International

I’ve just passed my two month mark in Botswana, working at the Southern African Development Community. The country, and more particularly the city of Gaborone have become a type of temporary home for me. For me it has been my internship that has provided me with the most rewarding and positive experience. For my second blog, I have decided to use a different approach. I am going to tell my story in Botswana through numbers.

-        60, 000 elephants call the Chobe region home. This is the highest concentration of elephants on the African continent. Located in heart of the region is Chobe National Park, one of Botswana’s most popular tourist destinations, which attracts thousands of tourists who flock to the park every year to encounter the great wildlife and vast vegetation. 

-        1, 9 million is the population of Botswana, making it one of the most scarcely populated countries on the continent.

-        17.6 percent of the Botswana population are infected with the HIV virus. Unfortunately, even with the new technology, medication and initiatives to combat this pandemic the numbers are not diminishing.

-        300 people work in the New SADC Headquarters building in Gaborone. The employees are from all over the region, as every Member State country has a specific quota of people who can work at the Secretariat. Most of the contracts are 3-4 years with the possibility of a renewal. The local staff (secretaries, maintenance, cleaning ect.) can have long term and permanent status.

-        15 countries make up the SADC region: Angola, Botswana,Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia,  Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

-        13 of the 15 SADC countries have signed the SADC Gender and Development Protocol. Botswana and Mauritius are the two Member States which have not signed. This Gender and Development Protocol is one of the leading implementation documents for the SADC Gender Unit.

-        8th of March is International Women’s Day. This was my main responsibility during my internship. The annual event is aimed at celebrating the achievements and triumphs of women around the world. It also unites people and raises awareness of the situations and issues that women face. SADC is hosting the regional event for IWD. Our program features a panel with discussion by three gender experts, a performance by the University choir and the official launch of two of the gender unit’s publications. All of the resident ambassadors and high commissioners in Gaborone will attend, along with UN representatives and civil society partners. The day should be a wonderful success.

-        4 countries border Botswana: South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe all touch share a border with Botswana, causing it to be landlocked.

-        6 in the morning is when I wake up to start my day. By 6:30 I leave the house to go to the main street to catch my first combi. Next I am dropped off at the “bus rink” and walk to where I can catch a shared taxi.

-        2.70 Pula is the fare for a combi. Pula is the national currency in Botswana and actually means rain in Setswana, the dominant local language. Rain here in Botswana is immensely valuable and cherished. In the past Botswana  has experienced devastating droughts. Desert and dry environments make up most of the country’s landscape.  During the rainy season, the amount of  rain that falls is critical for the success of the crops and livelihood of the Batswana for the remainder of the year.

-        13 passengers is the normal capacity for the combis, plus a driver and an assistant. It is fairly rare for drivers to accept more in the bus. However, organized it may seem, the bus always feels so crammed, especially if you are one of the not so lucky individuals who sits in the back. Taking the bus as a foreigner is always an experience. I have grown accustomed to the stares that I get as I climb on and the laughs that my attempts to speak Setswana receive “MO STOPO”!

-        5 animals make up the massive “Big 5”. The elephant, lion, rhinoceros, buffalo and the leopard can all be found within Botswana. The name “Big 5” originally referred to the 5 animals that the hunters feared the most. These were the animals, that if you were to hunt unsuccessfully would be the most dangerous.

-        20 percent of the land in Botswana is protected. The country has had great success with their tourism industry, making it one of the most important economic priorities in the country. The tourism vision is based on a high cost, low number rational. This is one of the main reasons that the land and the animals are still heavily protected and stay largely untouched.

-        3 colours make up the Botswana flag, blue, black and white. Unlike most African flags, which contain the colour red – symbolizing war or a battle, Botswana’s flag represents peace and unity. The large blue sections are representative of the calm and unobtrusive nature of the Batswana and also make reference to water which is a symbol of prosperity and hope.  The white and black stripes represent the racial harmony between the white and the black in the country.

Even given the slow pace of Botswana, time feels as though it’s escaping me. With less than a month left, I am attempting to soak up everything I can.

Habari! That means, hello in Kiswahili, the national language of my home country, Kenya. I am in Nairobi, the capital city, working for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). I am contributing to activities advocating pro-poor land policy in developing countries, an issue that is gaining greater visibility on the international agenda as a result of rapid urbanization-visit the Global Land and Tool Network website (www.gltn.net) to review one of the recent global efforts towards pro-poor land policies. This is my first international development experience and I anticipate that the end result will be a foundational building block to my career in urban planning policy.

