JACKSON SEEKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT OFF THE COURT
May 3, 2011
Head Coach Jamahl Jackson has led his basketball team through many different scenarios on the court. From late game comebacks to dealing with injured players, Coach Jackson is always ready to take on any challenge that may come across his bench come game-time.
This May, however, he will embark on a new chapter in his career with Emmanuel as he joins the 2011 Swaziland Service Learning Trip that will be travelling to South Africa and Swaziland from May 16-31.
The main focus of the trip, now in its third year, is to provide Emmanuel College students and faculty with the chance to take a once in a lifetime journey while helping support those affected by HIV/AIDS in rural areas of Swaziland.
Coach Jackson has waited a long time for his chance to be included in the number that makes the trip and is looking forward to every bit of it.
"One of my players went on the trip last year," he said. "Just from talking to people who have gone, the feedback on the experience has been about how the trip has changed their lives. I wanted to go last year and when I was unable to, I told them then that I was definitely on board for this year."
The group will board a plane bound for Heathrow Airport in London at 8:15 a.m. on Monday May 16. From there, the team will fly south and arrive in Johannesburg at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday morning, ultimately setting the flight time from start to finish to be nearly 25 hours.
Once arriving in South Africa, the group will spend a few days adjusting to their surroundings and the overall experience before they begin their work in Swaziland on Thursday morning.
"We are going to visit the Sisters of Notre Dame on our first night and have dinner with them before travelling to have dinner with the Queen of Swaziland on Wednesday," Jackson said. "The Prince is our contact and liaison and he came to one of our prep sessions on Tuesday nights."
"The sessions are to get everyone going on the trip acclimated to what is going on in Swaziland, including learning some of the language and what the education is like."
It is understood by all that this will be a daunting task and should not be taken lightly by any.
"The majority of the time is going to be spent in Swaziland," Jackson said. "We will be visiting different hospices in need, as the population that is affected by HIV is a little over 39%. It's the highest in the world. They have a huge population of orphans, and a lot of households have children taking care of the other kids because the parents have died."
Damita Davis, Director of Multicultural Programs and Associate Director of Student Activities at Emmanuel will be leading the trip to Swaziland for her third time. Having seen the issues plaguing the small nation firsthand, she is aware of the many problems that face the population as well as the importance of the support Emmanuel provides.
"We expect to see a lot of disparity in healthcare," she said. "We know from the Unites States that you can live a long life with HIV, but it's not the same in this country. We are preparing ourselves emotionally for what lies ahead."
However, not just any student can sign up for the trip, as Coach Jackson pointed out. It is a long and arduous process that puts together the best group possible for the service trip.
"It's a rigorous process to choose who gets to come on the trip," he said. "The students have to write essays and we hold interviews. Originally we had about 30 applicants which we cut to 18 and now I think we are down to 11. Additionally, each student is responsible to raise about \$4,000 on their own. It's a big commitment."
In addition to spending some much needed time with those affected by the disease, the Emmanuel group will also be able to take in the experience through various activities that cannot simply be found around Fenway.
"I'm looking forward to going on a safari," Jackson said. "Sightseeing and taking in the beauty of the land as well as interacting with the people. There is so much you can learn from just talking with them and working hands-on."
"I call it my personal bucket list of places I want to visit and Africa is at the top. To have the opportunity to go over and visit and do some meaningful work was something I couldn't pass on."
Still, at the heart of the journey is the focus on experiencing what life is like for these people suffering with HIV/AIDS and how different their life is compared to what is experienced in at school.
When asked about the most important aspect that should be taken from the trip, Davis highlighted her goals and what she hopes the students and faculty will experience.
"My hope is that the students will come back with a different world view," she said. "I think we have an American perspective on everything that goes on in the world and you cannot do that in Swaziland. I hope that when we come back from the trip, they will better understand who they are."
Coach Jackson echoed Davis' words, bringing his own hopes to mind and that nothing should be taken for granted.
"The trip is going to help me appreciate the things I have personally and what I have here that people in other countries cannot have," Jackson said. "You really need to have humility and understand that it is not easy for everyone to just turn on the faucet and have a drink of water. There are things you can learn about yourself from travelling the world and learning about other cultures."
"The more I can learn from other cultures and see and experience, the more I can learn about myself. I will be able to appreciate everything and see it all in a new light."