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Published: December 9th 2011
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As you all know by now, this week we celebrated VSO’s 50
thanniversary in Tanzania. On Thursday night, we were all invited to a cocktail reception at the Residence of The Canadian High Commission. It was a very nice evening.
We arrived early to set up the equipment to show the video I produced for VSO Tanzania. The Canadian High Commissioner, Robert Orr, greeted us at the end of the walkway. It was such a casual welcoming; just like one you would expect from a Canadian.
No fanfare, no attitude, just, “Hi. How are You? I’m Bob Orr.” What a great man. He is originally from St. Catharines, Ontario and he grew up with the Bobby Orr jokes. His wife, Judy, is a very sweet woman.
I knew most of you would want to see how the High Commissioner lives, so I asked him if I may take pictures of the grounds. He assured me it was all right and told me to make myself at home. I didn’t go in the house, but I took some of the property. Nice digs!
The rest of the evening went very well. There were speeches and the presentation of the
video... and then I had to speak on behalf of the Canadian VSO volunteers in Tanzania
Here is what I wrote... It is a little long, so if you don’t care about this part, scroll down now towards the bottom...
When I was asked to speak tonight on behalf of all the Canadian volunteers posted in Tanzania through Cuso International, at first, I was honoured. Then I quickly questioned if I would be the right person for this job. To speak for all 19 Canadians who have said good-bye to their families & friends and have travelled half way around the world is quite an undertaking and responsibility.
Our stories are as varied as our talents and our list of reasons for volunteering are long. Some volunteers are in Tanzania to put their skills to work before they start their careers back in Canada. Others have retired from their professions and are looking for ways to give back. And then there are those who are using this incredible opportunity to segue from one chapter of their lives into the next...
No matter the reason, each and every one of
us here tonight saw a need greater than our own and decided to act upon it.
Whether we were performing miracles in the operating room in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, watching creativity come to life in the classroom in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, or even producing television shows in Toronto, Ontario, we excelled at what we did and we hde the foresight and selflessness to know that our talents were needed elsewhere.
Living inTanzania has its ups and down. Some days, the highs can be greater than The Canadian Rockies and the lows can be deeper than the nickel mines in Sudbury, Ontario. But nevertheless, we are Canadian... we rise to the occasion when someone is in need.
When it comes to the area of education, American journalist, historian, and novelist Henry Adams once said, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” If I may so bold to update Henry’s quote tonight by saying... “A teacher affects eternity; he “
or she” can never tell where his
or her influence stops.”
And that is very true here, in Tanzania. If you speak to politicians
and community leaders, many will tell you that they had VSO volunteers in their classrooms when they were growing, giving them new ways of learn.
Imagine if you will, a Tanzanian woman who is not feeling well. She goes to her local hospital and is looked at by a volunteer doctor. A fifty pound uterine fibroid is discovered and she is operated on immediately. Today, that woman is healthy and is spending quality time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She has been given a new lease on life... or the young girl who stands up for herself and speaks out against wrongs that are being done to her... There are countless stories.... some successful some not, that resonate in our hearts and minds tonight. There will be new stories tomorrow and the day after that, where volunteers have made significant changes to people’s lives.
I have been here for only a short time, just five months... but being here has opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart in ways that I never dreamed possible. I have witnessed first-hand the hospitality of the Tanzanian people... And while I am here to train,
advise and help, I have also become a student.
Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned is that happiness does not come in the form of material things. It is the sense of community, family, and tradition that is most important. Today, I am a part of many families... there is my large family back home in Ancaster, Ontario, there is the family at Femina where I am doing my placement as a Television Production Advisor, and there is the VSO Tanzania family...
I cannot stand up here tonight and tell you what characteristics are needed to make a good volunteer, or for that matter, a good development organization such as VSO. There are no specific ingredients that go into the recipe of success. This is my first volunteering experience, and while I am still finding my way through the maze of volunteering, I have also thrown myself in full-heartedly... and I think the same can be said for every volunteer here tonight.
What I can tell you is that when you see a woman open her eyes after surgery and smile, or know that the light
bulb has gone on in a child’s mind in the classroom, or witness the sense of accomplishment by a local farmer when he is seeing his crops producing a bigger yield than ever before, then you know you are doing something right.
I will end tonight with a simple quote from a very complex man... And while the quote is short, the words will hopefully ring true for centuries to come...
Mahatma Gandhi said…
“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
I know, you’re all probably thinking, “God, he not only talks too much, he writes too much as well!”
Anyways, the night was great. People liked the speech and the video and the pressure was off me. I came though on all I promised and everything worked out perfectly.
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Will Symister
non-member comment
Listening
Me Speaking? Me Listening. Yeahhh Bobby.