International Development through Sport (IDS), a unit of Commonwealth Games Canada, operates in Commonwealth Africa and the Caribbean, using participation in sport as an educational tool to improve the well-being of people of the Commonwealth, particularly youth at risk, girls and women, and people with a disability. IDS programs link sport to such social issues as HIV/AIDS, basic education, and health.
Each year, through its international internship program, the Canadian Sport Leadership Corps (CSLC), IDS sends Canadian university graduates to host countries to assist local partners in creating and implementing development programs using sport. This is one intern’s story.
Dorota Kobylecki
It’s 8:00 p.m. and I have to start packing for my work trip to the Guyanese interior, when suddenly there is a blackout. I can’t see much so I get my flashlight and light up some candles. . .
It’s now five in the morning. Parrots are gaffing, dogs are barking, and I’m trying to catch some more sleep before my journey begins. I finally get up to shower under a cold trickle of water. Now I’m ready to iron my clothes, but I realize that there is a blackout, so no toast for breakfast today. But those ants are full of protein, so I should be fine.
I take a taxi to the “bus park” (as it’s called here) and get on the minibus, already blaring with music at 7:30 a.m. I’m sitting as comfortably as I can, squished in the front seat practically atop the gear shift, the bus driver to my right, and a big man to my left. My six-hour journey begins. . . What’s that funny noise? I look back, oh it’s just a couple of chickens coming along; it’s like Noah’s Ark, but the bus version. Oh, there goes the first tire!
This and many similar ‘non-Canadian’ adventures were the opportunity of a lifetime for me and I couldn’t have asked for a better country to have them in. Guyana was my home for eight months, full of adventures and rewarding experiences.
As a graduate from the Leisure Studies program of the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Ottawa and as an athlete, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the sports industry, but didn’t have the work experience to get there. The IDS’ Canadian Sport Leadership Corps internship program was the perfect opportunity for me. I was able to put my skills and knowledge to the test and pass them on to others who don’t get the many great opportunities we do in Canada.
As a regional sport council officer, I did a pilot study in three of Guyana’s 10 regions, which are not easy to get to and very challenging because of their geographical situation. One of the main goals for the Regional Sport Council Development is to establish a network within the region and between all the regions in Guyana.
While working on setting up the regional sport councils, I organized basketball clinics and this was one of my most rewarding experiences. Who says that you need running shoes and a court to play basketball?Some of my clinics were on grass with participants on bare feet, some in the rain in flip flops on the cement, and some out in the savannah areas where I actually helped build basketball nets and set up the court.
Coaching basketball in the interior of Guyana presents unique challenges where there is no power and no TV for players to see what the game actually looks like.
Before the end of my contract, I trained other regional officers so they would be able to continue my project in the remaining seven regions. I am hoping that in two years, every region will have its own sport council.
It’s hard to put my whole experience in just a few words, but one thing I learned is to appreciate bare necessities like water and light. Although “Guyana” means the land of many waters, that precious liquid is not always available when you need it.
I learned about the culture and the food. Roti and chicken curry, pepper pot, channa, fresh mangos, and coconut water are a few of my favorites. But I will never make pepper sauce or touch hot peppers again!
This life-changing experience has inspired me to do my master’s degree in sociology of sport.
