Lots to read below

Internet has not been helping me keeping in touch with you all, but here are some updates on my work, my life, myself.

Enjoy the reading. And see you soon.

And these are signs that Canada is not so far away...

"Chileshe!" (my Bemba name) "Look, I found Canadian money!"
And here was my neighbour who had found god knows where a Canadian tire bill!

A few days after Canada Day, I got a letter from Lyndsey with a Canadian flag...
And here is little Agy playing with it!

Update on my work

So, we have done a baseline survey on the household water points in Nchelenge and Chienge districts, analyzed the results and wrote a report to capture the main findings and use it as a basis for the implementation of the Self Supply Program. We have started working on creating an enabling environment for the program: training of artisans, training of masons and identification of local shops and of the material available in the area. We have also started making a draft of the social marketing strategy to influence the behaviour change that needs to happen for Self Supply to work. Now, why are we still behind?

Logistics.

We need equipment to do the water quality monitoring of the water points surveyed in order to have some quantitative data to back up our findings and justify the benefits of having an improved water well. We don't have sufficient material or technical skills in the districts and we are lacking the facilities to do bacteriological tests. Equipment and a lab is available in Mansa (center town in Luapula province) but it takes around five hours to get there. How are we going to collect all the water samples in less than one day in both district and then send them to Mansa so that they can immediately do the bacteriological tests before the bacteria start multiplying? Is it feasible? And now, the equipment cannot be found in Zambia. I have been told that they have to be ordered from a UNICEF provider in India! By the time an order is made and that we get the material up here, it will be the end of August. Which is when I have to leave. Unfortunately. I wished I could extend my contract to be able to analyze the results from the water tests and participate in the learning of the successes and challenges of the implementation of Self Supply. But I am working on a plan to leave my partner organization and Ashley (an EWB long-term volunteer working on Self Supply as well) with all the tools, documents and information necessary to move on with the project in Nchelenge and Chienge districts once I leave.

Let me hide... where?

So let's not confuse everything from the start. I know that some people give me a special treatment because they are hospitable. But I also know that some people give me a special treatment because I am "white". I am not a specialist that can easily make the difference between the two at any given time, but there are occasions when I definitively feel uncomfortable receiving that special treatment. My friends know that I am a shy person and that I despite having more attention than I need to. But here in a big crowd, I cannot hide. I am spotted right away. People are scruting me with their eyes, I feel like they are analysing every single breath I take.

When I walk on the road, I often hear people yelling to me: "Muzungu! Muzungu!" (Non-Zambian, usually referring to "White Man"). And at other times, I do hear "China!" or "Japan!". The frustrating thing is not that they fail to call me "Canada!", it is that I don't know what are the implications behind those words. I feel like I have been judged without having done anything. I have been put in a box with all the other Muzungus, Chinese and Japanese, but what does that mean for them? What are their perceptions of Westerners? What are their pre-conceived ideas of me?

As I was trying to understand the perception that people had on Chinese and Japanese, I learned that:
- Chinese people are not always well perceived because they are sometimes taking over jobs that locals could do
- Chinese are known to not be honest in their business activities
- Chinese are great because they are helping developing infrastructures in Zambia
- Japanese are well perceived because they take on a lot of development projects, mostly related to water and irrigation
- Japanese sometimes make promises and do not hold them
- Japanese and Chinese have lots of money to give away

Now, how I am feeling about that? Does that mean that every time someone call me "China!" they have these ideas in their minds? What am I supposed to do with that?

At the beginning, I felt a bit powerless because I didn't know what to do to about it. How can I overcome the negative ideas that people might have about me? The ideas are so entrenched in people's mind. Foreigners that came in the country have always been giving away handouts in all sorts of form and it is normal for people in the community to think that I might just do the same thing. Now, I have tried to attend meetings and trainings where there are usually a lot of people to explain to them my presence in the district. I am here to work on a project that will help them gain the skills and knowledge to improve their access to safe drinking water. That I am not here to preach anything, not here to take anyone back to Canada, not here to sponsor anyone, not here to give away money, clothes or boreholes. Did that work? Well, when I talk to people, they nod ("yes, yes"), but there is something in their face that makes me think that they are still waiting for me to give them something after I finish my schpeel.

