Sunday, August 9, 2009

One Year After Our First Scholarship Program


ANE-HHDP Diagram
Originally uploaded by joshdaneshforooz
I can still remember meeting with the warm-hearted Director for World Vision, Ghana, Sam Asari, one year ago. I sat in his office with our videographer, Jedd Goble, and he asked, "So what did you have in mind for ANE’s scholarship recipients' community service with World Vision?"

I pulled out my yellow notepad and began to draw a diagram that depicted my experience as an undergraduate at Westmont College in sunny Santa Barbara: I received one-on-one spiritual mentorship while navigating the wide spectrum of the rigorous liberal arts. I also passed along what I had been learning by volunteering in the Santa Barbara community--mentoring elementary school students in English and visiting the local jail to spend time with youth.

This experience of regularly receiving and regularly giving brought me deep satisfaction. I felt as though I was living how God meant for me to live.
As I sat in the office with Sam Asari, I found myself eager to pass along my transformative experience to our students in Ghana. So I drew the diagram depicted here, and called it the holistic human development program.

Today it brings me deep joy to see our scholars being changed in the same ways I was at Westmont. In Ghana, Frank recently volunteered at the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, for 4 weeks, sitting in on surgeries and learning about what prevents people accessing health care; Bright Ofori worked at the office of World Vision-Ghana at Coaltar, a suburb of Suhum in the Eastern Region of Ghana, learning about the vibrant life of one of the world’s premiere nonprofits; and Jorge in Peru is learning to embrace his mistakes and learn from them, while continuing to move forward with a positive attitude and hope for the future.

I can’t help but see myself in our scholars. I suppose that’s what keeps me excited and energetic about ANE’s vision. My life has been changed by great mentors and professors, and it’s truly satisfying to see our scholars experience the same thing. I can’t wait to see how God will continue to use our organization as a vehicle for His mission on earth of making disciples of “all nations.”

1 comment:

Burke said...

Absolutely an exciting future for All Nations Education!