HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-03-09, Page 1414
Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Life begins at 44 for development volunteer
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — "I refer to
myself as the planetary
homeless now. This is
something I'll be doing as
long as I'm able. I don't
know where to call home
anywhere but Exeter is
as much a home to me as
anywhere I've been."
After only being home
for five months following
a two and a half year
term volunteering in
India, former Exeter resi-
dent Brent Wilson is once
again on the move, this
time to
Vietnam.
Wilson left
Feb. 26 and
will be assist-
ing the
Improved
Livelihood for
Mountainous
Communities
Project
(ILMC) as a
small busi-
ness and
marketing
advisor.
Wilson, 49,
worked at the
Royal Bank
in Exeter for
10 years from 1992 as
regional sales and mar-
ket manager for agribusi-
ness banking
But after 23 years with
the bank, at the age of
44, Wilson said he came
to the realization he had
no idea "what I wanted to
do when I grew up...so I
took an early retirement
package and began seek-
ing out that which I've
fallen into now."
He got his start in vol-
unteer work after being
approached to sit on the
board of directors of the
Huron United Way as
treasurer.
As an avid motorcyclist
he was involved in the
Child Abuse Prevention
Protection Youth (CAPPY)
motorcycle ride.
Through friends, as
well as his work with the
United Way, Wilson said
he became aware of
international develop-
ment.
He began looking at
various opportunities
which led him to the
Canadian Centre for
International Studies and
Cooperation (CECI) which
operates in 26 countries
to fight poverty.
After being selected by
CECI, Wilson said the
organization thought his
skills and background
would be suited for a new
project starting in India.
Beginning in April
2002, Wilson's work in
India involved economic
development in agricul-
ture.
"There were two com-
ponents to the project.
One was establishing
agricultural cooperatives
and the other was sav-
ings and credit coopera-
tives."
He said the work
involved mobilizing peo-
ple into self-help groups
of around 20 people in
various villages, "and
start acquaint them with
the concept of growing
crops to generate income
as opposed to growing
crops for their own suste-
nance. With the income
generation comes the
savings and credit,
encouraging people to
save and setting up small
credit organizations
where people would
invest. The savings would
be loaned out to help
them develop their farm
or small business enter-
prises."
According
to Wilson,
with many of
the villagers
having limited
income gener-
ating poten-
tial, the pro-
ject involved
doing market
studies to
identify crops
that had
potential in
the market
and increas-
ing both the
efficiency and
income of the
"India is a country
of stark contrasts.
You don't see the
contrasts in a
developed country
as you do in a
developing country.
You have a nice
house and a fairly
well to do family
right next to a
crumbling wooden
shack".
BRENT WILSON
villagers.
Some of the crops
focused on were green
bell peppers, peas, french
beans, ginger and garlic.
Once the self-help
groups were established,
Wilson said they started
moving towards coopera-
tives which could get into
collective marketing.
Originally a four year
project, CECI is looking to
secure funding to extend
it for another three years.
Wilson said the priority
is to build the capacity of
the local organizations.
Although he had done
some international trav-
elling before going to
India, Wilson said there
was still some cultural
shock when he arrived.
"You're on an emotion-
al roller coaster the
entire time you're there.
You experience highs
unlike those you have
ever experienced before
and lows unlike any
you've ever experienced
before.
"India is a country of
stark contrasts. You don't
see the contrasts in a
developed country as you
do in a developing coun-
try. You have a nice
house and a fairly well to
do family right next to a
crumbling wooden shack.
"There is no question
India has a very strong
developing emerging
economy,..but when you
relate that to a billion
people, they are still
struggling. One of the big
roles of CECI in India is
not just from a project
prospective helping
remote people in the
mountains deal with their
poverty...but also to help
local organizations and
government itself to build
their capacity to be able
to deal with the poverty
After spending the past two years doing volunteer work in India, former Exeter resident BrentWilson has left
for another project in Vietnam. (Above) Wilson stands on a rooftop in Pithoragarh in the Indian Himalayas
near Nepal (Below) Wilson presents a co-op signboard used to teach the use of logos and signage to mem-
bers of the co-operative. (photos/submitted)
and social problems they
do have. So we did a lot
of work that way also."
After arriving in India,
Wilson attended lan-
guage school for a month
as well as living in a vil-
lage for two months.
But just after, due to
tensions between India
and Pakistan, Wilson's
group was evacuated for
three months.
"As a consequence of
that, coming back I had
pretty much lost my lan-
guage skill and I had to
start from scratch. I was
able to negotiate with
rickshaw drivers and go
to market. I wouldn't say
I was fluent but I was
able to get by."
After being in India for
several months, Wilson
said he knew it was
something he would want
to do again and will be
doing the same type of
work in Vietnam.
One of the differences,
unlike in India where the
project was just begin-
ning, is the Vietnam pro-
ject is starting to wind
down.
"My primary responsi-
bility will be to go and
just reinforce the training
they've received."
The contract will be for
13 months but Wilson
said he is hoping other
projects will be in the
works to extend his time
in the country to the full
two years.
After being home for
five months, Wilson said
he is ready to go again.
"The last month, two
months it's just been `I'm
ready to go now'."
Other areas Wilson
would like to work
include Africa, where his
partner Erica Stillo, who
was with him in India
and will also be going to
Vietnam, has worked
previously.
Another area of inter-
est is Central America
where Wilson's team
leader in India was
recently transferred.
"There was one thing
after 23 years as a
banker that I was sure of,
that I wasn't a banker
and didn't want to be a
banker anymore. Now
one thing I'm sure of is
that whatever I do will be
along these lines...it's
good to get there and
come to the realization
there is a lot more to life
than the social script
we've been raised on."