Reflections from Southern Africa
From January 7-February 11, the FIUTS Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) on Civic Engagement is taking place in Washington DC, New Orleans, and Seattle. This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, brings 20 university students from Southern Africa to the U.S. to learn about civic engagement and develop strategies for creating positive change in their home communities.
Below, read blog posts from five participants reflecting on their first couple of weeks in the U.S.!
Humility begets greatness, this reality struck when I got of a school bus at the Lower 9th Ward Living Museum in New Orleans. What welcomed me were small houses intricately woven together in a neighborhood. You can imagine my disappointment and shock when I discovered that one of these was the museum. If I had my own own way honestly, I would have remained glued to my initial steps avoiding by all means coming into close proximity with that house. Unfortunately I did not have control over this and had to straddle along with the rest of the 2017 SUSI Participants.
As I stepped into the Lower 9th Ward Museum I experienced transformational change. The first thing that overwhelmed me was the rich and profound history of the Hurricane Katrina preserved inside. The meticulous photographs and original transcripts of people telling their story made me re-live the moment. I can not contain the feelings of remorse and guilt for my initial judgmental and disrespectful attitude. Moving from one narration to another in the three exhibition rooms taught me the first lesson - non-judgmental attitude and RESPECT. A virtue I will always conform to for life in all my social interactions.
The museum testifies what community action can yield. Local citizens used resources that were within their reach and combined efforts to have such a beautiful museum. After Katrina struck they refused to be stricken, from the destruction they united in construction, from the stress they got to press on and from tears of loss they have managed to host, not only fellow Americans, but other people like myself from far away lands in Zimbabwe. Wealthier than I was at first, I stepped out of the museum with a non-judgmental attitude and respect for all complimented by an appreciation of the power of indigenous people uniting to re-build their neighborhood.
-Tapiwa Simango, Zimbabwe
A wonderful experience that easily becomes timeless in anyone's life, the cold climate of Washington DC was easily warmed up with the incredible emotions experienced in places such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Newseum, in which I was able to travel back in time and learn about the history of black Americans, their struggle to achieve equal rights and realize the importance of reporting events to achieve significant changes.
And then a climate change that reminded me of Angola, my country in times of "Cacimbo," New Orleans at its best struck my heart with its history and with its people willing to achieve glory with a smile on the face itself after having experienced the worst. Together they found ways to get around the situation that the Hurricane Katrina left them as well as I observed when visiting the Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum and hearing what each person in the city had the best to share, together they did not give up what was theirs, together they found strength to rebuild.
Two places that made me lose notion of the year I am at that moment and that have awakened a sense of connection around history, strategy, strength, love, unity and certainly hope! Hope for a chance, hope to attain the reality of the true meaning of the word "live."
-Erickson Carvalho, Angola
The Washington DC Tour was really our first experience through Washington and how beautiful it really is. The political city has LOTS of people with suits EVERYWHERE and that’s an interesting thing, work focus! It was a night tour on a big bus with a very cool tour guide that was like funny and interesting at the same time.
The tour showed us all the “A Things” in the city, I’m talking about White House, Martin Luther King Monument, The Capitol, and all the super interesting stories that all of them have and seeing wonderful things like these and actually knowing the impact and importance they hold is inspiring in many different ways and it was an unreal experience to get to see all this famous monuments that I’ve only heard so much about.
It was a lot of fun and kind of strong cause we were on our first days and it was SUPER cold and I wasn’t ready for that but I just found the courage to get out of the tour bus and go listen to the stories and information about all those amazing monuments, and it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!!
I’ve learned a lot and just loved it all, it was a fun, cool and interesting journey throughout the city and it was actually a dream coming true for me, for the first hours I was like “am I really here?” and it was funny to just be there with all the at the time new people, friends and colleague.
It was the beginning of an amazing new experience that I’m just loving!
-Manuel Pinto, Angola
On the Martin Luther King Day, together with our SUSI ambassadors we were divided into groups to go and offer voluntary work in different nonprofit making organizations in Seattle. I was honored to be part of the group that went to volunteer at an organization called Soulumination. I experienced joy throughout the day because I had a positive voluntary experience in Seattle as our act will be remembered as Southern Africans.
