Culture Trek

Posts Tagged ‘Village Volunteers’

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When I first planned to travel to Kenya, I knew what my lodgings looked like, what language was spoken, what weather to expect and what my mission was. I had spent about 8 months doing research on the culture and political climate by reading every blog and book I could find and sitting in on an African Lit class.

Switching gears so quickly after Kenya’s outbreak of post-election violence, I had little lead time to research Ghana well. I didn’t even know the name of the village I would reside in until my invoice came three weeks ago. It’s absolutely my own fault. I had been so distracted by finals, graduation, time sensitive home improvement projects and family responsibilities that I failed to address what this shift in plans meant. It was time to get a serious move on.

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Mere moments ago I received the following news:

With the continued unrest in Kenya, Village Volunteers finds it necessary to cancel the Kenya program for the remainder of 2008. If you would like to volunteer with one of our other programs in Ghana, India or Nepal or if you would like to postpone your trip, please contact our office.

I’ve known all along that this decision would have to be made for me, having refused to consider alternatives in the name of hope. Now that the choice is out of my hands, I feel oddly numb.

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Village Volunteers has officially suspended their volunteer program through February, and cannot guarantee volunteer placement in Kenya for future months.

While it is our hope that peace will be restored soon, we are committed to the safety of our volunteers and will not be able to resume our program in Kenya until we can be assured that all volunteers will be safe.

Safety seems a distant dream. AlJazeera’s video today illustrates a situation so far removed from safe that, from where I sit, only the escalation of crimes against humanity is plainly evident. I cannot fathom how, in interviews,?angry mobs can speak of rights to land, land that has been stolen but cannot feel physical and emotional pain, and at the same time they steal the rights of human beings who have an enormous capacity for pain when limb is severed from body, father from mother, parents from children, life from death – forever. The land will remain, but it?will be?indelibly stained with the blood of the murdered and wounded.

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“KENYA IS MINE” is the latest motto for Kevin Sudi. Kevin?first introduced himself to me?after I had posted to the Facebook Village Volunteers’ group about my pending trip to Kenya.?He has been instrumental in working with the?Common Ground Program and as?part of Village Volunteers. He?works at a local level:

mainly with widows, teaching them organic farming, HIV/AIDS awareness and positive living, micro finance, entrepreneurship, nature conservation, and we also have a primary school catering majorly for orphans and other vulnerable children.

It is because of our communication that I chose to join forces with the Common Ground Program.

I?recently wrote?asking where?Kevin was, what has happened to Common Ground, and?what he thought might come next. My guess is that I?was just one?of many who had bombarded him with these questions. His reply was?an?informal mass email?written with anger, disallusionment and,?most importantly,?a?passionate sense of national pride and determination:?

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Linda Szeto?has been invited to write?a three part series on the situation in Kenya?at Eugene Cho’s blog, Beauty and Depravity.

• The first installment was posted today, 2008 January 10. It’s?a well researched, up-to-date, summary of?Kenyan events as reported?in the media world-wide.
• Tomorrow promises to present?a compilation of?Kenyan reactions from Linda’s friends and from various Kenyan blogs.
• The last will?feature an account of the emotional and political struggles of Linda’s friend and Village Volunteer host, Emmanuel Leina Tasur.

I look forward to reading on with great anticipation.

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My friend Linda,?a Village Volunteer, has?news from Kenya about people previously mentioned here. In her?blog,?Autosmiler, Linda?reports on?Emmanuel and Lillian, her host family from her trip last June:

I’d been supporting his campaign to be a Member of Parliament. I’ve included his harried email below. Emmanuel’s wife, Lillian, went into shock and they had to take her to the hospital. They are both recovering.

Presenting?a perspective unavailable through mainstream media, Linda offers Emmanuel’s own words:?

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The following is a portion of my acceptance letter from Village Volunteers sent August 24th.

Congratulations Kim,
We have reviewed your application and we are excited to offer you a spot in one of our partner rural village programs. I called after I read your application since you sounded wonderful… We are happy to work with you every step of the way to create a volunteer experience that is truly meaningful and full of wonderful people and heartfelt experiences. This is a big step and we understand the anxiety at choosing the right program for you. We do want you to know that once you are picked up at the airport, you will feel confident that your safety and well-being is a priority to us.

This letter gave me the greatest joy…?until?my conversation with Shana Greene, Village Volunteers’ Executive Director,?surpassed?every ounce of?excitement?I thought possible.?We spoke?for more than an hour about my goals and where I can best achieve them.?Already acquainting myself with?with?several volunteers on Facebook,?one specifically from?Kenya’s Common Ground Program,?Shana and I decided that this could be the perfect place for my stay. Not only will I be able to work with Kenyan families on the Memory Box Project, I may also be able?to continue this blog, albeit?with limited internet access.

One of my prime goals, aside from the obvious hands-on interaction, is to raise greater awareness.?This?blog?may offer a?window into?an?unfamiliar world while?offering the ultimate transparency?and insight into how donations are helping directly.

I look?forward to Christmas break when I can better focus on which supplies will best help the village and who to solicit them from. Aside from school and medical supplies, I hear Barrack Obama campaign materials are a hot commodity.

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Journaling on the train to Buffalo
(with additional web editorial)

Yesterday, I?stumbled upon?an organization called Village Volunteers?offering placements in?Ghana, Kenya, India and Nepal. This last destination raised my husbands eyebrows as he?envisioned the view of?Everest, but since I’m flying solo, I’m drawn more to Africa.??

When I graduated from high school, I dreamed of joining the Peace Corps. Now that I’m older and recently married, I find myself still wanting to explore the opportunity?but torn?about leaving for an extended period of time. I was thrilled to find that VV offered?a four week?mini-adventure. This I can manage.

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