3. Getting into the Jam

I'm going to start this blog off with a promise: I will think of better, slightly less cliche titles. (Still, did anyone catch the Electric Six reference?) Until then, there's a lot to be said about my first two weeks of service here at the Healing House and my life in Cusco in general.  If you haven't already read it, click this link to learn a little bit more about my various duties as a "volunteer intern." If you've already read it, you'll know that just like any other intern at any company, the majority of my time is spent doing small tasks around the House to help things run smoothly. Even though this is a nonprofit international development organization, it's still an organization that needs people to do small every day things (like cleaning and gardening) to allow it to grow and flourish. It's not all about swooping in and saving lives during all my volunteer hours, it's largely been about learning how things run around here and figuring out what sorts of things I can contribute to what's already going on.

So speaking of what's already going on, each Saturday here at the Healing House anywhere from 5-35 neighborhood kids show up in the afternoon to participate in our programas para niños, our creative kids programs. Both boys and girls anywhere from 5 to about 13 are here from 2 pm to 4 pm to do some yoga, sing or play instruments, make an art project, and have a healthy snack, all in that order. At least that's exactly how it's been for the past two weeks. The program has actually existed for much longer, and has gone through a variety of changes, but that's where it is now. It's quite successful in a variety of ways. The kids who come seem to really like it. We offer them a safe place to be and some cool things to do on a Saturday afternoon. Plus, the kids' parents, I've been told, really like it because to them it's free babysitting.  However, those of us in charge of the program have also had a few meetings so far about what we can do to improve. We've all agreed that we need some long-term objectives for the kids. That's a sort of hard thing to accomplish because most volunteers are here for a short period, usually around three months, and then they leave. We're all trying to work through that by making a lesson plan book that contains what we covered each week and ideas for the weeks to come. The idea is to have a theme that ties all their activities together each week, like talking about gratitude or our dreams and aspirations.

We threw out loads of ideas, and last Saturday we did a jungle theme and talked about deforestation of the Amazon. Our yoga section featured a variety of animal poses, and for the music, we taught them "In the Jungle." This week one of the other volunteers, Tori, made a PowerPoint about the different jungle animals and what's happening in the Amazon. After that we made masks of our favorite animals for the art section.

a hilariously candid photo, credit to Tori

All in all, it went quite well, and I was particularly pleased with the music section. "In the Jungle" features the repeating awimbawe, awimbawe section that everyone can keep going while different groups of kids could take turns singing the chorus. That's a great way to keep everyone participating and engaged while keeping behavior issues at bay. We do spend a lot of time trying to get kids to focus, and that's a pretty creative way to accomplish that without stopping and asking them to listen.

I've had quite a lot of fun working on the music program for the kids. Two guys, Giancarlo and Daniel, already run it regularly. They live in Cusco and work playing gigs around town, but donate some of their time to help the kids on Saturdays. Most of my contributions to this creative kids program have been in conjunction with their efforts. They'll still be here after I'm gone, so I've been doing what I can to help them do their thing. The three of us do make a pretty interesting team with my classical training and their tremendous affinity for more contemporary music. We sort of balance each other out. I've actually gotten to know them pretty well over the past couple of weeks, having some late-night jam sessions playing and singing tons of classic rock favorites. They're pretty cool guys, and I look forward to working with them over the coming months.

Another program that I've recently gotten involved with is our Wednesday night live music yoga class. That's one of our more popular offerings, and I can definitely see why. That class is really focused on getting people to try new things, experiment and create within their personal yoga practice. Meanwhile, a few musicians improvise songs to go along with the general mood of the class. I'll be honest, we have rehearsed one or two songs as a good go-to and also to get people in the class singing as well, but it's mostly just 90 minutes of raw improvisation on our part. The class environment is very freeing, and I found that I've been able to really let go of some of my inhibitions and experiment creating my own stuff, without too much fear of noodling around before I figure out what key everyone's playing in. A large part of that is Shevaa, one of the House residents. She's absolutely wild about music and makes a lot of her own instruments. She's never had any formal training, but she's wonderful about just putting herself out there regardless and just making some noise. She's really nice and encouraging to others too. Having her there makes me feel a lot more comfortable about doing a bit of experimenting myself. Also, she's let me borrow some of her instruments for the class including her mini harmonium which is wicked cool.

