EIL Intercultural Learning

I have recently returned from working as a volunteer in Ibadan, Nigeria. Even though I have now been back for many weeks, I have still very strong, happy memories of the country that was to be my home for two months. I found Nigerians to be a passionate, energetic people with a zest for life that would put most Europeans to shame. Although they are faced with significant challenges on a daily basis, people live in the here and now and are very thankful for what they have.

Religion forms the backbone of society – people are very devout and most people form friendships/ relationships through their church. When I was over there I took the attitude of “when in Rome.....” and went to services in all of the various churches – Baptist/Pentecostal/Catholic, and took part in all religious festivals. Indeed, New Years Eve was spent on my knees in a Pentecostal Church in Abuja, praising the Lord and singing hymns/ dancing in the aisles until 2 in the morning!

I worked in a school for the duration of my visit. During this time I assisted the French teacher and also gave a class on Irish/European culture. The children are fascinated by anything European – we talked about traditional festivals – I described Irish festivals to them and we compared them to their local festivals. They wanted to know about our weather, what type of food we ate, I also showed them pictures of the Irish country side and historical buildings. I taught them some Irish traditional songs and by the end of the 8 weeks they were even able do a bit of Irish dancing! At the weekend and on school holidays I spent some time in an orphanage, playing games and doing arts and crafts with the children. They were great kids who were really excited to have a new person to play with.

Before going to Nigeria, my primary concern was personal safety. During the day, I felt very safe. I used public transport and never once felt threatened. I found the people to be very friendly, curious about Ireland and very respectful. Once night falls, you do need to have your wits about you. The locals tend to be home for sundown and many do not socialise outside of church gatherings. If you follow local warnings and guidelines you should be fine.

I would highly recommend Nigeria as a place to work for future volunteers. It is invaluable to get first hand information on a country that is so maligned in the international press. Yes, Nigeria has its problems, but I came back with a deep respect for the ordinary people who live out their lives with such dignity and happiness