Blog Post 2: Now I Know

Until just a few days ago, I considered “service” to be quite an elusive term used broadly to define activities that vaguely and ambiguously benefitted others: Serving in the military, serving the community, serving those less fortunate. Until just a few days ago, I never knew what “service” actually meant and the potential for its real impacts, due to the all- encompassing and difficult to grasp context the word is often used in. I used to believe that there can be no one concrete definition for service, as it continues to be a relative and complex concept.

However, the ambiguity of its definition- at least what it means to me (remember, “service” is a personal and relative concept)- ended just a few days ago. I remember the moment in extremely vivid detail, as though I could almost feel the clicking in my brain- the “aha” moment, where I finally understood what it means to serve.

My peace corps volunteer host had lead myself and my group into the Chongwe Child Development Agency, called “Child Fund” Zambia. Immediately, we were greeted by dozens of locals who worked in various departments of the Chongwe community association and were then promptly escorted through the assorted rooms of the agency- each one serving a specific purpose to child development within the community. It was upon entering the classroom section of the agency building and witnessing the dozens of teenage students in the classroom (who attended willingly- not by mandate), educating themselves about real issues affecting their community, such as gender based violence and HIV prevention that I understood what it means “to serve”.

I understand that some may label their own personal definition of service as the process of conducting “high up” research with their organizations on a pertinent issue that undoubtedly aids the development of the nation as a whole; prior to this experience, I also would have defined service to be the same. However, in that moment I understood service to be something completely different, and that understanding is what will continue to motivate me “to serve”. The understanding is that service begins within the community with people who will live the changes that service affects, through a sort of “hands on” process- and that’s exactly what I saw in that moment in the Chongwe Child Development Agency. I saw youth coming to this resourceful agency willingly to educate themselves on how to improve their communities. I saw youth caring about the future of their lives and the lives of those in the community. I saw youth directly engaging in service- and there’s something incredibly beautiful and touching about that.

While I do consider my work with ZGF and SAIPAR to be a kind of service (as I am conducting research that will be utilized to improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS- so, obviously “service”) what I witnessed in Chongwe that day is what I consider to be real service with real, first hand effects. I imagined the youth in that classroom leaving later in the day, putting their education on these issues (education that they deemed to be important enough to attend these classes willingly) to good use during the courses of their everyday lives- and I believe that is how real, lasting change is affected.

The youth that I witnessed in that classroom inspired and humbled me, more than they will likely ever know. If I had the chance to see them again, I would thank them for showing me that service is more than just an ambiguous and uncertain term. I would thank them for exhibiting the beautiful efficacy of community based service. And I would thank them for motivating me to live my life a bit more like they are living theirs: service oriented.