Getting Ready for 2015 (no, not the ski races)

Dear Friends & Family, Strangers & Acquaintances,

The summer of 2015 will be my third year traveling and chaperoning with Children's Global Alliance. I have travelled twice to Cambodia, once to Nicaragua and once to Tanzania, and have been forever changed.

This year, we have had a very generous private donor agree to match all money raised for our Brunch and Bōl event up to $20,000. This means we have the chance to raise upwards of $40,000 for our service trips! The money from our main event will go towards helping out in the areas we are working in. In the past, this has included building dorms/housing for 50+ children in Cambodia, delivering medical care and medication to children with disabilities in Nicaragua, helping a student in Tanzania escape an abusive home and rebuild a life, as well providing both food and supplies for all the children we interact with.

The Brunch & Bol event includes bowling (for those with bowler tickets), a live & silent auction, and games and good times!

There are three ways that you can help us change lives this year (drumroll please...):

Way # 1:
 Go online to www.childrensglobalalliance.org and donate NOW!! Quick, before the end of the year, for a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation!!! (Don't forget to write Bol Event in the "notes to seller" section!)

Way #2: 
 Attend our Brunch & Bol event March 8th! (SO MUCH FUN!!)
$100 per bowler, build a team or make new friends (Brunch, bloody mary & mimosa bar, 2 hours of bowling & shoes included) wow!
$20 per spectator (one drink ticket, light brunch fare)

Way #3:
Become a Sponsor!

“Perfect Game”- $1000 (limited availability)

o 10 bowlers on private lane
o Brunch and Unlimited Beverages
o Goodie bags
o Company logo on event t-shirt
o Company logo on Thank You Banner & Event Flyer
o Company logo on TV screens throughout event

“Powerhouse”- $500

o 10 spectator tickets
o Light brunch fare and 10 drink tickets
o Medium Company logo on event t-shirt
o Company logo on Thank You Banner

 “Punch out”- $250

o 5 spectator tickets
o Lite brunch fare and 5 drink tickets
o Small Company logo on event t-shirt
o Company logo on Thank You Banner

Advertising Details (for all levels)

Your name will appear or be mentioned in the following avenues

 Vail Daily
 TV8
 Flyers all around the Vail Valley
 Local Radio Stations
 CGA Facebook Page and Website


Please contact me personally if you are interested in being a part of something HUGE, LIFE-CHANGING and MEANINGFUL that will put smiles on more faces like these. ❤️

Kwaheri, Adios, Kar lea kna 2014

I returned home from my final CGA trip of 2014 two months ago. I have started, and restarted a culmination blog. What to say? "How was it?" Amazing. "Which country did you like the most?" Don't make me choose. "When is your next trip?" Too far away.

This blog means I have to admit this leg of adventure is over. I have a year at least to wait to see everyone again. I have avoided this undeniable fact for two months. I have buried my head in plans for next year, dreams of travel this winter, and the happenings of the past. This week we had our informational meetings for 2015. I was asked to write a speech, and I did. On percocet, recovering from knee surgery. It was an emotional few days, and I wrote an emotion filled speech. And people liked it. After reading it the second time around, I realized, this was my culmination blog. This was the sum of my summer with Children's Global Alliance. This was my experience in a nutshell.


"To travel is to awaken."- Lily Tsay
Growing up in the United States, we rarely want for anything. Shelter, food and education are readily available. Opportunities are around every corner, urban or rural. One can read books & watch documentaries until you are blue in the face, but until you step off a plane into someone else's life, you truly have no idea what it's like.

Cambodia taught me people can rise above oppression & pain and demonstrate love, kindness and happiness. The most intense beauty can shine through in a simple smile.

In Nicaragua, I was shown how all human beings thrive with love and affection. You must not take for granted the family you have, or unconditional love you are given. No life is less valuable than another.

Tanzania made me realize how important education is, to so many people. For some, all they have is their mind. The only way up and out of their current situation is through schooling. With dedication, anything can happen.

On these trips, I am not only learning from the cultures and locals of the countries I am visiting. I am also learning immensely from the students we bring. The fearlessness they exhibit, stepping so far outside their comfort zones. Their vulnerability, by leaving behind their homes, their friends and their securities.