Since my arrival the office has been operating at high gear in preparation for the World Urban Forum in Brazil next month. My initial reaction was to avoid interrupting anyone; however, I soon realized that my colleagues are keen to create a supportive environment that will enable interns to flourish. For example, by observing other interns in the office, I learned that professional staff members are willing to share their experiences and offer advice in career development; I intend to make the most of this opportunity seeing that it will be invaluable to my career mapping exercise.

Working in Nairobi has availed moments of genuine reflection concerning my academic and professional goals. It is one thing to study development in a developed country and another to observe the implications of poverty suffered by millions of people in a city. This is particularly relevant to me because I was disconnected to this reality having lived abroad since the early years of my adolescence. Consequently, undertaking my internship in a developing country is helping me to better understand and place a human face to the theoretical knowledge I have attained during my studies.

Overall, life in Nairobi is at a different pace compared to Ottawa. I must admit that I experienced a bit of culture shock the first time I commuted through the central business district. I remember feeling like a deer caught in headlights, or so I think that is how it feels, when I attempted to cross the street only to realize that on-coming traffic would not slow down for pedestrians even at designated cross-walks. However, I have quickly re-integrated into the pedestrian culture; whereby I always anticipate to jog or sprint across the road. Despite the drama, it is amazing that nobody ever gets hit.

In the weeks to come I will have a briefing meeting with my supervisors so I have prepared a work plan to help me keep track of my deliverable dates. In fact, the work plan was my supervisors’ idea; it has helped me develop a methodology for each of my activities, a key tool for prioritizing my activities and managing my time.

Until next time, kwaheri (goodbye)!

Claire

So my time in Botswana is coming to an end, with only a couple of weeks left! The past month has been so busy and I only have a short time on the internet! On February 27th Stepping Stones, in collaboration with the U.S Embassy and YOHO (Youth Health Organisation) put on a big Hip-Hop show in Gaberone to celebrate the launch of MYAA (Month of Youth Against AIDS). On Friday we had the dress rehearsal, which was a packed house full of so much energy! I was running the backstage, which was pretty difficult with 11 different performers, 2 MCs, and 11 dance groups, plus some Stepping Stones kids who were running the smoke machine, mics, and set-changes! It was SO MUCH FUN though, and the night went off without any problems. The next night, the actual performance, one of the headliner artists, Kast, was over half an hour late, and it was impossible to start without him since all the artists do a collaboration song at the beginning. Finally he showed up, and the whole night went off without and problems! 

The next day I went to Lobatse for a week, Natasha, the Peer Education Program Coordinator, and I were training another organization, Humana People to People (HPP) in peer education training. We worked off of a training manual developed by Stepping Stones to train these trainers, who will then go into to school in North East and Good Hope to train the peer educators.

On Friday I hitch-hiked home to Mochudi, said hi to my family and played with the baby Banyana for a few hours and then went to bed!

Saturday morning Rachel and I and 5 girls from SSI left early in the morning for Khama Rhino Sanctuary, in Serowe. Once there we met up with Rachel and Monika, 2 WUSC volunteers placed at SOS Children’s Village in Francistown, for the Gender Empowerment Retreat we had organized. The retreat was a huge success! The girls participated in 4 workshops we developed: Self-esteem, Gender and Healthy Relationship, Safer Sex and HIV and AIDS Myth-busting, and Goal setting. We also got to enjoy a 2-hour game drive through the park, go swimming in the pool, have a campfire, and listen to Nametso, one of SSI’s mentors share her story about teenage pregnancy and the challenges one faces in such a situation. After an initial shyness the girls all became great friends and some stigmas surround the orphans at SOS Children’s Villages were broken down. For all of the girls involved it is rare for them to leave their home village, so we were very happy that we received some WUSC Sector Funds to allow for this project to take place!

On Sunday Rachel and I returned home, and worked Monday and Tuesday at SSI and then Wednesday headed to Gansi, Botswana with the rest of the WUSC interns for our scheduled Learning Days. We stayed at a place called Trailblazers, outside of town in the bush, in traditional thatched huts.

Thursday we spent all day in D’kaar, which is a small village near Gansi learning about the Kuru Family of Organisations and how they work with the indigenous peoples (San people) of Botswana. It was a very interesting day! That evening we returned to Trailblazers and were able to enjoy some traditional San dancing after dinner!

