I am writing this blog post for the many Canadians who frequent this site, just as I did even before becoming a part of the mentorship network. It is a privilege to be able to share my thoughts with you as a fellow Canadian who cares deeply about our Earth, and about the challenges we as citizens of this planet are facing today.

Earlier this year, I spent a few weeks in Guatemala, where I  met a member of the Garifuna tribe. When he found out that I was Canadian, he mentioned that, for years, his people have been struggling and that only Canadians have ever come with aid. I felt humbled to be so welcomed, but my feeling of security ultimately was due to the actions of other Canadians who had provided a path for me to be able to travel to such places with nothing but a big heart and a backpack.

To have that path paved for me was such a blessing; my way of showing thanks to the Canadians who ventured into the poverty-stricken areas of Guatemala before me, was to try and make a path myself. My few weeks in Guatemala gave me the opportunity to spend time singing, reading, playing and encouraging young Guatemalan children to keep learning despite the difficulties they may face. I brought Canadian pins with me to give out, along with much-needed school supplies and health products. On the last day I spent working in that impoverished, agricultural area, almost all of the children were wearing their Canadian maple leaf pins with an immense amount of pride. Their gratitude from the heart was not only for my team, but also for the country we as Canadians call home. I hope that, when more Canadians travel to this rural area, they will follow the path I paved, as a starting point of trust between them and the children and families they will not only meet, but grow to love as their own.

Being in Ottawa with Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean and with this year’s program mentors and mentorees was both a humbling and energizing experience. It was an absolute honour to hear and share stories of triumph from fields as diverse as international economic development, Aboriginal rights, and accessibility for disabled citizens. Her Excellency, the mentors and mentorees alike have given not only of their knowledge, but also their time, for a better Canada.

To me, enjoying the privilege of “being Canadian” is about appreciating the paths that have been paved for you and creating a path for others to follow. I hope we, as young people today, continue to make the differences we have been making, so that future generations of young people will have opportunities to build on our change, locally and globally, for years to come.

Yours,

Salina Dharamsi
Mentee 2009

Online: http://www.gg.ca/cvedc/en/blogs/rideau_hall/357.html

Hilda, Salina and Josué enjoy playing together after lunch!