Not only that had a affect on me personally because I am putting a lot of efforts into integrating the community and it is somewhat frustrating to feel that everyday I find myself at the bottom of the ladder again because people do not seem to understand, but I am also concerned about the impact that these pre-conceived idea on my involvement in the area have on my project itself. What comes out of my mouth is contradicting people's perception of the Muzungu.

So should I hide and only work behind the scenes to let the local go in the field? But then, how can I learn and help if I cannot be on the ground?

O like Opportunity

During the first weekend of July, I left my village for what seemed to be ages. I traveled from North to South to join all the other EWB volunteers in Zambia for our mid-summer retreat. A total of 40 hours on a bus plus something like 15 hours of waiting. A trip without any delay or mechanical problems on the way is not a real trip.

Siavonga, the place of our retreat is located in the South and it shares a man-made lake (Lake Kariba) with its neighbour Zimbabwe and there is a pretty impressive dam down there.



Being away from Kaseka Village (my village) for so long (one week!) made me feel as if the retreat was somewhat unreal. Not being a minority in a group and not having problems communicating felt weird. While many of us were coming from places where there is hardly any electricity, Internet and tap water, the sudden access to all these commodities was a bit overwhelming.


I had the opportunity to choose between living in a place with or without electricity, near or far away from a borehole. It was my choice.

My host family does not have that opportunity. They cannot afford the same choices. But that does not mean that they are not seeking for opportunities. They are working hard to improve their living conditions. There are times when they are discouraged and it seems like they want to give up, but then the next day I see them planting tomato, rape and onion seeds to start a small garden at their house.

You cannot expect one to be motivated all the time. I came to realize that the idea of Dorothy that I had before coming here is hard to find. The stories that people told me about Dorothy, this figure that is supposed to represent the people that we are working for and that guide all our decisions, were all inspiring. Desperate people living in hard conditions that were entrepreneurs. And to tell you the truth, I felt a bit pressured to find my Dorothy over the course of the summer, because everyone who comes back from a JF placement always have a Dorothy. But then I stopped looking around, seeking for one. All this idealization of Dorothy came to disillusion me, like the image of a desperate child to sponsor sold by other NGOs. I understand that the concept of Dorothy is there to help us keeping the big picture in mind and I cannot paste one face on Dorothy. There are things that inspire me in many people that I meet here and these are my motivations, my reasons to work here and back in Canada.

Mr. Omba (a very committed volunteer leader with DAPP) and my father Patrick

at the small house garden

To answer the mom's type of questions...

Where do you live?

Here.

Thanks Ashley for the copyright of that picture... ;)

This is my family's house. We don't spend a lot of time inside because when the sun is out, who wants to stay in? From early in the morning until the evening, most of our activities (if not all) are done outside. As we are still struggling to open our eyes at 6am, with a broom in one hand, we start sweeping the outside of the house. Oh, wait, before I forget, we do greet each other before we do anything else: "Mwashibukeni?" (Good morning?) to which you answer "Eya mukwai." After the house and the surroundings are clean, we then sit and peel ifiumbu (sweet potatoes) to cook them for breakfast. Agy, my little 3 years old sister, usually sits next to me and starts collecting small things that she finds on the ground to play with. The other day, she named a sandal 'Baby' and she played with it as if it was her doll. Cans, pieces of cardboard, plastic lids, everything here can become the most amazing toy. Sometimes, as one person is taking care of the breakfast, others are preparing the maize to be brought to the grinding mill or taking buckets to go fetch water at the well or the spring. My host father is often already gone to his farm since 5am but I would sometimes see him before I leave for work as he does a few trips back and forth to carry maize, wood or cassava back to the house.

We have a very nice latrine at the back of the house that has been built by my host father along with an innovative handwashing station. The plan in August is to dig a well in front of the house.
(Pictures to come!)

The bathroom is inside the house but we have to boil water and bring a bucket inside to bath. An integrated soak away keeps the surroundings clean and safe!

What do you eat?

Mmmmiam. Ubwoli!
Ubwoli is like bread for French or rice for Cambodians. One does not feel satisfied if he did not have ubwoli during the day.

