Back in Action!

 It's been two years since I've travelled internationally, and five years since I've written a blog. Sometimes you need a break from things, even a forced break, to realize how much it means to you. Between 2019 and 2021, my world did some somersaults, shaking me off balance and causing me to re-evaluate and recommit to the things in my life. 

Although not exactly by choice, taking two years off of traveling with CGA gave me the space needed to remember why I love this work and why it is so important to me. I was given time to work on my business, my mental health, and enjoy summers at home. 

In April, we went on our first service trip to Nicaragua. Our group was full of fresh faces and open minds. The school of El Tambo was bustling with eager students and apprehensive, excited teachers. Each day, our group grew more comfortable with their roles, their students grew more confidence in their English, and the teachers gave over more control. We immersed ourselves in the culture, taking in every little lesson we could from these amazing people. Our volunteers took their feedback and used it to improve every lesson they taught. On home visits, we sat with our students' families and learned about their lives. They told us about their struggles, their triumphs, and their hopes for the future. It was no surprise that their loved ones were the most valued parts of their lives. 

As the week rushed by, we all became more attached, more invested and more in love with everyone we met. We cried for Yahaira, who had never seen her children's faces clearly. We celebrated with Jose Daniel as he spoke of the success of his latest surgeries. We listened in awe as Guadalupe explained the strength of her community and the things they accomplished together. When the final day of school came, no one was ready to be finished, the endless opportunities for learning lay before us like an unexplored landscape. Games were played, prizes were given, laughs were had and cultures were shared. We began the task of fundraising to tear down a dilapidated building, repair broken desks and bring back to life a few swing sets. We were able to raise over $2000 for these items with an online fundraiser, so thank you everyone! 

Being back in this element made me realize how much this is a part of who I am. I live for these experiences, this connection, these breakthroughs and all the people I meet. I feel present on these trips, completely in the moment, immersed in every lesson and every smile. The joy of our students radiates through me, the sorrow of the families who struggle, the pride of our volunteers as they master their lessons. Yes, I get to travel the world; yes, I get to experience unique opportunities; but these trips are so much more than this. These trips are about connection, appreciation, humility and greater humanity. These trips are about opening our eyes and our minds to all else that exists beyond ourselves.

Writers Block

I have started and not completed so many blogs. I struggle to put my emotions and  experiences into words this summer. I have had moments of extreme bliss. Happiness that fills my heart to the brim and overflows into every thought and action. I have also felt paralyzing frustration. Anger at the unfairness of this world. The opportunities not given to those who are most deserving. The chances at a better life turned down because of laziness. I have to accept over and over again that I cannot save everyone. I cannot take away the pain and struggles of others. I cannot fix every problem. I have seen my own challenges mirrored in others. I have had to cling to my compassion and empathy like a life raft, to uphold the positive nurturing environment we strive to create. The stories will come. The glimpses into my experience and the lives of others will be shared. But for now, this is all I can give. 

Beautiful babe

Beautiful babe, may the suffering you endure pale in comparison to the moments that light up your eyes and feed your soul. 

Beautiful babe, may your trials and tribulations teach you lessons that broaden your mind. May your hardships give you empathy and compassion that connects you to all living things. 

Beautiful babe, may your smile explode the hardened hearts of the broken. May critics fall into the depths of your ever watching eyes and see the truth. The truth of love, connection and compassion. 

Beautiful babe, may your heart be broken open, so your light can radiate to the ends of the earth. So your love can wash over every being who crosses your path. 

Beautiful babe, may you change your destiny, may you change the world. 

For Cody/Wodey/Bode

One of the hardest things I see in the countries I visit is the mistreatment of dogs and the amount of strays. This may seem ridiculous, considering the amount of human beings who live in squalor, but I can relate to the struggles of the dogs. The struggles I have experienced are much different than those of the people I have met. I do not have a child to understand the pain of watching your offspring starve, and have a dim future. I do, however, have a dog. Charlie Brown is my pride and joy. He relies on me for food, water, exercise, potty time and love. I give him all these things to the best of my abilities. He sleeps by my side every night. He is my companion and comfort when I am sad. He is my everything.

To see dogs on the side of the street, eating trash, breaks my heart. Infected with mange, their hairless, wound-ridden bodies shrink away from humans, for fear of being hit or kicked; a learned reality for a street dog. I think that is the hardest part for me. Not only are these animals living a drastically different lives from our dogs back home, but they are also being mistreated. I do not expect struggling people to worry about the welfare of animals when they are barely surviving themselves, but I do expect people to respect other living things and not abuse those less capable. Humans have the gift of choice, to make changes to their lives, whereas animals rely on instinct and the goodness of humans to survive.

As the Buddhist Master Cheng Yen says, "All lives are equal and therefor deserve to be loved and respected equally... The spirit of a dog can be just as noble as the spirit of a human, or even more admirable."

