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Monthly Archive for June, 2010

World Bicycle Relief

Published
on June 29, 2010
in News, Trips and Zambia
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Yesterday our group spent most of our day at offices of World Bicycle Relief (WBR), where we learned about the organization and Zambian history from the director of WBR, Dave. WBR delivers bicycles to communities in Zambia, and to neighboring countries. Two of their recipient main groups are students, and volunteer health workers. We learned that many girls don’t go to school and stay home to clean, cook, collect firewood, and take care of their younger siblings. World Bicycle Relief gives 70% of the bicycles to girls to help and encourage schooling for girls in Zambia.

Dave asked us why Africa should matter to us in the United States? Our group came up with many answers to his question many of which where: everything that happens in Africa happens everywhere else. Dave followed up by saying that there is little development in Lusaka and it is much easier to make a difference here than in the U.S. The bikes donated to WBR help volunteers reach patients throughout Zambia. Without the donated bicycles, they may spend hours walking from one village to the next.

After our presentation from Dave, we divided into groups of two and paired up with a factory worker who showed us how to build the bikes. Each group built a bike that will one day help a community member in Zambia. At the end of the day we placed all sixteen bikes into a truck ready for distribution tomorrow!

- Natalia

Arrival of Group 2

Published
on June 29, 2010
in News, Trips and Zambia
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The Red Sea was too far to the east to see, but we saw the enormous dunes of the Sahara, and more dunes, sand, sand, sand, dunes, sand sand, dunes, sand, sand, on the flight to Addis Ababa. Thatched roofs greeted us on the approach to the airport. Approaching Harare, the smell of wood smoke filled the plane. We could see that the smoke was from agricultural fields that farmers were burning to clear of last summer’s crop debris. We also saw that all the mowed area on both sides of the runway was being cut by a team of 8 men using machetes, something you would never see back home, and a big hint that life is harder here than what we are used to.

-John Woodwell
Teacher
Getting here was harder than I thought but I got here. I was feeling pretty nervous, scared, sad, and many other things. As of now I feel like I’m on top of the world;
which I pretty much am. When I was on the plane I felt like I was passing heaven it was amazing I had never seen anything so beautiful. I mean if I go to a good park in
capitol heights the sky is always pretty. But today I saw the true beauty behind the sky. Looking at the clouds set my mind and spirit to peace. I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything else. Even though I ran into a few very interesting people, smells, and the almost 26 hour flight; I am fine. I’m not scared of anything I’m ready to do what I came here to do and then some. So Long story short I’m great and I’m alive!
-Paige
25 hours. Over 10,000 miles. Man, that was horrible. If purgatory exists, I’m pretty sure it would be somewhat like the plane ride to Lusaka. It’s not good, it’s not bad, and there’s no sense of time or place because of the jetlag and high-speed flying. It’s just a feeling of nothingness and existence while you watch the world go on before your eyes. However, the last 2 hours of the plane ride was amazing. The suspense leading up to the arrival at Lusaka was great, and the scenery…oh god the scenery. The sunrise looks exactly like it does in the opening sequence of the Lion King, it was amazing. We also got to see an overview of the Nile River, and one of our supervisors Jeremy shot some great pictures. When we got to the guest house where we will be staying, I was delighted to find that it’s a lot more…luxurious than I had imagined. My spirits are high and I cannot wait for tomorrow. I hope I’ll make it back in one piece.
-Daniel

Community water projects, and a welcome BBQ

Published
on June 29, 2010
in News, Paraguay and Trips
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Yesterday was my first night in Zambia and I slept like a baby! The weather here is beautiful; it’s cool in the mornings and warm in the evenings. I still cannot believe that I’m in Africa! We just finished our group reflection and there are so many new realizations I am mulling over. I feel so fortunate to be experiencing the culture of Zambia with such a diverse and wonderful group of people.

Today we visited two PlayPumps sites and I learned so much. The first site we visited was a rural area thirty minutes outside of Lusaka and we got to see a solar panel that provided water to the residents of the village. This solar panel costs $20,000 and approximately two days to install yet it makes such a significant impact on those peoples’ lives. The children there were very welcoming and seeing their smiles made my day! The second site we visited was Chawama Zocs Community School where the first PlayPump in all of Zambia was installed. The community school is for orphans and also has an elderly care home (the ONLY one in Zambia!) Because of the PlayPump, a new playground was made for the children with beautiful murals, creative structures such as giraffes, and a nice pond. Every turn of the PlayPump brings up five liters of water from the well! It was really exciting to see these sites! I feel so fortunate to be here and cannot wait for the rest of the adventure!

