by Bianca Bidiuc
Hailing from various corners of the world, Jen Applegate and Mara-Hiley Chery discovered and joined Roots of Development in February 2009 as interns in Athens, Georgia. A desire to pursue humanitarian work combined with an interest in sustainability led them to embrace the Roots mission. They were drawn to the organization for various reasons, but both agree that the model of the organization – grassroots and community-driven – ultimately convinced them to embrace Roots of Development.
Jen, originally from North Carolina, graduated in 2007 from the University of Georgia with a dual degree in Psychology and Child and Family Development. She has worked in the fields of social work and public health and has experience in lab research focusing on delusory parasitosis. Working with Roots has taught her that “grant-writing is very humbling, but perseverance is key.” Her passion for public health and newfound interest in Haiti helped her make the decision to join the Roots healthcare expedition to Haiti in April. “Roots has the Haitian community involved at the forefront of the change that’s taking place,” she remarks. She believes it’s important to invest in sustainability and describes the Roots model of rural development as “basic but cutting edge because it’s community-driven, working from the bottom-up.”
Mara has also delved in community service, desiring to “affect change in a positive way” in her own community and abroad. Being born in Haiti, Roots re-connected her interest in the country she left at age 6. She also desired to understand the many serious issues facing Haiti. A Political Science major at UGA, she graduated in December 2009 and will continue to work with non-profits because they “opened her eyes to injustices.” During her time with Roots, she focused on researching grants for various projects and also directly contacted and interviewed members of ADAG for newsletter articles. “Working with Roots has developed my professional skills and taught me about independence and time management,” she says. She would like to see the projects in Gran Sous also spread to surrounding communities and adds, “That’s what community members of ADAG have also expressed.”
Both Jen and Mara remember Lindsey Walker, Co-Director of Roots of Development, explaining the mission statement during their interview process; “Our goal is to put ourselves out of work.” They were struck by the simple meaning of these words. Both agree that this is a focus every non-profit involved in sustainable development should have. Jennifer’s plans for the future include a graduate degree and career in the public health sector, while Mara is exploring her options as an Americorps VISTA volunteer. Both will remain committed to public service. We thank Jen and Mara for their selfless efforts and hard work, and we hope they will stay in touch wherever their humanitarian efforts lead them!
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