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Category: Commitment to Community

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By skatz14

Alas, I have begun volunteering in Cape Town! I am volunteering through an organization that is run through the University of Cape Town. It is called SHAWCO, and it is one of South Africa’s largest student volunteer organizations. SHAWCO’s goals are to help with skill development and provide educational programming to youth in Townships and communities around the Cape Town area.

SHAWCO is the base organization, but it has many branches, or sub-organizations, which each have programming specific for that branch. The branch of SHAWCO that I am volunteering with is called Kenstep and it is located at a SHAWCO center in a community called Kensington, about twenty minutes from the University. At 2:45pm every afternoon that I volunteer, a bus picks up all of the volunteers and brings us to Kenstep! ...continue reading "SHAWCO: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship"

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By nfiszer

As I write this, I have just completed my first week of classes and activities with my program here in Salvador, Brazil. It has been a week of new experiences and of getting used to a completely new lifestyle, from living with a host family, to dealing with life in the constant heat, to figuring out the public transportation system. The city is like nothing I have ever seen, and each day I am surprised by its size and its diversity. Among my first impressions, the rich culture and religious influence in the city are apparent walking through the streets observing daily life, and in everyday conversation. African traditions thrive alongside colonial Portuguese buildings and establishments. The streets are filled with music, vendors of food and every kind of merchandise, and of course terrible traffic. ...continue reading "First Impressions of Brazil"

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By jamfanous

A lot has happened in the last month!  My work with CDDF has really taken off and I recently began work on a waste management project at a grade school in Nii Boi Town.  The project plans have finalized into a Solid Waste Management and Beautification Project.  Thus myself and another CIEE intern are developing basic recycling and composting systems.  Since most waste produced at schools consist of mostly plastics and biodegradable products such as orange peals, the best option for a school is to recycle its waste products in order to generate a small income or make use of its materials.  Of course this project comes with many different variable and approaches, however: we plan on beginning with an educational seminar for the students regarding recycling, the environment etc, and why it is important to recycle and keep the earth clean, hopefully we will present to the students and teachers next week.  After the initial presentation to the school, we are hoping to conduct a few more throughout the semester on a smaller scale, regarding environmental awareness and health. ...continue reading "Volunteering in Ghana"

Published on

By Jessica Hoffner

Hospital Universitario de GetafeAfter only a month of working with Doctora Ana, I have observed 15 surgeries and 100+ consultations, all involving patients ranging in age from 2 months to 16 years old. I am witness to the success of her work, having seen wheel chair bound children walk. Most of the children Ana treats have a rare disease known as "osteogenesis imperfecta." Children with this condition are born with extremely fragile bones that are oftentimes deformed. In most cases these children require surgery, often between 5 and 10 times. Sometimes surgery is done to correct deformities in the bones, and other times it is needed to repair a break or fracture and place a rod in the bone for added support. ...continue reading "Preventive Medicine"

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Sshrishti Learning CenterAs many of you might be relieved to know, my work at Sshrishti has changed drastically since that first day in the slums. From now on, after discussing all of my volunteering options with my supervisor, I have decided to divide my time between teaching at the Sshrishti Learning Center and working in the main office. My experiences in the classroom have really run the gamut - from successfully introducing the present continuous tense to a well-behaved group of students to being handed a dictionary on the teacher's way out and instructed to "teach dictionary." One of my favorite moments came when, after teaching me a hand clapping game, one of the girls looked quizzically at me and said, "dost"? Fortunately, I'd learned that word in Hindi class the previous day and knew that it meant friend. "Friend," I nodded, as she then grinned and held out her hand for me to shake. The children at Sshrishti are wonderful, and I'm constantly reminded of how incredibly rewarding teaching can be. On the other hand, I've also become familiar with many of the limitations and challenges of the Indian school system that I've learned about in my socioeconomic development class. It can be especially difficult to overcome the incredibly large class sizes, sometimes 40 or more students, and the resultant wide range of abilities existing within a single class. ...continue reading "Sshrishti"

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By skatz14

Hello from Cape Town! So far, this trip has been indescribable and I have begun falling in love with this place. While I have been exposed to all of the wonderful things that Cape Town has to offer, it has also been shocking to see the huge wealth disparity between the different people of Cape Town. Although it can be comparable to the U.S., I have really never seen anything like it. ...continue reading "The beginning of my experiences in Cape Town!"

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By hkbardo

It is currently summer vacation in Brazil, so of course, school is not in session and while everyone is out enjoying the beach and outdoor concerts, I am stuck suffering the cold in Massachusetts! But alas I will be back in Salvador in a matter of days, and finally on to Rio a few weeks after that. In the meantime, in preparation for my volunteer work with Meninas Mães, I have been reading articles to gain insight into the issue of teen pregnancies in Brazil’s favelas. I felt particularly inspired to write about João Eduardo Coin de Carvalho’s article “How can a child be a mother? Discourse on teenage pregnancy in a Brazilian favela”, which introduces a fascinating perspective on the causes and social repercussions of teen pregnancies, from the point of view of adolescents living in São Paulo’s favelas. ...continue reading "“How can a child be a mother?”"

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By nfiszer

While I eagerly wait to embark on my Brazilian journey at the end of this week, I am slowly working on getting everything together in preparation for my departure. My backpack has been packed and repacked over several test runs, I have stocked up on sunscreen and bug repellent in bulk, and I've asked every question imaginable to the students I am lucky enough to know that have traveled on my program before. Apart from just the preparation of packing, I have been preparing for both my coursework and research in every way that I can. I am studying the Portuguese language by reviewing my textbook and class notes from last semester, as well as listening to all the Portuguese language-learning audio books I was able to find at the local public library. I have been practicing the language by emailing with a new friend from Sao Paulo, and getting her advice and corrections on my grammar and writing. I have also been researching my future city of residence, Salvador, to get a better introduction to the people and culture that I will encounter when I arrive. ...continue reading "Four Days and Counting"

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By jamfanous

February 4th:  What challenges are you facing and how are you/planning
to overcome them?  What are the benefits and do you feel like you are already making a difference, if so how?

There are numerous opportunities to serve in the Greater Accra area and beyond. Fortunately I have been offered the opportunity to work with an organization dedicated to sustainable development called Community Directed Development Foundation(CDDF). CDDF is a non governmental organization determined to improve the health, education, environment, agriculture and socio-economic well-being of communities. The organization works with other NGO's and community organizations to devise positive sustainable futures for many struggling communities. The organization facilitates an endless number of outreach programs, those currently in the works include: Women For Africa(CDDF-wFa) and Brempong-Twum Initiative for Good Health. ...continue reading "Volunteering in Ghana"

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By Jessica Hoffner

Last week I finally met Doctora Ana Bueno. I say finally because it felt like I had known her for a very long time. I spent almost 2 months prior to coming abroad speaking with her about this volunteer opportunity. Along with this correspondence came many challenges. The first was that it was difficult to find a doctor who would allow me to work with them. As the Spanish healthcare system is public, opportunities in hospitals for foreigners are slim, especially with my level of education. I started by contacting the GW Madrid Resident Director, Carmela, and with her help she put me in touch with one of her friends who eventually found a doctor that would work with me. ...continue reading "Volunteering in Madrid"

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