As far as I remember, If I trace the dream back to the very beginning it had to begin with Stephen Lewis. Though I may have had a strong desire to go to Africa eventually, his lecture certainly was a potent catalyst in realizing this dream.
He was speaking at the Dofasco Center (or Theater Aquarius as some know it) in Hamilton. It was November 2005, I will in grade 12. My dad brought me, since I was very naive to all matters not concerning my immediate self at that time. I just didn't know, and didn't have a strong desire to know, what was going on in the world. (Without my dad I never would have gone to this lecture, so I thank him infinity for being so proactive in my education)
Stephen Lewis was downright inspiring. He left me (along with several others) in tears, and left me thinking that I need to get to Africa as soon as I could to help out in any way I could. His lecture was one of the main reasons I decided to go into Nursing at McMaster.
In my first year at McMaster University I found out there was an opportunity for an international placement in the summer between third and fourth year. I wanted to do this really badly...and I knew I wanted to go to Africa. My clinical tutor in first year also was a huge fan of Stephen Lewis, and encouraged me in every way to pursue this dream. She had a significant impact on how I perceived myself, and allowed me to have a confidence in my abilities as a good communicator and as a leader.
As great as McMaster is, there were not a lot of classes offered in first or second year to nursing students that focused on current health issues on an international and global scale, so I took it upon myself to be as prepared as I could be for a possible international placement. Second year was a time of great learning and expanding my mind. I went to a conference in October of 2007 put on by the International Women and Children's Health Network (IWCH). The conference was really eye opening, so I decided to join the group and help plan the next years conference. I also took two online courses through Athabasca; "International and Global Politics" and "Global Development Strategies". It was hard to teach myself by reading, many things were over my head, but I learned so much.
I don't want to cover all my preparations, but I knew that I had to become more aware of politics, economics, development and social welfare in order to understand what I really wanted to understand.
Although originally the dream started with a focus on HIV/AIDS in Africa, which Stephen Lewis is feverently passionate about, the dream has now turned into a need for understanding an African community as a whole. The grassroots, local, provincial, national and international factors that can shape a community to be sustainable, happy and healthy, or shape it to be in poverty, frustrated and stagnant. I want to know these factors, which are so very complex, and I want to know how these factors intermingle to make a healthy community which consists of healthy people.
I really could keep writing...but I think this is a good beginning for now. I just wanted to start the story off on strong note. I look forward to my departure date each day with intense excitement, and a slight uneasy feeling...but I know it will be the most life changing time of my life thus far. After all, it is my African dream.
