Many of our past SL alumni, particularly on international SL projects, continue to be engaged. Many remain in touch, and demonstrated continue interest in our projects and the places that we have served. Some are working in CSR (corporate social responsibility) capacity. Some are working in NGOs. Some are working as social workers. Some have become academics, professors or researchers themselves and remain engaged. This is exactly what we hoped would happen.
It is not just the students. The assistants who support the ISL projects have become leaders and teachers. Many of the academic and administrative staff who have come to observe, experience, and learn have become teachers and strong supporters of SL courses themselves. Many of the senior administrators - the deans, vice presidents and president - have become believers and active promoters of SL.
Personal experience in service-learning is very compelling. One can read about poverty and suffering. That 9.2% of the world population - 689 million - live in extreme poverty - on less than USD 1.90 per day. But it is something altogether different to come into a house of rough mud bricks, with nothing but a straw matt to sleep on, a few nails or a string across the room to hang clothes on, one toothbrush to be shared by the whole family. It is hard to stay in such a house of more than a few minutes because of the stuffy and smelly air. But one has to stay for at least an hour to wire up the house for electricity and lighting, so we make ourselves to absorb all that smell into ourselves. It cannot but affect us emotionally. Our NGO partners (John, Wilson, Jacky, Innocent, Phanuel, …) the local youths (Joseph, Prince, Gaspard, ...) who work alongside us, the people who live in the houses (Gaspard, Clementine, Angelique, ...), …, become friends.
One thus becomes emotionally invested. The people you see and speak with become part of you. It makes you feel their pain. They are no longer just a bunch of numbers. You cannot but be interested in what happens to people that you personally know - your friends - to the degree you are connected.
Many people, scientists included, distrust emotions. We are urged to be rational. Recent scientific discovery is changing our understanding. Emotion is not the problem. It is an essential part of being human. Our emotions help us make better decisions. Our emotions is the basis of our moral reasoning. Disgust protects us from eating spoiled food, and evolves to become a guardian of the social and moral order. Positive emotions generally encourages us to take a certain amount of risk. Happy people are more creative. Pride drives us to greater achievement. Interest produces the urge to explore. Awe motives us to broaden our focus and to engage in collective action for the good of everyone. Positive emotions is strongly correlated with good health and a longer life experience. Sadness motivates us to do the difficult work of rethinking beliefs and reprioritising goals.
Emotions themselves are not the problem. The problem is a lack of emotional intelligence. It is not understanding our own emotions, not understanding other people’s emotions, not being able to manage our own emotions, reacting excessively to our emotions and emotions of others.
Along with the cognitive aspects of learning, it is our job, as teachers, to guide our students in understanding how the experience is affecting them emotionally, and how to manage their emotions for their own benefit. It is one of the biggest and least-understood challenge for the teacher of service-learning. We are still learning. It is also a hugely exciting and rewarding experience.
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