Now after a very busy few weeks I am happy to be back in Mochudi for the remainder of my time here, enjoying the relaxed pace of life and spending as much time as possible with the kids at SSI.

Go Siame!

Greetings from Botswana!

These last few days was WUSC’s (World University of Canadas’) Learning Days, which means all of the Canadian volunteers got to meet up in Ghanzi and D’Kar to debrief about our placements and receive some additional cultural training. Ghanzi is the “Capital of the Kalahari,” situated in the Kalahari Desert. I was very surprised at the vegetation that I found here. For some reason which probably has to do with my childhood movies, I pictured the desert as being stripped of all vegetation and life.  However, there were many patches of grass amongst the sandy surface of the Kalahari. We stayed at a lodge called Trailblazers, and lived in the wood and mud roundavals that were traditionally built by the San people (also known as Bushmen, although this term has been labeled as derogatory.) The San are native hunter gatherers that used (and some still do) to reside in the Central Kalahari and lived off of roots and Game. The political enjeux of the San people can be compared to that of the Canadian Aborginals – they are fighting to use and live off of their ancestors land.

We had a demonstration of how the San use to find different types of medicinal and nutritional roots on an early morning walk. We had a translator as many San still use their native languages. It was really interesting to hear them speak, as their language uses ‘cliks’ which is when your tongue hits the roof of your month to produce “clicking” sounds. We were also treated to a traditional dance demonstration by a few locals, around a campfire. Their dances, a part from being a form of entertainment, were mainly used to thank the Gods for the food they had slain during the day.

During the day, we visited D’Kar, home to the Kuru family of organizations. D’Kar was a village that was founded by a missionary church in the 1960’s, who wanted to assure land to the San people. It has grown and expanded over the years, to accommodate a few thousand indigenous people as well as to provide schooling, healthcare and community resources catered to fit the needs of the San. The Kuru foundation is a division of the D’Kar Village Trust, that mostly focuses on preservation of the culture and economic development of the San. In order to counter these often opposite ideas, they have established an art project that feature traditional paintings. This cultural initiative is also an economic strategy as when a painting is sold, 40% is given to the D’Kar Community and 60% is given directly to the artist. The KURU foundation is also helping to develop Game Farms for the San to be able to profit from the rapid growing tourist industry in the region. The lodge we were staying at, although it is not under KURU, is an initiative from which a San Community runs a lodge, with the help of an investor. It is difficult for the San to start initiatives without the help of a Motswana or a Foreigner, as they often do not speak much English or Setswana, and cannot file the appropriate government documentation, which is not available in their mother tongues.

In the evening, at the Lodge, we made roasted marshmallows over the fire and shared them with the San dancers! They loved them! It was a really nice getaway that WUSC arranged for us. Meeting and learning about the San has made me realize how little I know about the customs of Aboriginals in Canada and has given me an interest in studying this culture.

Only a few weeks left!

Dumelang!

A little update of the activities at SOS! Every year, WUSC has a sector fund to allocate grants for activities to the partners and NGO’s in Botswana. When we heard this, we quickly thought up an idea : 6 girls from SOS and 6 girls from Stepping Stones International should meet up for a weekend. Stepping Stones International is an afterschool program where Sarah, a University of Ottawa WUSC volunteer works. They also work with vulnerable and orphaned youth. We thought it would be great if we could arrange a leadership activity, a girls only weekend where these girls could meet people from similar backgrounds, exchange and have fun. Luckily, our proposal was accepted and we were allocated funds to bring 6 girls from each organization to Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Serowe. This was the perfect location as it was the half way point between both organizations. We planned this weekend in order to be able not only to network, but to have a chance to give workshops on gender, safer sex and future goals.

March 6^th finally came and we packed up the girls very early into our SOS kombi and set off towards Serowe. The girls were ecstatic. We had chosen these 6 based on a writing contest entitled “what it means to be an SOS girl.”  We drove the 2hours and a half and when we reached our destination and met the girls from SSI, it was really funny to see. Our usually very open girls were completely shy. It took a few ice breaker activities to get them interacting, as well as a forced separation in two separate dormitories! We wanted them to mix, so we separated half the girls of SOS and placed them with half of the girls from SSI.

We were able to go swimming in the tiny, cold pool at Khama. The girls did not seem to mind but us Canadians were too cold to dip in! They absolutely adore swimming and don’t often get the chance to do so. The SOS girls were stronger swimmers as they use to receive swimming lessons at a local hotel. However, all of the facilitators were on edge and keeping a close eye on the swimmers as drowning is a common cause of death in this landlocked country. We also went on a Game Drive, where we saw some rhinoceros’. These animals are quite ugly looking, if I may say so myself!

