Stories

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Shirley White - Lesotho

*First Name:* Shirley White	*Age:* 51
*Status:* Married	*Town:* Calgary
*Occupation:* Nurse	*Date of Event:* April 2005
*Length of stay?* 3 weeks
*Experience:* Visit with grofoundation scholarship students
*Were your travel arrangements made for you?* No
*Accommodations supplied?* Yes
*How much money did you need?* Air fare, food, car rental… allot
*Monies needed:* Financed
*Did you need specific skills?* No
*Was there a minimum age requirement?* No
*Did you go alone or travel with others?* Travel with spouse
*Immunizations required?* Yes
*What or who motivated you to do this?* Our son had started the foundation in honour of his grandparents. It was the first year and we were bringing encouragement to the first year scholarship students. Taking supplies to the hospital where my son worked. It is a mentorship program and peer support, so we were meeting the educators as well.
*Website:* www.grofoundation.org
*Your most special moment:* I had made bracelets for all the students with the word "believe" on a charm. The special moment came when one of the students told me she had never had anything of her own. Also one of the students had just lost his mother to Aids and was now an orphan at 18. He said to belong to the family scholarship program was helping him cope with his loss.
*Do you have an idol or someone you admire?* The students themselves who struggle to earn enough to finish school, are faced with the death of their parents from aids and the care of younger siblings. Also the interpreter at the hospital. Each morning she leads prayer and song for encouragement of the patients. She herself has lost 2 husbands and 3 children to aids but continues to encourage others with hope.
*Has this experience changed you?* Most definitely. To see the ability of just one person to come together with other like minded individuals to listen to the needs of the people and create a way of hope for them to succeed in their lives is amazing. You create a whole new attitude of hope and therefore a new way of thinking for the students. Anything is possible.
*Advice to others:* Go and see. Connect with the people and learn from them. Volunteer. Check out the website to see what you can do. It is amazing how so little can mean so much.
*Would you do this again?* Yes
*Future plans:* Planning another trip to Africa 2010.
*Favourite quote:* Together we can change the world. Be the change in the world that you want to see. Live simply so others may simply live.
*Description of your experience:* We travelled in April, which is fall in Lesotho. It is up in the mountains- so hot days, cool nights. Our first sights of Lesotho were of the rolling hilly mountains. At the border we saw the huge number of men leaving Lesotho to walk to South Africa for their weeks work. It was Sunday noon and they would be walking all night to get to work by Monday morning. The reality was setting in as to the struggle to survive. Next day we watched the young children (as young as 4 or 5) with buckets go to the communal hose for water in the pouring rain. Some would do this twice a day as the older children collected firewood for cooking. When we met the students they were proud to be dressed in their school uniforms and very formal as they met us. But as we began to talk they were eager to ask questions about our teen culture and what we did here in Canada. We talked about their future plans and dreams. They sang for us and we took formal pictures and then some silly ones. I noticed that although they were 18, 19 years old, they were not as mature as the North America teens but yet had already experienced hardship and struggle. Some of them had walked a great distance to come to the meeting, in the rain. But that is the way of life there. We now have faces to put to each scholarship that is awarded and we see that the hope of having an education and a career means a future for housing and food. So if they have hope in a positive future they will work hard to remain healthy and study hard to ensure they continue in their education. It puts life in perspective and encourages us to do more and live simpler.