What is that ubwoli thing?
It is usually made with maize flour and boiled water, but my host mother mix it with cassava flour to give it a softer texture (which I think is the best mix!). It can be compared to non-cooked bread dough, but still, it is not exactly that...

Ubwoli or nshima

We usually eat it for lunch and dinner with a relish (cooked vegetables, fish, chicken or any other meat) and since I live right by the lake, we have fish almost everyday. I really enjoy the small-small fishes called Cisense (or Kapenta for the non-Bembas) which is unusual among the Muzungus I know! My favourite veggie relish is Chibwabwa (pumpkin leaves mixed with groundnuts) and this is definitively a recipe I am going to bring back!

Relish: Inkoko (Chicken) with cabbage and tomatoes

In the morning for breakfast, we sometimes have cooked ifiumbu (sweet potatoes) but since I often need to rush to work in the morning before electricity cuts at the office, I just buy a greasy bun from the side of the road. At some occasions I had sweet potatoes mixed with groundnuts which appeared to be "succulent" (but heavy for the morning)! Another good recipe with sweet potatoes is to fried them with cinkondya (palm oil) and add a little bit of salt on top. Marvellous!

One morning, I did made crepes for them and they just ate until it hurts! Since I could not find maple syrup here (really?!), I simply put a lot of sugar on top. It was funny to see them licking all their fingers and the utensils I used! But I made sure to explain to them that we don't eat that every day back in Canada... imagine!

One anecdote:
One evening, as I came to sit near Beauty, my host mother, she brought the brazier closer to me. I said:"Oh no, it's okay! It is very warm outside!" She laughed at me, telling me that she forgot I was Canadian and put the brazier back in the middle. But then, Patrick, my 17-year brother, pushed the brazier away from him and told Beauty with attitude : "Me, Canada too! Don't need this!" After we all had a good laugh, I turned to Patrick: "So if you are Canadian, do you eat ubwoli?" (I know that Patrick can't sleep without having ubwoli.) He paused and his voice then breaks into high pitch:"Yyyy.. NO!" Alright! So I decided to go on a mission the next day to find him something that is not Zambian and make him take a break from ubwoli for a day! Surprinsingly, I found macaroni at one of the shops in Kashikishi (a commercial "town" located at about 35 minutes walk from home) and bought some tomatoes and onions! When I came back home, Patrick was laughing because he didn't think that I would be serious. So starting that evening, Patrick had macaroni when everyone else had ubwoli. He passed the test, and while I had some milk and bread for him the next morning, I found him already boiling water to prepare macaroni... for breakfast! And he thought that I was not serious!

My address is :
DAPP Nchelenge - Madavine Tom
c/o DHMT Box 740037
Nchelenge, Luapula Province
ZAMBIA

And my phone number
+260 976 846 167

Picture time!

Here are some pictures of wells that I visited during my first week of work in the field to run a baseline survey on the waterpoints in Chienge district which is located upper in the North of Zambia. Now that I have compiled all the data from the survey, I am working on analysing the results and will be writing a report that will be used to create a tool that will help us understand better the current situtation and foresee the challenges of implementing the Self Supply Programme in the region.

A map of Zambia... I am at the very far North near the border of Congo

Road in Chienge

Unprotected Spring box

A co-worker taking a sample of the water from the well

A hand-pump well

And here are a few pictures of my time with my Zambian family.

Taking the rice grains off the "tige" (don't know the word in English)

Uku-twa - Pounding rice grains to get the shells off

Ashley trying to grab a popo - fruit similar to papaya

Inpepo! Cold!

