Second Chance

SECOND CHANCE
If you had a second chance to do something again, what would it be?

This was the question I posed to myself as I arrived home to a hot, dusty and dry weather. Instantly I knew I was missing something!! Then the question came to me, if I had a second chance, what would I do again?
This question got me thinking……., allowing me to reach to the deeper wells of my heart bringing to memory all the experiences that I had gone through while in Canada: from the cold that greeted me at the Airport in Ottawa to my last days hanging out with Zhaodi and the crew who stuck with me all the way to the end and of cause to the last goodbye moments with Alex and Flo, the last duo, the last two standing!!!

If I had a second chance what would I do again?
Answer: I would attend the conference again, where everything started. Where I made my friends, where I met smiling faces. Where I got a wrong impression about the Canadian because the EWBer was a unique personality who broke out of his or her boundaries to close up space and to bond. Where the EWBer would walk up to you and say “Hi”. Would give you a thumps up in the hall way, at the coffee stand or on the elevator (something I dreaded being in) for a tough question well answered or a presentation well delivered and this was different when I stepped out to the true Canadian world.

If I had a second chance, I would attend the capacity building for community driven development where it was re-echoed that development should not be built on the “single story”.

If I had a second chance, I would listen to all the radio hit tracks that greeted me, every time I arrived home, from my sessions and work placements. This made me forget all the stress Flo was putting me through (though for my own good) and helped me deal with the cold and put me to bed to be revitalized for a brand new day!!

If I had a second chance, I will visit the water treatment plants at Ajax and Lakeview, I will hang out with Andy from CH2M Hill visiting all the sections of the expansion works, I will sit in the meetings of Andrew from the region Peel, OCWA and CH2M HILL, because they thought me control, collaboration, accountability and responsibility. I will sit with Rob from and Arun to listen to expertise; I will ride with Ella and get her to explain all the technical details that were overwhelming me and of course I will hung out with Dan Olsen my friend and my buddy because he thought me to stick with the challenge till the end, to stay focused and not to lose it, and though we will argue some of the times, he opened my eyes to the realities of Canadian work life and also helped me appreciate my working environment in Ghana. Thanks Dan.

If I had a second chance I would visit the City of Cambridge for my work placement. I would relive my experiences at the Grand River Conservation Authority, Lang Village and the transport and public works departments. I would meet the Mayor Craig, Jim the CAO, and all the lovely staff (Bush, George and Mark) at the City of Cambridge who took time off to welcome us and make our stay an experience to remember.

If I had a second chance, I will stay with my first family, Daniel Olsen and Luisa Celis all over again for they showed me a reason to love and why we need to be there for each other’s , carrying each others burdens and not being individualistic, so that when Luisa has to go to school or get her home work done after class, Dan can cook something for dinnar, except of course if they did stop kissing in front of me, something that made me really jealous ( In a good way). Dan, no hard feelings!!!!

If I had a second chance, I will follow Samir and Chandrika all the way to Waterloo for they both thought me to understand that life is all about companionship, for through companionship we don’t have to buy two separate cars and that we can always ride in one car to and from work. They thought me that it is in quietness that we can listen to ourselves and find our path and that orderliness makes a beautiful home. If I had a second chance I would live with Samir and Chandrika all over again because, for the first time they got me thinking about love & marriage and of course I will watch Hindu movie with them over and over again.

If I had a second chance, I will visit the Air Canada center, to see all the Basketball match and hopefully this time the Toronto Raptors will win, If I had a second chance, I would go watch the Ice hockey match with my friend Dan at the exhibition center, where skills, power and control is exhibited, where bear is taken during break and hopefully the Toronto marlies will win.

If I had a second chance; I would hang out with “the man” Zhaodi and the crew (Luke, Joe, Danis, Piyali and the others) who stacked with us all the way to the end, giving us the experience of urban Toronto, who made me see that true friendship is not about how long you have known someone but how willing you are ready to bring happiness and a smile on your friends face, accepting him or her just the way he or she is and lending a helping hand. Zhaodi and the crew, you made me dance my heart out without being judged because all we did was dance!!!!!, and of course I did spend moments with “orhhhh………..>! my friends” Elvis and Young from Malawi, “Chicken-bones” from Zambia and Herman from Burkina Faso and my own, salase from Ghana.

In life we are all given a second chance each day, so I ask you, IF YOU HAD A SECOND CHANCE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?

Life in Rural Canada – Strathroy: My Perspective and the Lessons

I have been motivated to write this piece after my home stay experience, which was part of this year’s African Leadership Program (ALP) with Engineers Without Borders, Canada.

Mr. Brian Simpson (L), Anthony Selase Sabah (M),
and Mrs. Joana Simpson (R)

Prior to my home stay, I first arrived in Ottawa for a week of EWB’s National Conference. Then I moved to Toronto for a week of leadership training. This traveling gave me different perspectives on Canadians and what they value. I realized that in both Ottawa and Toronto, generally people were rarely interested in reaching out to others. I have had to smile to people on the streets of Toronto to try to get their attention but with no success. I observed consistently in trains and buses that passengers only engaged with their mobile phones and iPods, with no interaction with the people who were sitting beside them. EWB, the organization on whose ticket I came to Canada, had an exceptionally curious staff who would always ask about you, what you do and other things. I must admit that I see this as an organizational culture that EWB has established. Otherwise, these same staff would have found themselves relating the same way as people I met on the street. This is different from Ghana where people usually greet each other and proceed to find out how the entire family is doing. So this was my first shock beside the weather.

A Youtube Channel for African Leadership Program!

Hi everyone,


We just created a Youtube Channel to post videos of 2012 African Leadership Program: http://www.youtube.com/user/AfricanLP?feature=mhee

Don't hesitate to take a look at it!

