An inspiring story one of my fellow lcps in canada lived...
Got this story from our AP ER Director 0708, Jean-Nic.
A moving story for every AIESECer to ponder on.
Ever wonder what's the role model of positive change agent? This story will tell u! Maybe we should count our blessings after reading it =)
HiI wanted to share with you something I've been lucky to be a part of here inNigeria, and which was certainly been inspiring for me...
I came home from work last night, to find the guys (my housemates) at thehouse preparing for a meeting they were to have that evening...In October 2006, the membership of AIESEC Nigeria decided to fire the entireelected MC 06-07 team, because of a whole lot of issues.
AI then selected what they called a Caretaker Committee, made up of Moyo,Abah, Kole and Niyi; 4 of my current housemates. These guys left thecomforts of their family homes outside Lagos, came in to the role of MCmembers with about 2 hours of transition, starting from scratch with fewresources, no salary, a home office with little electricity and rare runningwater, with foam matresses on the floor as beds, millions of mosquitoes ashousemates and 400 000 Naira (about $4000) missing in the bank account ofAIESEC Nigeria, without explanation from the team who had been fired.
As the fired team refused to answer to their questions, the caretakercommittee decided to put the SN forms of some of the fired MC members onhold until they got a proper explanation.
That led to the meeting happening last night at 17a, (the MC house/office'saddress is 17a University Road, everyone calls it 17a). One by one, pastMCPs and MC members of AIESEC Nigeria arrived at the house. Because we'vebeen living at 17a without electricity for the last 5 days, the meetinghappened with everyone sitting on the living room floor, with only a fewcandles lighting the faces of these people so passionate about AIESEC and soconcerned about the well being of AIESEC in Nigeria, even though most ofthem have long passed the Heading For The Future stage of their AIESECcareers.
We sat in the mosquito-filled, hot, dark room until 10 pm, with thesehigh-profile past MC members, who probably had 1 million other things to dolast night, but who still hold strong with their dedication to AIESEC.
Although no conclusion was reached yesterday, everyone agreed to meet againon Saturday night, with the fired team having prepared proper financials topresent
When the meeting was ajourned, Niyi received a phone call that Abah, thecurrent caretaker committee VP ER, who had been hit by a motor bike earlierin the day was in hospital, waiting to be admitted to undergo furtherexamination. But he had no money, and the caretaker committee did not haveenough money to pay for him to be admitted. Without even thinking twice, andwithout even having to be asked, all the alumni who were there pulled outtheir wallets and contributed what they could to make sure the hospital billcould be paid.
Standing on the outside of the group, looking at all these guys who havegiven so much to AIESEC, and who can still give so much, I was reminded whyI'm part of this organization.I've been living with the caretaker committee guys for 5 weeks now, and I'veseen them cry and be frustrated almost as much as I've seen them laugh andgoof off. I've seen them hustle just to get enough money to get on a bus toa marketing call, sleep on the floor of the living room because the roofabove one bedroom gave way in a rain storm, struggle to collect just 800Naira (about $7) just so the whole team can eat a dinner of Mr Noodles andfried egg...They've kept me awake until 3 in the morning, because they were in theoffice arguing over focus areas for the upcoming year, arguing because theywant only the best for their AIESEC Nigeria.
I saw them come up with their 07-08 vision statement by candlelight becausewe had no electricity in the house...It makes me wonder what the whole AIESEC network, internationally, would belike if all MC teams made even just half the efforts, and had the samepassion that these guys have made, and have displayed in the short whileI've known them.
I was telling the guys a few days ago that instead of AIESEC Canada sendingCEEDers to African countries, we should reverse the roles... send AfricanCEEDers to Canada. Because if a country like Nigeria can run over 100exchanges in a year with only 14 LCs and with the very little resources theyhave, imagine the results they would bring in if they had the resources wehave in AIESEC in Canada.I'm truly amazed by these guys.
This doesn't go to say that AIESECers in Canada, or in other more developedcountries have it easy. But maybe the next time an MC member in Canada, whocan get 3 meals a day without having to scrape money together, complainsabout being a 'poor AIESECer' because of the relatively meagre salary... orthe next time an LC member complains that they can't run recruitmentproperly because their fancy, professionally printed posters weren't DHL'don time... think of what your fellow AIESECers have to deal with in someother countries and what they are achieving while overcoming all thoseobstacles.
And remind yourself why you're part of AIESEC... 5 weeks in Nigeria hascertainly revived that feeling for me.