Finally, hi Mom, Dad, Bhai, and Urvi! I miss you guys!

-Rushika

I had a wonderful day today! I experienced some new things, learned more about Zambian culture and met new people. I feel very fortunate to be in such a beautiful country and love how the locals are so friendly. When driving through Lusaka many people waved and smiled at us and the children were also very sociable and excited. After visiting the play pump, we were invited to a cookout. I was astonished to see a whole pig rotating over a fire and I was very curious to see how this meat would be served. At dinner the pork was chopped up and was served with many other dishes and sauces. The food was delicious and I enjoyed every minute of the cookout. After dinner, some locals performed for us by dancing and singing. I loved it mostly because they seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was. I was also very surprised because a man started picking people to dance with them. One of the first people he chose was me! It was very fun and enjoyable even though I can not dance nearly as well as the Zambians.

I can honestly say that I truly enjoyed my first full day in Zambia and this experience will be very memorable. I would encourage anyone to take a trip like this.

PS. Hi Mom and Dad! … Happy Early Birthday!

-Jovena

Readjusting and Taking it All In

Published
on June 28, 2010
in Paraguay and Trips
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It has been very difficult for many students on the trip to say goodbye to Isla Pucu. There were many friends made and great experiences had. These friendships will continue for a long time; they were real. The hard part for many was to put those thoughts aside and dive into the new. 

Today we started our work in Santa Ana. Early in the morning, many of the students had their “walls” still up after being introduced to two new groups, the kids in the Centro Communitario and the students from the San Jose school. Domingo Alonso, one of the trip directors, began to break down those walls early on with exciting activities that got everyone more comfortable with each other. Of course, this meant everyone had to dance, but the results were immense.

Later in the morning, we all split up into our groups for the week: medio ambiente (environment), deportes (sports), arte (art) and informatica (information/technology). Then we set out to explore the community of Santa Ana and survey our projects and their needs. Walking the streets of Santa Ana, it all came back to me from last year. You could see dogs running wild, flooded water on the streets from lack of infrastructure, broken down homes and people sleeping on the street. These conditions shocked many of the students. Many were expecting poverty, but not to the degree they saw it. 

This walk is really when the students began to put aside dwelling on Isla Pucu and opening up to the new. They saw that despite these extreme and sad conditions, everyone managed to smile and hope for a better life. They saw the young leaders passionately speak about the problems in the community and the projects to help fix them. These are the same leaders that inspired me to come back another year. Students saw the hope in the youth of Santa Ana and the amount of work that needed to be done, put everything else aside, and immersed themselves into these new endeavors. 

-Nathan Herchenroeder
Teacher

A Difficult Farewell

Published
on June 28, 2010
in Paraguay and Trips
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If you had spoken with me prior to this trip, I probably would have told you that I was excited about loads of things. I might have told you that I couldn’t wait to help serve Paraguayan communities or to learn about the Paraguayan culture. However, as excited as I was, I never really thought much about what it would be like to meet the people. And on the first day, when I met the students at the school as well as my host family (and couldn’t understand a word anyone said), I felt overwhelmed with futility; I thought that there was NO WAY that I would ever be able to communicate with these people with my limited Spanish. However, as the week progressed, I learned that people do not necessary need verbal language in order to gain a true and meaningful understanding of each other. In fact, as simple as our conversations may have been, in these past five days I formed a deep connection with my host family as well as the fellow teenagers of Isla Pucu. It may have been difficult at times and taken good deal of patience, but through a mixture of forms of interaction, we were able to learn much from each other.

On the surface, besides a plethora of new vocabulary, my friends in Isla Pucu taught me how to kick a soccer ball, how to be a pro-dancer (we had lots of fiestas), and even how to smile for a camera. But in a deeper sense, the people of Isla Pucu have taught and inspired me to make the most of everything that I am given in life. In the end, it was this “people factor” (which I didn’t even consider before the trip) that made my experience in Isla Pucu a sensational one. Therefore, leaving this new beloved town of mine on Saturday morning was painful to say the least. It was so incredibly painful, that getting any sleep the night before was near impossible. 

In the morning, as a special goodbye, the people of the town put together a concert for us. Here, we were serenaded with Isla Pucu’s traditional harp and guitar music. The band was composed of Isla Pucu’s finest young musicians. This sad, yet joyous music effectively expressed the great emotions stirring in the room. When the songs ceased and the time finally came to say goodbye, nearly everyone, Americans and Paraguayans alike, was crying profusely. I was surprised when even my massive host father, whose accent was so strong that I never did understand a word he said (and vice versa), was reduced to tears. As I exchanged my final gifts, laughs, hugs, and kisses with all of these people that I had become so close with, I realized just how touching this whole experience had been. I promised myself that I would one day return to this community.