In the evening, we had a bonfire where we roasted marshmallows. Stepping stones had brought along one of their mentors to give her personal story on how she had an older boyfriend when she was 14. This is a very common practice in Botswana, the Ma14 phenomenon. Men take young vulnerable girls as one of their sexual partners, and in exchange they will give these girls minimal payments; pula, cellphones, clothing. However, the girls are expected to do as the men please – this is quite the power relationship. When she was telling her story, in Setswana, the girls were completely enthralled. They really opened up to her and asked many questions. Although these girls hear the terms MCP, Ma14 all the time, I don’t think many of them grasp the understanding and enjeux of these words.  It was really good for them to hear and discuss these common practices, in a safe, young environment.

The same happened when I gave my Safer Sex Workshop – the girls asked tons of questions. They really participated.  They know the facts about HIV, its plastered everywhere in Botswana – you can even find it in their mathematics book “In 2003, 90 patients were on ARV treatments, 15 were added in 2004. 12 died in 2003. How many patients are there on ARV’s in 2004?”  However, not many people actually explain what HIV is, and how to protect yourself. Of course,  they will repeat condomise! They know that by heart- but they don’t understand why this is important.  We really opened up a discussion, and although it was a start, they need a lot more of these individual sessions. During our discussion on female condoms, I found out that many of these girls did not know how babies are conceived or how they give birth. Babies are cut out of the stomach, they said. This is really difficult, as the teenage mother rate is very high in Botswana, yet these young girls have no idea what is happening or could happen to them. I hope that this weekend made a difference, but there is so much more that these girls would benefit from. I’ve decided that I will turn the Friday night Girl Guide activities into Girl only discussions on the transformations of the body and sex but I am only here for another few weeks. I hope that SOS will hear our suggestions and discuss these taboo subjects on an ongoing basis with these girls.

Bienvenue à Bibiani, petite ville entourée de fermes et de forêt dans la région occidentale du Ghana, où j’achève ma huitième semaine de stage avec l’EUMC. Il fait soleil cet après-midi, comme d’habitude d’ailleurs, et le mercure monte à 35 degrés Celsius. L’expérience que je vis ici est formidable et complète bien ma formation académique, me permettant d’observer des manifestations de certains concepts discutés en classe et m’apprenant que, dans d’autres cas, la réalité est beaucoup plus complexe! Dans tous les cas, je me retrouve confrontée à plus de questions que de réponses, ce qui m’amène à m’interroger et à remettre plusieurs choses en question. J’accepte que cela fasse partie de mon processus d’apprentissage et de développement personnel et professionnel, et je profite de mon temps libre pour discuter de questions piquantes avec mon entourage ainsi qu’avec des étrangers informés que je rencontre en chemin.

Mon mandat est très intéressant – mes deux collègues ghanéens et moi rencontrons des membres de communautés rurales afin de brosser un portrait de leur accès aux services et infrastructures d’éducation, de santé, d’eau et d’assainissement ainsi que d’activités de création de revenus. De façon encore plus captivante, nous recensons leurs priorités de développement dans les secteurs susmentionnés, et ce, afin de guider Rio Tinto Alcan, le gouvernement local et l’ACDI dans la mise en œuvre d’un projet conjoint visant à améliorer les conditions de vie des habitants de cette région. Dans un deuxième volet d’activités, nous observons et participons au processus d’élaboration du plan de développement à moyen terme du district en collaboration avec l’équipe de planification d’activités de développement du gouvernement local. Inutile de dire que j’apprends énormément !

Une grande partie de ces apprentissages est possible entre autres grâce à la façon dont les Ghanéens perçoivent les relations sociales. En effet, leur réseau social est fort et large, les gens voyant leurs liens interpersonnels comme leurs acquis les plus précieux. Bref, je ne crois pas avoir pu me retrouver chez des gens plus amicaux et accueillants ! Les gens se saluent chaleureusement au passage et demandent à l’autre comment il va, prenant le temps d’arrêter un moment pour jaser, et font même cadeau de sourires sincères aux étrangers défilant devant eux. Ainsi, je me suis rapidement fait des amis dans mon quartier, qui m’apprennent quelques phrases en Twi (dont une que les enfants adorent répéter en m’apercevant – Ewia no eyeshe ! (le soleil est très fort !)). Les enfants de mon quartier sont très mignons, et m’accueillent tous les soirs à mon retour du travail en criant Obruni ! (femme blanche) en m’envoyant la main, un grand sourire rayonnant sur leurs petits visages. Une fois de temps en temps, l’un d’entre eux vient toucher ma peau blanche avec curiosité, ou prendre ma main pour me reconduire jusque chez moi.