I feel so honored to be a part of the immense growth and transformation of these students. I am so passionate about Children's Global Alliance and the work we do, and I am so proud to mentor and support these students, not only abroad, but upon our return home.

There are days filled with exhaustion, frustration, sadness, anger and disbelief.
And there are days filled with laughter, smiles, pride and accomplishments.
Every hard situation is worth the struggle, because not only are you making a difference in the life of someone who will never forget you, but you are creating your own powerful, honorable, and worthwhile legacy.
The memories and experiences you have will remain forever in your heart, they will echo in every action, in every day.
These trips serve as a catalyst, propelling you into a purposeful life of service and empowerment.

"In a gentle way, you can shake the world."- Ghandi

Goodbye Tanzania

Tanzania is hands down one of the most amazing places I have ever been. The culture is so vibrant; traditions, history, people, art. Every person I have met has made me feel so unbelievably welcome, “Karibu sana”; from Mama Ellie & Miss Doroth at LOAMO, to Fatima, Jodi, Dada Dotto, Oscar, Kelvin & Loth at Kat’z. There has never been a moment of fear, or discomfort. The food has been delicious; the children, beautiful and special; the people, loving and supportive; the country, diverse and beautiful. It is amazing that the more I give my heart away to those I meet while doing these trips, the more deeply I love and my heart grows. I feel that for all the love and inspiration I give, I get back tenfold. I leave Tanzania with a heavy heart, as two weeks here is hardly enough time, but I’m beyond grateful for every moment and experience. I feel so blessed to be a part of empowering, inspiring and leading so many children of coming generations, while getting to experience cultures across the world. 

Mutawombo & Safari Day... Experience of a Lifetime

We got up early and prepared to head out for our 48 hours of reward time. We piled in two vans and weaved our way out of Arusha. The climate became more dry and arid, and the vegetation grew sparse. Every now and again, we would see a herd of cattle with a Masai man in tow. Some were elderly men, some were young men, some were clearly children. They walked, staffs in hand, draped in their shukas of vibrant red, blue and purple plaid. They are all slight of frame, deep ebony skin and shaved heads. The women wear elaborate beaded jewelry, earrings that travel up the entire ear. Their bomas, or mud huts, sit grouped together, usually surrounded by bushes or handmade fences to keep lions out. We pass many cattle herds headed towards watering holes. The weather is cloudy and cold, from the car I can tell it is very windy out. The Masai wear a shuka on their head and covering their face to protect them from the dust. For some reason, seeing these people makes me really happy. It is so interesting to me that in a world of so much technology and change, these tribes are able to live so closely to how they always have. It’s the sort of thing you read about or watch documentaries on, but to see it in real life is amazingly beautiful. The simplicity is calming. There are plenty of aspects of their life I do not exactly agree with, but I find it all intriguing none the less. 

After a few hours, we arrived in the village of Mutawombo. We settled in to our campground, the students staying in large roomy tents and Lisa Marie, Krissy and I sharing a room. We had two guides arrive, Vincent and Nickson, to give us a walking tour of Mutawombo. We started in an area called “mosquito river”, which terrified us all. Apparently, these types of mosquitoes only come out at night, and only the females bite. We then wandered through a rice field and made our way to a group of tribesmen from the Makonde tribe. This tribe is originally from Mozambique but migrated to Tanzania in 1975 due to a civil war. The Makonde men are expert wood carvers and we were able to watch them work. They use four different types of wood; rosewood, ebony, teak and white mahogany. These men work painstakingly hard to create wooden works of art. To walk around the town was so amazing. Children chased us down, asking to hold our hands. One little boy walked past us, dragging a toy car made entirely out of cardboard behind him. He had the largest smile on his face as he said hello. It will never cease to amaze me to see people with hardly any comforts or materials be so unbelievably happy. 