-Jake

A Teacher’s Perspective

Published
on June 28, 2010
in Paraguay and Trips
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Our first four days in Isla Pucu, Paraguay have given me new insights into Paraguay.  I first came here in 1997 as a Peace Corps volunteer, and I learned up front many of the realities and successes of this South American nation.  I learned how peasant families had to stretch resources as far as possible, how they relied heavily on their agricultural harvest, and how sometimes there just was not enough.  Despite these challenges, they united in the best interest of the family, and many saw the next day as a new opportunity.  

Coming back, I knew this was not a chance for me to renew my experiences.  Instead, I wanted to learn about Paraguay through the eyes of the students.  I could not be more thrilled with how they have responded.  After the challenges of the first day of getting to know the people of Isla Pucu, our students have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the Paraguayan people.  I have seen students glowing with happiness as they feel they have connected immediately with host families.  Students have enjoyed teaching games to their Paraguayan counterparts, and some have jumped into the daily soccer games.  Most importantly, these students are learning the values of patience and understanding.  With a variety of language abilities, all students have felt welcomed by their host families.  Even those who doubted their language communication skills, have marveled at how well they feel they have connected.  

On the flip side, the students are also observing various aspects of poverty in this region.  While the host families are somewhat more well off than families in the surrounding countryside, there are still many issues facing Isla Pucu.  The residents are quite resourceful, but this is perhaps more of a result of necessity.  Cell phones are quite common because land lines are unreliabe.  There is only one paved road in town, making transportation tricky.  This may partly explain why motorcycles are so common.  Motorcycles are also much more affordable than cars.  As far as those who do have cars, quite a few are in bad condition with either missing parts or mismatched parts.  Finally, while the families appear to have modern accessories such as appliances or electronics, many such cases have come as a result of at least one family member leaving home for an extended period to work.

In the end, the Learn Serve students are learning first hand the resourcefulness and pride of the Paraguayan people.  They are learning how this community is moving forward with or without outside help.

-Brian Whitford

A Day in the Comedor

Published
on June 28, 2010
in News, Paraguay and Trips
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Each day so far has been filled with new experiences and unforgettable memories. Today we went to a “comedor,” a soup kitchen that feeds children that come from low-income families. We prepared gnocchi with chicken and rice. The women who make the food every day are unbelievably happy and admirable.

I came to Paraguay with no expectations. I wanted to bring an open mind and a positive outlook.  I am glad that I did not have expectations because each day exceeds any expectations I could have dreamed of. So, as I sat at the tiny tables, with miniature chairs, teaching the children to make string bracelets in Paraguayan colors, I was overwhelmed with the happiness that these children exuded!  They all had smiles on their faces despite the hardships they face. I learned about the difficulties many of these children face by hearing the stories they share with us. A five-year boy named Carlitos, was sitting on my lap drawing a picture of his family. I asked Carlitos to tell me about his family, and he described how his mom went to New York when he was a baby, and he hadn’t seen her since. Carlitos lives with his grandmother and four siblings. Like Carlitos, these kids maintain such a positive attitude, relying on each other and the community of Isla Pucu. Being with Carlitos and the other children today truly inspired me to channel their positive attitudes and interactions into my life. My experience at the comedor gave me hope that if things in my life are not going as planned (which is often the case), a positive mindset and kind demeanor towards others will keep my spirits high, as well as those around me.

-Alexi

Two Wheels Saving Thousands of Lives!

Published
on June 28, 2010
in Trips and Zambia
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World Bicycle Relief (http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/) assembles custom-designed bicycles for African road conditions in Zambia and provides them to aid workers, teachers, and students. Their parts are made in Taiwanand India (by Tata Motors), shipped by sea container to Durbin, South Africa, and then trucked to Zambia, where they are assembled. Today both LearnServe Groups made bikes and tomorrow they will be delivered to a rural
community east of Lusaka.

Today we visited World Bicycle Relief’s (WBR) office. Everyone was in groups of twos and partnered up with a mechanic, I remember hearing Elizabeth saying, the mechanics can only look and tell us what to do. My first thought was “I have no type of experience with building a bike, so how am I going to build this bike?”

