[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…
We spent our last day in NOLA planting bullrush along the shoreline of Lake Maurepas. We woke up early this morning to drive to the swamp where we were met by our new friends Blaise, T. John, Jeremy, and Mr. Steve. We took a pontoon ride through the swamp to get to the lake; passing…
[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…
Today it rained for most of the day. We drove a hour and 15 min to get to the boat launch at Lake Maurepas, but ended up not being able to work due to the weather. Instead we went to Mr. Steve’s house to unload the plants that we were suppose to use. Mr. Steve…
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…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today we woke up at 6:30 to take off the training wheels and go to the marsh. Unlike the canals from Tuesday, we were working in the mushy dead plant matter that had collected on the bottom of the marsh. As soon as we hopped off the boat we sunk into the muck past…
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…
Today we woke up at 6:45am to go to the Blind River for planting bullrush grass along the banks of the river. On the ride to our destination, we were all pretty tired but we still engaged in some jamming to music because we were so excited !! The first thing we did was load…
[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…
Today we started work in the Common Ground Relief plant nursery with the theme of curiosity in mind. Before we went, we listened to James – the manager of the wetlands – talk about what caused the river to overflow and break the levee back in 2005. We all started doing tasks like weeding, making…
When we first arrived in Kenya a few days ago, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I was with people I had never met, in a place I had never been, surrounded by things I had never seen. Arriving at the children’s home, none of that seemed to matter to anyone. Everyone, regardless of…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]After a smooth 2 days of travel, we landed in Nairobi with a warm welcoming from Dr. Karambu, the leader and founder of the NGO International Peace Initiatives. We began our course visiting an elephant orphanage and giraffe sanctuary in a prosperous neighborhood. We later drove through Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya. Bess…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]After a day of travel, we are happy to report that the NOLA SSTS krewe is safely bunked down at Common Ground Relief. We were able to participate in a community dinner at the Hare Krishna temple on Esplenade Street and had an initial walk around the Lower Ninth Ward. Students are tired, but…
June 21, 2017 Wednesday Day 1 – Kathmandu Waking up with the light was a new and interesting experience for me, with the added confusion of not knowing the time beckoning me to consider not waking up. After going downstairs (where it was clear that the sun had risen over cloudy Kathmandu), I noted that…
This afternoon, Sarah and I sat down to chat with each student individually to debrief and close out their experience in Detroit. We wanted to share some of the lessons that they will be taking with them in hopes that this enthusiasm for service, compassion and empathy will continue long into their futures. Tomorrow they…
Today was our third day here in Detroit. We started the day by receiving an introduction to the Focus Hope Organization from their director of volunteers, Khristi. We toured their facility, and saw that they provided support for the community of all ages. We were amazed by the dedication to and strong presence in the…
When we first came on this trip, we understood that conditions would be temporary. The housing, food, and activities wouldn’t last forever. The teaching and the cement shoveling would continue after our 2 weeks. The sun would still set; its golden colors would still reflect against the serene lake, and there’d be others there to…
Well, this is it. We’ve departed with the kids. There are no more work days. And we leave Ometepe for good within the next 12 hours. For our departure, we had heard about an “inauguration” being held in our honor for our contributions to the community. I had figured it was simply a few “thank…
Before this trip, I would much rather labor over a pile of rocks than struggle to teach kids English. Yet here I am, I have done both, and I will miss it. Every day I see the energy bounce the kindergarteners as they recite the various English they were taught. Everyday I am harassed by…
It’s hard to believe that two weeks has already gone by. I can vividly remember how nervous I was during our first teaching day and now I’m sitting in a hammock reflecting about our last. The day started out like any other day, waking up to the kitchen bell that signals breakfast is ready and…
To Build a School You’ll need money and time. A lot of metal bars, countless bags of cement, and some non-corrosive paint. You will need a galvanized roof, supported by eight strong posts. Begin by building the foundation. Level it out, add rocks and re-bars. Now get some cement. Mix as much as you thought…
Today, unlike any other day, was different for a change. Unfortunately, one of our group mates were unable to work along side of us because he has fallen ill. However, that did not stop us from helping the children. For the first time in two days, we were not greeted by heavy rainfall but a…
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…
So today we got up after a good night’s sleep on a soccer field in a tiny community in the middle of the Andes mountains. We ate in the breakfast tent, got packed up, and headed out on our last day of the trek. The hike today was mostly on a dirt road down to…
We are almost halfway through our second week and I can feel myself becoming more and more connected with the kids every day. There are kids that I have been building relationships with since the first day and kids that I am just meeting. Today, in third grade I met a boy that spoke Spanish,…
Musings on Day 1 of our Trek As we had our last breakfast at Munaychay, I couldn’t help but think of the great memories we’ve all made with the kids, the tías, and the German volunteers here At Munaychay. Saying goodbye was extremely bitter sweet. On the one hand, I’d like to stay for a…