You will particularly learn a new way to fight cold in Canada! Thx Sylvester, Selase and Patrun!

Florian Villaumé
Team Leader of African Leadership Program
florianvillaume@ewb.ca

More Videos from the African Leadeship Program

Young Samanyika, 2012 ALP fellow from Malawi, shares his learning and action plan after his work placement training at Hatch on January 23-27 in Toronto.

African Leaders on the Accountability Challenge

Participants of the African Leadership Program share their learning and action plan after receiving training from the Coady International Institute, a world-renowned centre of excellence in community-based development and leadership education, from January 16-18, 2012.

The Untold Story

Its 7:30pm, the weather is so cold(-10C) and we are waiting at a popular Tim Hotters downtown Toronto, for Paster Joe to come lead us on a "sandwitch handout" to homeless people on the streets of Canada. THE HOMELESS ON THE STREET OF CANADA?!!!!! Did I just say that?

Yes,its so cold out there,we walking, street by street, led by paster Joe and my feets and hands are so cold to freezing point with burning sensation. We walk to these homeless people who sleeps on the streets in the cold handing down sandwitches and my eyes are moved to tears!!! People wraped in sheets of rubber and blankets, sleeping on card boards out there in the cold. after 1 hour of walking, I can barely walk, my feets hurts, my coat is not helping, neither is my hand gloves doing me any good, yet people out there have to put up 24/7 with the cold, not knowing where the worth is going to come or the next sandwitch guys are going to pass by!!!

I stop by for a moment to interact with one of the homeless and all he ever needed was a look in the eyes to make him feel some worth, a chat to make him feel loved and cared for. A hand shake to make him feel stronge!! One of them had the inscription, "God created us the same but 'we' have created differences"

Is this the Canada that I have heard of? the Canada of rich people who own fancy cars,computers, phones, Tablets and of that? Is this the canada that caters for its own that no one is left behind to suffer like those on the streets? Is this the canada young people like my age in Ghana wants to badly to visit and will do all the "sakawa" to get the money and documents that they need to travel to? COULD THIS BE THE UNTOLD STORY?

Well, the cold was so severe I had to take shelter at a restaurant close by and enback on a "routine dance move" to shake off the cold!!! Then I ask myself: How many dance moves thus these homeless people have to in a day to keep warm? How many sandwitches can we handover to them to give them enough energy to fight this hash weather? How long can Paster Joe keep mobilising people to help out with handing out sandwitches? we can all be the source to warmth to these homeless people who live right at our door steps!!! Let just say 'Dorothy's sister who lives right here needs our attention too.............

L'ambition permet de construire

« Je travaille dure pour faire ce que j’aime pour m’assurer de ne pas travailler dur pour ce que je hais. »
Travailler dans le développement en Afrique et au Burkina Faso, c’est travailler sans relâche et sans répit, c’est tomber et se relever, c’est espérer, c’est croire, c’est être convaincu, c’est avoir une vision etc. Depuis 18 mois, je parcoure les milieux ruraux du Burkina Faso avec tous ces sentiments avec une merveilleuse organisation Ingénieurs Sans Frontières pour donner plus de sens à l’effort consenti par une multitude de personnes, mais aussi donner du sens à ma vie à travers ma contribution au bien être des autres. C’est une situation plus qu’heureuse de parvenir à donner au monde plus que le monde ne t’en a donné.
Léo est une petite ville située au centre ouest du Burkina Faso où vit une population aimable et fidèle à la terre depuis la nuit des temps. Climatiquement pas des plus rayonnantes, mais n’a rien non plus à envier au Nord du pays, les populations reposent leur espoir sur une agriculture fortement dépendante des aléas climatiques. En d’autres termes, la nature décide beaucoup de quand récompenser ou non les efforts de ces vaillants producteurs. Cette année par exemple, elle a décidé que non. ET moi aussi j’en ai été victime, moi qui ai essayé pour la première fois de produire sur quatre (04) hectares de sésame. C’est au cœur de cette belle ville et havre d’épanouissement, c’est parmi cette population adorable, qu’est née une ambition, un rêve d’enfant, c’est là que la naïveté s’est exprimée, c’est là que la flamme s’est allumée et n’est pas prête de s’éteindre, c’est là qu’est né et grandi le désir d’un jeune contribuer en orientant ses actions, ses ambitions, son énergie pour relever les défis du secteur rural, bâtir sur le potentiel existant à travers un appui multiforme aux organisations paysannes particulièrement les coopératives agricoles.
« Un séjour au Canada, ce n’est pas une offre que refuserait un Burkinabè ou un Africain « normal » », dirait un africain « normal ». Mais un séjour au Canada, ce n’est pas seulement voir des grattes ciels, ce n’est pas seulement marcher sur la neige et prendre de belles photos, ce n’est pas seulement, mais c’est aussi et surtout rencontrer des personnes intéressantes et apprendre de la culture et du mode de vie et de travail, c’est aussi et surtout avoir une perspective plus réelle, c’est aussi et surtout apprendre utile, c’est aussi et surtout dupliquer les apprentissages utiles en Afrique etc. bref c’est en un mot vivre une expérience utile pour soi et pour les autres.
Apprendre de la culture est une richesse, apprendre du travail est une richesse, partager sa culture est aussi une riche contribution.
Pour toutes les personnes impliquées (ingénieurs sans frontières, ma famille d’accueil, SOCODEVI) pour rendre pour mon séjour agréable et surtout UTILE au Canada, je leur suis reconnaissant et je leur dis : on va passer de moments culturels et professionnels riches ensemble.

Hermann NARE, Burkina Faso. Professionnel dans l’appui aux coopératives.