Student experiences

Katie Gingerich: 3rd year PACS student
Where: New Hamburg, ON
Internship: 3 months as camp pastor; teaching peace curriculum to kids age 8-16
Organization: Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp

Stephanie Myers: 4th year PACS and Legal Studies double major
Where: Oakville, Ontario
Internship: Working two times a week at the Women's Centre on various projects such as an environmental scan of the Halton region, marketing, and administrative tasks.
Organization: Halton Women's Centre

"I decided to pursue an Internship because I wanted to explore possible career options; I was considering doing my masters in Social work and wanted some experience in the field before I applied to the program.  I have volunteered abroad previously and wanted more experience with social services here in Canada. Without this experience I would not have given my future career options much thought; it  provided me with a much needed boost to consider what I really want to do and what interests me."

Catherine Duncan
Where: Timmins, Ontario
Internship: Working with MCC to repair relationships between the broader Canadian society and Aboriginal peoples thorugh inter-cultural dialogue, advocacy, and community building support. 
Organization:MCC's Aboriginal Neighbours Program

Jonathon Schmidt: Environment and PACS
Where: Timmins, Ontario
Internship: Worked on issues of natural resource development and conflict, environmental clean-up, and economic justice. Organization:MCC and Mushkegowuk Council

"My internship in Timmins, Ontario with Mennonite Central Committee and Mushkegowuk Council showed me how little I know about life in northern Ontario, especially life in the First Nation communities in the North. My education in environmental studies and peace and conflict studies found a welcome home as I worked on issues surrounding natural resource development and conflict, environmental clean-up, and economic justice. I left my internship with an eagerness to learn more about northern Ontario. This semester I'm enrolled in a Canadian studies course entitled Current Issues in Native Communities in Canada; I'm looking forward to continuing my learning about Aboriginal issues in Canada."

Cole Atlin: PACS / Environment and Resources Studies Joint Major
Where: London, Ontario
Internship: Four month internship; Assisting to design a conflict resolution course and conducting research on the challenge of developing new governance arrangements with aboriginal peoples. 
Organization:Community Mediation Services at the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Law

Adam De Sousa: PACS Major
Where: St. John's, Newfoundland
Internship: Coordinating the Pedal for the Planet Event in Newfoundland and assisting on their Climate Chane and Women's Rights campaign. 
Organization: Oxfam

"I'm currently working on their new national campaign entitled Climate Change and Women's Rights. So far for the past three weeks I have been given the task of coordinating (with people of different regional environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs)) this nation-wide event called Pedal for the Planet. I'm basically coordinating the Newfoundland leg of the event, which seeks to gain support from Canadians all throughout the country in pushing the government to sign a new climate deal in Copenhagen in December. People will be cycling across Newfoundland and then meet up with the Nova Scotia leg, which will then meet up with Quebec, and then meet Ontario in Ottawa on September 20 for the re-opening of parliament. We're scheduled for a July 3rd kick-off date here in St. John's, the same date that Vancouver will be kicking off onas well. It's really good experience so far. Working in an NGO is interesting. I find that I am always learning new things, both good and, maybe, not so good!"

Denise Whaley: PACS Major

Where: Waterloo, Ontario
Internship: Working with the Sunnydale Community Centre to provide English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, Focus for Ethnic Women, the Healthy Lifestyles group, Job Connect and an at-risk youth group. 
Organization: House of Friendship

"[I want to] become more familiar on a more meaningful level with the socioeconomic, ethnic, immigration and other factors that contribute to community conflict, and the poverty cycle."

Amanda Poste
Where: Downtown Eastside Vancouver, British Columbia
Internship: Project intern
Organization: Praxis

"Overall, my summer was a success! My experiences as the Praxis project intern have been quite stretching. It was interesting and wonderful to have the opportunity to serve and live in solidarity with the poor in a North American context… This held unique challenges and joys. Most of all, this summer was a lesson for me in faith. Faith that there is hope, even in the midst of despair, brokenness and pain."

Karsten Cheng
Where: ​Cabrera, Dominican Republic
Internship: 4 months, working at a school and helping to run a summer camp for the children there.
Organization: The Esperanza (Hope) Project with St. Jerome's Beyond Borders

"This organization was "born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary education and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment" (Esperanza Project, n.d.)"

