The Girl Effect
August 17th, 2008One of my friends recommended this site to me.
http://www.girleffect.org
Please share your thoughts on ‘The Girl Effect’ with me…
Where it all began…
August 15th, 2008Since finishing my internship I have had a lot of time to think about what I want from my future. In between applying for jobs and internships I’ve been thinking back to what inspired me to want to work in development. I had a very brief moment of pure and utter happiness back in 2002 when I went for only two weeks to Tanzania. Although I was there for a short period of time…I got a taste of what true happiness felt like. I have this one memory in my mind that I have never forgotten. I was with my school friends (the voluntary aid trip was organised by my school), and we were painting the ceiling of a classroom. The school children who were not in class were peaking at us through the windows and laughing and singing songs with our names in them. I had paint all over my face and my hair but I was happy. I mean truly happy. I know it’s an incredibly simple memory but I want to capture that feeling again. I want to really appreciate what I have been given and use my education. I also want to finally be able to start using some of the things I learnt during my master’s and learn new skills.
Now I am the first to admit that my memory from 2002 was a rather romantic view of the developing world. I know that the reality of life is much more complex than what I saw. During my studies I have developed an interest in conflict and especially its effects on children. I am fascinated by child soldiers and appalled by it at the same time. During my master’s I took a class entitled ‘conflict, security and development’ by Dr. Paul Jackson. The first term I attended the class because I wanted to learn more about modern conflicts. I didn’t actually take this class for credit but just because I was interested. The first lecture I attended, Paul showed us a film about Sierra Leone’s civil war. It was a documentary film that had won several prizes but was not shown to the public because it was too violent. I will admit it shook me to the core. But that one class changed my views on the world and opened my eyes to the suffering that some people go through.
Now I am not the toughest person in the world but I am determined and I hope that one day I will be given the opportunity to help children and victims of war. I am not saying that i would be ready to go tomorrow to work in a conflict affected country but maybe one day I will be. Education opens your eyes. I just hope that I can find a job where I can actually make a difference.
Haven’t kept my word
August 13th, 2008I intended to write a little something once a week but since finishing work I have to admit I have been rather busy applying for jobs and searching for others. There are so many interesting jobs out there but unfortunately as a recent graduate I often lack the years of experience that they ask for. There appear to be very few entry level jobs available for recent graduates wishing to work in international development.
Here are some interesting job sites related to development, human rights etc:
www.idealist.org
www.reliefweb.int
www.devnetjobs.org
www.eurobrussels.com
If anyone has any further suggestions please do not hesitate to add a comment. I would be interested to hear from people with similar interests!
Aid women killed in Afghanistan
August 13th, 2008http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7558076.stm
I never know what to think when I read articles such as this. There was a time when working for a recognised NGO or international organisation was enough to protect you from attacks. What has this world come to when people who are trying to help others are targeted and murdered?
Officially a job seeker again!
August 9th, 2008Friday was my last day of my internship. I was happy to finish but also a little nervous because although I have been applying for jobs for several months I still have nothing lined up. I felt quite sad saying goodbye to my colleagues because although it has been a challenging experience I have learnt so much in seven months.
I have so many ideas about what I want to do and I’m eager to start earning a living. I am interested in many different issues related to development whether it’s about health or poverty alleviation or how children are affected by conflict.
Applying for jobs has also helped me discover new interests. I’m even considering doing another master’s degree in Journalism or a media related subject because I enjoy writing and I’m interested in how media can help reduce poverty in developing countries. I feel very strongly about getting more people interested in what is going on in the developing world.
Hello world!
July 25th, 2008Hi everyone my name is Sarah Azia and I have finally decided to start a blog. I have many interests and would like to share some of them with you. I will try to update this blog on a weekly basis but let’s see if I can keep my word!