... but you should also research the weather.
I am still mentally, physically, intellectually, and emotionally reacting to the three weeks I spent in Zambia. To make a long story short, the only road to Mwape (the rural village where we were supposed to stay and perform water testing for two weeks) was completely flooded, so we were unable to make the trip. Instead, we spent more time in the capital city of Lusaka, where we: 1) met with government programs (the Agricultural Support Programme) and NGOs (Peace Corps, CARE), 2) visited orphanages, schools, compounds, and 3) tried to strengthen ties with the University of Zambia (UNZA) administration.
After this trip, I have some conflicting views on development work, humanitarian efforts and the motivation behind them, international aid, and globalization. Even before going, I thought and read about these issues often, but I think it is different now. It is one thing to understand a fact or condition (e.g. "In 2000, an estimated 73% of the population lived below the official poverty line") -- and I mean really to understand this fact intellectually -- and it is another thing to go somewhere and witness this fact living out its daily life. (Add to this the phenomenon of knowing that you knew so little and by extension still know so little, except now you are aware of how little you know. Conscious incompetence.)
As I reflect more on these issues, I will post my questions along with accompanying photographs, and invite you to comment with what you think.
For now, here are some photographs of our trip.
A legal compound a few kilometers outside of Lusaka.
A guesthouse, where foreigners often stay.
A school for 1000 1st through 8th graders, at least 70 of whom are parentless and sponsored by an NGO.
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
o yeah!
haha!
that's it lol
Posted by: Amjad on February 5, 2007
that wasn't the post i saw mins ago!!!!!
Posted by: Amjad on February 5, 2007
Posted by: Amjad on February 5, 2007
Posted by: Mitra on February 5, 2007
Posted by: Solomon on February 5, 2007
Posted by: Confused on February 5, 2007
Posted by: Confused on February 5, 2007
Posted by: Sueleyman on February 5, 2007
GYLC offers students the opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with some of the world's top business leaders, policy officials, lobbyists, journalists, diplomats and academics in the challenging and dynamic environments of Washington, D.C. and New York City or Vienna, Budapest and Prague."
Official Website / Contact CYLC
Posted by: José P. on February 5, 2007
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly aka Wandering Alba on February 5, 2007
But don't know how they got my address etc.....
And not only that, there's people to people future leadership program, the International Student volunteer program...etc .
So are you going there? Anybody?
I seriously wanted to go there, Alas, no financial support.
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly aka Wandering Alba on February 5, 2007
i have been nominated to, is there anyone who has already been to one and can share his/her experiences?
Posted by: reddy on February 5, 2007
oh,
and reddy, I went to NYLC last year. It's the same program but a different section. It was pretty cool. It occurs to me now that I kind of only went because I thought it might be a little interesting but would help on the college app...only I don't think I put it on any apps. Hmmm... it was really fun though, and educational at the same time. Much more fun than it sounds though.
Posted by: Elizabeth on February 5, 2007
n ya i too got d glyc thing...i guess they send it to everyone...Anyone planning to go???
Posted by: Anshu on February 6, 2007
Posted by: 0 on February 6, 2007
Posted by: Timothy on February 6, 2007
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly aka Wandering Alba on February 6, 2007
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly aka Wandering Alba on February 6, 2007
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly aka Wandering Alba on February 6, 2007
I honestly hope that you can get to terms with your trip to Zambia. Now that you know the relative poverty that a lot of people live in, you're more inspired to change the world around you! That's a good thing, yeah? So, use your amazing MIT knowledge to change the world for the better.
(Oh, and to lead to the GYLC thread weaving through the comments, a LOT of people get nominated for these things. I'd digress and say how the process works (roughly), but I'd rather not.. not at this time, anyways.)
Posted by: Michelle on February 6, 2007
Can anyone please inform me if we can submit the financial aid application through E-mail. Please reply quick to this one coz the deadlines approaching.
Posted by: Paritosh on February 6, 2007
Posted by: Paritosh on February 6, 2007
Posted by: m on February 6, 2007
Posted by: Solomon on February 6, 2007
Anyway, back to your post. It's true that when you really start experiencing something, instead of just reading about it (the theoretical aspect), your perspective is bound to change. You suddenly realise that actually facing something/living it makes you question what you already know. You also think to yourself how little you knew, and how little you know even now. Finally, you are left with even more questions than before, feeling more ignorant than ever.
And that's what I love about life! Knowing that there's always more to know, to discover. There's always something to find out about at the next turn, something to learn. I wouldn't want to live in a world where there were no more questions, where there was no more mystery, where all the puzzles had been solved. One of the things that makes me happiest is solving a riddle, a problem. It's my own little discovery, my reward after hours of frustration.
Blether Blether... Blether on Guyomar...
Posted by: Guyomar on February 6, 2007
Posted by: Mitra's mom on February 6, 2007
indeed Calculus is probably the easiest and the MOST INTERESTING part of 12th standard. I love solving calculus problems listening to my iPod. Its awesome fun man!!!...
Posted by: Paritosh on February 6, 2007
Posted by: Was-confused on February 6, 2007
Was-Confused, I won't be attending GYLC either. If it were an all-expenses paid trip, wonderful! But I can't really afford to go otherwise.
Posted by: Guyomar on February 7, 2007
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly aka Wandering Alba on February 7, 2007
Posted by: The madman who makes people fly on February 7, 2007
Posted by: bhushan lodha on February 7, 2007
Posted by: Dan on February 11, 2007
well ur name suggests that u r an indian.... if so cud u pls help me....
i am in india
i am about to enter my 12th grade...... i wish to get in to MIT... can u pls let me know that by when would i have to give my toefl..... and also my sat.... i would be thankful to u...
Posted by: Udit on February 11, 2007
Perhaps one day you could share some of that "conscious incompetence" with some of my seniors -- cycle some of that valuable knowledge back into society -- "planting seeds", as they say...
Sounds, looks exciting!
Posted by: TKD on February 14, 2007
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