Cody/Wodey/Bode, the most loving of all street dogs. 

Your Choice.

My heart hurts with the senseless violence in the world today. Whether ignited by religious fanaticism, hatred caused by a sense of wrongdoing or a lack of tools necessary to cope with the struggles life brings, there is no excuse. The constant killing of other human beings leaves me feeling defeated. What is the cause? Why is there so much hatred in the world?

Every morning upon waking, we are faced with a choice of how we will approach our day. We can approach our days and all situations and people with love, or fear. We can face each challenge with negative attitudes or positive ones. If you react to a negative interaction with more negativity, the cycle continues. If you react to a negative situation positively, or perhaps do not react at all, then change begins to occur. To project pain, sadness, anger, hatred and other negative emotions on to another person is like handing them a vile of poison. When you are the receiver of this vile, it is your choice what to do with it. You can choose to drink the poison and let it kill you; you can pass the poison on to another person; or you can set it down and walk away.

The hatred and fear in the world must stop.
The blame must stop.
The retaliation must stop.

Am I being unrealistic? Is it unrealistic to think that every human on Earth could use more love and positivity? Is it unrealistic to believe humans have a choice in how they handle the life they are living? Why are we more willing to add to the pain and hate of the world than add love and healing? I think the attitude of, "I cannot make a difference" must end.

Does a pebble thrown into a pond create only one small ripple and nothing more? I do not think I am being overly optimistic when I say we can change the world. However, it will take work. It will take seizing every opportunity to choose positivity and love over negativity and fear. It will take tabling judgement of things or people you do not understand. It will take diffusing your own anger, fear, and negativity; choosing love, positivity and peace, whenever you can, which is always.

Education and Hard Work

This is the first day of our last week of teaching, and I am finding it hard to keep myself together. Last year was our first year teaching and I felt like I kept myself distanced. I wasn't sure what would happen in the next year of my life and if I would come back to Morocco. I didn't want to fall in love and not be able to return to see the kids. I thought I would do better if I kept a safe emotional distance.

Now I am here again, seeing old students and meeting new students. Listening to their stories, seeing their enthusiasm, expanding their minds. The passion these children have for learning English blows me away. They are here, at school, on their summer break, taking classes, during Ramadan, fasting and learning. They are extraordinary.

They face such large challenges, every day, to survive. Nearly every parent we meet is thrilled to have their child learning English, as it is a way out of poverty. These children will care for and support their entire families.  After working at an American school and seeing great teachers and education taken for granted, I am refreshed by our Moroccan students attitudes.

I cannot blame the students in the US. I did not value my education when I was in high school. I feel like the value is only recognized when one is being saved by education. Education is commonplace in the West. Teachers are not treated as the heroes they are, but as lowly civil servants. Many American children do not see education as a solution to problems. It is not what we are taught.

The solutions to mainstream American problems are fame, fortune, political blame and lawsuits. Success is shown to come from athletic prowess, physical beauty, and drama. High school dropouts with teenage pregnancies drive nice cars and grace the front pages of magazines, while researchers in labs curing diseases go faceless and nameless. Ignorant people blame their illnesses, stupidity and lack of common sense on large corporations and receive settlements to last a lifetime, while our youth's educators work multiple jobs and careen towards burnout.

I don't know where the problems started, or how our society can fix them, but the reality is that the majority of our youth would rather be YouTube stars than increase their intelligence. Why work hard when you can become an internet sensation?

CGA 2017

This year has not been very easy. Surgery, stress, insomnia, chronic pain, medication and an overwhelming sense of confusion. Through all this, a major component pushing me forward was my summer travels with CGA. In the month leading up to our departure, I felt financial stress, heartbreak anxiety and sadness, which I feared would negatively affect my ability to approach these trips in top form. My emotions shifted from excitement to sadness and back, moment by moment. The morning of departure, I woke up to 5 missed calls; my flight had been shifted 3 hours earlier. The day of travel continued on a less than ideal path with missed connections and lost baggage.

Upon arrival in Rabat, we walked down the familiar streets of the medina, past Riad Kala, where Lisa Marie and I stayed our first trip to Morocco, to the MCAS riad down the way. We settled in and as I crawled into my familiar bed, I began to feel a sense of calm. When I woke up the next day I could not be more happy. The fear and stress faded away, I felt like I was back where I belong. Here's to the Children's Global Alliance summer of 2017!

Namaste

Sometimes all we focus on is the end result. The destination. The final achievement. The peak. Yet the in-between is where the magic happens.
"The moments between the moments.", as my dearest friend says.
All the moments this summer have created a lifetime of memories in just 79 days. I feel full. Full of love, of gratitude, of breakthroughs and broadened horizons. I feel overwhelmed and changed. Unsure of the future, yet very sure of my path.

