In September a new venture begins in my life and a vision I’ve apparently had since the age of 18 will unveil.
I am heading to Ghana, Africa for eight months as a volunteer journalist trainer with Journalists for Human Rights - JHR (www.jhr.ca).
Placed at a newspaper in the capital city, Accra, I will find myself working alongside local journalists out on field, tracking down, reporting upon and capturing in writing human rights related issues. In short, I will be helping them find the real stories, writing what they feel and feeling what they write. I will also lead informal workshops promoting human rights awareness and, if desired, I have the opportunity to pitch freelance articles to Canadian publications sharing my experiences with those back home. Since this is a volunteer position, I need to raise at least $3,500 to get me over there. A farewell/fundraiser, online donations and other events are in the works to do so.
Now a little bit about JHR…
JHR is Canada’s largest international media development organization. Since founded in 2002, this non-for-profit has run projects in 14 African countries, Ghana being the first, working with local media organizations, including print, radio and television, to help journalists report effectively on human rights issues. The organization’s work reaches out to 20 million people in Africa each week. The goal is to stop the abusers and empower the victims. In Canada, JHR has set-up 24 chapters/clubs at post secondary institutions educating tomorrow’s journalists (and youth), on human rights issues. Offices are located in Toronto, Accra (Ghana), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Dallas (U.S.A.).
So, why Africa you ask?
Well thanks to a call from a high school friend (Thanks Rian!) a few days ago, I am taken back a decade.
Rian recalled a moment shared between a group of gossipy 18-year-old girls at a cottage in Muskoka on a Victoria Day long weekend 1997. About 10 of us sat cramped together in a circle sharing one by one where we saw ourselves at 30 years old. Babies, marriage, steady jobs and white picket fences flowed from most mouths, but mine.
“No way!” I called out. Rather, I would be “long gone” from the suburb of Pickering where I grew up … working and living on another continent … Africa being just one of the many possibilities I mentioned.
So, perhaps it was always a dream. Perhaps I had incredible foresight at a young and naive age. Perhaps it was just meant to be. Who knows.
What I do know is - after four years pushing to get out of university, two years in the corporate technology industry (knowing it wasn't me), four liberating months traveling independently around Southeast Asia, a challenging year almost unemployed, eight inspiring months in yoga teacher training and two crucial years as a reporter at 24 Hours (newspaper) - the eclectic, seemingly non-directional journey is finally taking shape. All of that and more has paved the way to this.
Traveling, seeing, doing, experiencing, feeling and somehow knowing in all of that you can make even a slight difference to those around you is of the essence to me.
And so she goes...
