Trials Elsewhere Stories of life and Development in West Africa R Matthias 9780994816405 Books
Download As PDF : Trials Elsewhere Stories of life and Development in West Africa R Matthias 9780994816405 Books
In Trials Elsewhere, R. Matthias vividly describes his experiences as a 21st century traveler who does what many young university educated Westerners only say they want to do travel the world and do some good. Moving from Canada to Washington D.C. to take on the inner city, Matthias then finds himself invited to apply his skills and idealism in The Republic of the Gambia. Working first for a human rights NGO and then for a Gambian owned Internet service provider, he begins to question his conceptions of how the world works -- is the Western way of doing things viable in other parts of the world? Is the Western way of work even a good idea? Is there any real value in idealism as Westerners understand it? As he ponders these questions Matthias is cursed at a wedding, survives a coup d'état, avoids the state's secret police, wanders for a year stateless without a passport or way home, and is sentenced by a tribal court. Matthias's experience in West Africa increasingly becomes an unpredictable adventure.
Trials Elsewhere Stories of life and Development in West Africa R Matthias 9780994816405 Books
The first half of the book deals with the author's experience of working for a NGO in The Gambia. He learns about bumsters, finds out there are no waste bins in this third world country, his house is burglared and it's a guess if he would have survived without the friendship of other volunteers.The second half is what makes this book stand out for me. After his time working as a volunteer is up, he gets a job as manager of an Internet Service Provider. Pretty soon he finds himself torn apart by the demands of his Lebanese boss, his Gambian work crew and the (mostly NGO) customers. His western ideas about empowerment of the workers are not appreciated by his boss and his workers. There's a secretary who uses the company truck to do her shopping. Add to this bad roads, unpredictable climate, a shortage of supplies, corruption, run ins with the secret police, and you'll understand his growing uneasiness. And my growing desire to know how this will end!
Product details
|
Tags : Trials Elsewhere: Stories of life and Development in West Africa [R Matthias] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. In Trials Elsewhere, R. Matthias vividly describes his experiences as a 21st century traveler who does what many young university educated Westerners only say they want to do: travel the world and do some good. Moving from Canada to Washington D.C. to take on the inner city,R Matthias,Trials Elsewhere: Stories of life and Development in West Africa,Anywhere But Here Publications,0994816405,TRAVEL Africa West
People also read other books :
- Icewine R R Bruno Books
- Routines How To Use Routines To Overcome Fears eBook Alex A Michaels
- Back to the Future Biff to the Future #4 of 6 eBook Bob Gale Derek Fridolfs Alan Robinson
- Looking At Us An Interdisciplinary Study of Human Behaviors Custom Edition for Saint Leo University 9781256145486 Books
- Field Trip Around the World Chloe Elaine Jackson Blynda Kellner 9781449945497 Books
Trials Elsewhere Stories of life and Development in West Africa R Matthias 9780994816405 Books Reviews
This is a book for anyone who has ever worked in Africa – or who is thinking of working there. The colour, the frenetic activity, the laughter, the squalor, the friendships, the frustrations, the corruption – they are all there, as we follow the author on his volunteer job as an IT man for NGO’s in Gambia.
Along the way, he discovers a lot about the people he is working with – both his fellow co-workers and the local populace. He writes well and clearly, and the best thing about his style is that there is always a quiet humour in his commentary. The book begins slowly with his life in Canada and the US, but as soon as we arrive in Gambia, it hots up , and we are immediately drawn into his entanglements with his bosses and his work-mates, as he tries to fit in with his new community and make sense of it all. And try as he might, being the Gambia, his attempts to do his job for the greatest benefit of the people involve him in endless run-ins with the local authorities and the police.
Cleverly, he avoids tourist-to- Africa descriptions and concentrates on his own life and that of his community, although when he does describe the surroundings, his descriptions of tropical storms, markets and the teeming life of Banjul are highly evocative. The only criticism is that he devotes too much time to the technical intricacies of his work and the details of his many journeys (examples of frustration, though they may well be). The services of a fierce editor might have somewhat shortened the book.
His observations on the characters of his work-mates are very astute, as are his reflections on the Gambia mentality, and written with a lightness of touch and humour, his tips on how to get on in an alien society will always remain with me. My favourite one being ’a goofy smile on your face’ is the most useful weapon when confronted by cultural hostilities!
Such an incredible, real life story, of the trials and tribulations of international development work in West Africa. A MUST READ for anyone planning on doing work overseas. A delicate mix of comical, frustrating and scary anecdotes woven together in one book that is hard to put down. Highly recommended.
In Trials Elsewhere, Matthias skillfully interweaves his reflections on growing up in Canada and being educated for work the 'real world' with what he finds works and doesn't work in a developing country. The author treats the reader with a highly entertaining and yet substantial travelogue taking him from Canada to the United States to the Republic of The Gambia in West Africa. As he discovers truths about his travails abroad, the author also realizes facts about himself.
Trials Elsewhere is a tremendously enjoyable read and I have found myself repeatedly returning to sections to revisit the author’s nuggets of wisdom. The author has a real talent for evoking his experiences -- banal, humorous, and terrifying -- through his writing. Highly recommended.
I went on a vacation to The Gambia and wanted something to read in relation to the country. I was a bit hesitant as this was about working in The Gambia, but I was surprised how entertaining and fun it was to read it. Well written and interesting. Gives some good insight to the country even if you are just visiting for holidays. Never thought it could be trilling to read about IT-installations, but eve that part actually was!
The first half of the book deals with the author's experience of working for a NGO in The Gambia. He learns about bumsters, finds out there are no waste bins in this third world country, his house is burglared and it's a guess if he would have survived without the friendship of other volunteers.
The second half is what makes this book stand out for me. After his time working as a volunteer is up, he gets a job as manager of an Internet Service Provider. Pretty soon he finds himself torn apart by the demands of his Lebanese boss, his Gambian work crew and the (mostly NGO) customers. His western ideas about empowerment of the workers are not appreciated by his boss and his workers. There's a secretary who uses the company truck to do her shopping. Add to this bad roads, unpredictable climate, a shortage of supplies, corruption, run ins with the secret police, and you'll understand his growing uneasiness. And my growing desire to know how this will end!
0 Response to "≫ Libro Free Trials Elsewhere Stories of life and Development in West Africa R Matthias 9780994816405 Books"
Post a Comment