I have had moments of extreme happiness, and crippling pain. On these trips, it is easy to get caught up in the end goal.

What do we want our students to gain?
What do we want our students to give?
What do I want to gain?
What do I want to give?

The strongest memories are the small, unplanned moments. The candid discussions with a mother and grandmother doing the best they can for their daughter. The public crematorium where all classes of people come to reflect on the legacy they are leaving. The children in the village who don't know English, but just want to be held, even by a stranger. The promises of a vendor; to learn English and send his kids to school, so they may live a better life than he did. The passion and determination of a myriad of people, to live the life they love, and do their part, no matter how small, to better the world. These things were not planned, like my flight pattern, yet they will stay with me much longer. Every laugh, every tear, every hug, is etched into my heart. When I am feeling down, defeated, lost or hopeless, these are the things I cling to time and time again.


To the student volunteers who participated this year: Thank you for your effort, your love, and your courage. You are the future and for that I am so grateful.

To the students, staff and in-country teams: Thank you for your open hearts, your willingness to share your homes, your schools, and yourselves. Thank you for representing your countries and cultures so beautifully. Thank you for making us feel at home.

To my fellow chaperones: Thank you for your endless support, advice, hard work and laughs. You hold me together when I begin to fall apart.

To my parents: Thank you for loving and caring for Charlie Brown so I can do what I love.

To everyone who contributed financially, emotionally or simply read my blog: This support means more than you could ever imagine to lives all across the globe.

To LM: Thank you for helping me find my purpose in life, and thank you for helping me give it away. And a million other things that would take to long to write.

#cga2016comestoanend

We Are All The Same.

I have been gone from home for 53 days. Quite a few horrible things have happened since I have been gone. A bombing in Baghdad, an airport shooting in Istanbul, a shooting in Nice and five shootings in the United States. 

There seems to be a great deal of blame, lack of responsibility and misunderstanding. 

Religion and race are being generalized, reactions are made without thought, and everyone thinks they know the answers. 

People refuse to see the grey between the black and white. 

Over the last two months, I have had the pleasure of being a minority. I have been treated with love and respect by people of different religions and ethnicities. I have connected with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians over the basic principles of humanity. 

When we strip away the labels and classifications we have given ourselves, one truth remains. 

We are all human. 

We have the same needs to survive. We have the same thoughts, feelings and desires. We all deserve the same rights. 

The outside environments and situations create our differences. 

These differences, and our ideas about what they may or may not mean, are what create the belief that we are better or worse than others. 

As humans, we like to believe that we are greater than animals. We are smarter, more sophisticated and more civilized. 

But are we?

Different species of animals co-exist in their environments. Together, they achieve what is needed to survive. There is harmony in life and death in the Animal Kingdom. 

Why is it that we, as one intelligent species, cannot live in harmony with our own kind?

Why is it so many choose to place blame, guilt, and shame on others, instead of improving ourselves?

The problems of the World are not the World’s problems. 

The problems of the World are personal problems that the individuals have chosen to ignore. Instead of looking inward and identifying our fears, inadequacies, pains and frustrations (as well as their sources); we choose to react outwardly. We choose to blame our parents, partners, societies, God and the things we do not understand. 

Take responsibility for your actions, behaviors, feelings and thoughts. Don’t let the negative fester. Let go of the pain, guilt, blame and fear that controls you. Fill that now empty space with love. Love for others and yourself. With peace; peace of what was, what is, and what will be, despite you. Remove your own inner conflict; your need for pain, fear, excuse, defense and anger. With all that gone from inside you, you will no longer project such things. You will no longer react to such things, although they may still be around you…. But, by ceasing to partake in the cycle, you have begun a small revolution… This minute action will consume your body and your mind. It is as contagious; powerful and infinite.

What epidemic would you choose to spread? 

Pain, anger, fear and blame? 

Or peace, love, understanding and compassion? 

Every day you make this choice within you. 

Every day you spread an epidemic. 

It is your choice what you spread within your world.

My whole life I have loved kids. I started babysitting when I was 10 years old. I want to be a mom some day and I definitely want to adopt. I was lucky enough to be raised by great parents who did the best they could for my sister and I. There was never and still is never a moment where I feel unloved.

On these trips, the hardest stories are not the stories of children who's parents have passed away. The hardest stories are of the children who's parents willingly leave them behind.

There are siblings at the orphanage named Srey Na, Srey Neath and SokHeng. Srey Na and Srey Neath are the most beautiful girls. They sing well, are humorous and sweet. They can also be very somber; and you would be too if your parents dropped you at an orphanage. SokHeng is the most precious boy; big ears, goofy grin and such a lover. Last year, their half brother was also at the orphanage. Pan Ya was about one and was left with the others because mom was pregnant again (3rd dad) and didn't want to take care of them. I met her once last year, she came to our celebration party dressed inappropriately and ate the food intended for the kids. Fast forward to this year. She has taken Pan Ya back, and she sold her 5th baby for $1200. Rumor has it she came to the orphanage shortly after, wearing new gold jewelry. I don't know where their father is, but SokHeng proudly showed me a photo of him once. He looks just like him.

