Alex Alvanos

Political Science Major

I knew going to the "poorest" country in the world would be life changing. Going on the trip wasn't an option for me; it was something I needed to do. I wanted to experience life outside of middle class myopia. Now, after being back in western life for one week I have a better understanding of what I experienced while I was away.

Our journey through Niger has been from a state of privilege. We're University students on an educational expedition learning about Niger first hand because we had the resources to fly overseas. We've been treated like kings in both positive and negative ways . Our goal as humans from the "first world," should be to put down our lenses and truly help the rest of the world, not through pity or sympathy, but through love.

The best part of our trip was the "bonding" we did with our Tuareg friends. Even though we didn't speak most of their language, and vice versa, we we're able to create such a strong relationship with our new friends through our shared experience.

Our trip to Niger was unforgettable, an experience never to be replicated for those on the journey. Between the people, the experience, and the overall feelings created while in Niger it couldn’t have been any more perfect. I honestly learned more in two weeks while in Niger than I have at two years at Northeastern and that’s all in thanks to the holistic learning experience made possible by Mallam [Teacher – Northeastern Professor].