So, I've really been learning a lot about the different programs offered at the Healing House, how they go about helping others (quite creatively if I do say so myself) and actually being helped out myself, freeing myself to experiment musically. I'm quite excited for the weeks to come and especially this Saturday. We're going to be singing a song one of the guys wrote and talking about our dreams and aspirations. It should be great.

Well, that's all for now. I'll keep ya posted!

Sylvia

Airport fun.

Hi! I am currently sitting in the Miami Airport anxiously awaiting my flight to London, which will connect me to my flight to New Delhi. I am with Samia. I am beyond grateful that we are going on this adventure together! It is comforting to know that I will have someone by my side on this new journey. To say I am excited  would be an understatement... I am ecstatic! And nervous. Definitely nervous. I have done my research, but I still have a feeling that I have NO idea what I am getting into...

I am teaching with Project Why for two months. I cant wait to meet the four boys and four girls that I will be teaching. I can only hope that I will make a difference and an impact in their lives. I am so humbled and grateful for this experience, and I already know that my life will be changed for the better! :)

t-minus 24 hours!

It's crazy to think that in 24 hours I'll be sitting in traffic on my way to JFK airport where I will go to sleep on a plane and wake up in Ghana. My bags are halfway packed, my malaria pills have been started and my nerves are going crazy. I honestly don't think I have ever been so excited for something in my life. The experiences I'm going to have and the people I'm going to meet are going to be remarkable and I'm just anxious to get started. In the past week I have talked to previous interns and re-read every important information in my inbox. It's a scary thought that I might actually be ready and prepared to embark on this adventure that I have been planning for five months now. I'm probably going to miss the little things like my morning cup of coffee, water pressure in the shower, being able to look up anything and everything on my iPhone, ice cream and of course my friends and family. But in the end, it's only two months of my life and I'm dedicated to immersing myself in their culture as much as possible. On that note, next time you hear from me I'll be blogging from an internet cafe in Ghana!

The starting point

My first week in Leon, Nicaragua has been great. The day after I arrived in Leon a President of the Rotoract Club,  Josecarlos, showed me around and explained what each place was. What caught my eye the most was the cathedral, Basilica Catedral de la Asuncion. It was built in 1747 and is being renovated. The paintings on the inside were recently renovated and tours for around seven dollars. After seeing the cathedral I went to buy a prepaid phone and went to the market. I had a drink called Cacao, which is similar to chocolate milk but thicker and it has a different kind of sweet taste. Regardless it is very good.

            The theater was also very pretty and it had colonial style architecture. While walking I saw a food truck with Mexican food, which I though was a little funny because I am Mexican. Josecarlos and I entered the hospital with a doctor that he knew. We went up to Pediatrics and I got to meet the head nurse and some of the Hospital Escuela Staff.  I saw many medical students getting instruction from their professors. I also got to see the playroom, which I was going to help renovate. There was a lot of dust that comes in from the chimney and covers the toys. There were broken wooden chairs and none of the fans in there work. There were many areas and there was maybe one with proper ventilation. The area that impacted me the most were the patients who suffered injuries from being burned. The room was very hot, like an oven and the air conditioner is broken beyond repair. I came back to the hospital later on during the day to assist a professor who gives classes to the children. When the lecturing is done the kids get to play games and sometimes other children also join. The professor leaves the children homework to do according to their grade level. This service has helped many students not fall behind on their schoolwork.

            The following morning I walked around to see how much I remembered the area. I went to the place where I had previously had Cacao and shopped for things that I needed. I found a place that seemed good to eat at and I had baked chicken, rice, beans, and mashed potatoes. When I went back to the hospital I took one of the patients to the Aola (schoolroom) to play. The other patient that was in the room with her was screaming really loud and she said it bothered her while she tried to sleep. I was happy to be able to distract her for some time. She loved to color. While we were coloring many other children wanted to color and play with the little toys we had. The professor had to make a note of each patient and their age, since she gives classes to kids 5-12 years old. Some of the patients knew some English so I also practiced that with them. The patient’s family members are usually very nice.

