Two Villages:
An International Aid Relationship between Communities

Social work allows one to reach out to others in many unique ways. Over the past several years my professional work has involved varied population groups and many people in a rural community setting. The realization of my complacency with how international issues are addressed struck home in 2005: it had been 20 years since the first Live Aid concert, and I had become comfortable with having rock stars promote change. This does not fit with my social work values; any person can make a difference in the lives of others.

I approached my good friend Krista Percy, and together we formed Two Villages, in the belief that there is great strength within communities. Our own community of Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, is vibrant and shows strong support for many causes. The primary goal was to engage our community to respond to the needs of another — two villages linked by generosity. Two Villages soon partnered with Unitarian Service Committee (USC) of Canada, and the international agency identified a community in need of a school in Sindhuli, Nepal. Within six months our community had raised enough funds to build a school for 600 children. The most noteworthy fundraising event was Rice Day, when the children from five schools ate rice and gave their lunch money to the cause. The level of ownership was amazing. Even today those children say that “we” built a school in Nepal.

The initial project provided a great lesson in how to approach international aid from a postmodern perspective. Our community provided the necessary funds and had great support from USC Canada. However, the villagers of Sindhuli, Nepal, were the ones who carried every piece of construction material two hours from the closest road and built the entire structure by hand. Within their “people’s empowerment project” they had identified the need for a school and sought help to achieve the goal. A school was constructed from within, not by the expertise of outsiders. In a video from the area, many thanks were expressed by the villagers. However, the overall theme that emerged from the project was that we did something together; two villages linked by generosity.

In 2007 Two Villages moved ahead with two new projects. Children from other schools felt they too could have an impact the lives of others. Ten schools in eastern Newfoundland and Labrador held Rice Days in October 2007, and the funds supported ten schools in Zambia, Africa. This project was undertaken in partnership with CARE Canada. A second Two Villages project with USC Canada is currently underway on the Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador, where social worker Kim Slaney and her friends, Sonia O’Keefe and John Wrixon, are leading the building of another school in Sindhuli, Nepal. They are engaging people from several communities and spreading an awareness of international issues.

Social workers have a unique viewpoint on issues that affect others. The knowledge base of our profession and our values guide us to make a difference in the community. The Two Villages project indicates that our society does care about the needs of others and, in the right circumstances, will respond to a call to action. Social workers are ideally placed to recognize community capacity and to identify factors that promote change. Many community members have indicated that they have not responded to previous calls for international aid, though they feel guilty when they learn the realities. However, providing a direct link from a funding community to another in need elicited an extraordinarily positive response. Recently, a reporter asked me about international issues such as global warming and poverty. Does our society have the capacity to change? We both agreed that, if today’s adults cannot make the necessary changes, we at least owe it to our children to teach them how to make a difference in the world.

Two Villages will consider new projects for 2008. Any community in Canada can lead its own project or join others in a common effort. Social workers throughout the country work to improve the lives of others. We are ideally positioned to provide community leadership in international development.

The project website:      www.twovillages.org

Prepared by: Troy Mitchell, BSW, RSW

Troy Mitchell works as an addictions coordinator in Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. He received his Bachelor of Social Work degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1996 and has been practising social work for 11 years. Troy is currently enrolled in graduate studies in health leadership.

Modified: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 12:19