Under my blanket, I can't hold it for a longer time. I am trying to close my eyes, maybe I will fall asleep and forget about it. I am looking at my watch, 2am. I am pulling my blanket up to cover my nose. I am looking at my watch again, 2:06am. Four more hours. Will I be able to make it? I don't know but now there is a sound coming from the top of the wall. A repeated sound like something scratching the lid of a bucket. What is it? The room is so dark, I can't see a thing. I remember Ashley telling me about those mouse that like to visit the room sometimes. Maybe it is one of them? Good that I have a mosquito net. No one knew that this net was actually a two-in-one! "Protects you not only from mosquitoes but from mouse as well!" Haha, okay quite funny, but my watch is only telling me 2:09am. Sleep, sleep... Count the sheeps, 1, 2, 3... I can't. Okay, I am doing it. Slowly, my toes are coming from under the blankets, intimidated by the cold air. Soon, my whole body is out of the bed, freezing, and my hands are trying to reach for my headlamp. It feels like those very fresh morning when you are out camping. I am trying to go out of the house quietly but I am too impatient to be out. As soon as I closed the door behind me, I am running to the back where I can finally find.. the latrine! I am welcomed by a few cockroaches but they disappeared when they saw the light from my headlamp. I can now go back to sleep. In the warmth of my blanket. In a few hours, the sun will be out, but it will still be cold. Cold enough for me to be putting my big sweater. Who would have though that I would need it in Africa?

(Z-Unit, this is just a false alarm, no brown menace around yet.)

Next Stop: Nchelenge!

Since I left Lusaka last Tuesday, I have been staying in Mansa, a small city in Luapala Province, with Olivia (another JF) and Trevor (an EWB long term volunteer). Ashley, my coach and also long term volunteer, joined us on Thursday and since then I have learned a bit more about my placement and the role that I could play this summer within DAPP (my partner organisation)! Joie!

So what is that project that I am so excited about?

First of all, the project is related to Water and Sanitation and is called Self Supply. After successes in Zimbabwe and Uganda, Zambia is now taking on a pilot project to test the Self Supply approach for the first time! The pilot project is being runned in four districts: Nchelenge, Chienge, Mansa and Milenge. UNICEF is funding this pilot project and two NGOs are implementing it: DAPP and WaterAid. I will be working with DAPP in Nchelenge while Ashley will be working closely with WaterAid for the next months and reporting back to UNICEF. Both Ashley and myself will work on maximizing the communication between the two implementing organisations to ensure that the lessons learned can be shared between them. Since UNICEF has a limited number of staff in Lusaka working on Water and Sanitation projects, there is no direct connection with the field. Therefore, we will also be working on optimizing the communication between UNICEF and the two organisations to make sure that they are clearly understanding the Self Supply approach.

Self Supply?

This approach is aimed to encourage households and communities to take their own initiatives to upgrade their traditional well. Self Supply does not have one perfect model of well for people to replicate. Also, Self Supply is not providing subsidies to people. Households are the ones who decide what improvements they want and what they can afford to make them happen.
For Self Supply to work, we need to make sure that skilled labour is available in the community, required equipments are accessible, low cost technologies options are introduced, financial systems are established to open this approach to a wide range of people and policies are developed to encourage small-scale initiatives.

These are all assumptions that we are making in order to further assume that with all the enabling factors mentioned, households will participate in the project and that if they do, the quality of the water that they are consuming will improve.

My work in the next months will be to first find ways or improve the existing tools to collect information from the targeted communities in order to best test the assumptions discussed above. For me to better understand the process, I will have an hands-on experience this week by going to Chienge District with a DAPP representative and doing baseline surveys within the district and analyse the results. I am also planning on attending some Village Action Group Meetings (VAG is a group formed by representatives of each household involved in the project) to observe and understand how Self Supply is promoted. Once the information from all the districts will be collected and that we will be satisfied with them, we will develop a social marketing strategy to help DAPP getting more households to participate in the project.

I am very excited to take part in this project and I wished Nchelenge had some Internet connection for me to share with you the development of the Self Supply project! So my next update will probably not be before July when I will come down for the Junior Fellowship retreat. Until then, shaaleenipo! (stay well! ... haha well - as in water well... !)

Nchelenge is right beside the Lake Mweru that is shared with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With some luck, I might be able to find other French speakers in the area!

First impressions.

Flight London-Nairobi.
Blue the sky. White the clouds. Amazing picture from my airplane window.
London stayed behind with its Big Ben, its Tower Bridge and its lovely pubs.
Its two-floor buses, its British accent and its traffic on the left.

Brett and me in London

Flight Nairobi-Lilongwe-Lusaka.
The flight was an hour later, but no one seemed impressed or frustrated about that.
Let's get used to African time!

