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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] So after kind of drying, we were never dry due to the like 100% humidity, the work got intense. We walked back to the beach again, a “trail” that we became all too familiar with to transport the filters and sand. After an hour walk down we loaded these filters into wheelbarrows and…
I am currently writing this while watching the people of Kenya laughing and playing soccer with the Americans. The simplicity here is so very happy, and I have loved every moment of this journey. Earlier today was session two of the New Generation Leadership conference. During the session this morning, we talked about the things…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Starting off the day, we traveled to a few monasteries, Lhamo Tse and Dotje Drek, that were close to the hotel in which we spent the night. These monasteries were incredibly interesting, but I’d like to take a moment to describe one moment in particular. As we left our first monastery, sheep wool that monks…
Kwanza: (noun) beginnings; firsts Today was full of kwanza. It was the first official day of work at Tiriji. Some re-planted onions, and others created new beds for potatoes. Meanwhile, Stratford and I experienced kwanza ourselves. I used a machete for the first time to cut down tall grass to feed the goats. After spending…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]As we got ready to leave Chengdu, I felt excitement for the inevitable beauty of Tibet, leaving for Kangding. Before we left the hostel, the reception lady at the front desk asked shyly for a picture with me and called me beautiful. I can remember both of our grins as we laughed and called…
Today we went to a special museum called the S-21 prison museum. The museum was an old high school that was turned into a prison/torture area when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. The museum was truly eye-opening, showing all of us the horrible things that the Khmer Rouge did to innocent people, people that…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]It is the third day of homestay. The day started with a well-prepared breakfast. Acknowledging that we’re not used to the Napoli food, our homestay sister made us homemade fries for dinner last night and this morning’s breakfast. We are very glad that our homestay sister speaks fluent English – no language barriers. Nikki brought…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today we went to the Panda sanctuary in Chengdu. I was incredibly excited to see the Pandas, having never seen one before. We were amazed by the creatures and spent a long time walking around the park. The park was also a chance for us to experience the culture and these particular people of…
Imagine finding kids in a garbage dump searching for anything to sell and to eat. Today we visited a program called Pour un Sourir d’enfant (PSE) which was created to help the children who were put into this tragic situation. PSE was started by a couple, whom the students now call “Mami” and “Papi”. Mami…
Dear Cambodia 2016 Crew, It’s about 5:20 AM on our last day in Siem Reap and I couldn’t sleep anymore, so as I lay in bed listening roosters do battle (there are just as many here as on the island, but the concrete walls keep all but a hint of the sound out — thank…
Editor’s note: This insightful and refreshing reflection was somehow “misplace” in technology. As you read, you’ll understand that its quality makes up for its late post. Even though we only spent a day at Namo Buddha, what I experienced in that short amount of time was different from anything I have ever seen. When we…
The shaman spoke Quechua and called upon countless apus to protect us. He gave us each three coca leaves so that we could make the intentions of our journeys known to the apus. We then buried the leaves, giving them to Pachamama, or “Mother Earth.”
Today was a great day due to the fact that we were able to go to the Buddhist temple. We were able to participate with the villagers and provide food to the monks there. After this, we were then blessed by the monks. They got a bucket of water and splashed us all as a…
. . . we were mostly on the road with a quick stop for a scenic view of the Himalayan Mountain Range. Dinner was at an international restaurant in Ta Gong: yak burgers to get a taste of home. This morning we stopped by a nunnery where Tempa, our guide, explained aspects of Buddhism to…
Many of us were feeling a bit under the weather and breakfast seemed rather empty. Today, however, we finally installed the trash cans – 6 total. Digging the holes was extremely hard because of rocks, roots, and even trash in the ground. We even mixed cement on the ground – in the absence of a…
Today’s our last day of work. We wake up at four or five. The monsoon season twists the usual crowing into white noise, and the wind calls to us from the other sides of our doors. There is no way to separate the darkness of our closed eyes from the darkness around us. By seven,…
Traveling with a group of people that one may not know is very daunting, especially when we meet to go to the other side of the world. When we first arrived at the airport we played a couple of card games while we waited for the whole group. After everyone made it and finally made…
Yesterday, most of our time was spent making and pouring 15 individual piles of concrete. We had some small breaks between mixing, and it was great to be able to play with the children. We were standing in the field area between the two school buildings. The children…
Today we drove to Chogaria to visit Chure Women’s Empowerment Group. We were warmly welcomed with singing and dancing as soon as we pulled up. Chogaria’s Women’s Empowerment Group received an award for Best Community Based Organization in Meru, and our group had the honor to witness the ceremony. The Deputy County Commissioner was there…
This afternoon we visited AINA, a HIV/AIDS children’s home. It was very inspiring to see how kids with a deadly disease can be so happy. Throughout the experience today and all of our other visits around Meru, it has been incredible as to how powerful our presence can be. Whenever we drive by someone,…
The following day, we discussed the question–“what does it mean to be a global citizen?” Some of the words that came up were open-minded, resilient, caring, determined, and risk-taking. After thinking about this, I concluded that these adjectives mean nothing unless one is able to realize the world’s imperfections, rather flaws, and have a desire…
(editor’s note: while on the trek, the instructors took advantage of a found signal to send an earlier journey entry.) The Himalayan Hope Home is full of girls capable of changing the world. Leading these girls to success is Pema. As a young girl, Pema always tried to change the way people viewed the world….
The night we left the Himalayan Hope Home will forever be one of the most memorable moments of the trip. The girls of the Hope Home had put on a ceremony for the SStS group, which eventually led to an emotional good-bye. Many tears were shed and many hugs were shared as we said good…
This morning we all had eggs and tomatoes with rice – but some of us were too tired to be hungry. Afterward, we continued our project by decorating the barrels. Tim wrote “garbage” using Chinese characters while the rest of us drew mountains, smiley faces, flowers, and an abstract painting of a howling wolf. After we…
Editor’s note: for chronological clarity, this entry was written on Friday. Today was day 6 in Peru- day 3 at munaychay! We started the day bright and early with a breakfast consisting of bread with jam and butter along with scrambled eggs courtesy of Jack and Cortlin. Next it was time to start the work….
Today we had a relaxing morning with breakfast of bread and tampi (barley paste that is great with peanut butter). We then packed our bags and said goodbye to our first homestay families. We set off to next homestay, stopping along the way in a small town for shopping and lunch. We also stopped at…