When and where did you volunteer abroad?

I volunteered abroad for a month in rural San Miguel Dueñas, Guatemala. Dueñas is an agricultural town with 4,000 school-aged children, only 50% of whom are able to attend school due to an inability to pay for bus fare or school supplies. Most of the families do not have access to running water or electricity.

What made you want to volunteer abroad?

I have always had a passion for learning about new cultures and international development. This trip was an incredible opportunity to combine both of these interests. While in Guatemala I had the opportunity to learn about Guatemalan culture by exploring coastal towns and the Mayan ruins and I was also able to contribute to the area I was volunteering in by teaching English classes, painting a learning center and rebuilding a school.

Did you participate in extra-curricular or social activities while volunteering abroad?

From salsa dancing and cave diving to horseback riding and hiking, the opportunities to get to know my teammates and explore the beautiful landscapes of Guatemala were endless. The social activities in Guatemala required a lot of physical stamina compared to the activities I partake in at home, but they were fun and enjoyable and helped shape the amazing experience I had abroad.

What is your number one tip for anyone hoping to follow in your footsteps?

My number one tip would be to take time to get to know the people in the communities you’re working in. Some of my fondest memories from my trip to Guatemala include the times I spent speaking with locals, playing with their children and helping them prepare meals. The locals I met not only opened my eyes to a new way of life but also provided me with insight on my own strengths and passions.

What international career skills did you develop?

While in Guatemala, my Spanish-speaking skills really improved! Being immersed in a fully Spanish-speaking community offered many opportunities to hear how words are pronounced and also practice speaking them. Children and parents alike were keen to help me improve my Spanish and were very gracious in teaching me new words and expressions.

What was the most important thing you learned while volunteering abroad?

The most important thing I learned while volunteering abroad was the importance of making the most of each and every day and being open to new experiences. I’ve brought this insight back with me, and find myself seeking adventure and meaningful experiences constantly!

What are your future plans for going abroad and for your career?

I’m planning to pursue a career in accounting and am hoping to continue to travel to build upon my business skills and interests in corporate social responsibility, microfinance and diplomacy.

Link to full story: http://www1.myworldabroad.com/sfaprofile/9752/giving-guatemala

In 2005, brothers and Me to We co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger teamed up with Canadian Living magazine to celebrate true heroes by creating the first ever Canadian Living Me to We Awards.

Now in its eighth year, the Canadian Living Me to We Awards shine the spotlight on ordinary Canadians making an extraordinary difference in the world—thinking less about me and more about we. Led by Canadian Livingeditor-in-chief Susan Antonacci, Craig and Marc Kielburger, and Me to We Director Russ McLeod, the Me to We Awards have brought dozens of extraordinary Canadian heroes into the public spotlight.

Salina Dharamsi of Vancouver has served as a World Vision Youth Ambassador in Rwanda and as a United Nations panellist working on disaster risk reduction in New York. She taught for three weeks in Guatemala, bringing more than 250 pounds of school supplies from her community to the country.

 

Hola from San Miguel Dueñas!

It´s a beautiful día here, and much like yesterday alot is happening here in Guatemala.

The boys have been working really hard at one of the local public schools here in Dueñas. There´s already a recongnizable improvement of la escuela`s condition with much love and effort invested into a variety of labor intensive projects like cementing, electrical work, and the replacing of los ventanas. Windows that aren´t broken are in the process of being cleaned with windex and newspaper.

Here at Ventanjas Abiertas las chicas have been continuing to paint the exterior of the foundation amarillo y blanco. We´ve been enoying singing songs from home (mostly Disney) while we paint both the walls and eachother. We´re also in the process of planning a group mural that we hope will bring furthur happiness into the lives of the amazing los niños we´ve met here.

In the tarde, we started our first session of structured activities. Us Canadians split into cuatro groups: singing, reading, physical education and soccer. Shawn, Shan, and I led the singing activities and taught the kids “head & shoulders, knees & toes” and el alphabeto song. They in turn taught us both these songs in Spanish.

Hope este blog gives you a glimpse into our lives here. It´s not alot like Canada, but sure has much to offer. Life here is simple and beautiful.

With a Guatemalan abrazo,

Salina Dharamsi
Developing World Connections
Volunteer Participant

In August of 2009, Salina Dharamsi ventured into the heart of Guatemala for three weeks to further expand her knowledge base of resource and trade based living.

This international service trip linked two organizations, Developing World Connections and The Open Windows Foundation. The project  took place in rural, San Miguel Dueñas, Guatamala. Dueñas is an agricultural town with 4,000 school-aged children of which only 50% are able to attend school due to an inability to pay for bus fare or a pen and notebook. For larger families, the sixth or seventh child or youngest girls are not encouraged to become educated. The average child completes only 5 and a half years of school and more than half fail 1st grade. Most of the families do not have access to running water and electricity.

“As a volunteer, I was part of a team that helped rebuild a run down, public school. We replaced broken windows, painted 6 classrooms & the exterior of the learning center, and installed electrical lighting circuits. I also played soccer, sang, read, taught English and math and provided homework assistance to the beautiful children of Duenas. ”

In Dueñas, Salina volunteered her time to physically help improve the appearance of the local youth shelter, school & library (by painting classrooms and the learning centre). Additionally, she had the opportunity to collaborate with other volunteers and to teach the children literacy, numeracy, leadership and health skills. She also learned about rural poverty issues, agriculture, nutritional development and urbanization by exploring local areas & integrating with local families. Her experience was further enhanced by exploring the rich, cultural heritage and diversity of Guatemala. She learned about the history of the Mayan people, local customs and the development of the Guatemalan economy, politics and trade.

After she left Dueñas, she spent time in a small river village just off of the Rio Dulce. There she danced, sang and played cards with beautiful and intelligent children who worked hard to live modestly off of the land.

Reflections:

There were two main challenges she faced while living in Guatemala:

One major challenge was how physically demanding the trip was. Although she is healthy and fit, this trip was certainly physically demanding. With her team she hiked the 2,250 meter Pacaya volcano,  embarked on The Semuc Champey El Mirador Trail & worked long hours in very hot weather.

The second major challenge was struggling with the poverty stricken villages she visited. The more time I spent with the children of Dueñas, the more I saw myself in their eyes and the more it pained me to think of how they too struggle with the human desire to feel loved, accepted and intellectually challenged. ”

“This trip really will remain with me forever. I think of the kids I met there every day. I keep their letters by my desk and whenever I have a second I flip through pictures of my trip and can’t help but smile. I know that in a little village in Guatemala there are children who are proudly wearing Canadian pins, and using school & health supplies and sports equipment that our team of 12 passionate young people fundraised. I know that these children are going to stay brave and with our help, and your help, break the cycle of poverty their families have been experiencing for much too long. Take a risk, venture somewhere you never dreamed of adventuring to, I can guarantee it will positively change the way you live and what you live for.”

Online: http://www.leverageyourimpact.com/2010/03/15/guatamala-childrens-program/

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