Guelph University

Two University of Guelph employees in Nepal

For Frebis Hoffmeyer and Wayne Johnston, employees at the University of Guelph, the question was never whether they wanted to be involved in development work, it was a matter of how. For both of them, the answer was Leave for Change.

Wayne Johnston is a digital initiatives librarian who assists University of Guelph faculty to deliver special projects over the web. Wayne has also had a longstanding passion for development and human rights issues. His previous jobs have included positions with several organizations that focus on human rights and development, including the United Nations. But Wayne’s assignments were mostly based in North America in support of projects elsewhere. Leave for Change offered not only an opportunity to go to the site of the work, but to contribute in a way that capitalized on Wayne’s skills.

“What Leave for Change was looking for in terms of database expertise was a really good fit with my background,” says Wayne.

Frebis Hoffmeyer, currently a program counsellor at the university, found it difficult to imagine how her years of varied skills and experiences—from textile design and research to computer lab supervision—could be parlayed into an effective offering in development work. But when she learned about Leave for Change, Frebis believed it was an opportunity made just for her.

“When the Leave for Change recruiter gave a presentation on campus, she said it wasn’t so significant what our current job title was. Our skills and even our hobbies might make us useful to an organization. As she described what they were looking for, I kept thinking, ‘That’s me! That’s me!’” says Frebis.

Frebis and Wayne both were assigned placements in Katmandu, Nepal, working on the development of databases for local organizations.

Frebis was placed with the Federation of Community Forest Users of Nepal (FECOFUN), an organization that brings together local groups in charge of stewardship of their area forests, including the use and harvesting of any forest products. Her assignment was to create a database for the federation that would allow staff to enter and access over 14,000 pieces of information. The database would be used to keep track of forest products, record harvesting, maintenance and other activity in the forest areas and to facilitate communication between the various user groups.

“It was a lot of work to do in two weeks, but I’m so pleased with the result,” says Frebis.

Wayne’s role was to help Fair Trade Group Nepal to automate the information it collects from its 14 member organizations and numerous individual craftspeople. “It was really important that the group be able to share its information internally and with international organizations working in fair trade. Having the data automated allows them to do that,” Wayne says. 

His Leave for Change placement has had lasting benefits in Canada, as well as in Nepal, says Wayne, giving him renewed enthusiasm for his work at the university. “When I think about my experience it’s this rush of wow, I was in Nepal, I made contact with people there, I did something meaningful and it’s a little boost of motivation in my day-to-day life that I wouldn’t have had if I’d just stayed here and worked 9-5 at my regular job. My co-workers are also very interested in my experience and often ask me about it, so I think it has energized my colleagues as well.”

His enthusiasm and his colleagues’ interest have led Wayne to offer a lunchtime seminar to his co-workers, talking about his contributions and experience and he hopes to expand his presentations to librarians at other institutions. To anyone considering giving up their annual leave to volunteer with Leave for Change, Wayne stresses that though there is a great deal of work to do, there are also opportunities for shared relaxation and a wonderful introduction to another country and culture. “The people who you’re working with are really proud of their homeland and they want you to see it and appreciate it,” he says.

Frebis also notes a sense of continuing satisfaction from her placement, fueled by regular e-mail updates from the people she worked with in Nepal. “I really didn’t want to create something fancy that wasn’t any use to people once I left,” she says. “But the staff at FECOFUN are using the database, and are really committed to it. They’ve entered over 2500 pieces of information.”

But in addition to effective design and training, Frebis believes that what really makes the database a useful tool is the shared understanding and respect that went into creating it. “All the people there were warm and welcoming to me, but when I first arrived the man I shared an office with told me privately that he thought that this technology was just for the young people. Then one day he asked me how old I was. When he realized that I was 52 and he was only 48, something changed. He was suddenly excited to use the database. Now, he’s the one in charge of it,” she says.

“That’s so important, because it’s not my database, it belongs to the people I worked for. It’s really gratifying to know that they’re invested in it and they are making it work for them.”

Frebis hopes one day to return to do further design and training, enhancing familiarity and expertise with the database for even more people in the organization. For now, she is busy discussing Leave for Change in Guelph and the surrounding area. “Now that I see what can be done, I also see how much more there is to do,” she says. “So many people have benefited from this commitment from the University of Guelph and their partnership with Leave for Change.”

Wayne agrees, “Leave for Change is a wonderful model and it’s great that the university is championing it for our staff and at other businesses and organizations in the area. It makes me feel that much more dedicated to the university, the work that it does, and my part in it.”