Buck-I-Serv Trip to Cape Town, South Africa

Juliet Zito | zito.35@osu.edu | Psychology

Description

The Buck-I-Serv trip to Cape Town, South Africa focuses on volunteering at the Sakhulwazi Organization, whose main focus is empowering women and teaching them skills they can use for future careers. The two-week program will consist of helping out with tasks at the organization in the garden and bakery. After our days of volunteering, we will participate in cultural lessons to learn more about the music, language, and history of the city. On the weekends we will be exploring the city of Cape Town by visiting museums and historical sites as well as the breathtaking natural landmarks that surround the city.

Process

Traveling has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to travel somewhere that would put me out of my comfort zone. Last May, I participated in the Psychology and Culture in Europe Maymester program where I toured Rome, Venice, and London for three weeks with other psychology majors. When I was thinking about where I wanted to travel next I came to the conclusion that I wanted to have a different traveling experience and volunteer abroad. After looking through the options on the Buck-I-Serv website I knew that the trip to Cape Town would be the perfect fit for me in terms of where I wanted to travel and what social issues I was passionate about. I also participated in the STEP program with a cohort of Humanities Scholars so my discussions with them also led me to choose this trip. Attending weekly STEP meetings, three PDCs and creating a proposal were all steps that have led me to select this program. Next January I will apply for the 2019 program online and then complete an in-person interview at the beginning of February.

Results & Reflection

 While I haven’t completed my project yet, I expect to gain a broader perspective on women’s empowerment on a global level. I am a Campus Correspondent for Ohio State’s chapter of HerCampus, an online magazine for college women that focuses on empowering women on campus. Throughout the past two years I have had many opportunities to explore issues women face on college campuses but through this Buck-I-Serv trip, I hope to learn more about challenges women face around the world and how they are overcoming these obstacles. By interacting with the women at the organization on a daily basis I will gain more insight into their perspective on global issues like women’s empowerment, education, and health. Additionally, I expect to learn more about the history and culture of South Africa and how other countries have influenced them.

As a Humanities Scholar, I have been encouraged to expose myself to new art, music, languages, and cultures. This project will support my goals as a scholar through the cultural lessons and activities I will complete outside of volunteering at the Sakhulwazi Organization. By learning about the music, languages, dances, and history of South Africa, I will expand my knowledge about other cultures and gain an increased sense of global awareness. The Cape Town Buck-I-Serv will also benefit my future career goals by providing me with the experience to interact with people from other cultures. I hope to work for an international company in the future and it is important that I have experience working with a diverse group of people. Through this experience I will improve skills like compromising in the light of cultural differences, communicating effectively and successfully working towards a common goal.