Student volunteers travel overseas

Initially, the thought of paying to volunteer in foreign countries seems somewhat contradictory.\nDespite the costs, however, many students frequently volunteer abroad. Junior Sonya Weisburd spent a summer in rural Honduras and said it will have an impact forever on her life. \nTwo years ago, Weisburd said she never would have thought she would spend the summer in Central America helping Hondurans dig trenches and lay piping to ensure clean drinking water.\nWeisburd heard a speech at the beginning of her freshman year by the founder of "Kids Can Free the Children," a foundation committed to freeing children from poverty started by a 12-year-old boy. Weisburd said she realized young men and women such as herself can make a difference. \nThat's when she became inspired to help with community service projects. \nDuring her sophomore year, Weisburd said she learned of the opportunity to travel to Honduras through the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center. She attended a national leadership conference that presented students with opportunities to help around the world in organized volunteer efforts. At this conference, she discovered American Jewish World Service, an organization dedicated not only to improving the living conditions of Israeli people but also those of people throughout the world. \n"The AWJS hopes that they raise the social consciousness of the students who work abroad," said Ronni Strongin, the public relations director for AWJS. \nWeisburd's and other AJWS programs explore international development through humanitarian service in hands-on community development projects throughout the world. This appealed to Weisburd, not only because she could help others, but also because she could do so through a Jewish context.\n"(This type of experience) totally rearranges your concept of where you are and what's going on in the world," she said.\nWeisburd had to pay $3,500 for the cost of lodging, food and airfare.\n"Considering that in most cases volunteers are traveling half way around the world, the cost is understandable," she said.\nBut grants and scholarships are often available. \n"Initially it may seem odd to pay to volunteer, but ... organizations do subsidize these types of programs and, in addition, there are a plethora of scholarships and grants available to students who are truly dedicated to volunteerism," said senior Dionisios Aliprantis, co-founder of the Timmy Foundation club on campus.\nFor Weinsburb, volunteering in Honduras was worth the price.\n"It's silly because there are so many people who need the help of others right here in Bloomington, not to mention in a bigger place like Indianapolis, or even somewhere in the U.S.," she said. "But I had this notion that I needed to go to a developing country, to see total and complete poverty — like the kind on TV and the whole stereotyped image of the helpless, devastatingly poor people of the developing world -- to do true service and make a real difference."\nAfter spending last summer in Honduras, Weisburd said she learned a lot about her preconceived notions. \n"One of the most important lessons I learned from my time in Honduras is how wrong that attitude was, and just how different my experience turned out to be," she said. "Instead of 'helping the poor downtrodden people of developing Central America,' I learned about their unique culture, about human dignity, about an entirely different perspective on life and, most of all, about my incompetence in so many things."\nIn addition to seeking out volunteer opportunities such as Weisburd did, some students take advantage of campus organizations that provide opportunities for students to volunteer abroad. The Timmy Foundation and Outreach Kenya Development Volunteers are both organizations that sponsor trips to developing countries. The Timmy Foundation focuses on providing medical care to natives in poor countries. \nOKDV focuses on AIDS and HIV education in Kenya during the summers. The volunteers teach AIDS/HIV education and work with community members to enhance their knowledge of the epidemic.\n"It is very satisfying to know that you're making a difference in the fight against AIDS in Africa," said Kunal Desai, president of OKDV. "It may seem expensive to volunteer, but the intangible benefits outweigh the financial costs."\nTo find out more information, visit their Web site at www.indiana.edu/~okdv/home.html or php.indiana.edu/~jumhelms/about.html . \n-- Contact staff writer Anna Schwartz at anrschwa@indiana.edu.