Blog 20: Syndiely

Today we spent some more time reflecting on our service here. Our leaders posed us two main questions. First, what is service? Second, who are we actually serving and how do we know we’re making a positive impact?

Thinking about the first question we all mostly agreed that service was helping a person/group without the expectation of something in return. Where discussion arose was when we spoke about one’s intentions while doing service. I believe that impact is impact regardless of intention, but size of impact can change based on intention . When someone is more emotionally invested and genuinely cares, I believe they can make a greater impact.


Reflecting on the second question I, and most of the group, agree that while much of our service directly impacts the children we are in fact impacting the whole village: parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. Whether or not what we’re giving outweighs what we’re receiving is where most of our discussion lay. We are giving our privilege of being able to teach these children English, Math, and French. Through these classes we are fostering connections, having fun, and building stronger confidence. Especially with languages, we are hearing kids practice what they’ve learned and wanting to share with us. On the other hand we are receiving amazing care in our homestays. Our host parents and siblings have been feeding us, caring for us, and housing us, never without a smile. I know that we are making a change and a positive impact. At the same time, when we leave and get to go to a hotel in Fes with a pool and running water, I begin to wonder if there’s more I could, and should be doing. 


To finish off our group reflection we were left with a question. Ms. Devine, at some point before we left, said that the service we do on these trips is a conduit for connection and learning. Our leaders asked us, then what is the point of a GSL trip? My simple answer to that is GSL is there for us students to have the opportunity to go somewhere unexpected and make a positive impact. And the goal is that we make that impact through the connection we build with the community.


Our group discussion left me with many questions. Writing this blog post also left me with questions. But, as we’ve been told many times, if you walk out of this with more questions than you walked in with: you’re doing it right.

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