University of Winnipeg student heads to Botswana

Posted by ian on December 6th, 2006

Hello,

My name is Ian Scott and I am a third year student in International Development and Religious Studies at the University of Winnipeg. I am going to Gaborone, Botswana as a social worker and will be working with the Sedibeng Community Education Centre. According to the description of the position on WUSC’s website, I will be enrolling Sedibeng students in various programmes, registering students and organizing workshops on related to life skills, HIV/Aids, employment preparation, etc. The position will serve as the required practicum for my International Development degree.

This position sounded like an opportunity to develop my logistical and people skills at the same time. I have some experience working with youth (volunteering with an after-school program for refugees, respite work for youth with disabilities) and opportunities like this one appeal to me. More generally, I want to do a placement in a developing country because I want to apply what I’ve learned in the past and I’m curious about new environments and challenges. I know that sounds very formal and cliché, but I really want to use the minimal experience that I have to my advantage. When I did Canada World Youth in Thailand three years ago, I learned things that I could do differently on a future journey overseas. For example, I think I have a better idea of how to accomplish personal projects and goals and the importance of watching, observing, listening and learning from others.

It’s difficult for me to specifically outline my expectations and hopes for my practicum at this time. I am reluctant to enter a relatively unknown environment with the impression that things should be a certain way. That’s not to say I don’t have some tentative hopes and expectations. I hope to make progress in learning the Setswana language, I want to take responsibility for my own learning and I expect to be relatively prepared to interact with others in a polite and appropriate manner.

I think I used far too many words in this blog that I would normally use in an IDS essay. My later blogs will probably have more substance because I will have learned more by then. I’m actually just going with the flow, trying to keep my marks up and finish the current semester before I go to Botswana. My first task, then, is to prepare and have fun doing it. None of this would be worth it if it wasn’t enjoyable and educational, and that’s one thing I can say for certain.

Posted in Botswana, Pre-departure, SWB