The Tenth One.

Why a sustainable organization? Why are we not following in the footsteps of countless individuals who have established organizations of their own to fulfill a need or assist with a problem in the community?

Every organization and placement each of the Beyond Borders students will be placed in this summer is self-sustaining.  Why? As students, we will eventually have to revoke our labor when we leave to return home. After leaving, the organization would have to continue its work without the help of us students. Because of this we will be assisting each organization with their programs that have been established and will continue on for years after we leave. (This is not to say we are not needed or appreciated!)

While briefly discussing this is class, I was reminded of the book I am currently reading, Three Cups of Tea. This novel, based on a true story shares the experiences of mountain climber Greg Mortenson and his experience of building schools in an impoverished community in Pakistan. Having funded and built these schools then traveled home, does this mean that Greg’s schools are unsustainable? Where do the teachers come from? How are they educated? How are more and more books, paper, pencils etc. continuously supplied?

Even if an individual were to fund a program or volunteering somewhere that wasn’t sustainable and was unable to operate without them there, does this make it bad?  I feel like maybe some of these questions align with that of Nicole’s from pervious blogs regarding “volunteerism”. Here comes the economic side of me…

How does one maximize their volunteering to produce the largest amount of output? While volunteering abroad will we be truly maximizing our resources even if the organization is able to sustain itself with out us? Would be not be put to better use where our work and help is essential?

These are all things I have been analyzing lately.

On somewhat of a side note, while looking into sustainable organizations I came across a fantastic program in Toronto called “The Stop”. Although the video focuses mainly on how the growth, preparation and eating of food has the power to bring communities together, this organization does much more then that. Although I have not had the opportunity to attend The Working Centre in Waterloo, I have a feeling it is very similar to the program developed here in Toronto. The Stop provides frontline services to our community, including a drop in, food bank, community action program, bake ovens and markets, community cooking, community advocacy, sustainable food systems network and urban agriculture.

http://vimeo.com/20247365
(This video is really well done! - different then the one below)

My favourite line in this video is that food stimulates conversation “once you start talking about food you start talking about other things like your problem with your land lord, or your addiction… it’s all connected”. This organization is self-sustainable as those that utilize the services also give back by volunteering their time to The Stop in other ways.