Encourage the Heart

Talk about one contextual factor in the NOLA leadership system and what you learned while we were in NOLA that helped you understand that factor in more depth?

In the city of New Orleans, it seems almost impossible to stay encouraged to make a difference because it almost seems like you can't. That should not discourage leaders though, it simply presents a new and larger challenge to overcome. While there, I saw how big the issues there were. I often saw people on the street in a place in life where they had to ask for money. I also saw the houses that became unlivable due to hurricane Katrina. These are some of the biggest issues in New Orleans and they are very severe. Seeing how bad it is is a little discouraging, making you feel like you can't help at all, but I saw leaders and organizations that, no matter how small, were still trying to make a difference. While working with the Lower Nine organization, there were five people from the organization and about twenty of us all working for a short amount of time to help reconstruct unlivable homes. It almost seems crazy having a bunch of college kids with varying experiences work on a house to make it liveable again, but what work we were able to accomplish was that much more than what was already done. The Lower Ninth organization has already rebuilt 90 homes which may not seem like much, but the people from the organization seem to be proud of it. While scouting their website, I found photos of the families helped by the organization. As much as we all wish we could help all the families impacted, it's difficult work for a small group of people. I learned while there that, even a small difference is more of a difference than before and you shouldn't let yourself get discouraged by how large an endeavor may seem.Read more