Why did you apply to
be a part of the Overseas Evaluation Program? What advice would you give for
any prospective volunteers?
The Overseas Evaluation Programme is such a great initiative
for anyone who wants to volunteer and gain exposure to so many different NGO
fields. I must say that I got a whole lot more than I had bargained for!
Volunteering actually served as an evaluation of myself and my personal goals
as well as a re-evaluation of my home country, Zimbabwe.
To anyone who is considering volunteering through this
program I would say DO IT!! It truly is a great way to learn while being a part
of something bigger than yourself.
Your visits to
Zimkids and The Island Hospice must have offered contrasting insights into the
hope and despair involved in grass roots initiatives. How has your trip
influenced your perceptions of charity work?
For starters I really thought I knew it all before my
project visits. I thought I knew exactly where I wanted to go and what I wanted
to do. I couldn't have been further from the truth. I understand that the need
is often much greater than initially perceived.
Zimkids and Island Hospice were definitely two extreme
contrasts. I absolutely loved Zimkids. It was my first project visit and I
enjoyed spending my days with the children. The center is a much needed escape
from the reality of home life – kids are allowed to be kids; to have fun. However,
at the opposite end of the spectrum my time spent at Island Hospice was
extremely solemn. I got an understanding of how great a need there is, and how
grassroots projects are really pulling at their bootstraps to offer support. As
is the case with Island Hospice, donor funds can significantly decrease without
warning and this can drastically affect your work. Global Giving is already
assisting in these areas through providing much needed training for all their
project partners and this is a great help. The opportunity to learn from peers
from all over the world doing similar work is truly infallible.
You say in your blog
that you wanted to contribute to the country that raised you. What have been
your impressions on returning to Zimbabwe?
Returning to Zimbabwe was marked with a lot of mixed
feelings. Of course it was great to come back home after so long but things
were not exactly as I had imagined. Being in England exposed me to so many
things including a functioning health care system that’s virtually free to
everyone, a functioning transport system that is efficient and can actually be
trusted and an education system that’s in an exceptional class of it’s own. All
of these elements are things that have long since deteriorated in Zimbabwe.
Good health care is only for those who can afford it, the public transport
system is a nightmare and the standards for primary, secondary and tertiary
education in government institutions leave a lot to be desired. Coming face to
face with the stark differences was painful and with each encounter I kept
asking myself, “Why?” and “What can I do?” It hasn't been easy to take in and
there is a lot that needs to be done. I've been left with a lot more questions
than answers but still believe that I have a role to play in building a better
Zimbabwe and I am even more determined to do so one way or another. I love my
country.
What has been
particularly exciting about your trip so far? Have there been hardships?
Although I grew up in Zimbabwe, Global Giving has led me to
explore cities and villages that I otherwise would never have discovered. I
have experienced first-hand different Zimbabwean languages and cultures. It was
amazing to go out into communities where I was a ‘foreigner’ and I really
enjoyed meeting so many different people with such diverse and unique stories
to tell. Although I spent just one week with each project I have made friends
that I will be in touch with for years to come and I have engaged with
inspirational leaders that have become pivotal to my future development. As a
result one of the hardest things for me was having to leave each project at the
end of the week. I very easily got attached to all my projects and their work
and felt there was always more I could have done to help had I had the time and
resources.
One critical hardship was slow internet connectivity here in
Zimbabwe. It makes it very difficult to effectively and efficiently use Global
Giving as it is an online platform. I feel the majority of my projects were not
able to and will not be able to benefit fully from Global Giving as a result of
this.
I am so excited about Global Giving and I would love to see
more grassroots projects in Zimbabwe becoming Global Giving partners.
XoXo
Chido Dziva Chikwari
No comments:
Post a Comment