Rebekah DeJong: 3rd year PACS student
Where: ​Perequin, El Salvador
Internship: 11 months as teacher's assistant; working at a day care creating lessons, activities, and crafts as well as maintaining cleanliness and order in the classroom for ages 3-6. 
Organization: SALT Program with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) 
Blog: http://mi-aventura-en-el-salvador.blogspot.ca/

"I pursued an Internship because I wanted to travel, have new experiences, meet new people, explore a new culture and learn outside of a textbook. I can safely say without hesitation I have done every one of those things and I am only 2 months in! My Internship has been an awesome opportunity to use and share knowledge acquired in the classroom and has opened my eyes to learning in a whole new way."

Leah Reesor
Where: ​Kingston, Jamaica
Internship: 11 months working with the Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) and participating in the local mennonite church. 
Organization:  (SALT Program with Mennonite Central) 

"The last few days, I’ve been visiting the prison where the Haitian refugees are being held and doing interviews. Today my coworker and I interviewed 7 people between us, going from about 10:30-2 with no breaks. Today was especially intense for me because I did my own interpretation as I interviewed. I couldn’t always understand right away, but by asking a lot of questions and repeating back what I understood them to be saying, I got through the interviews. I was surprised that I could actually do it."

Diana Contreras: ​4th year Spanish and Latin American Studies, Specialization in Spanish-English Translation / PACS minor
Where: Chiclayo, Peru
Internship: ​4 month intern, working with small-scale coffee producers and responsible for translating materials for PROASSA (Promoters for Sustainable Agriculture S.A.), a coffee exporting company and co-founder of the Café Femenino Initiative
Organization: Café Femenino (through Beyond Borders)

"I worked closely with an organization whose primary goal is to improve the livelihoods of small-scale coffee producers and their families. Café Femenino is a brand of coffee produced entirely by women, created to provide women with the opportunity to improve their economic rights and their social conditions within the northern rural areas of Peru. Through this experience, I learned about the challenges that organizations, such as PROASSA (Café Femenino), face and the possible solutions that may be implemented."

Emily Mininger: 4th Year PACS student
Where: Urubamba, Peru
Internship: 4 months as a volunter, teaching reproductive health at a local high school
Organization: Nexos Voluntarios

"I went to Peru to discover if I wanted to continue pursuing a career in working with an NGO overseas, and my field study definitely gave me insight into what that career path would look like. Through this program, I was able to learn more about issues facing NGOs working internationally, the specific issue of reproductive health and the challenges faced by Peruvian youth,"

David Neufeld
Where: Guatemala
Internship: Studied Spanish at a language school in Guatemala City and visisted local villages, co-ops, and other important cultural sites. In the last month, David also worked at the Centro de Atención al Migrante, a center that deals with migration issues.
Organization: Central American Study and Service (CASAS)

"I feel lucky to have a chance to interact with interesting and friendly people and learn quite a bit about something I am interested in, all the while practicing my Spanish. My work so far has consisted of updating the periodical clippings library.

The challenge seems to be the ability to maintain the essential part of who I am while being able to adapt and fit into a new culture, language and way of thinking. And the great part is that with each day and each new word I learn, I am able to reveal myself and understand the people here better."

Megan Shore
Where: Guatemala

"One of my greatest experiences with the PACS program was my internship in Guatemala. It took the academic and theoretical training of the classroom and applied it to the practical experience of living in Guatemala at the height of the civil war. It laid the spark for my passion to study the role of religion in conflict and peace, as well as laid the groundwork for the topic of my PhD, and my first book, which focuses on the role of religion in the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa."

Her book is entitled: Religion and Conflict Resolution: The Role of Christianity in South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Ashgate, 2009)

Kristina Bartold: 4th year PACS/SPCOM student
Where: Ternopil, Ukraine
Internship: 4 months volunteer; worked with young women with physical and mental disabilities.
Organization: "Petryky Internat​" Orphanage (through Beyond Borders) 

"My work environment was a very positive and loving one, but one that was very challenging to be a part of day in and day out. I struggled with the fact that many of these women would never receive a proper education and be able to break out of their situation. However, I made some amazing and unexpected relationships on my Internship, just because I was open to my surroundings and ready to learn."

