A Scholar's Journey

Declan Arthur from Waterford has been awarded the inaugural Ciaran King Graduate Travel Scholarship by the DIT Foundation. The Scholarship scheme was established to honour the memory of the late Ciarán King – engineer, environmentalist and social entrepreneur. It provides the opportunity to a DIT graduate to spend three months working on renewable energy projects in a developing country. Declan will be based in Nairobi and will work on local solar energy projects with international charity, Renewable World......Here's Declan's first blog post as he sets off on his journey.....after reading it I'll be sure to be following his journey and posting the rest of his blog entries for you all to read here........ :)

A Scholar's Journey

"This Blog will record a personal journey which started over two years ago in a small village in Northern Spain where I was walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. It was here that I decided to study for a Masters in Applied Media when I returned to Dublin. After two very rewarding and challenging years I graduated in 2011. My thesis, entitled ‘An Exploration of the use of Social Media in Cause Related Marketing Campaigns in Ireland’ brought me in contact with the DIT Foundation as part of my research. It was in November when I was asked to Re-Tweet their call for applications for the inaugural Ciarán King Travel Scholarship that I decided this could be for me. I was shortlisted, interviewed and awarded the scholarship before I knew what was happening and here I am, the 2012 Ciarán King Scholar"

Let the journey begin.

This scholarship offers me a once in a lifetime chance to work in the developing world with an NGO that in my opinion, is adopting the correct approach to delivering long term sustainable change. Renewable World focuses on alleviating poverty through the provision of renewable energy in areas where energy is either not available or not affordable for everyone. Capacity building within the areas they work means that the local communities are equipped to take control of the projects into the future. It is perhaps an overused adage but it reflects succinctly the ethos of Renewable World ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’

Who am I?

My name is Declan Arthur. I was born in Waterford in the sunny south east of Ireland, two years before President John F Kennedy made his historic visit to Ireland – Google if you must! Alas I never made Woodstock but I can never be criticised for not trying to make up for that ever since.

They say hindsight is 20:20 vision but I can’t help thinking I was destined to take this journey. I grew up in a family, father, mother and brother that were immersed in volunteerism. My father, although employed full time by the State Electricity Board (ESB) seemed to find endless hours to dedicate to a range of charitable work and I was drafted in to support whenever possible. My mother had an array of skills and she put these to good use at home and with several charities also. So, when you needed a help and hand you could call on Team Arthur!

My undergrad in marketing launched me into the commercial world to work in industries as diverse as Engineering, Agri-Food, Telecommunications, and Software and of course the community and voluntary sector. I have been fortunate to have traveled extensively throughout my life both for work and leisure.

As I embark on this wonderful journey I hope to draw on all of my life’s experiences in order to make a real impact in my short time in East Africa.

Feb 12^th 2012 – Brighton Bound

The endless weeks of anticipation are over and I’ve been deposited at Dublin airport on a rather balmy Sunday afternoon for early February. Thanks for the lift bro and off I head with enough luggage to put Shackleton to shame. I’ve lost the knack of packing, finely honed in the days that saw me in this airport every Monday morning.

Has the UK changed continents I wonder as we make our approach for landing in a snow covered Gatwick. I’m reunited with my bags and it’s not long before I’m checking in at the Kings Hotel in Brighton. My room looks out on the seafront and reminds me of Tramore in Co. Waterford complete with shops selling rock and fish n chips. The famous Brighton Pier is a stone’s throw so I enjoy a refreshing walk before searching for a dinner venue.

Brighton was eerily quiet for Sunday night and I wondered had the Trioka paid a visit here also. Unashamedly I found myself in Molly Malone’s as it boasted customers and the most Irish music I’d heard since....well since I was last in England.

Early to bed, wondering what lays in store for the week ahead.