Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Blogging a Volunteer Experience

On April 12, 2010 I will be leaving to volunteer in Leogane, Haiti with the organization Hands On Disaster Response. I'm setting up this blog before I leave as I don't know what sort of internet access I will have at the HODR base. Thanks for reading!

Having the opportunity to volunteer for HODR in Haiti this spring , I came to the conclusion that I (and others?) would benefit more from what could be "the trip of a lifetime" if I were to document it in some way. A blog seems to me to be the perfect medium for this. I began thinking about what a volunteer's blog should set out to accomplish.
  • Let my friends and family know what I'm doing (and that I'm okay!)
  • Function as a modern journal or photo album so that I can remember and reflect back on my experience.
  • Tell other people about what daily life is like in Haiti from the perspective of a volunteer (and hopefully offer some insight on what life is like for Haitians)
  • Serve as an outlet for my thoughts on how I am affected by living in a Third World country.
I may add to this list as my experience goes on. Thank you for reading...

~Jon