Dennis playing with village children in Tanzania, Africa.
After graduating from Huron in 2003, Dennis Tessier found his career path in an unlikely place: Tanzania. "I realized poverty and resource management was the career path I would choose," he says.
Dennis moved to Tanzania to complete a Master's degree in Development Studies at the University of Dar Es Salaam. After obtaining his Master's, Dennis began working for a grass-roots organization called Friends of Tanzania. "I am assisting the organization with capacity building and program management," he says. "This is very rewarding work as I work directly with orphans and HIV positive children."
Working with the grass-roots organization has had an emotional toll on Dennis. "This past year there have been many funerals including one of our HIV positive children, a former classmate, two co-workers, three friends and a professor," he says. "These deaths are hard to take but also empower us to strengthen our advocacy to ensure the government and donors keep to their promises for HIV/AIDS assistance."
In 2004, Dennis also founded a non-profit organization called Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI) Tanzania. "We are currently working with donors and the Tanzanian government to introduce renewable energy technologies to Tanzania through a technology transfer agreement with ARTI-India."
Dennis believes Huron prepared him well for the future. "The reason I believe this is because our classes had an emphasis on combining the theoretical with the practical," he says. For example, 'Think Global, Act Local' (a course offered at the Centre for Global Studies at Huron) gave me practical experience by working hands-on in the development community."
What Dennis remembers most about Huron is the time he spent outside the classroom. "GLOBE is what I remember most about Huron," he says. "Partly because I was one of the founding members and have a lot invested in it, but mostly because it continues to grow and transform itself...and they send me a wonderful newsletter every month!"
Recently, some Huron students and GLOBE council members visited Dennis in Tanzania. "They talked about GLOBE's development and challenges," he says. "Huron students and GLOBE members are always welcome to visit and volunteer in Tanzania."
