July 3, 2015 – Today was our last day with Greenpop, and over the past few days, we have been lucky enough to take part in such an eye-opening and uplifting experience. Coming in to the Greenpop Village, I had worries lingering in the back of my mind because we were meeting new people, I had never planted trees before, or been camping this long, but the second we arrived they were wiped away by the overwhelmingly positive welcome that we were given. The positive energy did not stop there. It was a constant through out our entire stay. People from the greenpop team would come up to you and give you a hug or ask you how you were doing, and they would always have a smile on their faces. For me, the simple positive energy is something I hope to carry with me from now on. I saw how a simple smile could change a day, and then, I suddenly started to smile more. It was amazing to be around people who brought out a side of myself that even I did not often see, and I hope to see more often now.
Along with the positivity, being around the Greenpop team was a truly inspiring experience. Their story of all the work they have done to come this far, from standing on corners asking people to pay for a tree to having a whole other operation in Zambia is amazing and they are still growing. Hearing their story gave me hope that it is possible to start making a difference with a small seed and prosper. I know planting trees may not be the way I will make a difference one day, but I have learned that it is possible to make a difference in so many different ways. They taught us how to go about pursuing change in the right way, which is a very valuable lesson for those of us who want to go along a similar path.
Four days is not a lot of time, but I think all of us can say we have made great connections and memories over these past few days that will stay us for a long time. Before we left, Uncle Ben, our 70-year old Zambian mentor, planted a tree with our group symbolizing our connection with them. That tree can always be a reminder of these past four days of growth for us all. Overall, our stay with Greenpop has been a “treemendous” adventure filled with valuable growth and education about both the world and ourselves. We as a group have grown so much from our time at greenpop. We learned things from small things like planting a tree to bigger things like how to be happy and enjoy living a simple life.
Maggie Davis, Holton-Arms School