Today, Sunday, we were lucky enough to go on a day long safari. I had no idea what to expect; whether we would be in a proper safari truck, or Loth’s van, what animals we’d see… Kelvin had found us an incredible deal on a day long excursion and it was hands down one of the most amazing days of my life. As we began our trek in a real safari truck, we slowly started seeing animals; wildebeest first, then monkeys, zebras, giraffes, elephants and gazelles. Every animal was so amazing. I didn’t get tired of seeing the same ones. They wandered the park free, living their lives with no concern for the passing trucks of people watching them. The entire time I could not get over the fact that I was looking at these wild creatures in their natural habitat. My adrenaline was raging from the first animal we saw, and I felt like it kept me going all day. I stood on my seat, head out of the roof of the truck, camera in hand the entire day. It was what dreams are made of. As it grew closer to the time that we were to leave, Copa, our driver, was on the lookout for lions. They were the only animal in the park we had yet to see. As we grew closer to the river bank, boy did we finally see lions. Two females and two young males were drinking water. As we watched, a gazelle approached. The male lions were laying down watching the gazelle, and the gazelle was watching the females. One of the females started to slink closer to the gazelle and we were sure we were going to see some action. The action that followed was not what we were expecting. The gazelle ended up running away and the female didn’t chase him. Instead she went over and started to wrestle with a male. The other female made her way back and they began to roll around too. For about 20 minutes, we watched the lions chase each other around, and occasionally when they caught each other, mate. At one point they were under ten feet away from the other safari car. It was by far the coolest, craziest thing I have ever experienced. By the end of the day I was absolutely exhausted. The level of excitement and adrenaline had completely drained me, not to mention I still had not entirely processed the adventure we had lived.

Sports Camp

During our second week in Tanzania, we helped Jodi and the KAT’Z team run a sports program for local underprivileged kids. A few different orphanages and sponsorship programs brought a total of 35 children to the Masai camp, where our students led a holiday break day camp. The children were split into 4 groups and rotated between different stations every day; Dance, Soccer/Futbol, Gymnastics & Bootcamp. The program has run in the past, however it was loosely structured. Our students worked incredibly hard to create a seamless system, including simple necessities like name tags, hourly rotations, skill building and fun. Sometimes improvisation was needed, like using mosquito nets for soccer goals and fire pits for bean bag toss. 

Our first day was quite rainy, so we had to move everything indoors. The children arrived late and sporadicly, which caused some trouble building groups and arranging times to switch stations. The kitchen at Masai Camp was not aware that they were supposed to be cooking for 40+ people (despite months of planning and contact), so our house sister, Dada Dotto, had to whip up a feast in only a few hours. As stressful as this was, it was a great learning opportunity for our students, who had to learn to go with the flow, and put their Plan B, C and D into action. 

Throughout the week, the days became more and more flawless. The students practiced their game plans the night before and were prepared for any and every situation. The camp-goers began to crave the structure that was built for them and were excited for their name tags every morning. A few times I tried to switch up some kids to make the group numbers more even, and I would get corrected, “No Miss, I’m in group 4 not 2.” As the days went on, the skills being taught became quite obvious. The Dance station was teaching a routine to Party in the USA; the Soccer station was building up skills for a scrimmage on the final day; Bootcamp was bettering their times on obstacles, preparing for the obstacle course at the end of the week; and Gymnastics was combining yoga and tumbling, starting simple with cartwheels and rolls, working towards handstands and headstands. 

Every morning, a herd of children would come running in, smiles spread wide across their faces, ready to face the day. Although the sports program was a bit of a modge podge of activities and supplies, to these children it was the greatest thing ever. This was like their summer break, and the program was their summer camp. They came from all different bad situations; street kids with prostitutes for mothers, HIV positive children, orphans, all below the poverty line. 

Meshack and Shedrack were found six months ago in the streets outside of a convent. They were searching for items they could sell for any amount of money; coils for burners, metal parts for bikes, etc. The nuns followed them 7km (4.3 miles) back to their home with their 90+ year old grandmother who was too weak to care for them. They then helped to find an orphanage for the boys to live at, which is how we were blessed enough to meet them. They are 5 years old.

Collins and Robby both have prostitutes as mothers and have become street children along with Nikas. They make deals with vendors to bring tourists to them, then when the vendor charges an extremely marked up price, the boys take a cut of the profit. They are now all sponsored and working towards a life more fit for boys of 12 and 13. 

