Blog: India 2011

March 09, 2012

 http://the195.com/northwestern/author/cghunim/

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Why Abriendo Mentes Invests in Women

March 08, 2012

Abriendo Mentes, Costa Rica
Rachael Sine

 All over the world people will be celebrating today, March 8th, as International Women’s Day. It is a day to recognize and honor the strength and ability of women as invaluable contributors to society. Abriendo Mentes (AM) would like to take this opportunity to highlight the amazing women in the Potrero community and express why it’s important for us as an organization to invest in their growth and empowerment.The women of Potrero are hard working. They work hard at their jobs, in their homes, with their children, and with loved ones. They are our loving neighbors, our helpful friends, and our gateway to the community. However, these women often feel marginalized and oppressed due to the machismo society in which they live, their relationships or...

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Model ecotourism project: San Venancio in Cuellaje, Intag

March 07, 2012

Intag, Ecuador
Christina Chaya

I've been living in South America for over ten years, realizing the conflict of capitalism and modernization in indigenous/small rural communities. There is much to learn about their simple lifestyles: sustainable in practice, and respectful to Mother Nature in essence. Through my social and environmental entrepreneurial work, I support the communities' vision of Sumak Kawsay, "Buen Vivir". This has led me to this remote town called Cuellaje in the Intag valley, where I have found a community of highly conscious, proactive, hardworking, community-oriented Ecuadorian natives aiming to live harmoniously with their natural environment, protecting important water sheds, primary forests, and internationally renowned flora, fauna and valuable natural resources in their cloud forests.One of the outstanding local initiatives I have decided to focus my energy towards is the vision of a...

Clouds rolling in across valley

The mud hut in San Venancio, Cuellaje, Intag

Fernando in San Venancio

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Remember, Remember at Pentok Last Summer

March 06, 2012 | 1 comment

Pentok Institute , China
John Hung

It's been months since I volunteered with in Qinghai Tibet and I've been getting emails from people asking me about my experience there.  I figured that I should  wrap things up by summerizing my overall experience in a final entry.  So here it goes.Looking back, it's been one of my best experiences working with the Pentok Institute.  The places I've visited and the friends I've made last summer has made a long lasting impact on my life.  Every day has been a fulfilling experience working with Pentok. From training the staff to learning more about the local culture and magnificent landscapes.  The people could not have been nicer. Perhaps the most profound impact on me is witnessing how people stayed optimistic and persist in helping others despite facing adversity.I also...

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Preparation

March 05, 2012

Attending a United World College gave me a life changing experience. Firstly, it gave me a brilliant education with students from all over the world. Secondly, it introduced me to the Omprakrash Network.Growing up with Asian parents, education has naturally been an important aspect in my life. However, growing up in a small town in Wales, school for me was just something to get through. Once rewarded with a scholarship to Atlantic College, my eyes were opened to how important education really was. I spent two years living amongst students from a variety of different backgrounds. I befriended students from the Upper East side of New York, children of diplomats, and a Malaysian Prince! But I also met students from Sierre Leone, Palestine and Guatemala. Despite all the varied upbringings...

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Plans and Preparations

March 02, 2012

Mawuvio's Outreach Programme, Ghana
Kaitlyn Gitter

Since I received the grant to travel Ghana, Africa and volunteer with Mawuvio's Outreach Programme (MOP) I have started to have weekly Skype conversations with Renee, co-founder of MOP. I look forward to these conversations and have learned so much. I have had the opportunity to meet Kwame, the other co-founder as well as many of the children that attend the school, their parents, and community members. I already feel so connected to this project and haven't even made the trip yet!One of the most exciting new developments is a project that would involve connecting children at MOP in Ghana with children that attend a summer camp called Camp Helen Brachman in Wisconsin. Renee is going to be able to be present at the camp this...

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PUT THEM FIRST = AWESOME

February 26, 2012

Put Them First, Peru
Jeten Parboo

Looking for a challenge with awesome people to volunteer with?  a place where you can make a real difference ? Crazy kids who just wont stop having fun? then Put Them First Aeruipa, Peru is the place to be!   I spent a month here and i would say it has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experience I could ever ask for.   One of the best things about volunteering here is that you are actively involved in the education of these children who can really use your help!   Ben and Emma, the 2 directors of the school are the most down to earth people I know, and go the extra mile to make sure you will settle in well into this crazy environtment.   Not to mention Aerquipa...

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How to survive a thunder and lightning storm with Quetzaltrekkers

February 25, 2012

Quetzaltrekkers, Guatemala
Robin Lattimer

         I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting but what I encountered on my Quetzaltrekker hike was an exaggeration of anything I could have imagined! I had learned of Quetzaltrekkers through communication with their partner organization, Escuela de la Calle (EDELAC) in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and knew that, if I was going to do a hike, it would have to be with them. I had heard nothing but good things. But besides the positive reviews that I heard from past Quetzaltrekker clients that I met while in the city, I was most drawn to their dedication to providing for the EDELAC program, supporting environmental and sustainable development of the communities within which they worked and the area within which they trekked. In the...

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The Final Countdown

February 23, 2012

Escuela de la Calle, Guatemala
Alyssa Hoyle

Only 10 days left until I fly south with the birds. How did that happen so quickly? These next 240 hours are looking very busy; my time will be filled tying up any loose ends stateside, packing, reviewing Spanish, and spending time with friends and family before I do not see them for a long while. Oh, and trying not to get too nervous.My initial efforts to run a marathon to fundraise were halted by an injury, and since I didn’t have a real back-up plan, I decided to try something really creative: email everyone I know and ask for money. Basically, I wrote a letter explaining in more detail Omprakash’s mission, why I wanted to go to Guatemala and work with EDELAC, and how desperate the school was for...

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Summer School - Public Policy Research Methods

February 23, 2012

 In 2012, CPPR and ACE have come together to start a pilot venture which would impart to public policy researchers from around the world, the necessary techniques to produce research that stands out for its originality of thought and approach. This has taken the form of the ‘CPPR-ACE Summer School: Research Methodology for Public Policy Researchers’. The Course will be intensive and rigorous in nature and will be paced over 27 days. Tuition fee for each candidate is $ 1500 including living expenses.SYLLABUSThis month-long course for aspiring public policy researchers seeks to equip them with the necessary tools to conduct original primary research and produce high-quality research that is not solely based on secondary data. The course aims to break barriers by introducing its participants to different research methodologies and...

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