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Centre for Property Studies / Terradigm expands Malawi Internship Program to Include Mzuzu University and Kauma Village Youth an
May 15th, 2009
The UNB/Malawi Internship program, coordinated by the Centre for Property Studies, focuses on governance, environmental sustainability, health education and capacity building. While the partnership between Mzuzu University and CPS/UNB, which was signed on in 2007, continues to be strong and to offer an excellent opportunity for academic and cultural cooperation, this year’s program also saw a new agreement signed between CPS/UNB and Kauma Village Youth and Children’s Centre (KVYCC) in Lilongwe, Malawi. This, just like the Mzuzu/UNB agreement, is designed to provide UNB students with hands on international experience while they work with our Malawian partners to increase their capacity, make decisions, manage communities and create cohesive policies relating to governance, the environment, education and health. It offers UNB students an excellent opportunity to spend 12 weeks over the summer or fall experiencing life and development in Africa. When they return to Canada, they are not just UNB students but true “Global Citizens”.
Mzuzu University Internships
Landon Urquhart, a Master’s of Science student in Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, taught in the Department of Land Management. Landon taught a Photogrammetry course and an Introduction to Surveying course, as well as delivered a Survey Camp to the faculty’s second and third year students. The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and the City of Saint John generously donated used survey equipment which enabled the interns and Faculty to conduct the Department of Land Management’s first ever Survey Camp. Landon instructed the faculty and students on how to properly handle, maintain and use this equipment through workshops, handouts and manuals. To supplement the additional equipment, Landon and Hershey Jani created a “Quick Reference Guide” to ensure the Survey Camp would be sustainable.
Hershey Jani, an undergraduate student in the faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, taught a hydrographic surveying course and delivered the Survey Camp while at Mzuzu University. Through the hydrographic surveying course Hershey was also able to make contacts in Malawi’s Hydrographic Survey Department and also participated in a UN REDD Workshop, REDD Horizon. Along with Landon, Hershey helped educate the faculty and students on how to properly handle, maintain and use the donated equipment.
Jaime MacLellan, a Master’s of Chemical Engineering in Environmental Studies student, worked in the Department of Land Management at Mzuzu University, focusing on sustainable land management, climate change, and deforestation and forest degradation. Jaime, along with Landon Urquhart and Sarah Williamson, helped establish a relationship between Total Land Care (TLC), an NGO in Malawi, and Mzuzu University that will lead to research opportunities for Mzuzu University. Jaime also attended the REDD Horizon, a workshop focusing on the UN’s REDD program and deforestation in Malawi and taught about climate change and other issues at Masasa Primary School.
Kauma Village Youth and Children’s Centre (KVYCC) Internships
Annie Ouellette, a fourth year student in the Nursing faculty, was one of the first interns to participate in the Kauma Village Youth and Children’s Centre Internship. Initially, Annie’s internship was designed to deliver basic health programs to children between the ages of 5 and 12 including identifying health hazards relating to poverty. By the time the internship ended, Annie taught math & science, dental hygiene (with supplies donated by Dr. Deborha Stymiest’s Dental Office), family planning and curriculum development relating to health. Annie had an opportunity to work with the local Doctor in the Community Clinic and see first hand how the Association of Nurses and Mid-wives operated. Annie became a role model for all the female students and young women in the village, and while she was there the retention rate of female students increased dramatically. The importance of attaining higher levels of education relating to health was a common thread throughout Annie’s 94 day internship.
Ben Noseworthy, a fourth year student of Kinesiology, also participated in the first year of the Kauma Village Youth and Children’s Center (KVYCC) Internship program. Ben’s internship focused on early childhood development between the ages of 5 – 12, with a special emphasis on increasing community capacity, creating policy and implementing educational programs under their village governance structure. Governance issues soon became a primary focus and Ben worked with the KVYCC Executives to deliver a Strategic Planning Workshop, develop a strategic plan, and create and complete a school baseline survey for data collection. Ben also helped register the school with the government and worked on school infrastructure by fixing/painting the classrooms, creating a girls netball court & club, distributing FDSA donated soccer jerseys, and worked with the teachers to develop early childhood curriculum incorporating the importance of physical activity.
Sarah Williamson, a fourth year Kinesiology student, started her internship with Kauma Village Youth and Children’s Centre and finished it with Masasa School. During her internship Sarah delivered a Health Education program at Masasa School, a government operated school in Mzuzu, where children were taught things such as First Aid and Oral Health. She also participated in a “Children’s Corner”, where orphaned and vulnerable young girls participated in activities to raise self-esteem and build confidence. Sarah, along with Jaime MacLellan and Landon Urquhart, also helped establish a relationship between Total Land Care and Mzuzu University and provided Kauma Village Youth and Children’s Center information regarding the governance structure at Masasa Primary School.
Sarah Morrison a Maser’s of Education student is spending the Fall, 2009 at Kauma Village. She is continuing the work started by Ben, Sarah and Annie and will be working with the primary and secondary teachers, the KVYCC Executives and the members of the community to incorporate the lessons learned, activities, gender principals into an implementation curriculum program which can be used by the primary and secondary teachers. Sarah is also focusing on community governance relating to education. She is acting as a liaison between the Ministry of Education and KVYCC and working with the KVYCC Executives to set policies and practices which will identify donors to provide school meals, educational supplies, and building improvements while building a solid relationship between KVYCC and the local community.
With the assistance of the 2009 Students for Development Program (AUCC) and financial support from the Government of Canada throught the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), UNB and its interns continued to strengthening the UNB/Malawi Internship Program. These students, working together with the program’s Malawian partners, helped to promote good governance, build community capacity, increase awareness on the importance of environmental sustainability and raise knowledge on health issues. During their 12 weeks in Malawi, the interns transformed from ordinary university students to true “Global Citizens.
For more information on the UNB/Malawi initiative and possible internship opportunities in Africa, contact Veronica McGinn, Project Coordinator at the Centre for Property Studies by email: veronica@unb.ca or telephone 447-3344.
Funding:
Partners: Faculty of Kinesiology, UNB
Faculty of Nursing, UNB
Faculty of Engineeing: Departments of Geodesy & Geomatics Engineering, UNB
Faculty of Education, UNB |
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