Students Show Off Their Work at Conchal Expo

December 29, 2012

“I’m nervous.” “I don’t want to talk in front of people.” “What if I don’t remember the answers?” These were a few of the comments whispered by our students before taking center stage in the Salon Comunal last Friday. It turns out presentations in front of a group make kids nervous in any country. Fortunately, pre-presentation jitters were replaced with smiles and knowledgeable answers when a group of AM students presented their posters describing their experiences learning about local tropical forest and estuary ecosystems.The presentations were a culmination of a nine-month project created in conjunction with Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Conchal, an ecological reserve located a few miles down the coastline from Playa Potrero and Bahia del Sol, a local hotel and AM partner. Things got kicked...

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Brattleboro Nurses Raise Over $6,000 for Their Upcoming Trip

December 27, 2012

Hospital Escuela, Nicaragua
Kyle Dempsey

For their upcoming trip, the Brattleboro nurses have raised over $6,000! Read more here:  https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/8NCd4

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From Spain to Nansana Uganda.......

December 27, 2012

Hello, my name is Joaquin, Im coming from Spain and I´ve been three times to AnotherHope Children´s Ministries... First at all I must tell you that, despite my English is quite bad, I´ve never had any problem for that, even more, I´ve lived some of the best moment ever...so dont worry for your English, and if you really want to go there, just go and enjoy helping and working together with these georgeous children.......First time I was there, and having been many times travelling in Africa before, I learned lots of thing about how is life here. I spent many hours with the kids, carrying water, helping with the meals, bath, etc...but I especialy spent much more time with Nakato and Babirye, two twin one year and a half old....

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December 26, 2012

I want to thank Daisy Cao for providing the Chinese text on this page.

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My First Week in Uganda

December 25, 2012

Childline Uganda, Uganda
Gabriela Silva

 I arrived in Mityana, Uganda, on Dez 16 and since then, so many things have been happening!I’ve to admit that when I arrived, I got a little bit scared. Everything is so different of everything that I’ve ever seen… But now, after some days, all is getting better and I already got used with some things.Well, on my first Monday, I went to some orphanages, to know everything around. I saw a lot of beautiful children needing attention and care, and it makes me more motivated about the job. On Wednesday, some HIV+ children came to the Childline’s office. They are included in the “Today for Tomorrow” program, supported by Emma, a volunteer from Kenya. So, I had the opportunity to work with them about hygiene. I made a short...

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Midnight Pancake Breakfast!!

December 22, 2012

 Each semester during finals Rutgers host a midnight pancake free breakfast for all Rutgers students. This is so amazing and it’s really convenient being that I’m usually up all hours of the night starving, sleepy and just down right anxious because of exams. Along with the free food, there was music, give aways and free massages (my favorite part of the night hahaha). This event was so much fun and this was a great opportunity for some Omprakash outreaching. Alleea (who will also be volunteering in Ghana) and I were able to reach out to many students and explain all of the opportunities Omprakash has to offer.Everyone was shocked and really excited that they could apply to go abroad for free! I look forward to upcoming events at Rutgers next semester and...

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Dia del Amor by Brian Bins

December 22, 2012

CENIT - Centro de la Niña Trabajadora, Ecuador
Margaret Hook

One of my favorite memories at CENIT took place within my first month with the organization. “El Dia del Amor y Amistad,” or the Ecuadorian equivalent of Valentine’s Day – it was the first fiesta that I was ever a part of at CENIT. To that point, my big dental project was going nowhere and my underwhelming knowledge of the Spanish language made every day a struggle. Furthermore, being impossibly far from all of my family and friends back home compounded the frustration, and I’d be lying if I said that I was in the mood for a party. But parties are a big deal at CENIT, as I would come to realize, and all of the classes were cancelled for the day, making...

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A Bitter (but not sweet) Experience

December 21, 2012

Put Them First, Peru
Meadow Didier

The sweet parts of my experience were the kids, the volunteers, and most of the staff. Unfortunately, none of that was enough to make my overall experience enjoyable. I cannot recommend Put Them First in any way – in fact, I would actively caution anyone against joining this organization. I volunteered here for seven months. The first four months were fun (kids and colleagues were all amazing, although the work load was intense). During this time Ben Reiter, one of the co-founders, was primarily in charge of the organization, and I have nothing but good things to say about Ben.  However, the other co-founder and now sole Director, Emma Doherty, is another sort entirely, and was eventually the reason that I (as well as 11 other volunteers and staff...

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Motorcycle Diaries

December 21, 2012

Parijat Academy, India
Shaffer Spaeth

 There are not many things that I think are good old fun, but riding on the back of a motorcycle in the afternoon sun through Indian traffic is one of them. Aside from the wind in my face, the best part is India watching. One of the stranger American cultural influences in Guwahati seems to be the prevalence of Oakland Raiders apparel. I don’t know – maybe it was an Al Davis marketing campaigns a while back. The first man I saw with a Raider’s jacket was at a wedding. The second was yesterday on our way downtown. For those uninterested in football, the Raiders are bad in a sad way, not in a cool way that would make their stuff fashionable, so even in the US it’s unusual to...

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Getting ready for Ghana

December 20, 2012 | 1 comment

Being finished with classes is so nice, because I have time to focus on preparing for my trip at the beginning of February.So, how have I been preparing to travel to Ghana? Well, here is a brief list: Apply for a visa. Everyone traveling to Ghana needs to get a visa. Along with a visa application, your passport, an airline ticket, letter of invitation from the host organization (if applicable), 2 passport photos to attach to the application, name of hosts, visa fee, and a return envelope are needed. I sent mine in last week, so I am anxiously awaiting the results! Visit the travel clinic. Fortunately, I live by a great University that has a travel and public health clinic. The doctor I...

Love Africa. Because I know I will!

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