Building the bike was actually easier than what I thought it was going to be. I felt very pleased with myself after building the bike that will help a woman taking care of her family by herself; or get her to work on time. The bikes also help AIDS relief volunteer to do site visits to help HIV/AIDS patients.

I really like how WBR operates because it’s beneficial both ways. The mechanics and the staff know that their hard work is going to last a long time but also teach responsibility to others. WBR makes recipients of the bikes sign a contract basically saying that they will use the bike to take care of their family or get to school and etc. and not using the bike to go to the “beer hall.” I really like WBR and the impact that they are making not only in Africa but throughout the world.

Dominique

 

Building a bike for someone in need is a good thing. All throughout Africa, many people have to walk miles to get to place to place. Most young women tend to chores around the house and their younger siblings. Most of these young women arrive to school late. To combat this issue F. K. Day, the founder of World Bicycle Relief, decided to start a program in which he donates thousands of bikes to people in need. As a volunteer at WBR I helped build a bike for someone in need. I felt good knowing that I built a bike a young girl get to school. I can’t wait to give the bikes away to the people that live in Chongwe District (east of Lusaka) because I know it will bring smiles to everyone.

Eriel

Simple Solutions

Published
on June 28, 2010
in Trips and Zambia
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While working at Chikumbuso, our team filled any small amount of downtime by playing on the school’s play pump, a merry-go-round-like apparatus which pumps 5 liters of water into a storage tank every full rotation. The children at Chikumbuso love it! With wide smiles and squeals of laughter, they hang upside down and every which way as it spins.

Today, our group had the privilege of meeting the finance director for Water Solutions, the organization responsible for the installations of Play Pumps in Zambia. The director gave us a more in depth presentation of the pumps and their organization. Water Solutions works closely with USAID to target communities in Zambia in need of fresh water. In today’s presentation we saw two pumps. The first was a solar powered pump in a rural area called Chongwe, and the second was the first play pump ever installed 5 years ago at a school very similar to Chikumbuso. We learned that a play pump, at $10,000, is half cost to install as a solar powered pump. The solar powered pump, however, better serves an entire community, because of the large amount of water it collects. On average, a typical household in Zambia will use up to 100 liters of water a day. This pump, fitted with a solar panel that generates 480 watts and 180 volts of energy, collects water constantly into a 2,000 liter tank. People will walk up to 2 kilometers to the pump for their daily water supply.

Both types of pumps respond efficiently to the same need for clean water but with varying solutions appropriate to a community’s context. It is incredible to be in a space and among people who seem to be working successfully together towards a common goal. I feel grateful to witness such simple but ingenious solutions to significant needs.

Chrtstine Hutchinson,
is an art teacher at the Luke Moore Academy in DC.

A Different Sort of Sunday

Published
on June 28, 2010
in Trips and Zambia
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On our first Sunday in Zambia, both LearnServe Zambia groups were invited to the house of the Director of World Bicycle Relief in Zambia. To commemorate our safe arrival to Zambia, our hosts had prepared a delicious roasted pig, baked macaroni and cheese, bean salad, and garlic bread! Next to the pig was an array of different sauces and dips ranging from hot and spicy to mild and sweet. Our host’s home was beautiful, complete with a backyard full of tropical plants where the cook-out was held.

As an added bonus, our hosts invited dancers from the Africa Directions Theater to perform traditional Zambian dances. Africa Directions is an organization in Zambia that educates youth about reproductive health and HIV AIDS. The organization stresses the need to educate adolescents through music, singing and acting. The performance was lively, engaging and especially exiting! Nobody had warned us about the entertainment for the evening. Instead, the dancers came running out of the woods screaming, singing, and scaring us all. Throughout the evening, the performers explained to us that because Zambia is located in the center of Southern Africa, most of the traditional dancing focuses on movement of the hips and waist. After the performance, they invited guests to come up and do some dancing. The dance company leader would walk around choosing people at random. Each time the man approached me, I prayed and pleaded that he would not choose me, and thankfully, I was never forced to go up and dance in front of everyone.

As the event was coming to a close, Emma, Ms. Riley and I gathered to listen to some guitar playing. The guitarist name was Phillip. He told us that he had been playing the guitar for two years, and that his favorite genre of music was alternative music. He sang a dozen songs for us, and even took some song requests toward the end of the evening. He did a great cover of the song “Home” by Daughtry as well as several songs he had written by himself.

The entire evening was like a culmination of different cultures and customs. The fact that the event was held at the house of an American reminded me that I was still a guest in Zambia. But on the other hand, the music, dancing and singing only deepened my understanding and appreciation for the people and the country.

-Raissa