When I arrived in Korrop, I didn’t realize that the smallest moments would teach me the biggest lessons about belonging. children chasing a goat along a dusty path, women sharing a basket of grains, women...
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In the past, I often felt frustrated when I saw people living in poverty and saying that their struggles came simply because they had no money. I used to wonder how they could not see...
As I reflect on my integration phase, I can’t help but feel overjoyed and warm-hearted by the way the community has embraced me. The opportunity to learn, connect, and share in the simple joys of...
Today, I witnessed something that reminded me of a major challenge in rural development. Thus, the sustainability of projects. Many times, well-intentioned NGOs and organizations arrive in rural communities with the desire to help. Their...
Ever since I was dropped off in my host community, Yerro Bawol in The Upper River Region and the deployment team drove away, I felt something I had never experienced before. As I stood there...
When I first heard that I would be working with a rural community in Machinga, Malawi my heart danced with excitement. I pictured warm smiles, shared meals, and people living in harmony, a place where...
Mballo Tega, a small village in the North Bank Region of the Sabach Sanjal District predominantly wollof and fana fana became the place I am fortunate to serve and unknowingly, the place that would gently...
I arrived in Addouz Douar thinking integration was something you do. I later learned it is something you live through. In the beginning, I went from door to door, introducing myself to women, sitting on...
The real test of everything learned during PST began on 16th December 2026. First day in my community Kununku when Theory Meets Reality. It was the second day of deployment, exactly at 12:44 p.m. on...
Integration does not just mean becoming one of the community members, but coming to understand them. For you to understand them, you need to listen deeply through the lens of empathy. Listen to the things...