The twins Halima and Ally left their home with their brother and father to live at an orphanage. Their mother died of HIV complications. Ally has HIV as well. His mother switched between breast feeding and solid foods, and the solid food caused tears in his esophagous, which then allowed the HIV infected breastmilk into his system. Halima is healthy. 

On our second to last day, we ventured out to one of the orphanages, which was 40 minutes away, with the group that lived there. Their house mother, who spent many days hanging out at the sports program, welcomed us with open arms, and the children rushed to show off their home. Oliver, a little nine year old girl, grabbed my hand and began the tour. The girls room, where seven of them shared 4 twin beds; the boys room, where six shared 4 twin beds; the kitchen, two outdoor fire pits and a trough for water; three toilet stalls, a porcelain hole in the ground; two classrooms for learning, one with a blackboard and both with benches for the students to sit on. The facilities were not as bad as some we have seen, but they also were not anything special. The way that Oliver and the other children led us around, it was clear they took pride in their home. We spent some time out in back of the orphanage, sitting in the grass, the boys talking, the girls braiding our hair. There was a beautiful tree out in the maize field, a basic little church, and other concrete homes surrounding us. Mount Meru sat close by, only the base visible through the clouds, despite it being a beautiful sunny day. It was so peaceful, and such an honor to be so welcomed and cared for by young souls with so little. Their powerful, honorable gift was simple; loving us, being open to sharing themselves with us, it was such a beautiful thing to receive. 

The last day of sports camp was very fun. Our students spent the evening before dividing up our supplies and creating a care package for every child that attended the camp. The morning went as usual, everyone dividing up into their groups and heading to a different station. Jodi created completion certificates for the children to take home. Rasta John arrived to DJ the dance party. Krissy and Lisa Marie frosted 100+ cupcakes for the children to eat. Once in a while, someone would ask me if the camp was continuing on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. I sadly shook my head no each time a day was suggested. It broke my heart that they though we would be there for longer. 

Cradle of Love

In Usa River, there is a magical place called Cradle of Love. It is an interim care center for babies up to 2 years old.  Children are mainly sent here when their mothers die and the fathers or family can’t care for the infants. Occasionally, they also receive abandoned babies. The children are divided into four rooms; newborns, crawlers, wobblers and toddlers. Of course, my first stop was the newborn room. There were seven babies, the oldest was 9 months. While we were there, one of the babies, Joseph, was being visited by his father. We were not able to ask his situation, but it was pretty safe to assume the mother had passed away and Cradle of Love was caring for Joseph until his father was able. It was obvious that the father cared very deeply for Joseph, which was comforting to see. There was one infant, baby Lauren, who’s mother had HIV and they suspect that she may have it as well, but it is still too early to tell. Lisa Marie, Krissy and I spent quite a chunk of time snuggling all the babies, who were all smiling and happy. There are only two or three caregivers in the newborn room, so the extra love for the babies was much appreciated. At times, we all had two babies and passed them back and forth so that we could each have time with every one. I could have stayed in that room all day, but I had to give everyone else a chance, so I wandered over to the crawlers room. 

It was dinner time in the crawler room, so I quickly grabbed a bowl of porridge and started to feed a baby. I had little Jessica, who was such a beautiful little girl. She didn’t smile, but held so much emotion in her tiny little brown eyes. I wasn’t able to learn her story, but at maybe a year old, it was clear her life had been a hard one. After eating we went outside to look at the monkeys playing in a nearby tree. Jessica’s eyes began to grow heavy as I rocked her side to side, and soon enough she was sleeping peacefully in my arms. I wondered how long it had been since someone had held her as she fell asleep. All of these precious children deserved, at the very least, to nuzzle up against a warm body and drift away. 

Cradle of Love is a very clean, nice facility and they do the best they can with the children they take in. It was such a pleasure to go care for these innocent children who have ended up in with the short straw in life. Although they are so young, it is clear they are rejuvenated and affected by the love that comes their way from volunteers. I can only hope all these sweet babies find good homes quickly… Otherwise I’ll have to move to Tanzania. 

