Looking back, I’d say my decision to volunteer in Botswana in 1971 was largely motivated by the first part of what was then CUSO's motto: "To serve and learn." By the end of my two years, while I couldn’t say how well I had served, I was keenly and gratefully aware of all I had learned. I went there to teach, but Botswana taught me: to slow down, to be patient, to live simply, to value people over time and money, cooperation over individualism. Living in the shadow of Apartheid taught me to take a stand against discrimination in all its ugly forms. The CUSO Botswana experience changed my world view, led me to various kinds of social and political activism, and, I believe, made me a better Canadian.
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Add a ReflectionWhat was the lasting impact of the CUSO Botswana experience on the rest of your life? How did it change you? How did it affect your values, beliefs, actions? Your thoughts on the meaning of the experience are important to all of us and to Cuso International (200 words max). Email your reflection to: Archives
June 2019
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