Volunteer Grant Recipients
Vance Walstra, from Portland, Oregon, graduated from University of Montana with a degree in Anthropology. After receiving an Omprakash Volunteer Grant in September, 2008, Vance spent the winter and spring of 2009 volunteering for Helping Hands in Cusco, Peru. In preparation for his trip, Vance collected shoes and medical supplies to be sent to Cusco. He also organized a benefit concert that raised over $1200 for Helping Hands. While in Peru, Vance expanded the 
Omprakash network by helping a number of new grassroots projects become Omprakash Partners. He also spearheaded a fundraising effort that brought over $5,000 to Helping Hands– enough to help the organization purchase a piece of land and begin construction of a new classroom building. Back in the United States, Vance continues to contribute to our network by delivering presentations to high-school and college communities in an effort to help more people support our diverse partners. Read Vance’s blog on the Message Board>>
Sara Adamak is from Stevens Point, WI and graduated in 2008 from University of Wisconsin. She received a Volunteer Grant from Omprakash to volunteer with Development and Education Program for Daughters and Community (DEPDC) in Mae Sai, Thailand. This is her second time working with DEPDC. Learn more about DEPDC>> or read Sara’s post on the Message Board>>
Sarah Zellweger is from Rye, NY and is a graduate of Pitzer College. For five months during 2008-2009, Sarah volunteered at a number of different educational projects in Nepal. She spent the most time with Nepal Children’s Organization in Kathmandu. This was her second time volunteering in Nepal. While in Nepal, Sarah dramatically expanded our network by inviting seven new organizations to become Omprakash Partners.
Geneva Wilgus a college student from coastal Maine, received a grant to serve for three months at the Golok Sengcham Drukmo Home for Girls in Qinghai Province, China (Tibet). Before departing for her trip, Geneva taught a series of lessons to two classes of fifth-grade students in Brunswick and Wiscasset. While Geneva was in Tibet, these students followed her blog and wrote books about themselves and their lives in Maine. These books will eventually be sent to Golok Sengcham Drukmo, and the students there will complete similar books to send to Maine. In addition to creating this book-exchange project, Geneva also conducted a series of presentations and fundraisers in her home community. Read Geneva’s blog>>
Ian Pounds is a former Professor and Crisis Counselor from Vermont. His extensive experiences working with troubled youths, students, and writers around the world led him towards our partner in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ian received an Omprakash Volunteer Grant in January of 2009, and headed to Kabul in April. Before leaving, Ian delivered a number of presentations to raise money for his trip and for our partner’s orphanage, and to help spread the word about the volunteer opportunities available through Omprakash. Ian also visited an elementary school class in Maine and helped students explore and rectify stereotypes about Muslims. Learn more about RAWA>>
Milia Fisher, a senior at Francis Parker High School in San Diego, California, received a Volunteer Grant in January, 2009. She used this grant to travel to Colombia and jumpstart a sister-school relationship between our partner Paulino Salgado and her own school. Milia shipped 10 computers to Paulino Salgado and is working with Francis Parker to pay for the school’s monthly internet access. She will continue raising money to pay for internet access and other amenities for the school and hopes to one day develop a sustainable source of income for the Paulino Salgado community.
Pat Metz, a Purdue University graduate from Cincinnati, OH, received a Volunteer Grant to spend the summer of 2009 serving SOTENI International in Kenya. Capitalizing on his degree in Biochemistry, Pat will assist with a number of projects focused on stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS. Specifically, he will be giving talks about the disease at secondary schools around SOTENI’s four Villages of Hope and will be working to create a pen pal system between Cincinnati’s St. Xavier HS and the students he meets through his work. Follow Pat on the Message Board>>
Alan Burns, a multimedia student from Cork, Ireland, received a Volunteer Grant to serve Just-One in Kathmandu, Nepal during summer 2009. Alan used his multimedia skills to help members of the Just-One team design, publish, and distribute newsletters to potential donors. He also created a short documentary to help motivate donors and fundraisers, and helped Just-One complete some renovations of their building. Alan is now working to connect Just-One with Irish high schools that will learn from and support its work. Read Alan’s blog>> or his posts on the Message Board>>
Steph Dawes, a graduate of Michigan State University, received a grant in May, 2009, to help subsidize her travel and living expenses during a six-month internship for Education for the Future Foundation in Kenya. While serving EFF, Steph will not only work with the day-to-day responsibilities associated with EFF, but will also conduct research on the education system and prepare plans for the construction of a new secondary school. In addition, she will be working to connect high school students in the United States and Kenya through a pen pal and blog system that will facilitate cross cultural and service learning on both ends. Check out her blog at http://stephdawes.blogspot.com/ and her thread on the Message Board>>
Dominique Johnson, a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. She received a grant in May, 2009 to pay for her travel and living expenses while volunteering during July and August at La Escuelita de Esperanza in San Jose, Costa Rica. Before departing for her trip, Dominique will begin working with a number of high-school and middle-school groups in Baltimore. She plans to initiate several collections of supplies needed at La Escuelita, and eventually to start a pen-pal exchange between students at her alma mater in Baltimore and the students in Costa Rica. Check out her blog at www.dominiquejohnson.wordpress.com and read her thread on the Message Board>>
Emma Cape, a student at Bowdoin College and originally from Illinois, received a grant in May, 2009, to pay for three months of travel and living expenses while volunteering with the South Africa Education and Environment Project in Cape Town. 