There is a family that lives nearby that I have known for years. There are nine children, so the younger kids live at the orphanage while the older kids live at home. The oldest son is married with one child and another on the way. The second oldest son has a 9 month old boy named Dom. He is the most precious, even tempered baby. Unfortunately, both mom and dad are drug addicts of some sort and so Dom has been taken away and is being cared for by Grandma and his uncles. Throughout the day, Dom is passed from one relative to another, and I grab him whenever I can. His Grandpa asked me to take him back to America with me, but Grandma isn't too keen on that plan. Although Dom's dad hardly notices him when he walks by, Pou Rath and Pou Niroon give him lots of Cambodian style love.

Today I spent a lot of time in the village of Andong. Per usual, I attracted attention from local children; wanting my bracelets, to know my name, to practice counting and touch my hair. As I sat there, I received an occasional glance from an adult gambling nearby. The children continued to warm up to me and began to climb on my lap and on my back. I went back to the orphanage for lunch and ensured them I would return, which I did an hour later.

There was one baby in particular who was about 18 month, running around completely naked. He crawled up onto my lap, wrapped his arms and legs around me and nuzzled his head into my chest. The other children kept pointing to his ears and one girl brought me a pack of Q-tips. I cleaned his ears, which were oozing liquid, and gave him some water, then he nuzzled back in, falling asleep. I sat there for what seemed like hours, with this child on my chest, thinking how strange it was that we were here together.
Did he have parents?
Where were they?
When was his last meal, bath, hug?
How desperate was this poor boy for love that he would cling to a complete stranger?
Eventually, another little girl of about five walked up and started to pull the boy off me. He started screaming and crying, holding on to me tightly. The adults around the card tables started to stare and I let the girl pull the baby off me. A white woman clinging to a naked slum baby seemed like a bad situation. The girl drug the baby over to the women's gambling table and a woman picked him up and pulled him close, as the screaming and flailing continued.

She looked over at me, cold and expressionless; I looked back, my sunglasses hiding the tears pooling in my eyes.

I am not a mother, and I may never be. I do not think it is an easy duty and the responsibilities last a lifetime. To bring a child into a world of already so much pain and sadness, and not do everything in your power to create a loving, safe upbringing seems unforgivable. My heart breaks for the unloved.

Bracelets

The children at the orphanage have small rubber bracelets that they use as prizes for games and contests. A child with a  lot of bracelets is repeat winner in the group. These are prized possessions, and the children have started giving them away to us as gifts.

Although a wrist of rubber is seen as a status symbol, they are tight and catch on your arm hairs. For us, there is little personal joy in a wrist full of bracelets; the joy is in giving them back to the kids. To see a face light up when receiving a bracelet is a metaphor for so many things.

How much do we have that is not valued or special to us?
Do we hang on to it for status?
To prove we have it?
To impress people or seem more important than we are?

To these children, these bracelets are currency, yet without thinking twice, they give them to us in bunches. They have so little and are so generous.
What if we gave so freely? Their generosity inspires more generosity. A ripple effect of selfless giving. If children in the slums of Cambodia can give away their most prized possession, even if it is only a bracelet, I think we can all do so much more than we do.

Start small, just one bracelet, and see where it leads.

Cambodia, my safe place.

My fourth time at Toul Sleng prison. I don't feel it necessary to go inside the buildings anymore. I listen to the audio tour; some facts familiar, some new. The sense of sickness doesn't consume me here anymore. A calm and remembrance is more accurate. It is not a lack of respect or numbness, it is an acceptance. I do not need to see the horrors again, now is my time to reflect on how I will do all I can do to make the world a better place. My heart breaks to see older people at S-21 and the Killing Fields. They are returning to the places their family and friends were killed and tortured. Returning to a place of such pain and sadness. Perhaps these places have become a place of calm and sanctuary to them as it has become to me? There is such silence and tranquility here now. The only noises are the birds and crickets communicating, the soft footsteps of visitors paying respects. To me, these moments are moments of reflection. A place to choose; am I going to take every possible chance to better myself and cause a ripple effect into every life I touch? Am I going to recognize that every action I take will have a reaction? What legacy will I leave?

The students in my tuk tuk left S-21 impacted. They were horrified, shocked and at the same time, inspired. Inspired to learn from the tragedies and mistakes of the past and go forth as a knowledgable light to others. As we go into our first day at the school and orphanage, our student volunteers are on fire to make a difference, one moment at a time.

