Why did you decide to complete a short term experience?
I decided to complete the design summit as it was a new experience. Throughout my degree I never experienced the holistic design process that is a part of the EWB design summit. I also wanted to learn more about Humanitarian design, and EWB had the bonus of a very culturally immersive experience.
How has the experience changed you?
The experience helped me learn about appropriate technology and the humanitarian design process. The importance of context, and cultural awareness was made really clear. I managed to gain some great skills in the design process as part of a group, interviewing community members, and using a translator to communicate. The design summit also made me more aware of other cultures, and how different our expectations can be from reality. The design summit taught me to really value the connections we make with people.
Favourite memory
The community stay in the small mountain village was a definite highlight of the trip. We were immersed in another culture and way of living. It was a refreshing break from our devices, and our time was packed with great experiences.
Top tips
If you're sitting on the fence, I cannot recommend participating in the design summit enough!
Try not to have any expectations going into the design summit and keep an open mind.
Funding
I received the NCP Grant, which almost completely covered the program fees.