Katiana Konig: ​4th year INDEV major/PACS minor
Where: Malawi
Internship: ​Program assistant; set up a special needs class at the primary school and working with a women's craft union.
Organization: Dzekala Refugee Camp (Through WUSC)
Blog: www.isaiahoneseventeen.ca

"Some of the funniest experiences here are on the road; sitting in a cramped minibus trying to get on and off the pot-hole-filled roadway, tipping to a nearly 45 degree angle and wondering if the bus will be able to straighten out before it tips or riding in a taxi with a driver who believes that the goats will get off the road before he hits them but then has to slam on the brakes because they don't move unless you honk. There are more, but I'll stop there because you should come experience it for yourself!"

Rachel Krueger: 3rd year PACS student
Where: Lusaka, Zambia
Internship: 1 year as Peace Clubs Coordinator; developed and managed an after-school club about peace, violence, and conflict resolution
Organization: SALT Program with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)

"Often in peace work, things rarely go according to plan, but it is in those times of question and vulnerability that surprising growth can happen. Through my Internship, I learned how to be more adaptable to the world around me. 

Being the only white person or “mazungu” in a densely populated city was hard. It sometimes felt like there was a spotlight shining on me that I couldn’t turn off for an entire year. You eventually develop some self-defense tactics to make yourself more resilient towards harassment, and learn how to joke around with people who are just genuinely curious about you. But it was definitely a learning curve for me!"

Jenna Bott
Where: Mbuya, Kampala, Uganda
Internship: Volunteer in the Operation Child Support Program where orphans and vulnerable children are supported through counseling, school fees, and clubs.
Organization: Reach Out Mbuya (through Beyond Borders)

"Education is so important. I was working with social workers and I found I needed more skills to do what I really wanted to do to help. At times it was frustrating, but helped me realize I wanted to pursue a Masters in Social Work."

"My trip to Africa was a life-altering experience that has awakened me to my responsibility as a global citizen to try with all of my being to dedicate my every action to improving the world. I now see that even in Canada I can be part of AIDS prevention and care, if I only take the time to look for the opportunities. While in Africa, I saw people live through hardship that I could never imagine; through war, violence, discrimination and disease. The deepest lesson that has been imparted on me is that there is hope. The women that I worked with lived every day for hope of a change tomorrow for their children. I realized also that my education is a tool that I can use to prepare myself for helping people, and since I have come back, I am more focused in my studies. Overall, I am grateful for the chance I had to learn from these women what the true meaning of strength is, and to see how beautiful the human spirit is in the midst of difficulty. I will never be the same person, and Africa will always be in my heart."

Kiara Elliott
Where: Tanzania
Internship: Human rights intern; researched human rights issues, such as Female Genital Mutilation, and promoted micro-enterprise projects
Organization: Inherit Your Rights

"I learned the importance of open mindedness and non-judgment in development. Some of these issues are incredibly hard to grapple with, but it is necessary to understand context and how their experiences or lack of experience has impacted their lives and culture."

Katrina Draper: 2nd year Peace and Conflict Studies and Political Science 
Where: Kigali/Kyboya, Rwanda
Internship: 9 weeks working with street children, in a refugee camp, and with local businesses to develop job creation
Organization: International Teams

"I went to Rwanda after years of researching the events that happened in 1994, so getting the chance to work in Rwanda was amazing. The country has done, and is doing, an effective job of rebuilding after the genocide. I learned how much effort the country has put into working through the tragedy of 1994 in order to bring about reconciliation, forgiveness and a strategy to make sure that this event is never repeated. 

  Communication with those living in Rwanda was a challenge. Since the local language of Kinyarwanda is hard to learn. To hear stories of the genocide, I wanted people to be free to speak in their heart language and so that required the help of a translator, but it was frustrating to know that something was always lost in translation. It was easier as time went on because I learned to communicate in other ways."

Kathryn Deckert
Where: Rwanda
Internship: Develop political capacities of the poor, particularly women and hopes to develop a manual to assist future international volunteers
Organization: Friends Peace House

"I really need to stress that much of what I experience here in Kigali, and this country as a whole, is very positive. Most of the people I've met here are really generous, welcoming, and filled with hope for their country's future. People are proud to be Rwandan and so they should be, it is amazing to see how much this country has accomplished since the war. One of the biggest surprises I have experienced after arriving here is how safe I feel. Normal precautions aside, I sometimes feel safer than I do in some parts of Toronto."