            Another one of the Rotaract members showed me around Leon and then we went to the hospital to meet with Dr. Jorge Alemán, which is the doctor in charge of volunteers. He introduced me to Doctors and more medical staff and we finalized more details about my volunteering. It is so much better to talk about things in person. That evening I attended a meeting with the Leon Rotarians and Rotoract Club. There were guests from Texas that were members of the Rotary International District 5010. The meeting was at a very nice hotel called El Convento. It has a beautiful garden and a fountain in the center.

            The first weekend in Leon, I went with the Rotarians to visit communities in which wells had been donated. Early in the morning we went to Hospital Escuela and I talked about the renovations of the playroom that the Rotoract Club and I were going to do in the playroom. I also helped translate between the Spanish and English speakers. At that moment I realized how great it is to be able to speak two languages, you can help people with it.  There was much positive feedback about the project I was helping out with. We then traveled by bus to surrounding communities in Leon. The people of the communities would come out, and they were very thankful for the wells. Many people could not do much before with their land, but thanks to the wells they were now able to live on the land. Some of the communities were homes to retired veterans. The children came out to say hello and get candy.

            When we left communities we went on the bus to Suyapa beach to eat lunch. The waves are very strong and the tide comes up very high on the beach. The restaurant is right along the beach. There are rocks that you can climb a little further in. The beach is greyish colored because of the surrounding volcanoes. The food was really good and it comes in portions big enough for two. The menus are in Spanish and English.

            The first week in Nicaragua I got to sight see and learn a little about the culture and the life style. It helped me learn about where I was going to be and about the community I was going to be serving.  

I'm ready!

      Are you excited? Are you excited? Are you excited? I would hear this question over and over again as soon as I told someone I was going to India. I didnt know how to answer that, it was a more difficult question than it seemed.  It did not honestly occur to me what I was feeling until  a week ago. I didnt know if I was more excited or nervous or maybe a mix of both so most of the time that is how I answered; I was excited and nervous. I was flying out tomorrow and stressing about what could possibly happen ( good and bad). I do not know what to expect. I thought to myself, what if they do not like me? What if I dont understand certain things? What if it is completely different from what I thought it would be? I was going to be teaching English to young children, do I know even how to teach?Am I going to like what I see or am I going to love it? So many unanswered questions running through my head nd yes that was the nervous side of me. However, I could not help but be excited at the same time. I was going on a journey. I was going to a country that I had never been before. I was going to experience things that many in their lifetime cannot say they have experienced. I was going to meet wonderful people who make a difference in their community. And my favorite part, I was going to work with children.

  After so many thoughts going through my head I decided to take a breath and tell  myself that I was prepared and had nothing to worry about. Those pre-drepature courses had prepared me :-) I was also not alone in my nervousness. I know more than anything, whether I was nervous or not, I wanted to go with a clean blank slate. I wanted to embrace the difference, take in the similarities, and leave the assumptions behind. I want this to be a learning experience more than anything (for both me and my organization- Project WHY). Whatever would come my way would a journey or learning experience. And now Im think to myself, Im ready!

Day One

It had no really occurred to me that I was going to me that I was going to have to go on an airplane by myself. Every time I flew on an airplane it was with family. I was a little nervous but the flight was smooth. I knew it was going to be a good day when we arrived to Managua, Nicaragua, and one of the flight attendants recognized my shirt and said “Go Noles.” I was picked up by one of the members of the Club Rotaract Metropolitano de Leon, and a member of the Rotary Club of Leon. They were very welcoming and there was never awkward silence. After the airport we picked up another member of the Rotary Club. They asked me if I wanted to go back to Leon or to go to the market and get supplies for the Pediatrics playroom. I told them we should go get supplies! So we went to the market and we found good prices. I got 30 chairs and four fans for the Pediatrics department in Hospital Escuela. I am very happy to have funding from the JJCF grant to help with the costs.

            I had a delicious lunch at a buffet style place in Managua. Nicaraguan cuisine is amazing.  On the way to Leon we stopped to see el Volcán de Momotombo by the lake of Managua. It was a beautiful view.