Bernard

During our time at LOAMO School, we were blessed to encounter a sweet, smiling boy named Bernard. He had come to LOAMO two years prior, speaking no English. Judging by the size of his smile, and his amazing enthusiasm for his studies, one would think that he lived a decent, comfy life. Unfortunately, Bernard’s life is quite the opposite. At eleven years old, he is a slave for a couple in Arusha. He lives in a pen hardly fit for a dog, that sits behind the decent house that he spends the majority of his life taking care of. Bernard is in charge of cooking, cleaning, and general house care for his “parents”. He is tortured regularly, and works all waking hours, yet somehow has learned English and has become one of the top ten in his class in his first two years at school, which he walks to daily, 30 minutes each way. He is told that his schooling is being paid for by his “house mom”, which in turn will be how she will continues to enslave him for possibly the rest of his life. In truth, Maria, the headmaster of LOAMO pays for Bernard’s tuition. His teachers know about his situation, and Mr. Kimaro has been working towards a way to move Bernard into his own home, where he lives with his own three children. Upon hearing Bernard’s story, Lisa Marie decided something must be done. True, Bernard is probably one of hundreds of boys forced to live in slavery in exchange for an education, but saving one boy is sometimes the best one can do. 

With Mr. Kimaro’s help, Lisa Marie hunted down Bernard’s two brothers, John (32) and Raziki (19), who live together in a one room house and share a twin bed, 30 minutes away. The brothers couldn’t have been more thrilled to have Bernard move in with them, and the planning began. Lisa Marie arranged to have him come to school on Monday, the first day of break, with all his belongings and they would then move him out to his brother’s house. Monday arrived and Lisa Marie hadn’t slept. She filled us in on her concerns that the house mother wouldn’t let Bernard leave, or that she would lock him up or hurt him. At about 7:30am, the receptionist at the school texted that Bernard had arrived at the school. His small tattered backpack with all his possessions had been confiscated by his house mother upon leaving the house, with threats that his schooling would end as soon as he stepped foot outside. Bernard had managed to put on 2 shirts before leaving, but was devastated that his school uniforms were taken from him. Lisa Marie and Ava spent the day finding him a bed, mattress, pillow, soap, clothes and shoes (Thanks Tim Mt. Pleasant!) from our donations, as well as new notebooks and pencils. Bernard was astonished at the fresh blank pages of his composition books, no doubt fantasizing about returning to school after break. They also went and bought him 2 sets of new school uniforms, pristine and perfect. Maria at LOAMO was happy to continue to give him free tuition through class 7. Children’s Global Alliance will pay for Bernard’s school supplies and bus fare to/from school for the next year, as well as helping to pay for his food. 

Today, Bernard came to the sports program in his new clothes and his old toothy grin. He played soccer, danced, did gymnastics and multiple other fun activities, as well as made new friends. There was never a moment where he wasn’t smiling and laughing. For having dealt with so much horror in such a short life, this boy holds so much wisdom and inspiration. To the world you may be only one person, but to only one person you may have the power to change their world.

