St. Lawrence Students Implement Projects for Peace

“I have been so inspired by the students’ vision in designing their projects,” said Carol Smith, St. Lawrence’s liaison for the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program and senior officer for corporate and foundation relations and sponsored research. “They work incredibly hard to bring their vision of peace to life and demonstrate courage, leadership, and commitment. There are always challenges, but they keep going. They give me hope for the future of the world.”

To be considered for Projects for Peace funding, undergraduate students must be enrolled at a college or university in the Davis UWC Scholars Program. When scholars graduate from one of the 18 UWC schools, they matriculate at selected Davis UWC host partner U.S. colleges or universities like St. Lawrence.

A total of 28 St. Lawrence students have been awarded Projects for Peace grants since the program began in 2007. 

Cerebral Palsy Therapies on Wheels, Ghana 

Emmanuella Dwomo ’21 and Adwoa Pokuaa ’23

After participating in a research study during the St. Lawrence Summer Fellowship Program in 2019, Emmanuella Dwomo Agyei ’21, a graduate of UWC Changshu, was inspired to partner with Adwoa Pokuaa Boateng ’23, a graduate of UWC Robert Bosch, to launch a free mobile clinic for caregivers of children with cerebral palsy in Accra, Ghana.

The research study, conducted by the Ghana-based Center for Learning and Childhood Development (CLCD), showed that after a cerebral palsy diagnosis, most caregivers initially sought treatment from medical providers. However, due to a lack of counseling and education, medical treatments were often replaced with spiritual or home-based care, or complete withdrawal from care due to financial difficulties, mobility issues, and stigmatization.

“I was inspired and motivated to make a difference in my community,” said Emmanuella who is from Kumasi, Ghana. “There was a need for accessible therapies to reduce withdrawal from care.  Adwoa and I saw that Projects for Peace was a great opportunity to implement the project.”

With the support of funding from Projects for Peace, Adwoa and Emmanuella recruited two physical therapists, a speech therapist, and an occupational therapist to provide individualized support for 9-12 children per week. The pair also designed a CLCD webpage for online donations, information, and educational videos. 

Despite appointment cancellations, communication barriers, and mobile clinic location changes, Emmanuella and Adwoa learned to be proactive in their planning with families and government officials and say their experiences influenced the way they view and practice peace today. 

“This project has widened my definition of peace and taught me that individuals can be catalysts for a peaceful change through initiatives instead of relying on the government for change,” said Adwoa. “I now understand the depth of inequalities in societies and how that can lead to a vicious cycle of lower socioeconomic status.”

“Without the funding from the SLU Summer Fellowship in 2019, I would not have been able to embark on the research project with CLCD that led to the inspiration to implement this project,” said Emmanuella. “I realized that the creation of peace requires a collective effort and I realized the importance of involving others, networking, and respect. Without the support and great relationship with others, every good intention might be futile.”

Importance of Play, Supporting Child Safety and Development, Egypt

Fiona Wang ’22

While visiting Cairo, Egypt in 2020, Fiona Wang ’22, of Beijing, China, noticed children playing in high-traffic areas. With the support of Projects for Peace, she collaborated with a Cairo-based project manager and non-profit organization to build a playground, providing children with a safe place to play while stimulating their cognitive and emotional development.

Due to COVID-19 related travel concerns during the spring, Fiona implemented the initial stage of her project remotely and met virtually with members of a Cairo-based team to connect with suppliers, purchase materials, and oversee the building phase. 

With the support of Mohamed El-Gawarhy ’20, a Laurentian living in Cairo, Fiona identified a building site at Green Spike Orphanage, home to 35 girls between the ages of 8 and 16. The playground was initially intended for a public school in the Heliopolis community of Cairo, but Fiona found that the project goals didn’t align with the school’s vision.

Under the guidance of Reza Marvasti, the CEO of a Canada-based non-profit organization specializing in helping communities build their own playgrounds, The Power of Play, Fiona learned how to choose a building site and develop designs and safety plans. During the build, photo updates were shared on the Playground Project Instagram account.

Inspired by the process, Fiona supported her own travel to Egypt to see the final stages of the project through.

“What touched me the most was when the playground was built, the kids all ran to the playground and started using the facility,” said Fiona. “They were helping each other playing with the swings, sliding down the slides, jumping on the small trampoline, and walking on the tire maze.”

Throughout the project, Fiona learned how to navigate supply delays, language barriers, and cultural differences while remaining committed to providing a safe playground for children. She says it's the challenges she faced that taught her the power of perseverance.

“No matter how big or small your efforts are in contributing to practicing peace, the fruit of your actions will create positive changes in the community,” said Fiona. “The collaboration with my local team made me realize that together we can make positive changes in the world, and I’ve realized the importance of intercultural communication and gained skills in working with people of diverse backgrounds.”

Learn about Projects for Peace