Madeline Charnuski
Where: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Internship: 11 months living in a boarding house for disadvantaged children. In the mornings, she did administrative work for a Mennonite Central Committee partner organization, Project Gateway and her afternoons tutoring the children at the barding house.
Organization: SALT Program with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)

Chaylene Grieve-Saunders
Where: Cameroon
Internship: Works with Ubuntu, an organization based out of North Bay, Ontario. Her internship involved doing administrative and planning work as well as leading a group to their community partner in Cameroon for two weeks.

"The term “Ubuntu” is an African concept that embodies the belief we share: a person is a person through people. As we see it, we are not offering charity but rather support so that others may achieve some fundamental human rights - clean water, health, education, a sustainable income.  

The main areas that Ubuntu works on are: health, education and sustainability. Currently we are focusing our efforts in the area of health, specifically, water quality, sanitation and hygiene. Lack of clean water, poor sanitation and hygiene, and diarrhea caused by these factors, are major contributors to the high morbidity and mortality rates in children under 5, and clearly, also affect the wellness of adults.

When planning our projects, we always strive to ensure that they are completely sustainable - the community must be able to get all the supplies locally, be able to build and maintain the equipment, etc. We also aim to engage in projects that have growth potential outside of our involvement so that the people we work with aren't forever dependant on our resources or financial support.

The education component involves sharing all the information with the villagers so that they understand the initiatives, are comfortable with them, and are able to sustain them. In many of the areas in which we work, the literacy rate is quite low; all of our 'how to' information has been put in pictorial form to ensure that all villagers are able to access the information and follow the steps to ensure the projects' success."

Patrick MacInnis
Where: Ugunja, Kenya
Internship:Worked on a case studies project of sponsored high-school students to monitor their performance.
Organization: Ugunja Community Resource Centre (UCRC)

"I have kept a number of ties with the Peace Sports Academy project, of late we have been clearing the field which they are to use for sports. It is currently not very suitable because of scrub and trees and an uneven field, so we have slashed the scrub, filled in holes, and removed trees, as well as leveled some small hills. I am very much hoping to start on a hand-washing project which I will still continue with even when I have come home. It is more of an awareness campaign than anything, and I will be teaching hand-washing to the staff of the UCRC as well as to that of the health centre which is partnered with the centre.

I spend my after work time either reading or with the family of Aggrey Omondi (the director of UCRC and my host), which is where I take my meals as well. I also sometimes go on trips to the city of Kisumu on weekends. It has definitely been a fantastic time here, and I am sad to say it is drawing to a close."

Nicole Heaney
Where: Kosoa, Ghana
Internship: Peace education and training of peace cell leaders in the Buduburam Refugee Settlement
Organization: Global Volunteer Network

"My first impressions were nothing like I expected. I think I was preparing myself for the worst, especially in terms of culture shock, but everything has been going quite smoothly. The Liberians in the camp are very friendly and have made me feel very welcome. I think the most challenging thing so far is dealing with the pace things move here. Everything moves very slowly in Africa which is very frustrating for Westerners since we are so used to busy schedules and knowing what's going on at all times! I also hope more volunteers sign up for Population Caring Organization through Gobal Volunteer Network. It really is a great program and I already feel like I have learnt so much."

Devina Lookman

Where: Uganda

Internship: Project Manager on the International Consultant team working on the Maternal Medical Kit.

Organization: Fullsoul

"Working for Fullsoul changed my life because this internship gave me a real glimpse of what peace-building on an International Development level looks like. Many times in this sphere of work, there is a glamorization about working abroad for a short-term. My day-to-day looked a lot like figuring out logistics for my team, and the bigger picture accomplishment included securing a huge global grant for Fullsoul. Working and living in an entirely new and remote place for 90 days really uncovered the not-so-good along with the really-good parts about being an international representative of a non-profit for a long-term. It taught me the weightiness, urgency and importance of sustainability in any kind of work like this."