Tanzanian First Impressions

We arrived to Tanzania Tuesday afternoon, after a long yet uneventful trip. Our first view of Africa was upon decent into Ethiopia, thick beautiful clouds dissipating and rolling green hills slowly coming into view. The land was a patchwork of bright greens and dark greens, clumps of buildings laid sporadic, their gleaming tin roofs reflecting the sun. Ethiopia was so wet and humid, as we stepped off the plane onto the tarmac, the humidity and chilled air washed over our sticky, airplane skin. Although the weather was cool, it was welcomed, a pleasant change from what we have experienced the last few months, Cambodia included. The Addis Ababa airport was small and very white. We ended up getting stuck inside our arrival gate, as there were so many people milling around and no signs to explain where to go. Finally we realized we were to go to a downstairs gate, but unfortunately, there was no way to get to the shops or food kiosks on the outside of the gate area. Our two and a half hour layover went by quickly, though, with a few card games spread out on the floor. I was slightly concerned about the reception of our mainly blonde, mainly female group, but we were never the center of attention, good or bad. This last flight into Tanzania was quite quick, I slept most of the way, and woke up to a view of Kilimanjaro peeking up over the clouds. Getting through customs in Kilimanjaro was a lengthy process, with 11 people and only two customs gates. There were many foreigners on our flight so it took us about an hour and a half to finally make it to the baggage claim. Bags in tow, we headed out to the small reception area, where Krissy and I hugged for, I can only imagine, much longer and tighter than the Tanzanian people were used to. Two little blonde girls wrapped tightly around each other jumping up and down for about seven minutes is probably not too common. She and Lisa Marie had begun to think that there was a complication on the other side of the gate, but this was just an example of working on “Africa Time”, as we would quickly learn. Tanzania’s first impression was quite different from Ethiopia, much more desert and dryness. Unfortunately, I could not keep my eyes open for the ride from the airport to the guesthouse, so I did not get a good look at the landscape. Upon arriving to Arusha, the town center was much smaller than I’d imagined, I kept waiting to see the main city, finally realizing there was none. We were introduced to Jason, Kelvin, Loth, Dada Dotto, and Oscar, our Tanzanian family for the time we are here, ate a delicious meal and settled into our new home. The weather is quite chilly, as Krissy and Lisa Marie warned, so bedtime consists of layering up like camping and crawling into my mosquito net tent.

Wednesday was spent touring Arusha. Rasta John and Jason met us at the guesthouse and we walked to the clock tower in the middle of town. This clock tower is not what you would imagine it to be, nothing grandiose, nothing fancy, but the people of Arusha are quite proud of it. To one direction lies the police station, and next door lies the jail, now a well-known hotel. We made our way to the Natural History Museum, where Rasta John gave a very entertaining, unique tour. Everywhere we went, Rasta John led the way, shaking hands and yelling hello to nearly everyone on the street (he seems to be quite the local celebrity), while Jason followed in the rear, keeping everyone in line and on point. Our next stop was a brief tour of the Masai Market, which is quite touristy, but we were all able to get a feel for how to interact with the locals a bit more. The African Market, however, was not used to seeing a group of 13 muzungas. This market is for food and spices, and is exponentially cleaner than the markets in Cambodia. Everything smells delicious, but maybe that is because we didn’t go near the raw meat. Rasta John led us around, picking up different foods for us all to try. I’m not sure if he paid anyone for the things he took to feed us, but no one seemed to mind. When the locals say hello, they expect you to reply in Swahili, and if you don’t, they will tell you the proper response. From here we went to a cultural museum and saw local art from upcoming artists. Some of the paintings were so beautiful, it made me wish I had a few thousand dollars on reserve, and a nice house to hang them in. Tanzanian people are very proud of their heritage and history, it’s inspiring how they love to share it. Although we saw under 10 other white people all day, I never felt uncomfortable or out of place. The Tanzanians are so warm and welcoming, it was no problem to fit in. 

Today was our first day at the school. It was bigger than I was expecting, yet similar to the school in Nicaragua. All the children wear navy blue uniforms, and despite ragged torn sweaters and pants, they all look very put together and nice at all times. Most of the children, boys and girls, have shaved heads, so you have to pay close attention to whether or not they are wearing a dress, earrings or girls shoes. Every teacher was dressed to the nines. The women wore beautiful kongas, their hair was braided perfectly and their large infectious smiles radiated from across the yard. The men wore suit jackets, nice shoes and looked very groomed. Our students were all assigned to a specific classroom, from “baby” to “class 7”. I began the day in “class 7” where we worked on different tenses of English and math lessons that I think I learned towards the end of my high school career. There were problems I didn’t know the answer to, and it was all I could do to not sneak a look at my calculator. Unlike Cambodia, the children were reserved and more private. It took some work and persistence for them to open up and begin to talk to us. The class sizes are quite large, and no matter what age, it is quite intimidating to try to teach or engage the students. I spent some time in the baby classroom and found that keeping them entertained with a book or dance was much more difficult than it would be back home. Some of the students and teachers have very fun, interesting names: Gifty, Glory, Angel, Witness, Bright, God Listens, Honest, Innocent and Happyness are just a few. My last few hours of the day were spent helping a teacher, Madame Lily, grade papers. To grade exams and enter grades is not simple like importing them into a computer. I had to write down test scores, then go through and arrange them into class ranking, while Krissy was averaging the grades out. It was so much time and effort, I can’t imagine how they complete it on their own. 