I noticed that there were a lot of people living in poverty. As the road continued I noticed that there were a lot of people living in poverty. The weather is in the upper 90’s and there are people that cannot afford fans. As we arrived to Leon I saw one of the universities, and there are many in Leon.  The place that I will be staying at is called Hostal D’Oviedo, which is a place that rents out rooms for short or extended stay. My room is small but it is cozy and the owner is a very sweet lady.  The center has a patio and an outdoor dining area in the center, which cools off the area. I do not have air conditioning, but I have a fan.

            I unpacked and then after that I went to a get together with the Club Rotaract Metropolitano de Leon and they welcomed me to Leon. I walked with one of the members to the house where the meeting was going to be held. The Rotoract group members are university students that are in Medicine, pharmacy and other disciplines.  We ate home made Nicaraguan food. Two of the medical residents told me what I could expect to see at the hospital, and it was very helpful. I was tired by 9pm, which is 11pm Florida time.  I slept like a baby.

This is it!

Tomorrow is the day I will finally leave to begin my internship in Kampala, Uganda!  Physically, I feel very prepared. My bags are packed full of everything I will need for the summer times 2. My camera is charged, I have all of my prescriptions, and I have plenty of pens to take notes. Mentally, though, I feel a little uneasy. I have been lucky enough to have been in constant contact with the program coordinator who seems to be very kind, intelligent, and organized, which makes me feel more comfortable. I am most concerned by the fact that I know very little about the culture in Kampala. Do I shake hands, kiss on the cheek, hug, or bow someone I'm meeting for the first time? Although the national language of Uganda is English, most people speak Swahili or Luganda; how will I communicate with people if they do not speak English? Furthermore, I'm not exactly sure what my position will be!

This summer, I will be working with SOVHEN, Supporting Orphans, vulnerable for better Health, Education, and Nutrition as either a program development associate or a research/ funding fellow. As a program development associate, I would be working with various community partners and international organizations as a liaison to further develop SOVHEN. As a research/funding fellow, I would be targeting investors, create potential partnerships, and network for the organization. Both of these positions seem very intense, and to be honest, over my head. I hope that I will be able to adapt and make a contribution to SOVHEN like they believe I can.

Observing the Oasis

New Life is a paradise in the extreme depravity of Port au Prince. It's one of the most beautiful places and it's satisfying to return to after long days like the one I had yesterday. New Life supports a number of different orphanages in Port au Prince, and occasionally there will be a need that's presented by one or some of them and New Life responds accordingly. Yesterday a group of us from New Life went out and did feedings at three orphanages. This consisted of us making lunch for them while we were there, while we also provided rice, beans, and spaghetti pasta for the orphanage. It felt good to know we were providing and meeting needs, but I couldn't help but be broken by the amount of depravity I was witnessing. While none of it was anything new to me, it stings every time I see children suffering and it pains me to feel all I was doing and could do in the moment was provide a meal. The love and attention shown towards the children was deeply embraced, but left too quickly for them, I know. I struggle with this feeling that I'm not doing enough- that we all aren't doing enough. The odds are against the people here, especially among the children orphaned after the earthquake. There is so much loss, and much stagnance- at least that's how it feels in my most cynical and doubtful of days.

This girl in my lap sat with me the entire time we were at this orphanage. We gave the children all a peanut butter sandwich, some chips, and a Tampico juice. She sat in my lap and insisted that I share everything with her. When I told her, "Ou mange, mwen ne faim" which means "You eat because I'm not hungry" in English, she would still insist. It's fascinating and humbling to experience such selflessness among children who literally have NOTHING. It's inspiring and makes me want to be better.

We took a tap-tap from New Life which is the equivalent of an American taxi system. Some look different, but many are simply an old Toyota truck with an open bed in the back which they've covered with a decorated piece of tin. Haitians are very resourceful humans. When we drive around the city, I like to sit in silence and observe all the people, take in all the different smells, listen to every sound, and reflect. The roads are so incredibly bumpy, but there's something soothing about how rough around the edges Haiti is. It would be and is very easy to become so discouraged here. So many people come and go. Volunteers give up because it's so easy to. This city of Port au Prince is waiting for something, but I don't even think they know what they're waiting for. Nor do I.

