International Learning

This January, Penny Alexander, Director of the GSSW International Program, together with 13 students from the "Changing Roles of Women & Children" course travelled to Lesotho, Africa. There they met with social service agencies, and faculty and students from the National University at Lesotho School of Social Work. They visited a children's village where at-risk children are given care. Through the Habitat for Humanity Lesotho project students also helped in the construction of a house for orphaned children and their families.

Student Reflections

"Developing countries are often portrayed in the media and popular American culture as problems to be dealt with, examples of what not to do, and sources of pity and self-serving projects to make us feel better about ourselves. However, our engagement with local individuals in Lesotho and South Africa reinforced for me how backwards these ideas are, and how imperative it is that we, as a nation and also as individuals, take the time to listen to the people whose lives we are affecting."
—Sara Hudson, MSW '11

"What I found most impactful about this trip was being able to put names and faces along with the information that we had been learning in class about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the children who have been made orphans due to this disease."
—Shari LauRent, MSW '10

"My favorite memory was going to the Lesotho Child Care Unit, a place for children who have been abused by family members or caretakers, and our playing and connecting with the kids there. Seeing how positive and happy they were was truly a joy."
—Dwayne Bartholomew, MSW '10