memorable. “So what language do you speak in Finland, anyway?” I asked Helka. “Spanish, right?” The fact that Helka was willing to humour me instantly solidified what would become a pivotal relationship in my life.
Helka and I celebrate Albertan culture at the Calgary Stampede
Born half a world apart, Helka and I had a lot in common. Seinäjoki, her hometown, was comparable in size to Cold Lake. She instantly understood the dynamics of our small northern town—much like I had grown up in Cold Lake my entire life, she had grown up in Seinäjoki her entire life. Helka and I were also both interested in traveling, politics and music. So when she asked me to sign up for a multimedia class with her, I instantly agreed. I knew it would be a challenge—she was still far from fluent in English, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to learn more about her and explore our mutual interests.
We became partners in writing, filming and editing weekly segments for a cable news show. It may have only been a local news network, but the positive feedback we received from the network producer made me start to realize that there were two key things that I wanted in a career—the opportunity to explore and experience different cultures, and the opportunity to share those experiences.
More than a full year after we first met, I boarded a plane, and met Helka in Berlin. We spent two months traveling through Eastern Europe together, before returning to Finland for her high school graduation. During Helka’s time in Canada, she had became very close with my family, so I was eager to meet hers—I wasn’t even daunted by the fact that neither of her parents spoke English. Soon, the very same worn pocket dictionary that Helka used during her time in Canada became dog-eared from my own page turning. It was challenging at times, but the relationships I formed and the experiences I had during my short time in Finland only solidified my desire to travel more extensively.
And much like my interest in Finnish culture, Helka has also remained a fixture in my life—in 2005, she joined my family on a sailing trip in British Columbia. And last summer, nearly five years to the day since we first met, her boyfriend Touko came to stay with me in Toronto. Helka and I still share our common interests as well—while I currently work for Youth Challenge International, Helka and Touko now reside in London, where Helka is studying international development with a focus on youth.
For me, Finland wasn’t just the start of my love of international affairs—it was also the start of a lifelong affair with learning more and with exploring the unique distinctions each culture has to offer.
-Jessica Lockhart, International Programs Coordinator
A bustling street in downtown Addis Ababa
Jane Baldwin, YCI’s CIDA Intern in Ethiopia, has just returned to Toronto from Addis Ababa. Read about her first impressions of the city she calls home…
January 2009. Upon arrival in the wondrous city that is Toronto, the first impression is bleak, gray and cold. Literally and physically cold. In the winter, Toronto, on street level, is a quiet place, seemingly dead to the world.
I love Toronto. Toronto is my home. I have talked up the virtues of Toronto to many a foreigner, defended it zealously to many an Ottawan and I have supported the Toronto Argonauts, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Rock and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
During my travels, I have missed perusing Queen West with a big cup of coffee and good friends in tow, I have missed big, greasy spoon breakfasts, I have missed proximity to New York City and I have missed Street meat.
Yet, now that I’m home, in my beloved city, I feel disconnected. The city is missing something; the liveliness of people chattering in the streets, the noise, the hustle and bustle of a big city. What happened to the city I love? Do I really feel more at home in cities of squalor, that continually bombard the senses, without the luxuries of modern plumbing, consistent electricity or water than in a clean, sterile, aloof first-world city? The TTC is full of lifeless faces, resigned to inaction unless a chance encounter with an acquaintance or friend sparks the seeming rag-doll of a passenger into a life-filled being with thoughts, opinions and a smile. This transformation takes mere seconds, the catalyst only a familiar face. Perhaps harking back to an animal instinct, the people of Toronto tend to hibernate in the winter. I’m not use to this. I’d forgotten this defence mechanism existed.
Then, this weekend, something wonderful happened: temperatures soared to above zero. And the sun came out. Suddenly, the grey, bleak quiet dissipated and there was chatter, and there were people, and it was busy. The Toronto I knew, and the Toronto I love, is still here, just hidden, retreated into a big fur-hooded parka and a pair of sorrels. It took over a month to find it, but with a little sun and the remembrance that spring will come, and the city will come back to life.
- Jane Baldwin
I have plenty of favorites when it comes to Georgetown, and Guyana on the whole.
It’s a place that, for me, always revives. And a place I have had many new experiences.
One experience well worth noting has been in exploring the many different tastes Georgetown has to offer. Yes, this one is about food. Guyanese style. Keep in mind I’m only talking about Georgetown here. A taste of Guyana’s countryside will have to wait for the next blog…
Here are my top ten picks:
1. The Eggball, With Sour
Hands down favorite. It’s like a kinder-surprise, but of the breakfast sort.
Place to get it: the little shacks by Cheddi Jagan Airport (possibly soon to be bulldozed!)
2. Pepperpot
Sweet, tangy and stewed for days – this one is a Christmas treat in Guyana.
Place to get it: Arawak Steakhouse
3. Pouree & Curry
Pouree is a bit like a roti on steroids.
Place to get it: Shanta’s
4. Salt Fish & Bake
Looks a bit like packman with a head cold in this shot, but trust me – it’s good.
Place to get it: Hotel Ariantze does a nice one.
5. Callalou
If there’s a popeye in Guyana, he’s eating this.
Place to get it: most family-owned food bars
6. Ital
Possibly the most all-around rewarding dining experience you can have in GT.
It’s vegetarian, salt-less and cooked by sound of mind (and heart) rastas.
Place to get it: Steppers or House of Flavors
7. Cookup
Rice, beans, coconut and assorted meat. You can’t go wrong.
Place to get it: This one can be a little tough; best to visit a friend’s house.
8. The Mango – ‘Buxton Spice’
A staple in Guyana. Just don’t cut your hand trying to be fancy with it.
Place to get it: Bourda Market
9. Sugarcane
Guyana almost wouldn’t be Guyana without sugarcane.
Just be sure to spit out the fibers when finished, otherwise it’s a little rough going down.
Place to get it: The seawall on a Sunday night.
10. Sorrel
For those who have had ‘brio’ and usually drink coke, sorrel offers that same, weird first moment of ‘oh….OH……hmm. Yup, I like it!’
Place to get it: Juice Power
If you have just returned from Guyana and are missing it dearly (I’ve been there) or even if you’ve never been and want a taste then try making your own!
For all of the above and more check:
http://www.guyanaoutpost.com/recipes/recipes_alpha.shtml
Enjoy!
- Ryan Tucker, International Partnerships & Development Director
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
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.