Lusaka.
Blue the sky. Few the clouds. Amazing picture from the mini-bus window (equivalent of a van).
Trafic on the left, mix of dirt and paved road, Zambians wearing traditional clothes, other wearing "westernized" clothes, fences with barbed wires or broken glasses on top, big houses, small compounds, palm trees...

Z-Unit (minus Olivia and Cherie) in Lusaka

Our compound at the Kuomboka Backpackers in Lusaka for the in-country training

On our way to the market... a robot!

Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, has been our host for a few days. We had two days of in-country training with the EWB long-term volunteers (LTOV) where we learnt more about the history of Zambia, health and safety issues, how to find housing and a few basics in Nyanja (the language mostly spoken in Lusaka).
The LTOVs made us do a scavenger hunt and so we were left by ourselves in small groups in the city.

So where do we start?
Ok, we have to find the market and buy a bunch of things that we don't have a clue of what it is!
Let's ask this couple that is walking towards us for the directions.

"Muli bwanji! Where is the market?
- Oh, the market! Keep walking straight this way and when you see the robots, turn right.
- Excuse me, did I hear the robots?!?
- Yes, robots.
(Confused looks on our faces)
- Oh, sorry, the traffic lights!
- OOoooH! I see! Zikomo!(Thank you)"

So the belief here is that traffic lights are mechanised policemen that are not flexible. You can't argue with them, they are robots!

Getting off the train-ing...

I have been trying many times to write about my week of training in Toronto that just ended yesterday. Many times the words intensity and challenging came up but I always have a hard time summarizing what I have learned and giving you an insight of what life is like when you live with 17 other passionate and energetic volunteers for one week.

Schedule of the Pre-departure training

Many of the training sessions were meant to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and to make us think outside of the box.

What are all the different approaches that we can take to learn about our host community? about our NGO? about ourselves?
What is the big picture?
What is the impact that we are trying to achieve?
What major assumptions are we making about our host community?
How are they affecting our work and our goals?
...

I came here with lots of questions and I am leaving with tons. I did not expect to find all the answers in this one week and I don't know if I will ever find them during the summer. I realized that finding an answer to everything is not that important. It might be frustrating at times, but questioning nurtures my mind and pushes me to try out new things.

Intro to Rural Livelihoods session: Mark, Helen and Brett at Jerry Springer
for some household drama

Besides this intense learning, I had a great time getting to know better the other volunteers heading to Burkina Faso and Zambia. Put a mix of French and English speaking people in a house and believe it or not, instead of tension, we had fun! Fun laughing at the anglophones trying to pronounce our French names, fun making music with pots and pans, fun playing "shta" (I almost won the "shta" award!), fun discussing about everything and nothing, fun eating Ghanian food in the "Ghanian way"...

Music Jam, just before the pots and pans came in

It still feels unreal that I am leaving for Zambia today. I can't believe I will be in the airplane in a few hours!!! Aaaaaaahhh!

Look at these pictures. At these faces.

Look at how lucky I am to be surrounded by these wonderful human beings.
The GEWBies.
That's how they like to call themselves. And I'm glad to be one of them.
Throughout the year, EWB at Guelph has been taking risks, tried new initiatives, grew and learned a lot. I grew a lot with them and I am bringing with me the lessons learned.
The GEWBies also showed a tremendously warm support to the JFs, Kim and myself, and I am very thankful for all their nice words, advices and surprises!

(Thanks Gewbies for the surprise!)

I am now off for some more learning and personal growth in Toronto. For one week I will be living in a house with all the other JFs going to Burkina Faso and Zambia and I will be participating in the pre-departure training organized by the EWB national office.

Are you ready to come with me?

***

Regardez ces photos. Ces visages.
Voyez à quel point je suis choyée d'être entourée par ces merveilleuses personnes.
Les GEWBies.
Voilà comment ils aiment s'appeler. Et je suis heureuse d'être une des leurs.
Au cours de l'année, ISF à Guelph a pris des risques, tenté de nouvelles initiatives, grandi et appris énormément. J'ai beaucoup grandi avec eux et j'apporte donc avec moi le fruit des leçons apprises.
Les GEWBies ont également démontré un immense soutien aux volontaires, Kim et moi-même, et je leur suis très reconnaissante pour leurs bons mots, conseils et surprises!