Quand vient la fin de semaine, j’explore différents coins de pays avec les autres stagiaires. Jusqu’à présent, nous sommes allés à Accra vivre la folie de la capitale nationale, à Kumasi explorer le palais du roi et le centre culturel, au lac Bosumtwi nager dans les eaux sacrées entourées de jolies collines, à Cape Coast et Elmina découvrir les forts historiques ayant servi de lieu principal de la traite d’esclaves du 17^e au 19^e siècle et enfin, de façon contrastante, à Busua Beach prendre du soleil sur une des plus belles plages d’Afrique de l’Ouest. Nous planifions tirer avantage de la longue fin de semaine qui approche pour rendre visite aux éléphants, antilopes et babouins du parc national Mole, au nord du pays.

Malgré les routes parsemées de géants nids de poule, les déplacements entre les villes se font assez facilement grâce à tout un réseau de tro tros, genre de fourgonnettes géantes se dirigeant dans toutes les directions et quittant lorsque tous les sièges sont occupés.

Bon je vous quitte pour aller dîner… Fufu, soupe aux arachides et chèvre au menu ! 

I was sitting with my Plan Ghana colleagues one evening after work discussing some of the differences in our respective conceptions of social development and was struck by something my supervisor said. We were on the topic of the ever popular gap between the rich and the poor. I had been saying that although I realized that the relative overall wealth of Canada was more than that of Ghana, I still believe that a successful development approach should be more holistic and inclusive if humanity will ever succeed in bridging this gap. We arrived at the notion of ‘checks and balances’ and my supervisor elaborated on his belief that while the ‘survival of the fittest is the model’ that has framed successful economic development discourse, there remains a need for the rich to check on the poor and vice versa in order to achieve balance. I thought to myself that this take on development discourse sounds much more human.

I was reminded of the ancient Roman civilization’s system of patronage in which the rich have a responsibility to the poor to provide them with opportunities for upward social mobility while the poor would provide support and assistance in return. I have been overwhelmed in my attempts to reconcile my own criticisms of the Western style of development with the obstacles faced by an emerging African model for development in Ghana.

Ghana is regarded in many facets as an African success story by way of its peaceful political state and growing economy, but I can’t help but see a looming spectre of inequality in this hopeful nation’s future. It is the sweeping hand of globalization which guides all forms of development; thus foreshadowing a growing trend toward rampant consumer based individualism. If there is one thing that outshines all else I have observed about this country, it is the pride of the people in welcoming visitors of all walks of life while sharing everything selflessly. However, as I have seen, the distribution of wealth is staggeringly uneven and has begun to define a stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor in terms of cultural unity.

Among some of the more remote, rural communities in which I have been conducting research, there is a lingering sense of community which has been sustained by cultural practices and relative isolation. In the capital of Accra however, this unity is slowly breaking down as the metropolis races toward the goal of economic prosperity above all else. This gap is where an organization like Child Right International or Plan Ghana can find a niche. In the midst of all this economic determinism emerges the cry for help by those left behind, the children who will shape the future of Ghana. So in hearing this cry for help, these two organizations aim at mobilizing a generation of Ghanaians through the provision of education for all by making it a national priority. Then it occurs to me, the NGO is the vehicle for bridging the perpetual gap between rich and poor.

The catch is that such an organization may only function where awareness has been created thus demanding that the rich check on the poor in the form of support for these organizations, and also that the poor check on the rich by mobilizing themselves to accept and effectively utilize donations and other forms of support for development. It seems that if at the heart of the matter, one could always find human welfare rather than economic prosperity, terms like ‘survival of the fittest’ might not be applied to humans, and those such as ‘checks and balances’ could take on a more human meaning. After all, we are one species.

Much has changed since I posted by first blog back in January.

Although I was quite hopeful that my job would be an eye opening experience that would be filled with new and exciting adventures, it has sadly become increasingly more frustrating. Before I left, I was told that when I was contemplating writing on this message board, I should try to see the positive aspects within every bad situation. But as I look back at the two months I have spent here at my job placement, I realize that searching for the diamond in the rough has become difficult.