Coming back to New Life is refreshing and beautiful. There is hope here and I love that. There are so many different groups and teams from all over the country that come here and work in New Life or with its partners, so I've gotten to know many people and their hearts. There are currently three women here who are all adopting children, so I've gotten to understand more of the adoption process and the many set backs experienced while being in a country like Haiti that makes adoption so incredibly difficult. I've gotten to spend time with the children here and enjoyed the qualitative nature of it. They teach me Kreyol, I teach them English. Sometimes we just sit and I let them soak in the one on one attention that they don't get nearly enough of. I'm thankful for my long stay, but dreading my departure because I have picked up on the abandonment they feel as teams of people come and go. The children latch on to individuals who are here for one to two weeks at a time, and then leave- some return, some do not. These children know far too well what it feels like to be abandoned, but to feel it over and over again is almost cruel. And I've observed that some of them protect themselves from feeling this way by becoming defensive or hard to get to know. Though this is the case for some, I am again inspired and in awe of the way that some of them still love relentlessly, as we all should. The resiliency of these children is amazing and note worthy. I am growing every day in empathy and understanding.

Please Prepare for Landing

Brace for impact, because here is a long winded post about how my first day has been. 
So last I left you all I was in Miami and I was feeling really pumped after having downloaded some new music for the trip, and excited for my journey. I soon realized that would be short lived because true to my nature, change scares the eff out of me. I might be able to tell myself that what I'm doing is easy and great, but dealing with it is a whole other story. So I'm going to share them with you!

Let me start by describing my flights during the wee hours of the morning. I went from Tampa to Miami on a short flight with plenty of extra seats and then boarded a plane at 1 am in Miami (after a 6 hour layover) along with a ridiculous number of elderly white people who were traversing the Andean countries as part of their bucket list. Now I've been to Europe twice, the first time flying first class to Italy and the second flying coach to Germany. Most of you know I am 6 feet tall so airplanes are never comfortable for me anyways, but this flight surprised me because of its capacity for entertainment. I flew Tan into Lima and the inflight entertainment included a personal touch screen on the seat back in front of me, loaded with over 75 classic pop culture movies and the newer ones as well. I had 5 hours to watch Life of Pi, Oz the Great and Powerful, Les Mis, The Descendants, Taken 2 (NO), and my choice of the greatest Disney Pixar movies ever created. Long story short I fell asleep not even an hour into Oz and missed out on those great opportunities, but there is always the longer flight back! 

I was surprised by the entertainment available in coach because flying Luftansa to Germany I had a choice of five channels that had new-ish movies on repeat. And when I was flying first class to Italy I had the same entertainment experience as this time, which blew me away for some reason. What also blew me away was how delicious and common my inflight meal was. I have it labeled on my ticket that I requested a vegetarian/vegan meal and I got my food before everyone else, opening the hot meal to be surprised by perfectly cooked penne pasta covered in a sweet red sauce. This was accompanied by a small salad with Italian dressing, mixed fruits (YES), and a hot roll with vegetable oil butter and SALT. Normally a vegetarian meal is some random spicy rice and unidentifiable vegetable. I was so happy I took a picture of it for you all. 

Around 5 am Peru time (6 am FL) I disembarked in Lima, went through customs, had to claim my two fifty pound bags, and go outside to come back in and get my boarding pass and check my bags for my final connection to Cusco. At this point I really regretted not packing lighter. I made my way to security, threw away another full Fiji water bottle, took out my computer, and the security guys laughed at me because I didn't have to throw away my full water. That's how you know you are American. After the slight shame I made my way to the gate, flew for less than two hours, and made it to Cusco at 9 am. Sorry if you feel like I'm writing a novel here, I just want to be as detailed for you as my mind is when I'm going through these things. 

I was picked up by a fellow internship volunteer at the airport, took a taxi up the tiny streets of Cusco to our neighborhood of San Blas (just imagine that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when everything starts tunneling smaller), dropped my bags off in my private room with a private bathroom that I will have for one night only, and then went into the main house where all of the classes and healings take place. If you don't know I'm staying at the Healing House which is a holistic healing center run by an American that has made close relationships with the people of Cusco. After acquainting myself a bit with the grounds I headed to Mercado San Pedro to get some fresh food, having to pass through the central attraction of la Plaza de Armas. I can compare the architecture and the roads to those of Venice and Florence. At the market I got some fresh kiwi, a mango, organic raisins, cashews, pears, and toilet paper because they don't provide it at the house. 