Nepal Part 2

My time in Nepal was full of wonder. There was so much newness: the seamless blend of religions; the survivors of a tragic natural disaster; the ancient, stoic buildings and streets that have seen so much. This country gives off a certain energy. It is hard to explain an energy in a place, but it is a combination of the people, the sights, the smells and an unseen feeling. I did not visit Nepal before the earthquake of April 2015, but I do not believe the energy could have been much different. There is a sense of calm. The people live with the end in mind here. How will they be remembered is at the forefront of their actions.

The students at Lisha school are so eager to learn. They take such pride in every part of their schooling; their uniforms, books, pencils, handwriting... Their homes have been destroyed, but their school and hope stands strong. One day, Karen instructed class 5 to bring flowers in for a science lesson. There was a range of beautiful flowers carefully tucked in bags and boxes. In the back of the classroom sits a small sweet boy named Vibek. I sat next to him and he looked at me shyly. When the teacher asked the students to pull out their flowers, Vibek opened his pencil box and removed a single rose petal. He gently stroked the petal with his finger while eagerly listening to Claire discuss the parts of a flower. In that moment I felt as though my heart was shattering. This sweet boy cared so much about his "homework" and did his absolute best to complete it. He took such pride in his accomplishment, a soft smile beaming on his face as he softly showed me his pale pink petal.

How often to we refuse to attempt something because our fear of not living up to expectations, ours or others? How often to we give up before we even try? We, as Americans, have more resources than the majority of the world, and we also have more excuses. Nepal taught me there is no valid excuse for anything. If you have heart, passion, determination and will, anything is possible. And if you don't then nothing will be possible. Not attempting is the worst of all failures.

Nepal Part 1

(Written June 14th, 2016)

Nepal is not what I expected, but in a good way. It is far more beautiful, cultured and green. The people are so soft and kind. You are always greeted with respect. The buildings are ancient, the temples weathered. The earthquake remnants are still visible, the collapsed buildings still hide around sharp corners, beams hold structures upright oh so gently. Brick walls resemble jenga pieces; holes with parts missing. It is strange to see a place so delapetated and know the reason is outside anyone’s control. The people here are rising out of survival mode, struggling to return to a normal life. This new normal includes collecting rainwater for washing, living with neighbors who are homeless, and sleeping as close to the ground floor as possible, in fear of the next quake. Cracks rise up the sides of otherwise perfect buildings and from the still-standing higher levels, you can see how low the skyline has become. The Nepalese are early risers, days starting around 4:30-5am. They make their way to the nearest Stupa and circle clockwise, softly touching Buddha’s third eye with a vibrant red powder made of a clay and ash mixture. From there, more Stupas and temples are visited. We accompany Laxman, who works at our guesthouse, on his morning ritual. Laxman is somewhat of a local celebrity in Bhaktapur, people wave and say “Namaste” as we walk through the streets. The Nepalese people have a great sense of pride relating to their nation, their education, their culture and their religions. Sharing it all with them will be a great gift. 

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."- Nelson Mandela

"Nearly 58 million primary school age children are not in school. More than half of these children are girls and 75 percent of them live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Of all the primary-school age girls globally, 20 percent are not in school, compared to 16 percent of boys in this age group. That’s 1-in-5 eligible girls worldwide who aren’t going to primary school. But education is vital. Though it's hard to prove the impact of girls’ education statistically, over and over it has been shown that this investment can have a ripple effect of opportunity that impacts generations. With primary and secondary school education can come increased job opportunities and higher wages. Girls who pursue secondary education are also at a significantly lower risk of engaging in crime or falling victim to human trafficking. Educated women have also been shown to marry later and have fewer children."  
http://www.halftheskymovement.org/issues/education

I did not like school. I was a good student, but I didn't care a much as I should have. I knew I didn't want to go to college, so getting good grades and applying myself was not a big concern to me. I did what was needed to get by and nothing more. Over the years, I have found subjects I am interested in, and have started to take classes and learn new subjects. My trips with CGA have ignited a passion for schooling that I never had before. Although education is widespread in the US, there are plenty of students who, like me, don't see education as a necessary part of life. 

In certain places of the United States, and in most parts of the world, education is the most important thing in life. Being educated can be the deciding factor between life and death. For women, your quality of life relies even more heavily on your education. Despite the women's rights movements happening all over the world, there is still much inequality in business, education and respect. In every country I have visited, education of women is a driving force. More and more women and girls are becoming passionate about their learning and schooling. They have dreams and desires that go farther than just simply having children and getting married at a young age. The girls we have met in Morocco are prime examples. 

Youssra wants to be a doctor. A pediatrician to be specific. She knows that the better her English is, the better chance she will have to get into a good university. Her brother is equally ambitious, however he is hoping to become a professional footballer. Their mother did not attend school herself and struggles to find work. She has applied to many jobs and is denied, and her husband has inconsistent work. She spends her days at home painting to ease the stress of paying for rent. She supports Youssra's desire for furthering her education. 

