Metcalfe woman to volunteer with Rwandan youth
Posted Nov 13, 2009 By Charelle Evelyn
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Tweet ThisEMC News For many Canadians, the 2003 publication of Roméo Dallaire's book Shake Hands with the Devil and the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda were the first introductions to the atrocities the African country had endured in the mid-1990s.
Even though the initial media blitz surrounding the genocide has died down, the need for support in the region remains high.
For one young woman from Metcalfe, the lure of Rwanda was too difficult to resist. Shelley McGoff, 22, will embark on a volunteer mission to Rwanda in January.
When Ms. McGoff began her criminology degree at Carleton University, she had every intention of working towards becoming a lawyer. However, after taking classes in international law, she became swayed towards international relations and development.
The desire to see Rwanda for herself came from her course curriculum, said Ms. McGoff.
"Rwanda was the first country I learned about and made a connection with."
Ms. McGoff will be participating in a program called Global Volunteer Network (GVN), a New Zealand-based non-government organization that partners with international groups to place volunteers in needy communities.
GVN paired Ms. McGoff with the Rwandan organization Faith Victory Association, which has placed her to do volunteer work with a Kigali orphanage.
During her three-week placement, she will spend Monday through Friday feeding, teaching and playing with the children, many of whom have lost their parents during the genocide or to HIV.
The Faith Victory Association was founded in 2002 as a way to help Rwandans combat the despair caused by rising poverty levels and the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Ms. McGoff said she is excited to be going to a place where she can be part of making a difference.
"Everybody says that this is going to be an eye-opener," she said. "Especially after living in Metcalfe."
From what she's heard about her destination, Ms. McGoff said she is expecting to find vast differences in the way of life of Canada and Rwanda, such as the focus on material goods.
"I think they'll appreciate the small things in life," she said.
Along with providing some level of support to the region, Ms. McGoff is also hoping the experience will benefit her future career in international development or relations. Upon her Jan. 24 return to Canada, she will be applying to do her master's degree at area schools.
Volunteering in Rwanda could cost Ms. McGoff around $3,500. Her accommodations, food and volunteer fees add up to $1,200 with the rest going towards the flight to Africa.
The community has so far been receptive to her request for support, with donations from the Greely and Metcalfe branches of the Lions Club. Ms. McGoff has also placed donation jars at the Variety Store as well as with her employer, Local Heroes on Bank St., to some success.
Any money that she raises in excess of her goal, Ms. McGoff hopes to spend on buying necessities to take for the children at the orphanage.
Despite the stigma that Rwanda carries as a war-torn country, the Metcalfe resident said she is less concerned about her personal safety than the distance she will be from her support system.
"I haven't been away from home this long before," said Ms. McGoff, adding that the longest trip she's ever been on was an 11-day stay in Peru in July with her friends. "That will be tough."
For more information on Ms. McGoff's fundraising efforts or to make a donation, contact her at shelleymcgoff@bell.blackberry.net.
