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Our Bolivia instructor team has let us know that the group has arrived safely to Rurrenabaque. After a long day of travel, they are off for a good nights sleep and will begin tomorrow with an introduction to the Rio Beni Health Foundation.
Today was our second day of working on the school with the village chief and the all of the students in our homestays and village. We were feeling pretty sore from carrying buckets up the riverbank yesterday but we managed to load four “robo cows” full of dirt to make concrete. Later in the day…
We had out first full day of work with Common Ground Relief today, beginning with an orientation from Thom and Britt. We then spent time in the tree nursery and had a great dinner with local resident “Smitty” who share his thoughts on all life with us. Below are Casey and Eleri’s reflections on the…
For all those who freaked out yesterday from a day not blogged, I am here to say that we are all alive, well, and functioning. Yesterday was a very eventful day where we traveled from Nairobi to Meru on a six hour Kenyan bus ride. One bus was blessed with an alarm clock going off…
Our CI’s have reported that students have begun their project work planting trees to restore land in the town of Dora. Spirits are high and the scenery is stunning. Working alongside our NGO partner students have really begun to “dig in.”
The past few days we’ve had the chance to explore the local sites on Bocas. In the midst of our journey we came upon a man by the name of Polo. An eccentric man, Polo has lived on “Polo beach” for 55 years, aptly named after him. Once a millionaire, he blew all his money…
Today in Panama is a national holiday. Today the new government was sworn into office. In Panama, a presidential election happens every 5 years. Citizens of Panama must be 18 years old to vote. Citizens go to vote at schools. In this recent election, four parties had good turnout at the polls. The parties were…
We spent our first day exploring the French Quarter and taking in the diverse culture of the city of New Orleans. Below are reflections from Vishal and Joe on the Jazz Brunch and Krishna Ceremony and dinner. Check out the video from Jazz brunch posted to the SStS instagram account as well! Stay tuned for…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] June 30 Luke Sloan Life is well in Tagong. The group started the day at 8 a..m when we were treated to a delightful breakfast of boiled eggs, yak butter tea, and traditional bread. Excitement filled the room when Tenpa revealed the blessing of Skippy peanut butter, practically gold amongst the group. After…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] We awoke in Kangding this morning to a day that was colder than yesterday but far less rainy. The first order of business was breakfast: steamed buns, rice porridge, and hard-boiled eggs at a small restaurant near the hostel. From there, we set out to visit two monasteries in the mountains around Kangding….
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]The Kenya Crew traveled from Nairobi to Meru, Kenya to be greeted by children – ready to play![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Kara, Esther, Scout, Ellie, Olivia, and Jim prepare the foundation for the school building (to be used as a teacher meeting room and library).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]today we travel to the village, but first Phiya organized a cooking class for us. We woke up early to buy fresh supplies at the local market. I also bought mangosteens (for you dad!) and a large hat for sun protection. A randomly chosen hat turns out to be Prada! Our walk through the…
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]When they said we were going into a bat cave I can’t say that was what we all were expecting. The muddy path that led to the cave was even a journey itself. Some of us, including me, had chosen to wear flip flops and that was our first mistake. We were all slinging…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today, we had a big morning storm and all ended up teaching and playing at the community center in Bastimentos. There were so many fun activities happening today, but the highlight of my day would definitely be skateboarding with a group of local kids and fellow group members. In the back of the community…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]This morning I eagerly volunteered to write today’s blog not knowing I would ultimately have something very embarrassing to write about, but we’ll get to that later. We started the morning bright and early at 7 am with breakfast at 8. After breakfast, we traveled to an elephant sanctuary. There we heard the heartbreaking…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Home Office: the group is thoroughly exhausted from an honest day of physical labor and cultural engagement. Communication with “the field” is consistent and reliable. Love this photo of Ellie’s enraptured audience.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]From Home Office The Tibet Crew crested above 14,000 ft. (see photo) on their way into Tagong and their first “cultural sensitivity” lesson: After the course curriculum guide was edited for politically sensitive content by our Tibetan NGO director, our local guide asked for even more “editing” – meaning pages ripped out – his…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Some of the many aspects that stood out in our guide in Chengdu’s story include that at a very young age she was sent by her mother over the Himalaya on foot with a group of strangers to reach Nepal. Then the Nepalese sent her to school in India. This is why her…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””](written on 27th) Since yesterday was the last day of staying with our own roommates, everyone was kind of in a sad mood to leave the Golden Gate Hotel that had been with us for the past 3 days. Also, no more convenient laundries made us miss the hotel more and more! We all…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]After awakening from a well needed and deep sleep, we were all ready to begin our first full day in Chengdu, China. We woke for an early breakfast of traditional Chinese food: fried rice, potatoes, vegetables, and tea. We left quite early to visit the Panda Breeding Center on the other side of the…
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Students had the chance to meet with and work alongside the Executive Director of Give and Surf, Neil Christiansen. Look out for more student posts coming this week and follow along with our pictures and video each day on Instagram @studentsshouldertoshoulder
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Our last full day in Phnom Penh was a day mixed with equal amounts of both learning more about the program SSTS partners with that hosts us in Cambodia, and experiencing and supporting Cambodia’s culture through the Russian Market (AKA the blank Market). Following that we reflected upon the different tenants that SSTS…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””] Today was our second day in Phnom Penh and everyone seems to be doing well! Our biggest problem is definitely adjusting to the sleep schedule here because day here is night back home. The food has all been great, and I’ve had French toast for breakfast for the second day in a row. It’s…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Hello Friends and Family, I was very anxious a few days before the trip began, and I’m sure I was not alone! However, after meeting all the girls, those nerves quickly began to fade. We have all been able to connect and laugh together, and I can already tell it will be a great…