Fatimasahra lives with her grandmother and mother. They all three share a room of roughly 8x8. We arrived for our home visit and the table in the center of the small room was covered in food, more food than they can afford to buy to feed themselves. Grandmother never attended school, had seven children and has spent her entire life caring for her husband, children and working to make ends meet. As she sits and tells us about her life, she repeatedly expresses her embarrassment for her lack of knowledge, claiming she cannot leave the house without getting lost. She cannot read a street sign or a bus schedule, she cannot express herself, and she cannot write her own name. 

Rabiee, Fatimasahra's mother left her parents at age 12 to marry a man in Rabat 40 years older than her. When I asked her if the marriage was arranged, she said no, she wanted to leave her parents and this seemed to be her best option. By the age of 18, she had given birth to Fatimasahra. 6 years ago her husband passed away. She works three jobs, 12 hours every day. Her total salary is 150 dirham a month and her rent is 300 dirham a month. (Yes, you read that correctly, when asked how she pays rent, she said she makes it work.) She talks of her desire to learn, and at the young age of 30, I assure her it is not too late. She smiles sadly and states she has no time to go back to school, all her energy must now go into creating a strong future for her daughter. 

Fatimasahra is a small girl of twelve. At school, she is quiet and hardworking. At home she is helpful and fiery. She wants to be an astronaut when she grows up and doesn't plan on getting married or having kids, to her grandmother's dismay. She has a strong sense of family and is fully aware of the sacrifices her mother and grandmother have made for her. Fatimasahra's grandmother repeatedly thanks us and gives her blessings for our being in their home and at the school She says she is sad that Fatimasahra has no one to understand her and she praises God for sending us to them, vehemently saying she does not want her granddaughter to end up like her. Her gratefulness and appreciation brings us to tears, as we feel we are learning so much more from them than they can possibly learn from us. 

Morocco pt. 1

Marrakech is known for its souks, Casablanca is known for its mosques, Chefchaouen is known for its vibrant blue walls, Fes is known for it’s tanneries and Rabat is known for being the capital and business center of Morocco. Behind the walls of the Rabat medina however, there is a world teeming with life, color and smells that rival the other well known sites of Morocco’s major cities. The morning walk to school is a quiet one. There is no hustle and bustle to start off the day, and when we are headed to work, most locals are still waking. Shop doors are shut and the streets seem larger without all the people and things. Street cleaners sweep up the debris while cats lounge after a long night of activities. There is a spike of energy, however, when we cross the threshold of the school. Our eager students greet us at the gate, ready to learn. In the sports complex next door, a small group of boys practice their penalty shots, while some men have a friendly game of football. The school day begins immediately, these students have been chosen specifically due to their good grades and are coming to learn English on their summer break. 

Touria, the director of the school is as impressive to me today as she was a year ago. She introduces herself to our students and lights up when she sees Lisa Marie and I. She leads us all to the library, which has been organized and redone since our last visit. As we sit together to receive a Touria sermon, the security guard (who wears a smart grey suit) serves us mint tea and a plethora of cookies. Touria is a force. Raised in a middle class family, she was always an exceptional student, so much so that along with a few others, she was invited to the Royal Palace and honored by the King for her brilliance. She has taught History and Geography, and enjoys learning about the world. Throughout Touria’s stories, one theme rings true; Humanity. The idea that we are all ultimately the same, and we have the responsibility to love, help and respect each other; regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or beliefs. Touria explains to our group that we are ambassadors of both American and American culture, and now of Morocco and Muslim culture. In an age of media speculation and assumption of all encompassing extremism, we hold the responsibility of bringing the truth and bridging the gap between two cultures. We all sit silently, listening to her blend her French & Darija, as Ali, our program director, translates her words between breaths. The notion of suppressed Muslim women is not an accurate representation of Moroccan dynamics, and Touria is this in the flesh. She is respected by both men and women as she confidently and proudly leads her students to greatness. 

If only people spread word of the beauty that exists in the world more often than the suffering, what a different outlook we would have.

. 

Begin Again

In October of 2015, we chose 50 students to travel to five different countries with Children’s Global Alliance. They then spent eight months fundraising, planning lessons and practicing language. Our main fundraiser was a huge success, bigger than ever, giving us more funds to work with in Morocco, Nicaragua, Nepal, Cambodia and Tanzania. This year, we had three student’s who have “aged out”, ask to participate again. AJ was unable to travel but assisted as a mentor during the months leading up to the trip. Nicole agreed to come to our first trip to Morocco as a Student Advisor and Kevin agreed to come to Morocco and Tanzania as a Student Advisor. Their years of experience will be so beneficial to the newer students and we are thrilled to travel with them one last time. 

