BP 2 - Service - GS

            I define service as an act of giving without necessarily asking for something in return. However, no service is one sided, because the person giving the service is often satisfied by the positive reaction of the person receiving the service and/or the qualities that they learned about themselves in the process. For the past 2 ½ weeks in Zambia, I have received many services from everyone that I have interacted with, and I hope that I have also provided a service for them.

            From my host family, I have gained insight on Zambian culture. My host aunt, Peggy, is often the one who prepares food, prepares baths, talks to us the most about our experiences here. She has told us very much about her life and also has taken us to the tailor to get our chitenges made. I would say a service that we give to her is watching Zee World, a channel with Indian soap operas, with her. Although we do not see our host mom or dad as much because they often work late, they engage with us as much as they can. For example, Chris took Lexi and I to his church last Saturday so we could experience it. He is the head of this program that the church is running to encourage church members to be more in tune with their religion. It allowed us the opportunity to see what the family does on the weekends and also get to know him better. Lexi gave Bupe the service of knowing the game of UNO and we play it almost every night. This game allows an exchange of service because all of us spending time with one another fosters positive experiences.

            From ActionAid, I have learned that performing a service does not always mean planning and then implementing the perfect solution. Generally, ActionAid’s role in overcoming injustices is supporting the local causes by partnering with them and collaborating solutions. Given that the local organizations are most knowledgeable about the problem, ActionAid helps to enable them to achieve their goals by assisting in removing any barriers.

            From this stand point, I am motivated to serve ActionAid, knowing that they acknowledge local needs. Grace and I’s project aims to provide a framework that would enable women to lead disaster/emergency situations because it has shown that women generally receive aid last and are the most affected emergency situations. These situations generally relate to climate changes issues like droughts or floods but can also be applied to the refugees coming in from the DRC. I am motivated to do this project because I want to support ActionAid’s work, but also, I know that I will learn a lot from our research. Everyone at ActionAid has welcomed us with open arms and I can tell that they are genuinely passionate about the work they are doing for their country. I measure service by the success of the person or group that has received the service. Although progress does not happen as fast as we would all want, small steps that can lead to a larger success that is more sustainable is the end goal.