Overall, I have fallen in love with the people that I work with. My boss is an amazingly nice guy and everyone at the office has gone out of their way to try and make me feel comfortable at my placement. However, I have slowly realized that my placement here in Panama City was never ready to receive a student. From the moment I arrived here my boss had no real idea of what to do with me. There was never a discussion about learning objectives, goals or future projects and when I did ask for work my boss informed me that I should read a newspaper. Don’t get me wrong, the first couple of weeks I was fascinated with going out with producers and cameramen. I got to see how hard hitting news was filmed and felt very blessed to be part of the process. But as time went on, the excursions out of the office became minimal and I was left staring at a computer for the whole day. It got to the point where I couldn’t handle it anymore and confronted my boss. He was supportive and said that as a side project I could write, film and edit my own project. Although it has nothing to do with my studies, I chose to do a project on Tourism in Panama City.

Last week I was accompanied by a camera man to film the old part of Panama City (Casco Viejo) for my segment. It was truly invigorating to be in front of a camera. On Thursday I had arranged to come back to Casco Viejo to interview 4 different Americans who had opened up a hostel in Casco Viejo. That morning I woke up with a sharp pain in my stomach and a yearning to stay in bed and sleep. I knew I had an interview, so I dragged myself out of bed and called a cab to drive me to work. At work, I sat around for two hours until my boss finally told me that all the cameramen were busy and I would have to postpone the interview. At that point I grew more frustrated with the lack of structure within my placement. Today I am scheduled to go back to Casco Viejo and interview the Americans. I was told that a cameraman is available to take me, however nothing is set in stone until you are in the car driving to your destination.  

I do not want to fill my whole blog up with negativity. Through out my internship I have fallen in love with Panama. On weekends and days off I have enjoyed exploring and discovering the different parts and neighborhoods within Panama City. I had even looked up the history of the city when I had nothing to do at work. I have learned about the tumultuous history of Panama and have become fascinated with the numerous hardships that this small little country has faced.  I have also focused some of my energy to develop a firmer grasp on the Spanish language. Nowadays I can sit down with a Panamanian and have a decent conversation without any “umms” or short pauses. But above all else, I have fallen in love with my host family. I could not have been put in a better house and have come to consider them as my second family. Their openness, kindness and support have been a shining beacon through the storm and I do not know what I would have done without them.

My placement has taught me that hardships are something that you will have to endure through out your life. My time in Panama has been littered with misfortune but I have always tried to keep my head up high and consider the positive within the negative. I have also realized that if you want something done, the only person that you can rely on is yourself. Out of all the people that I spoke to, I know that the only person that can inflict real change is myself.  Hopefully I will somehow be able to move past this and try to make the best out of the rest of my time here in Panama City.

Hasta Luego

Hola!

I cannot believe I’m more than half way through my internship. The time I’ve spent in Lima so far has been a challenging and valuable learning experience, not to mention loads of fun!

My work:

The hours and the pace of work definitely don’t line up with the laid back stereotype I had of Latin America! My first week, I already was given a report to hand in the following week (in spanish no less). Yesterday I travelled two hours south of Lima, where I presented the social implications of child sexual abuse infront of an audience of 60 people, comprised of representatives of the national police, various government ministries, and civil society organizations. Despite the nerve wracking nature of presenting in my third language, I feel extremely lucky to have been given the chance to push myself further. And while it’s an immense challenge to be working full time in spanish (no one in my office speaks english), I’m glad I’m doing it. My brain is in constant overdrive and online translators have become my closest allies.

What I am working on is also extremely motivating. I’ve assisted in the preparation of a report on the state of child sexual abuse in Lima, to join to a funding proposal for a project that will seek to strengthen locally based responses (legal, psychological, medical) to child sexual abuse in the greater Lima area. The report I wrote is a synthesis of the findings of a survey of over 600 people (youth, parents and teachers) on the topic. As I learn more about them, I am very impressed with the local structures in place to promote and protect children’s rights. It’s definitely a bottom-up approach. They are relatively new though, and their capacities vary from district to district. Accion Por los Ninos basically works to build the capacities of local actors and to act as a bridge between them, to avoid the necessary duplication of efforts…etc. APN has also been a catalyst in the formation of local organizations.

