WELCOME!

Hello, and welcome to my blog!
As you may or may not know, I am going to be an Overseas Volunteer Staff (OVS) for Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada, which means that starting this August I will be living and working in Africa (Ghana, Malawi or Zambia) for a minimum of 1 year, trying to create positive social change in the lives of rural Africans.
Why am I doing this? Basically, I envision a world that is free from extreme poverty; where all people have the freedom to live the lives that they value, and feel I have something to contribute in making this a reality.

I really do believe in the work that EWB does in Canada and in Africa to improve our world, which is why I am honoured to be able to contribute to EWB's work in Africa. After a few years of volunteering at the EWB Windsor chapter with some amazing people, I knew that this was an organization I could really believe in, with my head and my heart. Not to mention my experiences last summer in Ghana with WUSC, which definitely opened up my eyes, and passion, for working with people across cultures, working in development, being taken out of my comfort zone, and diving into life in Ghana; which is simultaneously very different from my life in Canada, and yet strangely similar at times.

I embark on this experience with the recognition that I have a huge responsibility. I look at the overall cost of this placement, roughly $18,000 (flights, training, living stipend, health insurance, vaccinations etc) and think WOW: what else could that money be used for?- something I asked myself when I was in Ghana. With this in mind, I take this opportunity very seriously, and am trying my best to be well prepared prior to our month of intensive training in Toronto in August.

I recognize that the work I am embarking on is very complex. I will not build a well, distribute mosquito nets or teach English, and no I am not an Engineer. EWB focuses on long term, sustainable development which is a lot messier; we aim to utilize the amazing resources that dwell in Africa, and hope to help preexisting African development organizations do what they do, better (capacity development). There is no "EWB Office" in Africa that I will be working in; we partner with African organizations, attempt to humbly learn from them, and provide creative insight whenever possible to unlock potential. Although our successes and impacts may be less tangible than a physical structure, we believe that the work we are doing is having a lasting impact in peoples' lives, and that in order for our work to be culturally sensitive and sustainable, this is the best way to operate at this point.

I sincerely hope that as I partake in this learning and giving opportunity, you too will join me for the ride; I hope that through this experience I will begin a ripple effect to my broader community of friends, family and colleagues; to help people to think twice about what "AFRICA" is like, and delve into the complexities of International Development work.

If you feel you are able to contribute financially to my placement, please see my page at http://volunteers.ewb.ca/robinstratas to donate online. Any amount of money is greatly appreciated. I hope that you can find a way to contribute in some small way, and take the first step in my direction towards Africa; a beautifully diverse continent I have come to love and admire.

Please follow my learning, questions, hard times, and triumphs and feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or comments, robinstratas@ewb.ca (please do: it can be a bit lonely overseas sometimes).

Thank you once again,
With sincerity and love,

Robin Stratas
www.ewb.ca