Soulumination is a nonprofit making organization that voluntarily takes professional pictures of children and parents suffering from life‐threatening conditions as a way of celebrating their lives. Their vision is to provide a loving legacy for the children parents lost to illness. When I heard that we were going to a photography organization, I thought I was going to play the role of an assistant to a photographer. Assisting him/her to take pictures and ensure that I assisted the photography in with all other general functions when required to do so throughout the day. However, it was completely different. My time in America has thus far taught me that to keep an open mind and having an attitude of enthusiasm, will add much value and understanding to me as an individual. And the journey has definitely been enriching.
Upon our arrival, I didn't see any shooting equipment and I kept wondering what we were going to do for the organization. We were warmly welcomed by a lady who later gave us instructions on how we were going to work together. She then told us that we were going to make Thank‐ you card, gifts, bi‐ folds and tri‐folds photo albums amongst other items. I felt I wasn't competent and skilled enough to play such an integral role in and was left in awe at how the lady was comfortable with entrusting us as a group with the making of something as important and special as those items. It only occurred to me later on that the space that I was in was allowing me to cultivate my strengths as well as developing a new skill so that I can go back into my community and use this resource to make a positive contribution to the lives of my fellow community members.
The experience was rewarding as I gained new and transferable skills. I learned that in America everyone’s input and presence is valued and appreciated. I felt so important and proud of myself for finishing the task that was allocated to me and I now appreciate team work because I realized that everyone is equally important. I had a hands‐on experience as I was cutting the wrapping papers and some of my group members were gluing and folding. The joy of achieving our intended goal was so liberating as I would see myself involved in the process from the start up to the end of the product. The most amazing thing is that we were working together with the lady who oriented us which was different from my previous experiences where by when you are volunteering you work alone throughout.
Above all, I felt so liberated that I tried something new and it turned out to be a success. It was a great time to commit our energy to the community while building my personal skills. It was a life changing experience as friendships were established and networks expanded.
-Buhle Nkomo, Zimbabwe
In the past Monday , 16th of January, we celebrated MLK day, and what better way to do that than to awakening the leader within us, the kind of leader that gets out of his own way to help others and make sure that others are striving in what they believe in. And that's exactly what we did thanks to FIUTS.
Taking in count that one of the objectives set by FIUTS for this program was to provide means for the SUSI participants to engage in challenging daily activities that encourage and support each individual’s leadership development and reinforce concepts of civic engagement, service, and citizenship, on this celebratory day that brings us to reflect on the common good, FIUTS arranged for the SUSI participants as well as the ambassadors to participate in four different service projects.
Speaking concretely about the work done in the Capitol Hill Tool Library, where we helped clean and mostly paint the walls of the establishment, I would define the experience as rewarding and empowering.
Not only that we helped this establishment that has amazing objectives and an incredible sense of volunteer work, we also learned with its leaders that engaging in the work is a great way to encourage who is working to keep going. It was empowering in the sense that we were allowed and trusted to engage in activities that not even we knew that we could do, but the wish to help and the trust of the ones responsible for the establishment made it possible for all of us to make a small change to better the library and ourselves.
Painting a couple of walls may not seem like much, but for this library and for a group of people (where most of them have never painted a wall before), it made a big difference and it showed us how small acts can make a big difference to anyone who cares and that to be a good citizen we don’t need much, all we need is to care and give a little of ourselves to help others.
-Honorina Saide, Mozambique
The Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, promote a better understanding of the people, institutions, and culture of the United States among foreign students, teachers, and scholars. Study of the U.S. Institutes are short-term academic programs for groups of undergraduate leaders, educators, and scholars from around the world.
The program in Seattle is coordinated by the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS), a local non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Washington that promotes international friendship and cross-cultural understanding in the region.
Guest posts on the FIUTS blog represent the experiences and views of individual writers. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FIUTS or any organizations or institutions affiliated with our programs.