When we celebrated our youngest daughter’s first birthday, we organized a kind of baptism.

We were stuck with an idea that was clear as day in our mind, “it will take a village to help raise this child and also our oldest child alongside her”.

Our family is blessed to live in a vibrant community just outside of Ottawa, and so more than sixty of our close friends and neighbours – many children below age six – came to our home. There wasn’t much formality, but the goodwill and words of wisdom from our friends and fellow ambassadors have stuck with me.

I believe that we all want the same for our children. That our children may grow up in happy and well-functioning families, with strong ties in their communities, and surrounded with dear friends who guide them along the way.

This baptism served as a reminder that there is a lot that we learn in our backyard, in our local communities, and the global communities that we serve with our assistance abroad.

But how do we share the experiences across the divides?