Our last bit of the day was spent on a home visit, which was much more powerful than I was expecting. We went to the home of the mother of Lasarian (the husband of Maria, the founder of the school). She takes care of Gifty, who is her great nephew. After talking to her, we discovered that she is an herbal healer, which is how she has come to house so many children. Her grandson, Eric, came to live with her when her daughter and her son-in-law died of HIV. Eric too has HIV, but does not take medication because he does not get sick, although the medication could prevent him from developing AIDS someday. While telling us all this, Grandma began to sob. She then explained that Kingy, another child that lives with her, was brought to her by his parents to be treated for tuberculosis. While Grandma was treating him, Kingy’s parents (Masai villagers) ran away, leaving Grandma to care for him. This was two years ago. Kingy’s real name is Simon. Grandma gave him the nickname Kingy because when he first came to her house, none of the other kids liked him because he was always coughing. This made Grandma mad, and upon telling the other children they were to treat him as a king, the nickname stuck. For some reason this story broke my heart. I was devastated for Kingy, left alone in a time of desperate need for love. I was so touched and sad for Grandma, who has suffered such personal loss, yet continues to better the lives of so many others who are struggling. It was such an intense day in so many days. 

I have much more to write but I am exhausted. I hope you enjoyed my brief rundown of my first few days in Africa, more to come. 

Interlude

I am sitting on a plane in Washington DC, preparing to depart for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My final stop is Arusha, Tanzania. 26 days ago I returned from three weeks in Cambodia. I’d traveled there last year for the first time and it is my favorite place on earth. To return, to see the kids again, was one of the happiest times of my life. Reintegration back into the United States, or any “first world” country is quite difficult. To leave a world where no one has anything, yet everyone is so happy, and return to a place where we are so blessed and still want more. I am always overcome by frustration, judgement, anger and impatience. I long to return to a simpler life, where survival is all that matters, remaining present is easy because now is all you have. I am not immune to the desires and material enjoyments of the US. I drank a $5 Starbucks this morning, I own an iPhone, my main mode of transportation is my car, which I drive multiple times a day. Each trip I take however, I detach myself little by little. Small things like more conscious choices of purchases, but most powerfully, being grateful for amazing opportunities and blessings given to me. Every day you can be thankful for so much. 

These trips are all about inspiration and the cultivation of awareness. Awareness of the world’s diversity, awareness of our privileged lives, awareness of the small part we play in the grand and elaborate adventure of life. I return home angry, frustrated and intolerant. I find myself silently judging the way people choose to live, while desperately grasping onto my newfound enlightenment. This space, however, is lonely. Few people can relate to the experiences felt and seen by me and my CGA family. To continue to live in these past adventures is in it’s own right, not being present, authentic or aware. True awareness comes from bringing your realizations and new growth, and applying these lessons to real, every day life. To find every opportunity to share your growth and knowledge with those around you. By bringing the passion and excitement of the other life you have lived, you subtly demonstrate how any change can positively impact your environment. Take every opportunity to pass along the gifts of gratefulness and awareness you have gained. There is such power in living by example, embodying every change and lesson learned, and showing up with a purpose in everything you do. Returning from life changing experiences, no matter what kind, is such a gift, the best way to share that gift is to give a part of it away in everything you do. I am learning the most amazing things from every moment of every day while on these trips, and I am so happy to share these small meaningful gifts with you. I hope they can begin to change your life, like they are changing mine. 