(Merci les Gewbies pour la surprise!)

Je suis maintenant en route pour encore plus d'apprentissage et de développement personel à Toronto. Pendant une semaine, je vais vivre dans une maison avec tous les autres JFs qui iront au Burkina Faso et en Zambie. Je vais également participer à la formation de pré-départ organisé par le bureau national d'ISF.

Êtes-vous prêts à me suivre?

Tic, tac, tic, tac…

20 days!

Excited? Nervous? Zen?

Hum… maybe a bit of the three?

Nervous?

Oh yes! Not a lot of days left before pre-departure training and so much to do until then! Catching up with readings, more research about Zambia, development in Africa, getting the last vaccine required, trying anti-malaria pills, packing and realizing that shopping is not over…

I am also nervous about the expectations for the placement. What will be my role overseas? What kind of impact will I have in my host community? How will the partner organization and host community perceive me? To be honest, I have the fear of not being able to meet up with the expectations from EWB, my chapter and myself. There is always the fear of doing more harm than good while overseas. I don’t want my actions to create a negative impact in the community, but I am aware that my knowledge about international development and the history and culture of Zambia is limited and that will affect my perception of current situations and my decisions. I also don’t want to reinforce existing stereotypes about Westerners that have money to give away and knowledge to spread around. To avoid references to neo-colonialism and hopefully break the image of Westerners coming to save the world, I think that the attitude that I will have is key. Going with an open mind and a desire to learn and understand will put me at the same level than Dorothy.

(Who is Dorothy? I will tell you more in future posts but in short: Dorothy is the name that we give to the person that we are working for in EWB. She is the community that I will be living with. She is the people that I will be working with. She is there to remind us that our actions and decisions can have an impact even miles away from us.)

I also have the fear of getting sick in a remote area but hopefully the vaccines will help me and the insect repellent as well. (I am a real candy bar for mosquitoes!)

Feeling isolated is another fear, but my journal will be my best friend and I can’t wait to discover the surprise package especially put together by the GEWBies (The Guelph EWB Chapter) for those loneliness moments. Thanks GEWBies!

One would think that having gone already in a developing country would immune you from cultural shock, but no one is ever prepared enough to resist it. I hope that it won’t be worst than the first time I had it and that I will be able to jump in right back in university life as I only have a few days between my arrival and the start of the classes.

Excited?

BIG YES! I am very excited about meeting my partner organization and see how EWB can collaborate with them! I am excited about finding out more about my role within the organization to contribute to positive change! I am excited about living in a totally different culture, learning the Bemba language, learning about their livelihoods, meeting new friends, meeting Dorothy… I am excited about gaining a better understanding of development and come back to Canada to share my experiences!

Zen?

Not often these days, but I do experience some moments of calmness… in my sleep!

Métro boulot dodo...

(Le français suit.)
During the past weeks, I got caught in the typical cycle of exam time: study, eat, sleep, study, study, eat... Exam time put my preparation for the summer a bit on the side, but I don't have my next (and last!) exam before Thursday, so I have more time to enjoy the sun outside and update my blog!

So let's start with the great news!
I'll be working with Development Aid from People to People - DAPP (exciting name!) on a project in a partnership with Water Aid Zambia and funded by UNICEF! The project in a nutshell is to help people to have access to the tools and knowledge needed to improve their household's well. I will be based in Luapala Province in the North of the country.

DAPP values capacity building and focuses on projects related to current issues in Zambia: orphans, HIV/AIDS, community development, agriculture, environment, social development and education. As I was reading their website, I came across this paragraph in which they explain the idea behind their approach and I am looking forward to see how this approach impact the communities:

"By empowering the individual, DAPP supports various communities in Zambia to develop. The projects promote education at all levels through programs in schools, training the teachers, teaching the peasant farmers and their families, training the workers in the projects and training those around the projects. The idea is to create good examples as inspiration to many people."

