Tomorrow, Saturday, I am flying out to Rwanda for the 18th time, to join our main group of students who are on their way there, to join a small advance team who arrived earlier this week to prepare for the project. The main task this year is to install solar panels and associated indoor wiring, lights, etc., for 400+ households, in Huye in southern Rwanda. 100+ staff and students from PolyU will be joined by 40+ local youths in the project. Plus some colleagues from within and beyond PolyU, to explore other possible projects.
Little did we know, in 2013, when we went there for the first time, that we would still be going there more than 10 years later, with much bigger teams, and much deepened, expanded projects. The first team had only ~20 staff and students. One of my first deep impressions was how much effort the Rwandans were putting into keeping their country clean. The other was how hard they work to recover from the aftermath of the Genocide.
Our first projects were mainly about information technology infrastructure and education. Installation of computer networks and running of workshops on computers. We also helped to collect stories for publicity and promotion for our partner, African Evangelical Enterprise Rwanda. We did, however, brought a gadget that we developed for Cambodia. A suitcase-size solar panel + lighting set. One evening, while we were installing a computer network for a primary school, the Center for Champions. the power failed. The solar-powered lighting demonstrated its use. And it evolved to become the mainstay of our Habitat Green project for East Africa.
In the intervening years, service-learning, in particular international SL, has amply demonstrated it can achieve the original objectives. Students learn about serving the community with their academic knowledge, empathy, and social responsibility.
International SL, quite obviously, also contribute to achieving another major objective of PolyU - internationalisation. The seriousness of our ISL, the immersive experience, the impact that it makes, the accountability, the reflection, …, contribute to make ISL a robust, reliable pedagogy for internationalisation. This is now clearly recognised by the leadership at the university.
Much research have also been conducted on SL and ISL. Firstly to validate that the pedagogy does achieve the intended learning outcomes. But also to inform our own teaching: what are the critical success factors? How to help students learn - even those who participate reluctantly? How to make short trips count? - The trick is careful design and meticulous preparation. In some cases, the SL experiences actually lead to new research in the academic discipline itself. The optometry team is researching on developing eye-testing applications for the mobile phone, to facilitate their overseas projects. The output from all these research is evidenced by numerous publications in conferences, journals, organizations of conferences and symposiums ourselves, even international alliances.
SL also contribute naturally to the so called UNSDGs (United Nations Strategic Development Goals). Properly done, SL aims to address needs of the community: education, health, energy, … ISL, in particular, takes students to places where the need is most acute, where they can make a real impact. That is exactly what the SDGs are about.
Did we plan this in the beginning? In 2010, or even 2013? No. But looking back, it seems most logical and natural. Service-Learning is not just an end in itself, although it is worthwhile by itself. It can also be a means to achieve many other most worthwhile goals, when it is creatively, rigorously done. That is something we are convinced of. That is also what keeps us going. Rwanda, here we come, again.
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