Hey all! This is Christina, one of your Dinner Series co-chairs.
My interest in global development, like many I would imagine, came from a desire to meet and help people of diverse cultures. Little did I know that I would find such experiences as close to home as in Charlottesville. This summer I am interning with Habitat for Humanity, where I have learned that an organization with a goal as simple as to provide housing faces many challenges in addressing cultural differences.
It turns out that Charlottesville has quite a large number of low-income migrants. This is due largely in part to the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement organization. This means many refugees from around the world, who have never been to America, find themselves living together. In addition to the refugee community, there are many economic migrants from Latin America who form a community of themselves. Many of them face the challenges of surviving without documents or English-language skills. A large number of these families end up coming to Habitat with assistance in purchasing a home.
So where does Habitat come in? They have realized that they can no longer commit to building homes- they must also build communities. This is not an easy task when people from all corners of the globe must suddenly live together. Thus, Habitat now teaches courses on life in America, how to make wise personal and financial decisions, and how to be a good neighbor. They greatly invest in community activities that bring neighbors together.
My objective in writing this post is to have you all see that “development” is not necessarily something that happens in a far off land. If you want a rich cultural experience, you may not have to go too far beyond the corner.
My interest in global development, like many I would imagine, came from a desire to meet and help people of diverse cultures. Little did I know that I would find such experiences as close to home as in Charlottesville. This summer I am interning with Habitat for Humanity, where I have learned that an organization with a goal as simple as to provide housing faces many challenges in addressing cultural differences.
It turns out that Charlottesville has quite a large number of low-income migrants. This is due largely in part to the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement organization. This means many refugees from around the world, who have never been to America, find themselves living together. In addition to the refugee community, there are many economic migrants from Latin America who form a community of themselves. Many of them face the challenges of surviving without documents or English-language skills. A large number of these families end up coming to Habitat with assistance in purchasing a home.
So where does Habitat come in? They have realized that they can no longer commit to building homes- they must also build communities. This is not an easy task when people from all corners of the globe must suddenly live together. Thus, Habitat now teaches courses on life in America, how to make wise personal and financial decisions, and how to be a good neighbor. They greatly invest in community activities that bring neighbors together.
My objective in writing this post is to have you all see that “development” is not necessarily something that happens in a far off land. If you want a rich cultural experience, you may not have to go too far beyond the corner.