DAPP is a new partner to EWB and I will have the chance to be the first to establish a good relationship with them! Having a long term volunteer already working with UNICEF on the project, others with Water Aid and myself with DAPP will allow us to get a better understanding of the interactions and politics between the three organisations!

Since 1986, DAPP has been working to empower Zambians to break away from the cycle of poverty.
In a matter of one day, I moved away from the cycle of exam time.
Imagine if the cycle of poverty was that easy to break...


Au cours des dernières semaines, j'ai été emportée par le cycle de la période d'examens: étude, bouffe, dodo, étude, encore étude, bouffe... La période d'examens m'a obligée à mettre de côté ma préparation pour cet été de côté, mais mon prochain (et dernier!) examen n'est pas avant jeudi! J'ai donc plus de temps pour profiter du soleil et mettre à jour mon blogue!

Alors commençons par les grandes nouvelles!
Je vais travailler avec Development Aid from People to People - DAPP (un nom excitant!) sur un projet en partenariat avec Water Aid Zambia et financé par UNICEF! En bref, le projet consiste à aider les gens à avoir accès aux outils et aux connaissances requis pour améliorer leur puits domestiques. Je vais être basée dans la province de Luapala dans le nord du pays.

DAPP valorise le renforcement des capacités et met l'emphase sur des projets liés aux enjeux actuels au Zambie: orphelins, VIH/SIDA, développement des communautés, agriculture, environnement, développement social et éducation. Alors que je lisais leur site web, je suis tombée sur ce paragraphe dans lequel ils expliquent l'idée derrière leur approche et j'ai vraiment hâte de constater à quel point cette approche a un impact dans les communautés visées:

(Traduction libre)

"En travaillant à développer chaque individu, DAPP soutient plusieurs communautés de la Zambie dans leur développement. Les projets font la promotion de l'éducation à tous les niveaux à travers des programmes dans les écoles, des formations pour les enseignants, les agriculteurs et leurs familles, des formations pour les travailleurs impliqués dans les projets et des formations pour ceux qui gravitent autour des projets. Le but est de créer des modèles exemplaires comme inspiration pour plusieurs personnes."

DAPP est un tout nouveau partenaire d'Ingénieurs sans frontières et je vais avoir la chance d'être la première à établir une bonne relation avec eux! En ayant une volontaire long-terme avec UNICEF, d'autres volontaires avec Water Aid et moi-même avec DAPP pour travailller sur le même projet, cela nous permettra d'avoir une meilleure compréhension des intéractions et des politiques entre les trois organisations.

Depuis 1986, DAPP travaille à empower les Zambiens à briser le cycle de la pauvreté.
En un jour, j'ai réussi à me défaire du cycle de la période d'examens.
Si seulement le cercle vicieux de la pauvreté était aussi facile à briser...

And now, a bit about the Junior Fellowship Program...

A Junior Fellowship placement with Engineers Without Borders doesn't start the day we take off on the plane. In fact, I am not yet gone, but the program has already started for me!

Since December, I have started what is called the Foundation Learning to get ready to go overseas. It consists of readings, assignments, monthly webtrains (online discussions) and weekly coffee shops with two past Junior Fellows from the EWB Guelph chapter that covers a wide range of topics from Rural Livelihoods to Creating Change. I especially really enjoy the coffee shops every Wednesday with Kyla, Janna and Kim. Kyla and Janna, who went to Malawi and Ghana respectively this past summer, are full of resources and are very supportive. Kim is the other wonderful JF from Guelph who is going to Ghana this summer.

Once overseas, I will be working during 3 months and a half with a partner organisation in one of the two following areas: water and sanitation, or agriculture. My role has not been defined yet nor the partner organization that I will be working with. Eli, the Junior Fellowship Support Staff in Southern Africa, is currently meeting with local NGOs to find where the volunteers can have a potential impact.

