Winnipeg to Southeast Asia to Sri Lanka

Posted by Devin Morrow on January 28th, 2010

As I write this, I’m sitting in an internet cafe in Hanoi, Vietnam, sorting out last minute paperwork in all sorts of time zones to figure out who has fax machines on at 4am in Canada. I’m Devin Morrow, and I’m trying to figure out how to get to Batticaloa Town, Sri Lanka, in three weeks, to begin my placement with the Youth In Transition Project there.

After I graduated from the University of Winnipeg in May 2009 with a 4-Yr Honours degree in Politics, I decided to take a year to travel. I headed to Southeast Asia, and after 6 weeks in Cambodia found an internship with LICADHO, the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, helping to edit the case studies of human rights abuses in the country, and write their 2008-2009 briefing report on Attacks and Threats Against Human Rights Defenders in Cambodia.

As I was working there, I learned about Students Without Borders from a friend at home, and applied for the internship with Youth In Transition, which, the day I finished my work with LICADHO and set out to do my final 5 weeks of travelling through Vietnam and Laos, I was offered.

As soon as I have my visa, I am Sri Lanka bound, where I will be working with war-affected youth in an evaluation and documentation capacity, examining the projects that exist for them, possibly resulting in the creation of a film.

I was drawn to this project for a number of reasons. I am fascinated and concerned by the challenges youth face in developing countries, which I previously discovered first hand while travelling in the Middle East, studying at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey in my 3rd year of university, working with new refugees and refugee claimants in Winnipeg’s inner-city over the winter of 2008 to 2009, and recently teaching English to primary school children in rural Cambodia. My recent work with LICADHO has only increased my enthusiasm and my commitment to development work – I am continually struck by the disparity between developed and underdeveloped nations, and how much we, as Canadians take for granted.

I know that this experience will help to further consolidate my commitment to development studies. I think youth are profoundly affected by their experiences – though surprisingly resilient – and I hope that my work with YITP will help me to understand that and help them in whatever capacity I can, which will certainly help me to learn more about myself.

I don’t know what to expect when I arrive in Sri Lanka, and it is always a challenge to learn about a new place with its customs and language and routines, but I am excited to start, and until then, to finish learning about the part of the world that I am in right now. Keep watching this space, and when I get to Batti, I’ll let you know!DM1

Posted in SWB

Comments

1. February 8th, 2010 by Caroline

This is great, Devin! We are thinking of, and loving you back home.

2. April 1st, 2010 by Nad

Hi Devin,
I am a Sri Lankan undergrad studying in the Windsor University. I hope to be in Sri Lanka this summer during the months of July and August. Please contact me if you need any assistance. Appreciate the work you are doing.

3. June 1st, 2010 by Randy Papuschuk

Your Dad& Mom were in my office yesterday. Informing me of your whereabouts. Wow! I am very proud of you Devin and believe you are definetly doing something that is such a positive impact in our ever so intersting world. I hear the heat is something else! Take care and all the best.

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