After bartering in Spanish with the help of the other students from FSU that is volunteering we headed back to the house. I have been drinking out of a giant water bottle because the tap water here isn't safe for me, but they have giant filters at the house that I can use later on. I washed one of my pears, went back to my room, ate the pear and some cashews, finally got some sleep, and woke up around 5:30 and it was already dark. I will no longer be able to count on an 8:11 pm sunset from the beach. But what is gorgeous about Cusco is that I can see all of the houses on the hill lit up from my room, reminding me of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. 

After I woke up I spent some time online, checking Facebook, Instagram, iMessaging my mother, etc. Then I went to the main house, sat in the kitchen and watched Anne (a German <3 30="" 40="" 5="" 60="" 70="" a="" about="" also="" altitude="" and="" are="" armas="" asked="" asparagus.="" at="" be="" because="" bundled="" but="" came="" chives="" city="" closer="" cook="" couldn="" cusco="" day="" de="" different="" dinner="" doesn="" down="" during="" eventually="" favorite="" find="" first="" flirtation="" font="" for="" from="" ft.="" garlic="" gave="" get="" gets="" give="" going="" had="" he="" her="" hot="" house.="" house="" i="" in="" into="" is="" it="" jacket="" just="" keep="" kitchen="" lack="" low="" man="" mashed="" mates="" me="" mind="" minute="" more="" multicolored="" my="" next="" night="" no="" normally="" northface="" of="" or="" our="" people="" plaza="" pompous="" potatoes="" real="" rest="" s="" said="" scarf="" seconds="" should="" showed="" so="" some="" sperry="" sun="" t="" talking="" tally="" tea="" than="" that="" the="" they="" time.="" to="" tonight.="" up="" upper="" us="" ve="" walk="" was="" we="" where="" which="" wool="" would="">

Then I came home having to walk quite a way up some steep stairs to get to the house, and I started to feel dizzy and my heart was working hard. So I went to my room around 9, bundled up into bed, and it hit me that I miss home A LOT. I messaged my mom saying I wish I could sleep at home and just spend the days here. The homesickness combined with slight altitude sickness really made me upset and I vented on Facebook. All of the people that reached out to me made me cry tears of happiness but it was so cold that I didn't want to get up and walk 5 feet to get toilet paper to wipe my face. I started writing this post wearing two North Face jackets, a scarf, fuzzy socks, and covered by 4 heavy blankets. After getting some love on Facebook, having a good cry, and watching The Shaytards on YouTube I fell asleep ignoring the nausea. 

I woke up this morning around 9:30 am, got used to the light and cold, looked at my notifications from Facebook, Instagram, CNN, and SnapChat then talked to my mom for a bit before heading to the main house for some fresh kiwi for breakfast! At this point my mood had improved a lot and I am getting more comfortable with my surroundings as well as with the people. I don't think tonight will be as bad at all because we are going out as a last hoorah for Anne, the German, because it is her last night with us in Cusco. Oh and the nightlife in Cusco is said to be great, I will update you all more as I experience it myself! Today we are also supposed to be hosting the Club Deportivo Cienciano of Cusco, which is Cusco's f utbol team, for a yoga session. I do love international athletes...

Here is to a new day in Cusco, a new mindset, and good intentions!

The 7 days of fear

7 days of fear.

Each morning I wake up a day closer to being in Ghana, and with each sunrise, I wake up with a new fear of what is to come.

Yesterday,  I woke up with the fear of “getting there” (I had a nightmare I missed my plane by exactly 21 minutes.) Anyone who knows me, knows that navigating through the airport has been my greatest fear for weeks being that I have never traveled by plane alone.

The night before this was a different fear. The fear of trading in my comfortable lifestyle for a room with only a mattress, contaminated water and the risk of catching malaria had taken a toll on me for a full 24hrs, only to be replaced by my darkest fear of all time, the fear of being inadequate.