Stephanie Gruber - Tanzania

*Name:* Stephanie Gruber	*Age:* 22
*Status:* Single	*Town:*
*Occupation:* student/server	*Date of Event:*
*Length of stay?* 3 months
*Experience:* Youth HIV/AIDS education programs
*Were your travel arrangements made for you?*
*Accommodations supplied?*
*How much money did you need?* $3800 + flight
*Financed?*
*Fundraised?*
*Was there a minimum age requirement?*
*Did you go alone or travel with others?* Travelled with 6 others from across Canada, chosen by the organization.
*Immunizations required?*
*Website:* www.yci.org
*Would you do this again?*
*Future plans:*
*Favourite quote:*
*Description of your experience:* From September to December 2007, I lived in the home of a local family on Zanzibar Island, off the coast of Tanzania. I was selected as one of seven volunteers from across North America to join Youth Challenge International. Together, we created and implemented several programs at two different youth centers on the island. Our mission was to promote a greater understanding of HIV/AIDS prevention and women empowerment within the 16-30 year old age group. By creating a safe space for open discussion and education, we encouraged leadership among women and tackled the stigma and myths surrounding HIV/AIDS. It was here that I was introduced to the YCI slogan, “courage for life”. Throughout our workshops, we urged participants to have the courage to get tested for HIV, the courage to share their status, the courage to stand up against stigma and ultimately the courage to be positive leaders in their communities. We held several events that required everyone to have courage to do little things they would normally fear. The idea behind these events were to suggest that if they had the courage to get up and sing or the courage to play sports, they could also have the courage to get tested for HIV and stand up against stigma and stereotypes. The events were a tremendous success, leading to many people getting tested who otherwise would not have. One area of programming I was particularly passionate about was Girls’ Club. Once a week, we held meetings at the youth center for women only. Being a predominantly Muslim society, the women in this area had fewer rights than men culturally and legally. It took great efforts to have the permission of the elders in the community to even run such a program. Our first day began with only three women in attendance. Over the months, our club gained attention of the community and grew to over 40 members! We held various workshops concerning human rights, sexual health and HIV prevention, childcare and leadership skills. By the time World AIDS Day had arrived, the elders in the community approached our club, asking if we would represent the entire youth center at the federal government’s event. It was truly an honour. Apart from programming, experiencing an unfamiliar culture and living as part of a local family was a privilege. During my three months on Zanzibar Island, I only just began to learn about life as a Tanzanian. However, it was all I needed to fuel my love affair with Africa that I hope to continue for years to come.

Margaret Mackay - Springbank School, Alberta

Kori Chilibeck - Earth Water International

*First Name:* Kori Chilibeck	*Age:*
*Status:*	*Town:*
*Occupation:*	*Date of Event:*
*Description of your experience:* Kori Chilibeck started Earth Water International within months of graduating from university. The idea came as an evolution, as Kori traveled to 32 different countries throughout the duration of his schooling. This extensive travel truly opened his eyes to the state the world was in. The defining moment came as Kori was trekking to base camp on Mount Everest. While at approximately 17,000 feet, his group passed an old man carrying a huge bundle on his back. He was in bare feet, torn pants, and a t-shirt. Through an interpreter, they spoke with this man and learnt that he was paid hardly 50 cents per day to carry his load up the trail, which took nearly two weeks. When they asked the man what he was carrying, he said he wasn’t sure, but that he knew he could never afford whatever it was. Upon asking to look inside the bag, Kori discovered that it was cans and cans of Coca-Cola. Kori realized that either directly or indirectly, some of the world’s largest companies were literally making enormous profits off the backs of the poor, all throughout the world. He thought to himself, why couldn’t a company pay their employees competitive wages and compete on the global stage, and at the end of the day give their profits back to those who need it most. The concept for Earth Water International was born. Kori did some research and learnt that the lack of clean water is the leading cause of death throughout the world, primarily among children under five years of age. In fact, the world water crisis claims the lives of over 6,000 people every day, which is equivalent to a 747 full of passengers crashing nearly every hour of every day. It wasn’t that a cure needed to be found for something unknown; rather, the answer was to provide clean, fresh drinking water to poverty stricken people worldwide. The UN Refugee Agency is one of the world’s largest aid organizations, caring for the needs of 33 million refugees and other displaced people in 116 countries. With this in mind, Kori began approaching the UN body in order to share his idea. After contacting the office in Geneva, he was able to get a meeting with the Canadian office in Ottawa. The concept behind Earth Water International was to sell bottled water, and donate 100% of the net profits to the UN Refugee Agency. These funds would then be used to fund water aid programmes worldwide. Kori cashed in his life savings, sold his bike, borrowed money from his parents, and used the rest of his student loans, in order to make Earth Water International a reality. On October 29th, 2004, Kori sold his first bottle of water. He had one customer in Edmonton on the first day, with local media present for the launch. The next day the phone started to ring, and he had ten customers by the end of the first week. Worldwide, Earth Water International’s sales are growing exponentially by the month, and Earth Water is looking to gain significant market share in the coming years, in order to save millions of lives through water aid. For more information, please visit earthwater.nl, or earthwater.ca.

