International solidarity: see the world with new eyes

by Tanya Bousquet-St-Laurent
Social Studies student at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe

August 2006

I began studying Social Studies at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe in 2006. As a new student, I explored different activities I might be interested in. First, I joined the environmental club, preoccupied as I am with our planet's rather dismal future. Then, the headline International internships caught my eye. It was another of my interests. In fact, I'd already taken part in an international internship to Guatemala, when I was in secondary 4. It was a very enriching experience that created many great memories.

I joined a group of students from different programs, all wanting to take part in an internship abroad. I eagerly participated in the weekly meetings. A destination began to be defined: Mali, the 3rd poorest country in the world.

The Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe, which had already sent a group of students to Mali, had previously made contact with a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Mali, which would make organizing our work much easier.

We began establishing the goals of our internship with the organization, Kilabo. Our destination: the village of Nansala. The inhabitants of Nansala were struggling with environmental problems. We had to help build miniature dikes to prevent erosion. It was also important to ensure plant growth, especially for food. Because of these needs, we would also help plant mango trees in a miniature tree nursery. It was a project that coincided with my other concern: the environment.

Let's talk money… it's unavoidable. For the project to happen, each of the 10 students, as well as the 2 leaders, needed to raise $3,000. We had from January until May to raise the money. No time to lose!

We got to work and created a financing plan with personal goals (individual solicitation among each of our friends and families) and group goals (various fundraising activities: spaghetti dinners, selling chocolate, flowers for Valentine's Day, used books, crafts, etc.). For me, soliciting donations from organizations was a pretty new experience. I'm proud of the way I carried out my responsibilities and I feel that I've gained some confidence in the field of public relations.

May 2007

There we were, our visas and our plane tickets on hand, ready to leave. As an additional participant joined our group, we had the opportunity to visit a family from Mail who lived in Montreal. It was a great opportunity, and our first contact with Malians was very pleasant. We were able to learn a little more about the customs of their country and memorize a few useful words in Bambara, the local dialect. It was hardly an extensive vocabulary, but it was a start.

We were eager to set off. We took a first flight from Montreal to Casablanca (Morocco),then another flight to Bamako, the capital of Mali. We stayed in Bamako a few days, then after a group expedition, we arrived in the village of Nansala, where our host organization and families.

During the time I spent with the people of Nansala, what struck me was their sense of solidarity. These people had very few possessions, but it was wonderful to see how ready they were to put everything in common to overcome the slightest problem. They shared everything: the produce from their subsistance farming, the cotton they grew, etc. They had to scrimp to get by in dry seasons, when harvests were scanty. They didn't hesitate to set up a bank account in common and as soon as, for example, a child from the village fell ill and needed treatment, they immediately withdrew the money required. It was a learning experience for the North American individualists that we were!

Malians were a smiling people, welcoming, with whom I truly enjoyed living and sharing as much as I could despite the language barrier. In fact, the language barrier I faced (since I had a very limited knowledge of Bambara and few of the villagers spoke French) gave me the chance to learn to appreciate non-verbal communication. Without words, we can still have relationships with people. I smiled a lot during my stay in Nansala, fascinated as I was by all the discoveries I was making and by the cheerfulness of the people around me. By smiling, I projected an image of someone who can integrate well in another community. People smiled back at me easily and I felt as if we had carried out some form of conversation.

My trip seemed way too short. Three weeks later, in mid-June, I was already back in Quebec. My head filled with colours and emotions and my hair braided in hundreds of tiny strands, I was already dreaming of my next adventure.

In closing, I'd like to thank all the people and organizations, including the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec's Chrome program, who made this trip possible through their financial support. And happy travels to anyone who wishes to experience an international solidarity internship!