Voluntourism
So many people travel just to enjoy the decadence tourism has to offer; few people actually take the time to learn about or give back to the places they visit. This is often the most rewarding part of the trips I take. I meet locals, make friends, and fulfill my spirituality by helping others.
Voluntourism
National Service, Part 3: Austria, Rwanda, and the American Potential
Part 3: National Service – American Potential If you read Part 1 and Part 2 of my series on national service, you know I believe it can heal the open wounds of divisiveness that are tearing our country apart. Just as military service is a great equalizer, bringing together individuals from disparate backgrounds on a common…
Read MoreIntroducing National Service as a Way to Give Back & Unify
National Service – Giving Back and Unifying Now more than ever, cultivating a sense of unity, pride and empowerment is of vital importance. Citizens are calling for national service programs, and in CA-03, we know they stand to benefit us too. They can provide skills-training, new experiences mid career, and a way to give back…
Read MoreGhana: Accra and Teaching at Meltwater
Exploring around Accra and Teaching Accra has a great scene of music, bars, and food Most Meaningful Experience: The entrepreneurs I worked with were driven by creating jobs, solving local problems, and making a better Africa. That left a lasting imprint on me. The first thing that struck me when crossing into Ghana at its…
Read MoreKakuma Ventures: Building Companies in a Refugee Camp
Starting Kakuma Ventures to Empower Refugees Kakuma is a small city of 200k people where displaced people want to create opportunities through entrepreneurship by building companies Most Meaningful Experience: Discovering some of the challenges people had in the refugee camp and being able to lend a hand to people who really want to learn. To…
Read MoreMy First Humanitarian Footsteps with Innovation Africa in Uganda
My First Humanitarian Footsteps with Innovation Africa. Building water wells and solar energy in the desert to help others Most Meaningful Experience: Adapting to the environment and learning about the region I was wracked with uncertainty going into my first humanitarian project in Uganda’s Karamoja region. I’d just read about the horrors of Idi Amin’s…
Read MoreSeeing the Face of Hard Work and determination of the Batwa People in Rural Uganda
Volunteering in the Rift Valley of Uganda See Lake Bunyonyi and Mount Muhabara Most Meaningful Experience: Working with Reaplifedig.org and learning about the Batwa Community Top tips: – Volunteer with ReapLifeDig.org in southwestern Uganda – Explore the spectacular landscapes of Lake Bunyonyi – Trek to the volcanic peak of Mount Muhabura Meeting Lauren in Rwanda…
Read MoreUgandan Encounters: Exploring outside of Kampala
Exploring Outside of Kampala, Uganda Make sure to go to Jinja to raft the Nile Most meaningful experience: – Read “A State of Blood” by Henry Kyemba to understand the misery and massacres of Uganda under Idi Amin. – Go white-water rafting at the source of the Nile in Jinja – Eat “rolex” – a…
Read MoreVolunteering in Kenya
Kenya Offers Many Volunteering Opportunities. The West Side of the Country is beautiful, relaxed, and his more laid back. Most Meaningful Experience: Visiting all of these non-profits was meaningful. Kenya West Side/Volunteer Having finished my Nairobi adventure, it was now time to meet Toto and move on to my second agenda – volunteering. During my…
Read MoreNairobi: The epicenter for East African Growth and Investment.
Nairobi is the Epicenter for East African Growth and Investment Nairobi is an exciting city with a juxtaposition of growth and abject poverty but it is getting better quickly. Most Meaningful Experience: Making friends, working at iHub, and visiting Kibera On arrival in Nairobi, I let out a sigh, as the airport was much more…
Read MoreVolunTourism: In Africa
Voluntourism in Africa It was the great anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela that said: “There can be no greater gift than that of giving one’s time & energy to help others without expecting anything in return.” When I was planning my trip to Africa, I kept thinking “what can I do?” I couldn’t just spend months…
Read MoreNigeria: Hustling from Yaba to Makoko
Nigeria: A Country of Hustle, Rich Culture, and Genuine People Exploring all of Lagos from Makoko to Victoria Islands Most Meaningful Experience: Going through the slums of Makoko with Funmi who is trying to enrich the poorest lives in the world. Travel Tips • Lagos is infused with energy. Wake before sunrise…
Read MoreVolunteering in a Township Outside Johannesburg, South Africa
This is what I learned volunteering in a township outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. As part of Team4Tech, we taught technology and entrepreneurship in the township of Ga-Rankuwa in Pretoria. Most Meaningful Experience: How to inspire those in poverty who think money will solve all of life’s problems. This is a good example of voluntourism…
Read MoreAlcatraz Swim for Sight 2016
Today we participated in the 5th annual Alcatraz Swim for Sight, started by Ron and Lorie Hirson. Lorie suffers from a very rare eye disease that is causing her to go blind. This event is led by them and sponsored for thatmanmaysee.org. The day starts at 530AM where we register for the swim, get ready,…
Read MoreWant to Volunteer in Nepal? Here is a List of Non-Profits
Want to Volunteer in Nepal? Here is a list of non-profits from the embassy. 1. BASE 2. BSP Nepal Biogas Support Programme 3. CEHURDES Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies 4. CMF Centre for Micro-Finance in Nepal 5. Communicaction Corner 6. CVICT 7. CWIN 8. COPPADES 9. Didibahini 10. Ecohimal 11. Educate the Children…
Read MoreThat’s Fresh
I recently went to a web2.0 conference where I was searching out deals to do mobile bling. There, I stopped by the Adobe Photoexpress exhibit where I spoke to a product manager. While giving my pitch to her, I exuberantly told her we could bling photos and send to the phone as they did on…
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