Tamara Palinka - Port au Prince, Haiti

*First Name:* Tamara Palinka	*Age:*
*Status:* Single	*Town:* Port au Prince, Haiti
*Occupation:* Environment Health Safety	*Date of Event:* Jan. 20, 2010 - present
*Were your travel arrangements made for you?* No
*Accommodations supplied?* Yes
*How much money did you need?* $300.00
*Monies needed:* Fundraised
*Did you need specific skills?* Yes
*Was there a minimum age requirement?* No
*Did you go alone or travel with others?* With a team of 15, now traveling alone
*Immunizations required?* Yes
*What or who motivated you to do this?* I had previously been to Haiti to respond to aid required after two hurricanes hit The Northern part of the country 2.5 years ago. When the earthquake hit I felt my heart break for the people suffering and took measures to head there and help. I arrived Jan 24 and stayed till April 8, since then I have returned 4 times and am presently starting a non profit to support my efforts in the much needed country.
*Website:* Facebook page: Friends of Sonson
*Your most special moment?* There are so many special moments and heartbreaking ones. One moment would have to be when a little boy about 2.5 years old came into my life: he had been found on his own living in a garbage pile when he was then brought to our hospital. This is where my real story begins, with him, Sonson.
*Do you have an idol or someone you admire?* I admire all the people I have met along the way who have put their efforts into helpings others who are in need.
*Has this experience changed you?* Most definitely, this experience has changed me and my life for better. I am determined to continue my trips and efforts in Haiti and future destinations as it has become the most important purpose in my life.
*Advice to others:* Open your heart, and do what you can for people when they need it. Change starts when one person makes the first move.
*Would you do this again?* Yes
*Future plans?* Next trip is planned for this spring, once I have raised enough money to do accomplish the next set of goals.
*Favorite quote?*
*Description of your experience:* It is very difficult to explain the full story in 500 words, in a nut shell: I met a child in Haiti, fell inlove with him and now am helping his single mother of 9 children establish a sustainable business, a roof over the families head, and the children in school. This is an ongoing story, for more information visit the Facebook page: Friends of Sonson.

Nikki Richardi - Kathmandu, Nepal

*First Name:* Nikki Richard	*Age:* 23
*Status:* Single	*Town:* Calgary
*Occupation:* BA Psychology Graduate	*Date of Event:* Leave February 28, 2011
*Length of stay?* 8 weeks
*Were your travel arrangements made for you?* No
*Accommodations supplied?* No
*How much money did you need?* $5000 minimum
*Monies needed:* Fundraised
*Did you need specific skills?* Yes
*Was there a minimum age requirement?* Yes
*Did you go alone or travel with others?* alone
*Immunizations* *required?* Yes
*What or who motivated you to do this?* I did a group-study program in Colima for one-month doing sociological research, living with a Mexican family and trying to learn about their culture and way of life. It sparked a realization in me that if I wanted to spend my life working towards improving women's rights than I needed to get out there and experience it first. I want to hear the stories firsthand of how these women live with discrimination and unequal laws and what they want for their daughters and their granddaughters that they never had. I want to be a part of making a change with them, no matter how big or small that change is.
*Website:* Blog to come...
*Your most special moment:*
*Do you have an idol or someone you admire?*
*Has this experience changed you?* TBD
*Advice to others:*
*Would you do this again?* Yes
*Future plans?* I want to continue with a legal education in human rights law. I would like to either obtain a Masters degree in international human rights law from the U.K. or a law degree from Canada.
*Favorite quote?* The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. -Helen Keller Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. -Louisa May Alcott
*Description of your experience:* Starting this March 2011, I'll be volunteering with the Women's Security Pressure Group (WSPG) in Kathmandu, Nepal for 8 weeks. The WSPG helps to advance women's rights in Nepal through research, education programs, governmental policy revisions and awareness campaigns.