Feature -- by Karen Rocznik

Since high school, Jackie Paduano has wanted to go overseas. After her first year of university, Paduano looked into a number of youth volunteer organizations then settled on Canadian Crossroads International, which sends Canadians around the world to volunteer in developing countries.

At 19, Paduano got involved by attending meetings and applied to become a volunteer. In September 1997 she was selected to work in Suriname and placed with an English-speaking host family. Suriname is a Dutch colony so most its residents speak Dutch as well as their own local native language. During her 14 week stay, Paduano worked for an organization promoting environmental awareness to tourists. She made trail guides, maps and signs identifying wildlife.

While Paduano enjoyed working in the outlying rural areas, she found the cities very different from home. "The city was very polluted; there was a disregard for garbage." She also found the men to be very forward.

"The men would hiss at you to get your attention and I would tell them I was married, but that wouldn't matter because [in Suriname] fidelity is not an issue in marriage.

One time, Paduano and a friend went to see an Indonesian dance where the dancers become possessed by spirits. The ritual included biting the heads off live chickens and drinking the blood. "I was all excited to see it, but as I was walking back towards my friend, I kind of felt sick. It got to me more than I thought and then I realized 'Wow', you're not in Canada anymore!'"

The new teacher in Ghana.

Last year Marcello DiCintio also became involved with Crossroads. He liked the fact that the organization was flexible and cheap. While Crossroads pays for 80 per cent of the cost, participants are responsible for making up the remaining 20 per cent or $2,500. This meant months of fund-raising for DiCintio. However, while Paduano knew where she was going months before she left, DiCintio didn't find out he was even leaving until three days before getting on the plane. With a science degree and an athletic background, DiCintio found himself teaching biology and sports in a secondary school in Denu, (pronounced day-new) Ghana, on the western coast of Africa.

"I had never taught before and was really nervous." The nervousness subsided when he realized that the kids warmed up to him immediately. "I was seen as a novelty as a teacher. The kids would brag 'We get a Canadian.' But in the three months I taught, I never got past being seen as a novelty."

Teaching also made him aware that education is not a high priority among both students and teachers. "When I came, the head of the science department came in and dumped a text book on my desk and left." Students would attend classes only if they had the time. DiCintio says their lack of interest was evident when he gave a mid-term and only five of 120 students passed.

While DiCintio was learning about African culture, he set out to dispel some myths about North America. "They think that we are all rich and have cars. They get a lot that from television shows, like The Fresh Prince or The Cosby Show. The see people who look like them and they have all these things."

DiCintio says the experience working in Africa changed his own perceptions of what it means to work in another country. "There are people who think they're going to change something. There's a lot of idealism. But then you realize quickly that your North American ideals don't mesh with other countries."

Both Paduano and DiCintio say that having an open mind is key when working overseas. "I learned to respect and love different cultures. I know now that the world doesn't need to be healed by Western culture," says DiCintio.

Learning the hard way in Chile.

When Jessica Bysterveld embarked on a teaching opportunity in Chile, she soon found she needed more than an open mind to get her through the experience. While finishing her Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Calgary (Canada), Bysterveld saw an ad for teachers at St. Joseph's International School in Chile. "It sounded really neat. I checked into it by email and found out about the school and city. I was told the school was immersion with all the students and teachers speaking English."

Soon after applying, Bysterveld was contacted by the school's headmaster and offered a teaching grade one. She was told there was a "wonderful" library, internet access and resources for teachers. She contacted teachers from the US who were working at the same school and was told it was very reputable. Bysterveld decided to go but then the problems started. One week before leaving for Chile, she had to fly to Vancouver and pay $100 for her working visa which, she found out later, most schools pay for.

Arriving in Chile, Bysterveld found her American contacts had left because they were fed up with the school. The headmaster who had hired her had also left due to problems with the school's owner. Once at St. Joseph's, she found she was taking on more than she had expected.

They gave me grade one, which I was told I was going to do. Then they gave me grade three and I was teaching English classes for adults. Their 'wonderful' library consisted of one shelf of books and the internet access was down the whole time I was there."

Bysterveld also had to dust off the little Spanish she did know, since the school's focus switched from English to Spanish. "I was hating teaching and this was my first teaching experience. So, I knew after a couple of weeks that I was not going to stay until December." Bysterveld says she was lucky to get out of her contract and still receive pay for the work she had done.

Back home in Canada, Bysterveld says she would do things differently now. "I wouldn't just go through email. I thought I thoroughly checked it out - I contacted the embassies, I contacted the school and spent a fortune on faxes and phone calls." Instead, Bysterveld says she would go through an organization that places teachers in schools. Despite her misfortune in Chile however, Bysterveld is not bitter.

I'm really glad I went because of the great experiences I had with the people I met. It's just that I'm a lot more cautious now."

Despite a mild case of culture shock, Paduano says it was a really positive experience. "I developed confidence. I look back on it now and I just think "I can't believe I did that, good for me!'