Global Impact Projects

The reason for being of France Volontaires is to promote civic commitments, and we have been doing this for more than fifty years, since 1966.

We have a three-level deployment: the first level with the State, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Youth Ministry.

When Edhec considered and was really in phase to develop global impact projects, it was essential to surround oneself with partners who are legitimate but, above all, have experience in on-site volunteer missions in Cameroon.

So, it was quite natural that we turned to France Volontaires, which, as we know, is an actor responding to the Ministries of Europe and Foreign Affairs, whose primary mission is to promote and develop on-site volunteer programmes.

The Global Impact Project is closely linked to the core business.

This is international mobility.

So we bring together people from different cultures who share a time of communion through professional activity.

We recognise ourselves in what Global Impact Projects offer both to volunteers and to host structures.

The beauty of the programme and the partnership was based on three pillars.
The first was in the design: helping us identify the right NGOs and non-profit associations in Cameroon.

The second was defining a welcome and an entire philosophy around the integration of future students from the Global Impact Projects on a mission in Cameroon.
And finally, what I find very interesting about this initiative is the effort to enhance the tutoring programme set up within the Global Impact Projects.

We are all sons of the same world, and students who come on a mission to Cameroon do so in the name of global citizenship.

They give their time by supporting the structures that welcomed them, sharing their abilities and their own perception of the world.

This exchange helps to build and shape new perspectives, allowing others to perceive the world in its diversity and entirety.

Choosing Cameroon for a Global Impact Project is a decision that will enrich students, helping them understand the complexity of the world, its differences, cultural ways of thinking, eating, and making choices.

This is extremely visible in Cameroon.

Africa, for me, it's the future of the world.

There are a myriad of ethnic groups, traditions, and cultures.

I refuse to be an out-of-touch-with-reality person.

I realised quickly that the Global Impact Project could be a great opportunity.

I wanted to take this time to make something useful.

And I just wanted to leave my comfort zone to discover myself, but also to discover people.

I think it's important also to level the playing field.

Green energy is the future.

Association Jeunesse Verte Du Cameroun understands that.

The organisation tries to implement large-scale programmes in order to use green energy.

Here, the sun is one of the biggest powers of the country.

It allowed AJVC to create a project with solar panels and to give energy to houses, hospitals, and schools, all day, all night, all year.

At AJVC, there is no daily task.

Every week is very different.

At the beginning, it was communication, then contacting companies, and then it was interviewing people.

Now, it's going on the ground to collect data.

We are in the medical centre of Ozom in Yaoundé, and our mission is to collect data and testimonials about the PODC impact.

One year ago, we implemented solar panels.

It allowed the hospital to have energy for the fridge and to conserve vaccines.

Now, it's possible to vaccinate the population and to unify the population as well.
I've learned a lot about solar energy here.

I think it's fantastic because it gave a lot of opportunities to vaccinate the population, to create better access to education with the light in houses, and to create jobs with sewing machines that work with solar energy.

So I think it's an amazing project.

In our Western society, ecology is seen as a heated debate.

On the contrary, here in Cameroon, it's a common and positive subject.
Ecology allows communities to unify.

It's possible to concretely change people's lives thanks to green activities.

So I'm so grateful for this project because, on one hand, we helped them with communication, and on the other hand, they helped us discover true life.

Just waking up in the morning, smiling, eating some bread together, and sharing simple moments of life.

There is no barrier between you and the people here.

It's the strength of Cameroon—the fact that you are never alone.

India, there was a sort of call for India.

It's a country I really felt I wanted and even needed to go and visit, particularly because I wanted to work on an environmental project.

That's why I chose CORD. It's an organisation working on rural development.
And they had this water project, which is a crucial issue here.

The main reason why I chose India for my Global Impact Project is that thanks to the SPJIMR, they have connections with lots of local NGOs, and it's really something I wanted to do, to discover social work through the community and through locals, because I really think that they have some knowledge that other big NGOs don't have.

Education is, for me, a privilege and an opportunity.

So as for my GIP, my Global Impact Project, I want to discover: How is it in this country? And to create opportunity for students.

So we're currently on a field mission. It started with a meeting with the Water User Group, which is a group of people who gather to talk about one particular spring of water they use.

Today, we've been conducting an interview with the principal and several school management committee members of the school.

And so our job, our mission in the GIP, is to understand how these school management communities work and what their gaps are in order to create a training for better engagement within the community and to restore some trust from the community to the school through this school management committee.

So when we're at the spring location, we measure parameters such as pH, water hardness, and whether there is fecal coliform.

And we attended a puja. It's a worshipping of the water. It was really nice to witness this.

The thing I most learned here, I think, was to be pragmatic because everything is new all the time.

The food is new. The people are new. The language is new.

Every day, you just discover thousands of new things. And so you have to adapt and be pragmatic.

When you come to another country with a solidarity project, you have to be flexible, open-minded, and ready to discover a new culture.

Doing my Global Impact Project with other students was really something comforting.

When it comes to enjoying the GIP on off days and discovering India, it's really nice to be with the friends that you make along the way.

And in difficult situations, because sometimes the work we are doing is difficult, it's really nice to have friends to rely on.

NGOs are creating an important link with communities.

It's different from what I tried before.

You are not trying to find the solution alone.

You're trying to understand problems from the community, to work together, and to find a solution together for this problem.

And it's something I will keep with me for the rest of my life.

When you work in an NGO, it's really hard to see how you can really make an impact.
Eventually, it's all about trying.

If you keep trying and keep persisting, eventually, you have a small impact.
It's not huge. You're not going to change the world, but you can try, and you can really have a small impact.

And I believe we did, in our mission in CORD.

Today, we are in the Tarun Bharat Sangh office in Mewat, near the border between Rajasthan and Haryana.

Mewat is one of the poorest regions of Rajasthan.

It's a very dry place.

People cannot live from farming because the land is barren.

So, Tarun Bharat Sangh helps people with water, enabling them to farm again and secure a decent income for their families.

I am here to speak with partners, to engage with communities, and to understand the impact of their work.

I wanted to do the Global Impact Project because I wanted to have a purpose.
I chose water because it is a cause close to my heart. Since I was little, I have been fascinated by oceans, rivers, and seas.

Knowing that more than a hundred million people don’t have access to clean water is something I want to fight against because, for me, water is the beginning.

If you have water, you can eat. If you have water, you have better health. If you have water, you can educate your children.

It’s the foundation of everything.

For me, Tarun Bharat Sangh was a natural choice because I wanted to work with a local NGO to ensure that its impact was not just on paper but real and tangible.
They strive to build a relationship of trust with the communities they support.
You go into the field, you speak with people, and you see the direct impact of your work.

It’s visible.

It’s something you feel, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see your efforts change lives.
As a young woman coming alone to India, a country with a very different culture, I felt secure knowing that EDHEC supported me.

Having SPJIMR as part of the experience was also very important for me.
For me, this experience was a revelation because I know that I want to have a purpose.

I know that I want to make an impact in my future career, and through the Global Impact Project, being here with an NGO like Tarun Bharat Sangh helped me realize that the NGO sector could be my way to contribute.

I would say that if you want to have an impact, if you want to step out of your comfort zone, discover new people, and learn not only about yourself but also about communities, this is the best choice you can make.

Every day you spend here, you grow, you learn, and you come to understand the true value of mutual aid.