College student to focus efforts back home

A four-month internship in Africa has convinced Ashley Dennehy that she can continue to do valuable work in her own community.
Dennehy, a 23-year-old from the Samson Cree First Nation, was one of 10 Aboriginals who took part in a pilot project in Africa organized by the Canadian International Developmental Agency. CIDA supports sustainable development activities which are aimed at reducing poverty and contributing to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world.

Dennehy was a student at the University of Victoria in British Columbia when she applied for the internship in 2011. After being accepted for the program she travelled to Zambia in February and returned home in mid-June.

“I honestly didn’t think I had a shot at it,” she said. “I was really nervous when I went for the interview. But I found out about a week later I had been accepted.”

Dennehy believes a few hundred people applied for the internships.

As it turned out, Dennehy was the lone Albertan chosen for the program. All the other participants were from BC

Dennehy believes her previous experience factored into her getting the nod to participate in the program. During the summer of 2011 she was part of a two-month volunteer program which saw her travel to Fiji, in part to assist with the building of schools.
As for this year’s program, the group was split in half with five, including Dennehy, traveling to Zambia and the remainder going to Uganda.

Dennehy and her fellow interns worked alongside officials from various non-government agencies helping to build skills with Zambians in a variety of areas. The aim of their work is to develop capacity that will allow individuals to become self-reliant and sustainable.

Dennehy has decided not to return to the University of Victoria this fall. Instead, she will stay home and put to use the skills she learned through her internship with the goal of making significant contributions in her own community. But she hasn’t given up on her education.

“I will be returning to my studies part-time this fall,” said Dennehy, who will attend Hobbema’s Maskwachees Cultural College.

Plus, she also has some other goals.

“My plan is to start a Big Sisters program in the Samson community,” she said. “The community could really benefit from a program like Big Sisters.”

Ideally, she would like to have the program operating by this Christmas.

“There’re a lot of requirements though to get an association like Big Sisters running,” she said.

Dennehy, who eventually plans to teach in her community, is also keen to volunteer at a women’s shelter in Ermineskin.

And she will continue to assist various other organizations.

“I’m constantly fundraising (for various causes),” she said, adding she frequently organizes bottle drives, yard sales and bake sales.