This morning, I wake up with my biggest fear since I’ve began this journey , a feeling of insecurity. As I continue to prepare for my internship in Ghana this summer, I began to feel insecure when thinking about the level of responsibility that I will be taking on in order to provide the necessities needed to help improve my agency and the many other agencies that I will be working with over the course of the next two months. This feeling of insecurity for me is a big deal because service is something that I absolutely love and it frightens me to wonder if i will be able to perform at the highest level of degree according to my agencies wishes. This fear is of course the same with any love that one has for something, may it be a sport or a talent, we always want to perform at our ultimate best. Although it does help that I am confident in my ability to serve, I am sure that serving in a new environment with less resources and a greater demand for assistance will make my project a little or rather a lot trickier than what I am use to when serving back in the states. As I continue to think about how serving at the Social Welfare department in Cape Coast will be different from my experience serving at the Renaissance Community Center, I also become excited knowing that I will most likely find ways in which I will be able to incorporate some of the skills I have developed while working at the RCC into my new field placement. This in return, settles some of the insecurity that I have about serving my agency.

While thinking about these things, I realize that there is not much reason for me to feel insecure although it is normal,  only because this experience is something that I now see I have been training for, for years and it is at this moment that I am reminded that those things that I have done in my lifetime which I could not form an explanation for prior, such as  taking on roles, diving into experiences and registering for classes totally unrelated to my major, were put into place to prepare me for unforeseen future endeavors. Looking back, it is easy to see that the things that I have been involved in, were of no coincidence, but in fact trial runs to prepare me for what will await me in Ghana, and other adventures to come.

Today, I look out my window at a beautiful view of Germany while typing, and I realize that the feeling of insecurity that I felt earlier this morning was not due to fear, but more because i am anxious. As anyone can imagine, I am anxious to get started, I am ready to see what awaits me, and I am ready to enter into the next phase of the Heroic Journey. As I get ready to report to my “line of duty”, neatly suited up in my armor ready to conquer the world of the unknown, I look around at all of those who have come to fight with me. Standing in formation behind me are my line my resources which will serve as my greatest form of weaponry this summer. I am so grateful to know that I will have some of them who be on the battlefield fighting with me, ( a wonderful support team of Proworld staff in Ghana), and others who are on standby( an amazing team of family, friends and FSU staff back in the U.S who have been an incredible assistance to me since day one.) Thank you all! This only leaves me to question, with a great team like the one  that I have and much prayer, what shall I fear?

In conclusion, I promise to exhaust every single one of my resources should I need them, so everyone please be ready! With that being said, Lets get this show on the road already, it is time to serve!

One more thing, here is the link to the Social Welfare Department in Cape Coast, www.dswcapecoast.com here you will fing what the organization is in charge of which will give you a better understanding of what I will be doing this summer in Ghana, so please take a look. Also, while I will have the pleasure of being apart of  the many tasks that the department oversees during my stay, two categories that I will work most in are Community Care, and Child Protection and Promotion....Exciting isn’t it?! Can’t wait!

Be back soon,

LaShae!

The Preparation

            I still remember during my freshman orientation at FSU that I heard about study abroad programs and internships in other countries and I was amazed by how great it sounded. I thought that it would be impossible for me to do because of the expense. When I went to the Omprakash informational meeting I saw it as an opportunity to go somewhere and learn something new; something that I could not learn here. It started to become a reality when I found a partner that was a great match to what I wanted to do.  In Hospital Escuela in Leon, Nicaragua I was offered an opportunity to help out with patients. Speaking Spanish was a great advantage because I spoke to them on the phone to finalize the dates and duties I was going to have. At my job I have gotten a glimpse into some Spanish medical terminology, by helping the FSU COM professor of Medical Spanish with tasks for the class.  

            I knew that it was going to be an economic constraint on my mother to go and not be working during the months that I was going to be interning in Nicaragua. Luckily, I received the Omprakash Volunteer Grant and I had some requirements I had to fulfill and keep up to date with. The semester was very busy and finally after finals week I continued to apply for scholarships and grants. I received the Jessica Jennifer Cohen Foundation Grant about five days before my departure date.  I am so grateful that they were so quick with their response and willing to help. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

            I was home for a week before my departure and it was just enough time for me to get my immunizations and medications that I needed for Nicaragua. My doctor, the pharmacists and other community members were very supportive and helpful. My contacts for Hospital Escuela have helped me so much with the preparations. I am excited and curious to see how things will turn out tomorrow. I guess all I can do now is hope for the best.