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C. Wayne Jones

Qualifications/Work Experience: Bachelor of Fine Arts; Master Of Fine Arts (Interior Design) from The University of Georgia; have worked professionally in interior design.
How would you describe your Shelter experience? I worked on my Masters thesis in interior design while volunteering at Shelter in 2007. I found the work to be so rewarding and the organization so committed to the people they serve that I returned to work with them in 2009. I was made to feel at home and a part of the team from the day I arrived at Shelter. Daily life in Pune is also an education in itself, if one is open to it, and I found it endlessly fascinating and surprising.
What are you doing now? Currently pursuing a M. Arch. (Master of Architecture) at Georgia Institute of Technology with a concentration in urban planning. I hope to continue work after graduation in the non-profit sector with a focus on affordable housing in America and abroad.
What did you learn from your time with Shelter? I had a wonderful opportunity to see on a daily basis how Shelter is implementing their strategies first and foremost by enabling the urban poor to have a voice in decisions affecting their lives. Information is an incredibly powerful tool and Shelter is using this to both empower the people they serve, as well as bring better implementation of services to communities in need. The time I spent working with the Shelter team and living in Pune had a profound effect on my life and has inspired me to continue my studies.
My message to future volunteers is… come with an open mind and heart. Flexibility will serve you much better than an agenda. This is true of life in India, as well as working with Shelter. It is the nature of an organization that attempts to work in partnership with local governments that new opportunities to implement change can arise at any moment. This can also take time, so understand the value of being a part of a process that is itself bringing about change, and celebrate that.
You can reach me at... cwjones@gatech.edu