In every meeting or professional gathering I attend, I note how well-regarded APN is in the children’s rights community in Lima and Peru. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so glad to have been entrusted with reviewing the organization’s previous strategic plan and accompanying the organization’s employees in the design of a new one. It’s empowering to think big and to facilitate the creation of the map that will guide this accomplished organization towards it’s goals in the next few years.

Another type of organization working for children’s rights in Peru is the DEMUNA (Defensoria Municipal de Ninos y Adolescentes). A DEMUNA is a local institution staffed by social workers, a psychologists, lawyers, counsellors, and other staff, where they receive complaints about children’s rights violations, mediate cases between parents or other parties who’s dealings affect children and generally promote children’s rights in the community.

A few weeks ago we made arrangements for me to continue my internship in Lima working 2 days a week in the APN office in Lince, and 3 days a week in the DEMUNA of the district of San Juan de Miraflores. I will be helping them in their work of supporting and guiding the COMUDENA of SJM, which is a network of local organizations working together for the promotion of children’s rights. Working directly in the DEMUNA I got  a first hand look at the problems facing children and their families in this poorer district of town. I had already begun to get an idea of these challenges through my office work, reading and through a visit I made to San Juan de L’Urigancho earlier on.

San Juan de l’Urigancho, another world all together:

In January I visited a district of Lima called San Juan de l’Urigancho. It is the largest and most populated district (~1million), home to many people who had fled from terrorism in the moutains (both state sponsored and non) over the years. It is also one of the poorer, more dangerous places in Lima. The dirt floors, thatch roofs, mangy dogs and high risk of TB stand in stark contrast to Miraflores’ beautiful parks, haute cuisine and shiny new condos on the ocean. I was left pondering how fellow citizens can move so far forward, in terms of the luxuries they afford themselves, without stopping to help their neighbors bring themselves up to a point where they too have running water, or will have a roof that doesn’t leak dirty rain onto the dirt floor in the middle of their houses. A friend of my family’s is a nun working in this area of town.

She gave Courtney (another canadian volunteer) and I a tour of her church and explained all the (non-denominational) services they are providing to the community, including, after school programs, literacy training, leadership training, a sewing circle, Alcoholics Anonymous and AlAnon sessions, personal counseling, a school for the handicapped, sponsoring emergency medical treatment… and the list goes on.

Sadly all their good deeds reflect a horrible situation, especially for women. She told us stories of women having to obtain their son’s permission to leave the house. We were told of children born deformed due to lead poisoning (from the air from a nearby port where they transfer minerals) and to the sexually transmitted infections women get from their husbands who are engaging in sexual activities outside the marriage. Then, once a handicapped child is born, some men abandon the family.
 
This all sounds dark, until you see the hope inherent in this community. Our friend explained that the reason you see metal beams sticking out of almost every roof is because when they build  their houses, people set up these extra beams in the hopes of having enough money to eventually add another story. Recently, the municipality put in some green spaces and she told us how amazed she was that people were actually keeping them clean. You see, prior to their makeover, people were dumping their garbage there, on piles of dirt. A little change can go a long way in changing how people perceive their community and what it can become.

Our friend also shared with us the joy of seeing a women begin to smile, begin to assert herself, begin to stand her ground a little more in her marriage, in things as simple as not doing the man’s laundry for him (not serving a meal however, would be inconceivable). It was inspiring to hear about, and we will surely be back before our time in Peru is over to see these programs in action and help out if we can.

What an eye opener it has been! I love how traveling sparks the “why” in me. Why is that house built that way? Why do they use that expression? Sometimes you’ll never get the answer, but sometimes you do. For example why do many Peruvians have a broad chest and a nose of a certain shape? Most people in Lima have ancestors from higher altitudes. The barrel chests and eagle noses are designed for better oxygen intake at high altitudes.

Peru is a land of contrasts, and while I am constantly confronted by some of it’s ugliest realities, I’m also captivated by it’s beauty and the kindness, ingenuity and energy of it’s people.

I hope this post has brought up enough questions to prompt you to get to know more about the ways of this fascinating country.

Chau for now!