Map of Children's Global Alliance Travels 2014

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

I sat swinging in Austen's hammock in the open air of Phnom Penh. The sounds of the city happening all around me. Aerobics at the Olympic Stadium just barely audible, the throngs of people barely visible. I don't want to leave. I'm not ready. A year of waiting to return, and suddenly the trip is over. So much has happened, we have all experienced and learned so much, yet there is still so much more to learn, still so much to explore. We walked around the city today for about an hour. Men stopped us to offer us rides on their moto or tuk tuk, "No thank you" we said. I wanted to walk. To wander, to find my own way, to take in every sight, sound and feeling. I wanted to learn the city. My comfort lies in knowing I will be going to Tanzania in a short 3 weeks. My next vacation slowly coming to fruition in my head... South America, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand.... So many options, so many opportunities. I find such comfort in my routine in Cambodia. I find comfort in the smiles on the streets, the strange smells, the harsh sounds. I find comfort in my discomfort here. It is all so different and weird, yet it is something I have grown to know and love. I love the strangers in the slums, the snotty kids who don't understand me, and I them. I love the kids at CPO, who hug us, kiss us, struggle to communicate with us. I know I will be back next year. Nicaragua, Cambodia, Tanzania and hopefully Nepal, all with Lisa Marie and Children's Global Alliance. I know I will continue to travel, explore, experience and love. I know I will continue to mold the minds of students, of teenagers, who like me, grew up in the bubble of Vail Colorado. I know I will bust my ass off to save money, help prepare our participants, help better lives around the world and help improve this organization. There is no doubt that this is where I belong, what I am made to do. Yet I am still not ready to leave. I am not ready for this to be over, if only for a short while. My life at home is not boring, or horrible, or lacking, but it is comfortable. And I am beginning to think I thrive outside of comfort, I thrive in diversity. No one can push me more than myself. No one can expand my mind more than myself. No one can experience life for me; I must feel, smell, taste, love and experience every moment for myself. I must not stop until I have fallen in love with every corner of this world, every person in this world, and stopping is not something on my To Do list.

Lavit & Lavin

Last Sunday, a few of us went to another orphanage to visit Lavit, Lavin, Sokchea, Panlou and Jonai. Their new home is in Phnom Penh city, it’s a small building, but a building none the less. There are separate rooms for the boys and girls, a classroom and a real bathroom. There is a gated courtyard for playing games and doing laundry. It is so much cleaner than CPO and the kids seem so much happier and healthier. Although this place is nicer, it is so much more strict. There were so many rules we had to follow to be there, our visit was kept to an hour, we were not allowed to take photos, and only students who knew the kids could visit. There are 9 kids total, five we knew, two new ones we met, and two older kids we didn’t meet. An intense game of volleyball started up not long after we arrived. It felt so wonderful to play with Lavit and Lavin again. We all got competitive, celebrating each point far beyond what was needed. We laughed so hard, harder than I have in a long time, but not because things were funny, simply because we were so happy and having so much fun. To see their smiles, hear their voices, was beyond amazing. Lavin is still brilliant, he’s grown and as sweet as can be. He asked about past students, told us about his sisters and just seemed happy and healthy. Lavit is still quiet and small, and him and Panlou are inseparable as always. They are the cutest best friends, and the other little boy seems to fit in perfectly with them. Sokchea and Jonai are all grown up. Still petite but also healthy and happy. We brought them each a beautiful little dress, and they both went to try them on for us. It could not have been a more perfect sight. I am sad that it is difficult for us to see them, and that they are no longer at CPO, but this is a better place for them. I hope that they are given better opportunities to learn and succeed being inside the city and working so hard. When our hour was up, no one wanted to leave. The boys walked us back to their room and gave us handmade bracelets. Of course, I was hoping to hold it together, but once little Lavit was in my arms I started to cry. These boys were two of my favorites from last year and they are so important to me I don’t know how to explain it. Lavin wrote the phrase that is now tattooed on my forearm. I showed him and he broke out into a huge smile, “It’s your handwriting, you wrote this.” I told him, “I remember, I know” he said. “You are always with me, in my heart and right here,” I said, he smiled and gave me a tight hug. I squeezed back with all I had. To see those kids doing so well, to see them eating good food and drinking water and milk, going to school, taken care of with a routine and proper guidance, was so comforting. Lavit and Lavin will overcome adversity. They will be the ones who escape the doldrums of the slum Andong and make something beautiful of their lives. They will be alright.