I have been taking classes on teaching ELL and have learned many tricks and processes for helping our students lead their classes in these countries. We are trying to focus on teaching the students practical English, things they can use to communicate with English speaker who come to visit their countries. Jen compiled a huge amount of resources for our volunteers to use and pass along to the teachers at the schools. I feel that we are entering these countries more prepared than ever to teach English and assist the local educators. 

This summer I will be working in four different countries. I will be on our first ever trip to Morocco to work at the Abdasalam Sayah Middle School in Rabat, a school in Bhaktapur Nepal, CPO orphanage in Phnom Penh Cambodia and LOAMO school in Arusha Tanzania. I will be gone for two months and will work with 25 different student volunteers from the Vail Valley (and one from Baltimore!). I hope you enjoy my blog, a glimpse into my experiences. There will be long hours and lots of hard work, but I could not be more excited. I was born to do this. 

Basil & Polycarp

This is my last memory of these brothers. Walking out of the school grounds, holding hands, knowing that whatever happens, they always have eachother.
Basil and Polycarp lived with their grandmother, who started taking care of them when their father passed away and their mother abandoned them. The boys walked a couple miles every day to take a dolla dolla by themselves, all in order to make it to school. They are in kindergarten and first grade. Their grandmother works 7 days a week selling fish in Arusha in order to feed the boys, and pay for their education. She is in debt to LOAMO, making payments for the boys schooling, as well as for their Aunt's schooling. When it came time for testing, Basil and Polycarp were pulled from their classes, along with some other students. Since their payments were delinquent, they were not allowed to take their exams. They were sent home until they could provide either money or a note from Grandma as to why she couldn't pay. This day was very hard for me. I understood why the school had to be strict about payments, but it broke my heart that innocent children had to suffer due to something out of their control. As I stood discussing the upsetting reality that was unfolding, a group of children began to approach, heads hung low in sadness. Basil & Polycarp, holding hands as always, drug their feet slowly in the dirt, devastated to be headed home. They looked at me, and I gave a weak smile back, attempting to conceal my tears.
I didn't go say goodbye. I didn't give them a hug. I just watched them. Walking out of the school grounds, holding hands, knowing that whatever happens, they have eachother. 

Day 47: Our Support System

When on trips with CGA, we are usually surrounded by an in-country support system.

In Cambodia, we have our guesthouse, a place where we have stayed for years. The staff has taken care of us day in and day out. We feel safe and protected, and at times, Tat Too Guesthouse becomes our home. Our drivers are our family. They carry us safely through the bustling streets to CPO Orphanage ever day, and they don't stop there. They are only responsible for our transportation to and from, yet they choose to spend their days helping us at the orphanage. These men can be seen building things, mixing concrete, translating and making themselves beyond useful. They invest themselves in our work and service projects. These men are our protectors, our safe place. We would not survive the streets of Phnom Penh without Boo Lay, Boo Phat and Boo Tong. This brings us to our translators. The word translator hardly encompasses everything these women do for us. Meng and Sothy do indeed bridge the language gap for the group. They offer insight on Cambodian culture that no guidebook could compete with. They too get down and dirty with physical tasks. Meng will stand up to unfair treatment of our group and the children at the orphanage. She is kindhearted, yet strong and confident. We are never taken advantage of as foreigners, because Meng does not stand for such things. Over the years, Meng and Sothy have become the dearest of friends to us. Their selfless, loving acts tug at our heartstrings. We are so blessed to have an extended family so great, so far from home.

When exiting Kilimanjaro airport, we are greeted by the large smiles of Jodie or Kelvin and the other members of KATz. The KATz team supports and assists us unfailingly from arrival to departure and everywhere in between. Upon reaching Maisha Cottage, the smiles we encounter belong to Dada Dotto, MwaJabu and Oscar. These three feed us two meals a day and treat us as though we are royalty. Every encounter begins with a "Karibu" and a big hug, followed by questions about your sleep, your breakfast, and your general well being. These genuine questions reinforce the fact that these people are the most kind and generous souls. Every day, a KATz member, picks us up and drives us to LOAMO. A LOAMO welcome is unlike any other. It is a place where the adults are more excited to see us than the students. The staff at LOAMO would give the clothes off their backs to any member of CGA. Some of them have endured pain and struggle that is impossible to fathom, yet by their kindness and generosity, you would never know. Their hearts are so full of love. Every moment with them is a blessing, every moment should be cherished.

In Nicaragua, we are honored to work with Aleyda. Our firecracker translator keeps us from being unfairly treated or overcharged due to our foreign status. Although my time in Nicaragua was short, there was never a doubt in my mind that Aleyda and our drivers were invested in our cause, our projects, and us.

What does Children's Global Alliance Do?

