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 Nunavut Youth Abroad Program participants in front of a traditional Botswana hut are, from left, three local residents, Christie Akearok, Evik Ayalik, Elizabeth Avingak, Amy Anguti, Bernice Niakrok (Arviat) and David Joanasie. - photo courtesy of Nunavut Youth Abroad program |
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Now in its fifth year, the 2002 program featured 18 students, including six second-year participants who travelled to Serowe, Botswana, in the international phase of the program.
The first-year Canadian-phase students spent the summer with host communities in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Bernice Niakrok of Arviat was one of the six phase 2 participants to make the trip to Africa. The group spent four days in Gaborone, before travelling on to Serowe.
Niakrok says the Nunavut students were pleasantly surprised by their summer accommodations upon their arrival.
"We stayed in a modern-style house with lots of rooms and a distinctly African thatched roof," says Niakrok.
"There was no washing machine and I thought it would be really hard doing my laundry by hand, but it wasn't so bad."
Niakrok says the group met the chief of Serowe and visited Khama's burial ground.
"Khama was the first president of Botswana and I was honoured to visit the site because not many people from Serowe have ever gone there," she says.
NYAP students spent their summer doing volunteer work placements at the Tshidilo Rehabilitation Centre.
Niakrok and fellow NYAP participants Christie Akearok and Elizabeth Avingak spent their volunteer time with the program's co-ordinator, Sister Fani.
The three were involved with physiotherapy work with physically challenged children.
Evik Ayalik, Amy Anguti and David Joanasie worked with program officers doing residential physiotherapy visits with adults unable to come to the centre.
The students' two group leaders, Arviat's Lisa Darragh and Matt Lyon, spent their time working on literacy programs and computer-skills development for local residents.
"It was very hard for me to play and work with the children knowing I couldn't make them better because of their disabilities," says Niakrok.
"I really grew to enjoy going on home visits with Sister Fani because the clients were really nice and friendly, although some didn't notice us as readily because they were either blind or deaf."