Volunteer Experience with Healing House Cusco

March 12, 2012

Healing House, Peru
Marissa Gandelman

I traveled to Cusco, Peru, to volunteer my services as a massage therapist last year and worked with Nicole Coate and the Healing House to do this. I spent a significant amount of time working with the local population, offering them a service they would otherwise never experience, as massage therapy is not regularly considered "therapy" in developing countries. The Healing House offered me a beautiful and welcoming space to work and I was able to connect with a lot of locals as well as travelers passing through. It truly was an unforgettable experience and I can't wait to return.

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Healing House Cusco

March 12, 2012

Healing House, Peru
Maria Gallo Prieto

My time in Cusco living at the Healing House was an experience I will never forget. I learned many new personal and professional skills, including Reiki training, that have been very helpful and transformative for my life path. The communal living was on of my favorite parts. There was always someone to talk to when you needed it or if you just wanted a friend to laugh and cook with. It was great because the people in the house were usually from many different countries. The programs at the Healing House were a very enjoyable experience for me. It was great to get to know the children of Cusco during the weekend arts program. These children don't have many opportunities to play instruments, paint, draw or be creative in their...

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Healing House Experience

March 10, 2012

Healing House, Peru
Jessica Huntington

My time volunteering with the Healing House changed me forever. I hold the space, people, and experiences close to my heart. I stepped into the Healing House in search of something deep and powerful, what i found was an inspiring experience that refocused my direction in life, reconnected me to the world, and provided me with a deeper knowledge of healing arts techniques that will help throughout my life. Living in the Healing House, I was privy to all it had to offer; yoga, Reiki, massage therapy, meditation, music, movement, ceremonies, and art. I loved my time holding art classes with the local Cusqueñan children, providing a safe space for them to create, release, and explore their inner artist. Seeing kids come back week after week, continuously excited for the next...

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Volunteering at the Healing House

March 09, 2012

Healing House, Peru
Cecilia Tolone

Volunteering at the Healing House is amazing. Everyone is so kind and generous. One of my favorite programs at the House is the kids art lessons. Once a week a group of local children come to do art projects and other fun activities. We always create something for them to take home but we also do yoga, play games and sing songs. They have such a blast and are so incredibly creative, they never fail to surprise me or make me smile! Another great program is our yoga classes for locals. They are always in Spanish and are geared toward all levels of ability. I love introducing people to yoga and watching their weekly improvement. I also love the fact that we have a free treatment program. When someone in the...

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Inspiring Huangtian

February 12, 2012

VillageLink, United States
Ned Levin

I worked with VillageLink founder Abbie Zamcheck from Beijing as he began to take this very promising project off the ground. With Abbie, I promoted the project among the design, academic and development communities of Beijing, most memorably in a meeting with Li Hua and TAO Architects. I researched and negotiated the logistics of shipping Huangtian Tea internationally and will remain engaged in this problem once VillageLink reaches significant shipment volume. The story of Huangtian is inspiring--a rural community coming together to try to dictate the terms under which it engages with markets and development. Vistors stand to learn much from Teacher Su and other members of the Huangtian community about their development model and philosophy while enjoying this beautiful and seldom-explored corner of China. ...

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VillageLink's Huang Tian Tea Project

February 06, 2012

VillageLink, United States
Nan Cao

I got involved in VillageLink while a student at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. I helped set up a a team of advisory members in China including dean of Tsinghua University's department of architecture, and the head design of Tao Studios. I also helped promote the tea from Huangtian's tea cooperative by contacting tea buyers in the US and China. In general working with VillageLink has been a very inspiring and educational experience. I have been able to see the potential of uniting the work of villagers in the Chinese coutnryside with students and teachers from abroad. As I'm involved in VillageLink's early period, I strongly recommend Village Link as a inspiring social program that promotes social and economic connections to rural villages in China as well as grass-root village...

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PhotoPals Week 1 Exchange

April 04, 2012 | 1 comment

Here is the first week wrap-up of the Photo Exchange between the 5th grades of Heritage K-8 Charter School in Escondido, CA and Escuela de la Calle in Quetzaltenango, GuatemalaIntroduction for Miss Winet's Class Hello to Miss Winet’s students!My name is Profe Alyssa, and I am writing to you from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. My city is located in the region of Guatemala called the Occidental. In this region there are lots of mountains and volcanoes, and so the altitude is much higher than in Escondido. Quetzaltenango is the second biggest city in Guatemala, and it is divided into 12 different parts. Sections 1-3 are the wealthiest areas, while the poorest people live in section 5. Here in Quetzaltenango, we are just about to start the winter season!In Quetzaltenango people speak Spanish and...

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Last Class

March 30, 2012

Amy Biehl Foundation, South Africa
Michael Perugini

     This week was the start of a holiday for most South African children. Having just completed an academic term, they now get a break from school to enjoy the last few weeks of summer.            For them it is a welcome change in routine, but for me it is actually a bit sad. Indeed, since the Amy Biehl Foundation only offers academic programs when school is in session, I am officially done teaching my literacy class and will now help with sports in the afternoons for the remainder of my internship.       My final class, which took place last week, was bittersweet. We spent the first half hour reading aloud several stories about hardworking people overcoming obstacles and accomplishing their goals. Then, after a brief discussion, I instructed each...

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My trip the Ghana

March 29, 2012

I was a very young boy when I traveled to ghana, I never knew what was comming. I tought I would see nothing but animals and no homes as I saw on television. As the plane landed and I exited the plane, I was shocked to what I put my eyes on, people, nice cars, trains, buses, buildings, and most of all good food. I traveld with my family but I did not get the chance to help anyone. Helping the young is what I would love to do before I leave this earth.

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Community Surveys and Response

March 27, 2012

Asociacion CREAR, Costa Rica
Lauren Tobia

I have too many things to write about! After six months of volunteering with CREAR, I have found that the opportunities for growth, both personally and professionally, and involvement in various projects are endless. One of the projects that I have been excited about is the writing and distribution of a needs assessment for parents of children in the local primary school. The purpose of the survey is to assess where parents or caregivers get most of their information about school and various community programs, background on those participating in CREAR’s programs, and needs of the children and themselves. It is an important endeavor to ascertain that CREAR is meeting a community need and to discover other ways that the organization can develop to meet these needs.Surveys were distributed...

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