She is working to develop a new environmental club program that will provide students with education about local environmental issues and community organizing, and allow them to become leaders in community service and community action projects targeting environmental problems that affect the quality of life in their neighborhoods. It will also provide hiking fieldtrips to local natural areas, which many of the students have never had the chance to experience. Additionally, while in Cape Town, Emma will work to expand the Omprakash network through connecting with other South African charitable organizations. Read Emma’s posts on the Omprakash message board>>
At Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Maine, four students and a Spanish teacher received a 
Volunteer Grant to travel to Quito, Ecuador, during July 2009 and serve the Yachay Wasi Intercultural Community Education Center. In preparation for their trip, the group delivered presentations and conducted fundraisers on behalf of Yachay Wasi at several locations in the
Brunswick community. The group seeks to make Yachay Wasi a sister-school of Brunswick High School, and is working to support Yachay Wasi through a number of projects involving topics as diverse as knitting, soccer, and science. Check out the group’s blog>>
Karin Schmidt is from Nanuet, NY, and is a student at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. She received a grant to pay for travel and living expenses while volunteering during July and August 2009 at Las Sonrisas de los Niños in El Cacao, Honduras. Before departing for her trip, she collected school supplies, teaching materials and children’s books to donate to the organization and a nearby orphanage. Additionally, she collected letters written from students at a NYC elementary school to share with the children at Las Sonrisas de los Niños in hopes of building an understanding among children from different countries. Read Karin’s posts on the Message Board>>
Sandra Saulnier is from France and recently graduated from University Paris X with a Masters degree in Ethnology. Since then, she has been traveling, working and volunteering overseas at projects involving sustainable development and organic farming. As the recipient of an Omprakash Volunteer Grant, she will spend six months living with host families in Ecuador while serving our partner Intag. She will mainly focus on teaching English to the children and adults of Intag’s remote Andean community. In conjunction with her trip, she is initiating a cross-cultural exchange through which children in France and Ecuador will communicate about the issues of environmental degradation that Intag seeks to address.
Mohamad Musthafa is a postgraduate student from Manchester University. He received a Volunteer Grant to provide training in capacity-building for our partner Life & Hope Association in Cambodia. He will also work with Neary Khmer, and plans to help connect this partner with classrooms in England and the United States through our Omprakash in the Classroom program. Before leaving, he will work with communities in England to spread the word about volunteer opportunities available through Omprakash.
Bea Puerta, a Volunteer Grant recipient from Spain, has a master’s degree in international cooperation and will spend nine months in Nepal working with Raksha, our partner dedicated to women’s empowerment in Kathmandu. Bea plans to contribute to Omprakash in the Classroom by connecting students in the United States and in Spain with the women she will be working with in Nepal.
Jake Naughton is a senior majoring in journalism with concentrations in photography, new/social media and citizen journalism in Africa. He traveled to Nairobi, Kenya for a study abroad program in Spring 2009. While there, he worked with Kibera Girls Soccer Academy’s journalism club in coordination with Stimulus Projects to help the girls produce high-impact, multimedia narratives about their lives in Kiibera. He will be working with Kibera Girls Soccer Academy and Omprakash to produce a series of promotional short films about the school and the community that has grown up around it. These videos will be available to KGSA for promotional purposes and to teachers for use in lesson plans about international education, women’s rights, etc.
Jennifer Turner is from West Lafayette, Indiana and graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with degrees in Psychology and Spanish. She received a Volunteer Grant in December 2009 to spend six months serving at Hogar de Esperanza (Home of Hope) orphanage in Trujillo, Peru. While in Peru, Jennifer will be teaching the orphanage’s Kinder class and working to expand Omprakash’s network of international partners. In preparation for her trip, Jennifer is collecting school supplies, Spanish children’s books, clothing, and other material items to donate to the orphanage. She’s also working to increase awareness among students and faculty at Purdue University of the volunteer and educational opportunities available through Omprakash. Jennifer additionally hopes to expand the OIC program by connecting educational communities in Indiana with the students at the orphanage in Peru.