It is with great delight that I share Children’s Global Alliance in its entirety with you. CGA’s mission is “to infuse the next generation with a sense of global responsibility, promote and foster character and integrity among teenagers, and provide relief and education in developing countries.” As of 2015, we now travel to Nicaragua, Cambodia, Tanzania and Nepal. Starting in September each year, we host our informational meetings at middle and high schools throughout the Vail Valley. Our program is open to students between the ages of 12 and 16, and although most of our participants live in Eagle County, we do have nationwide student interest and participation.  

To apply, students are required to compose an essay and fundraising plan which  meet specific guidelines. Once received, an interview is scheduled with 3-4 of our chaperones. These essays, fundraising plans and interviews help us determine whether or not the applicant has the level of maturity, responsibility and passion that we require to participate in our program. We expect our students to raise the necessary funds for the travel portion of their service trip; the amounts vary by country and cover flights, housing and food. We firmly believe that our service trips are so much more valuable to the students when it is worked for and earned; student fundraising will forever remain a part of Children’s Global Alliance. Upon culmination of applicant interviews, we make our final volunteer selections per country. There are occurrences where a student is chosen for a different trip than they originally applied for. As chaperones, we must build a team of students, using everyone’s strengths and areas for improvement to create the strongest group. Some applicants are not chosen their first year of applying, but most come back a second time, more mature and better prepared for a trip. Once the teams are formed, we guide students in their fundraising efforts, as well as team building, blog writing and country knowledge and language.

The months leading up to the trip are just as important as the trip itself. Our students are expected to work for their experience, whether earning their funds with a well written donation letter, hosting fundraisers, or working at jobs like tutoring or babysitting. Local community service hours are a non-negotiable in our program.

While on the trip, the students blog about their experiences, and our expectations, rightfully so, are quite high. Blogs are an effective way for our students to document and process  their feelings, as well as communicate their experiences to family, friends and donors. We urge the students to be creative and “dig deep” when writing their blogs, to tell a story and paint a picture of this life changing experience.

As these developing countries are poverty-stricken and very different from Vail, or anywhere in the United States for that matter, understanding the culture and history of the countries we visit is critical.  Because Children’s Global Alliance values awareness and an understanding of the struggles of the people that we encounter on the street, in the orphanages or in the schools, our students are required to understand the basics of the local language, as it shows respect and effort on our part as volunteers.

Monthly meetings and chaperone guidance are priorities for Children’s Global Alliance. Relationships start forming the second the students are chosen; we need to ensure that students adhere to prerequisites and rules before embarking on a trip around the world. Every student is required to bring a 50 pound bag of donations and supplies on our trips, so we host donation drives to collect school supplies, clothes, medical supplies and other items that are not readily available to the children we serve.  

Annually, we hold one main event to raise funds for all service projects. Our generous host, Bol Vail, has functioned as our Brunch & Bol event venue the past few years. This fun-filled, community building event includes bowling and brunch, as well as a live and silent auction;  we raised $36,000 this past March! On prior trips we’ve built homes that provided shelter for 56 orphaned children in Cambodia (the students actually helped build the homes under the supervision of a local professional), funded surgeries and ongoing medical care, dental work, school tuition, planted crops, and fed hundreds of children and families around the world.

Once we arrive in the country, the real fun begins! There is nothing quite like being completely out of your comfort zone: different food, different smells, different language, different culture, different faces. Personal technology is prohibited, allowing students and chaperones to immerse themselves fully into this new world, connect with their team, and learn more about themselves.

In Nicaragua, we work at a school for children with disabilities. Our students tutor one-on-one, assist teachers, and visit the homes of children too disabled to attend school. In Cambodia, we work at an orphanage and teach English at a nearby school. We improve the orphanage in whatever way is most pressing at the time: fixing plumbing, building homes, planting crops and deep cleaning. In Nepal, our students work at a humble school for children of a nearby slum, helping to educate and empower. They also complete manual labor projects that include making repairs to the existing structure. While in Tanzania, our students work at LOAMO, an English medium school where the staff have hearts of gold. Our students assist in the classrooms, where they see firsthand the value of an education, something that they typically take for granted. Our students also participate in valuable home visits, spending time with families of five who live in homes smaller than the students’ bedrooms. These people are happy, proud, and love sharing their stories with us.

Through CGA service trip participation, our student volunteers’ perception of life is beautifully and drastically altered. They come home with a greater respect for family, education and the lives they live. They are shown how little effort, money and love it takes to make an enormous impact on lives around the world. These students will go on to be teachers, doctors, parents and leaders of our community and more. These experiences will continue to shape their leadership skills, their relationships, and their impact on the world they live in.

Children’s Global Alliance has grown every year through the generosity and faith of our community. Although our chaperones are all volunteers, they are dedicated to continuing to grow and improve our programs. We appreciate you taking the time to read about our organization. We hope our passion and love for our volunteers and our service projects is palpable through this letter, and we welcome any questions you may have.