Sending warm hugs
Emily
A moving story for every AIESECer to ponder on.
Ever wonder what's the role model of positive change agent? This story will tell u! Maybe we should count our blessings after reading it =)
HiI wanted to share with you something I've been lucky to be a part of here inNigeria, and which was certainly been inspiring for me...
I came home from work last night, to find the guys (my housemates) at thehouse preparing for a meeting they were to have that evening...In October 2006, the membership of AIESEC Nigeria decided to fire the entireelected MC 06-07 team, because of a whole lot of issues.
AI then selected what they called a Caretaker Committee, made up of Moyo,Abah, Kole and Niyi; 4 of my current housemates. These guys left thecomforts of their family homes outside Lagos, came in to the role of MCmembers with about 2 hours of transition, starting from scratch with fewresources, no salary, a home office with little electricity and rare runningwater, with foam matresses on the floor as beds, millions of mosquitoes ashousemates and 400 000 Naira (about $4000) missing in the bank account ofAIESEC Nigeria, without explanation from the team who had been fired.
As the fired team refused to answer to their questions, the caretakercommittee decided to put the SN forms of some of the fired MC members onhold until they got a proper explanation.
That led to the meeting happening last night at 17a, (the MC house/office'saddress is 17a University Road, everyone calls it 17a). One by one, pastMCPs and MC members of AIESEC Nigeria arrived at the house. Because we'vebeen living at 17a without electricity for the last 5 days, the meetinghappened with everyone sitting on the living room floor, with only a fewcandles lighting the faces of these people so passionate about AIESEC and soconcerned about the well being of AIESEC in Nigeria, even though most ofthem have long passed the Heading For The Future stage of their AIESECcareers.
We sat in the mosquito-filled, hot, dark room until 10 pm, with thesehigh-profile past MC members, who probably had 1 million other things to dolast night, but who still hold strong with their dedication to AIESEC.
Although no conclusion was reached yesterday, everyone agreed to meet againon Saturday night, with the fired team having prepared proper financials topresent
When the meeting was ajourned, Niyi received a phone call that Abah, thecurrent caretaker committee VP ER, who had been hit by a motor bike earlierin the day was in hospital, waiting to be admitted to undergo furtherexamination. But he had no money, and the caretaker committee did not haveenough money to pay for him to be admitted. Without even thinking twice, andwithout even having to be asked, all the alumni who were there pulled outtheir wallets and contributed what they could to make sure the hospital billcould be paid.
Standing on the outside of the group, looking at all these guys who havegiven so much to AIESEC, and who can still give so much, I was reminded whyI'm part of this organization.I've been living with the caretaker committee guys for 5 weeks now, and I'veseen them cry and be frustrated almost as much as I've seen them laugh andgoof off. I've seen them hustle just to get enough money to get on a bus toa marketing call, sleep on the floor of the living room because the roofabove one bedroom gave way in a rain storm, struggle to collect just 800Naira (about $7) just so the whole team can eat a dinner of Mr Noodles andfried egg...They've kept me awake until 3 in the morning, because they were in theoffice arguing over focus areas for the upcoming year, arguing because theywant only the best for their AIESEC Nigeria.
I saw them come up with their 07-08 vision statement by candlelight becausewe had no electricity in the house...It makes me wonder what the whole AIESEC network, internationally, would belike if all MC teams made even just half the efforts, and had the samepassion that these guys have made, and have displayed in the short whileI've known them.
I was telling the guys a few days ago that instead of AIESEC Canada sendingCEEDers to African countries, we should reverse the roles... send AfricanCEEDers to Canada. Because if a country like Nigeria can run over 100exchanges in a year with only 14 LCs and with the very little resources theyhave, imagine the results they would bring in if they had the resources wehave in AIESEC in Canada.I'm truly amazed by these guys.
This doesn't go to say that AIESECers in Canada, or in other more developedcountries have it easy. But maybe the next time an MC member in Canada, whocan get 3 meals a day without having to scrape money together, complainsabout being a 'poor AIESECer' because of the relatively meagre salary... orthe next time an LC member complains that they can't run recruitmentproperly because their fancy, professionally printed posters weren't DHL'don time... think of what your fellow AIESECers have to deal with in someother countries and what they are achieving while overcoming all thoseobstacles.
And remind yourself why you're part of AIESEC... 5 weeks in Nigeria hascertainly revived that feeling for me.
Sending warm hugs
Emily
posted by AIESEC NTU Local Committee at 2:19 AM
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