Marika

L’arrivée à Katmandou s’est faite au coucher du soleil après un nombre incalculable d’heures de vol, d’attente et de quelques minutes de sommeil. Après avoir passé 12 heures à l’aéroport de Francfort, le contraste à celui de Katmandou est assez frappant. On marche du tarmac jusqu’au bâtiment principal où on doit remplir nos papiers de visa. Le « bâtiment » en question ressemble plutôt à un hangar désaffecté, mais la présence de douaniers confirme qu’on est au bon endroit. Ceux-ci semblent d’ailleurs beaucoup plus préoccupés par le 100$ US qu’on doit leur verser pour notre visa que par la sécurité des lieux. En tant qu’occidentaux, on nous laisse sortir plus rapidement que les Népalais d’origine. Hari Bastola (Hariji pour être formel), le représentant du CECI au Népal, nous accueil avec des foulards à la sortie de l’aéroport.

Le soleil étant maintenant couché, le périple de l’aéroport vers les bureaux du CECI se fait dans le noir, un noir total si ce n’est que la lumière des phares des voitures et motos que l’on croise sur notre route. Les pannes de courant sont fréquentes à Katmandou et n’épargnent à peu près personne. Les commerces et habitations qui peuvent se payer une génératrice et l’essence qu’elle consomme sont rares.

J’ai l’impression d’entrer dans une zone de guerre ; la route est accidentée et sinueuse, on entend continuellement des bruits de moteurs, de klaxon et de chiens qui jappent, notre nez n’est pas non plus épargné par des odeurs de CO2, d’égouts et de vidanges. L’expression véhicule tout-terrain prend tout son sens ! Je verrouille ma porte et je prie pour le véhicule tienne bon… Après environ vingt minutes qui en paraissent facilement le double, le véhicule s’arrête devant une grande porte bleue avec les inscriptions CECI-Népal! J’ai survécu, enfin on est arrivé! C’est avec bonheur que je découvre la maison du CECI ; toilette propre et eau chaude sans interruption grâce à un système à gaz, grande chambre bien aménagée avec un lit confortable, grand salon avec plusieurs fenêtres, et le meilleur pour la fin : une grande terrasse sur le toit avec vue sur la ville et les montagnes environnantes. Mes inquiétudes font place à un soulagement, je baisse tranquillement ma garde, mais pas complètement ; ça fait quand même juste une heure qu’on est arrivé !

Après un bon premier repas très abordable dans un resto du coin, on rentre à la maison. Il fait froid, la maison n’est pas chauffée, heureusement j’ai apporté mon sac de couchage. Bien qu’il ne soit que 21 h, je suis épuisé et de toute façon il n’y a pas d’électricité, une longue nuit de sommeil ne me fera que du bien.

Les premiers jours me paraissent longs tellement il y a à découvrir et d’information à absorber. Les tâches quotidiennes les plus anodines nécessitent une adaptation que je n’aurais pas imaginée. Le matin je consulte l’horaire d’électricité qui change tous les jours. Il faut par ailleurs s’assurer que le réservoir d’eau est suffisamment rempli, car sinon il faut activer la pompe électrique (lorsqu’il y a de l’électricité). Lorsque je sors, j’apporte mon masque, car la qualité de l’air varie constamment. Je dois faire particulièrement attention sur la route puisqu’il n’y a pas de trottoir et les automobilistes/motocyclistes conduisent de façon erratique entre les piétons, les vaches, les chiens et les chèvres ! À tout cela s’ajoute les nombreux déchets empilés tout au long de la route puisque nous sommes arrivés au beau milieu d’une grève d’éboueurs.

Je ne voudrais surtout pas donner l’impression d’être atterri en enfer puisqu’au-delà des infrastructures déficientes, des dangers de la route et de la pauvreté omniprésente, les Népalais que j’ai rencontrés m’ont rapidement fait oublier ou du moins accepter le chaos de la ville. Il y a ici un esprit pacifiste et une joie de vivre qui m’enchantent, mais que j’ai parfois du mal à m’expliquer. Les Népalais que j’ai croisés font preuve d’une capacité d’adaptation et d’une ingéniosité hors du commun. Cette résilience face aux défis immenses que pose Katmandou suscite toute mon admiration.

Il y a par exemple très peu de mendiants à Katmandou et même dans Thamel (le quartier touristique de Katmandou) ce n’est pas vraiment un problème, la situation est avantageusement comparable aux grandes villes canadiennes.

Bref, Katmandou m’apparaît comme étant une ville de contrastes, bruyante, cahotique mais aussi pleine de vie d’énergie et de couleurs. Il s’agit ici évidemment d’une première réflexion après quelques semaines seulement à Katmandou. Mon prochain message se penchera sur la nature de mon stage et plus spécifiquement sur le déroulement du Sommet de la microfinance Népal 2010 qui s’est tenu à la mi-février.