When I will be back in Canada, my role as a returning JF will be to share my experience with the chapter and the community. I think that this experience will allow me to talk with more confidence about the challenges faced in developing communities and discuss with further depth the approach taken by EWB overseas. I can hear people say: ''but you already had experience overseas.. what would be the difference?'' Well, it is true that I have already volunteered in Cambodia for 8 months and saw some of the challenges in developing communities. But at that time, I knew little about development work and poverty issues. I am not pretending to know a lot more now, but I want to build on that previous experience and see how the approach adopted by EWB can be improved to have a greater impact. Having that past experience will allow me to relate certain things with the current situation in Zambia, but I cannot simply recreate what I have done before. In other words, I should not make assumptions based on previous similar cases that I have seen. Zambia has a totally different history and culture and things that are perceived acceptable in one community might not be in another. Things that worked in a particular context might not work in another. This is going to be one of my challenges, but with the readings that I am doing about Zambia I will have some kind of background to help me out!

A bit about Engineers Without Borders (EWB)...

When I first found out about EWB, it was four years ago.

At that time, I was simply searching on the Internet about any international development organizations that worked in Cambodia.

And at that time, EWB just seemed to me like any other non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

When I 'second' found out about EWB, it was three years ago.

At that time, I was on the phone with a friend who had just met someone from EWB and had decided to join the chapter at his university. He was telling me all about their work and I remember hearing him say 'critical thinking', 'driving change' and 'awesome'.

When I 'third' found out about EWB, it was almost two years ago.

At that time, I was coming back from a gap year spent in Cambodia volunteering with an NGO that allowed me to see a lot of the negative sides of development. I came back with some sort of disillusionment and frustration and I did not know if I would ever work in development again. But then, I came across a booth ran by a few EWB members of the Guelph Chapter wearing bright orange shirts. The sign on their table said: "Promoting human development through access to technology".

That's EWB mission statement. EWB is in fact a non-profit organization that works to improve the livelihoods in developing communities by focusing on human development. EWB helps to build capacity within the communities and works with local partner organizations to find effective and appropriate ways to break the cycle of poverty. EWB focuses on supporting existing projects in the following rural technical sectors: water and sanitation, energy, food processing and production, and agriculture. While EWB has been working in many different countries on three continents in the past, the focus is now narrowed down to four countries in Africa: Ghana, Zambia, Malawi and Burkina Faso. Putting all the energy and resources in one area of the world allows EWB to be more effective and to seek for a more sustainable impact in the communities.

EWB does work in Canada as well. With all the learnings and experiences that the overseas volunteers bring back to Canada, EWB wants to encourage global citizenship in each individual and in our government. Awareness and lobbying campaigns, school and corporate presentations, and public outreach events are some of the things that EWB does here. You have probably heard of the Make Poverty History or the Stand Up Against Poverty campaigns, the bill c-293, the 0.7% pledge...

And as we like to say in EWB, "we hope to work ourselves out of job within our lifetime".

Here is the Z-Unit! Team Zambia is meeting!

Team Zambia 'experiencing' some sort of illness...
L'équipe Zambie qui 'éprouve' un certain malaise...
From left to right, top to bottom (de gauche à droite, haut en bas): Brett, Brian, Vera, Cherie, Mark, Florin, Madavine, Mina, Olivia, Helen

This past January, over 700 delegates from all across the country gathered in Montréal for the Engineers Without Borders National Conference, and 39 of them were there as the ongoing Junior Fellow volunteers that will be doing a placement this summer in either Ghana, Malawi, Zambia or Burkina Faso! I am part of the team of 10 volunteers that will be heading to Zambia on May 15th! The conference gave us a great opportunity to share our excitement, fears and hopes, and even though we are now back in our little corner of the country, we are still sharing ideas, thoughts and information via the wonderful world wide web...

En janvier dernier, plus de 700 délégués provenant de partout à travers le pays ont convergé à Montréal pour le Congrès national d'Ingénieurs sans frontières, et parmi eux, 39 délégués faisaient partie de la nouvelle cohorte de volontaires du programme de Junior Fellowship qui entreprendront un stage cet été soit au Ghana, au Malawi, au Zambie ou au Burkina Faso! Je fais partie de l'équipe de 10 volontaires qui s'envoleront au Zambie le 15 mai! Le congrès fut une belle occasion de partager entre nous nos excitations, nos craintes et nos espoirs, et même si nous sommes maintenant de retour dans nos petits coins de pays, nous partageons régulièrement nos idées, pensées et informations grâce au merveilleux monde de l'Internet...