Cassie Mathies
Where: Bethlehem, West Bank
Internship: 4 months with the Palestine Summer Encounter program, volunteering with a local NGO and living with a host family, while studying Arabic.
Organization: Holy Land Trust and the Middle East Fellowship

Marianne Popovacki
Where: Jerusalem, Israel
Internship: Communicating with victims of terror and supporting them in various areas and settings to help establish and promote peaceful relations.
Organization: One Family Fund - Helping Israel's Victim's of Terror

"My interest in the land of Israel and its people has been at the heart of my desire to do an internship there. Such an urgent need for unity in a place where the premise of conflict resides and ongoing strife prevails. Spending time at One Family in October and December 2007 had such a profound influence on me. Resonating within me were the voices of the victims expressing gratitude toward those people (workers and volunteers) who have been instrumental in their healing process. They felt indebted to One Family for being such an integral part in rebuilding their shattered lives. It is in these very moments that I knew I wanted to return to Israel to work within such an organization instilling peace, restoration and forgiveness. Also, I will be attending the Hebrew University for a course in Trauma and Resilience: Theory and Practice from an Israeli Experience, a field study component involving a visit to the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzlia. As a part time student employed with the Canadian Cancer Society, I am grateful to my workplace for granting me a leave of absence to fulfil my educational pursuits abroad."

Tarama Lewis
Where: Turkey
Internship: learning about the condition of human rights in Turkey and participating in the organization's daily activities, such as meetings, clientele visitations, and report filing.
Organization: Isan Haklari Dernegi (IHD) aka the Human Rights Association of Turkey

Fatima Ahmed
Where: Vanuatu
Internship: Taught computer skills, set up a computer lab, and wrote proposals. She also worked with women leaders to help increase their representation in future elections. Read Fatima Ahmed's blog!
Organization: Vanuatu National Council of Women

"Truly, this entire experience has been nothing short of amazing... In fact, amazing is an understatement. Perfect is more like it. Even at times when it gets oh-so-lonely, it only means that I’m able to truly appreciate how long an hour is, or how long a day really is. To realize that; to realize that there are these small droplets that we readily waste away; to realize that these droplets can be used here and there to work on long-awaited self-improvement projects; to realize how much family truly means to us; to realize that our life goals and dream jobs aren’t exactly as “dreamy” as we had anticipated or imagined; to realize that no matter what you dream of, when that dream turns to reality, it is less glamorous, less perfect and more “real” with a lot of those minor details that we don’t, and possibly can’t, daydream about; lastly, to realize that all those realizations are only possible when you're not surrounded by those you love or you can freely interact with."

Rosabeth Koehn
Where: Vietnam
Internship: Editor for the Vietnamese National Committee for the Advancement of Women and the Gioi (World) Publishing House and writing intern for Mennonite Mission Network. Read Rosabeth Koehn's blog!
Organization: Mennonite Central Committee

Sarah Jutzi
Where: Nepal
Internship: as a member of the on-campus student organization called University of Waterloo International Health Development Association, Sarah worked on youth mobilization in conflict resolution with a team of two others.
Organization: Environment and Child Rights Protection Centre (ENPROC)

Jessica Reesor
Where: Laos
Internship: story and report writer for MCC, researching a land mine removal project and analyzing the role of interfaith and intercultural dialogue ; taught English at a local community centre. Read Jessica Reesor's blog!
Organization: Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)

"In an unexpected addition to my job description, I am now becoming highly involved in MCC Laos' team of young peace educators. This is a brand new initiative and so progress is slow, both in terms of waiting for funding to come through and in terms of defining who we are as a team, and what it is we’re setting out to accomplish. “What is peace?” is a question we wrestled with at a recent meeting. Language barriers aside, peace is a very flexible word and it must be put into context if it is to have any meaning at all. And so I launched into an explanation of “negative peace” as the absence of war and direct violence, and “positive peace” as the presence of justice and over all well being."

Steven Rempel
Where: Mymensingh District, Bangladesh
Internship: teacher and program developer in schools in the district, particularly for English and a Peace and Conflict Resolution program. Read Steven Rempel's blog!
Organization: Mennonite Central Committee

"It looks like challenges are going to be starting right off the bat, as much of Bangladesh is submerged by flooding at the moment and over 5 million people have been displaced. Who knows how that will affect my position but I'm sure with over crowdedness and homelessness, violence will be high and teaching conflict resolution may be necessary."