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Some Inspiration from Benard

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Caribou, It is hard for me to wrap my head around the thought that my experience in Tanzania is coming to an end. My time in Arusha, at LOAMO School was short but still opened me up to the culture and lifestyle in Tanzania. Teaching is no easy task, and our team conquered this throughout the trip. Not only are the kids in Tanzania amazing but the kids I have been lucky to travel with and work with are too. Being surrounded by greatness and those who are better than you is the best way to learn and develop. I am truly grateful to have been able to bond and work with my new friends. Friday was my last day at school and with my class. The class I worked with was too young to partake in the departure party on Saturday. So I said my goodbyes with them on Friday. My students were in second grade and while they were young they were very intelligent and determined. It is inspiring how hard these kids work and the kids in higher grades work even harder. At home in Colorado and all of
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Influence of Money

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I can’t say I haven’t thought about home but I definitely don’t miss it. I have been in Tanzania for one week now and sadly only have one week left. One can see unimaginable things in a week’s time. Sorrow, pain, hope, struggle, and happiness are many things I have seen and felt thus far. On my home visit to Sir David’s house, I saw a strong man who was hurting inside for his family. While he smiled bright, his eyes pleaded. The government changed protocol a few years ago ending computer classes in schools. David lost his job at L.O.A.M.O. school (where I have been teaching) and is yet to find a job two years and 200 applications later. He has not even received a single response to his applications. David and his wife Elisia rent a kilometer of land near their house for a garden which gives them enough income to survive. He told us a quote in which he believes… “Money is the answer to everything.” For us that might not be true, but for him it is. He gave us examples which he thought
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Taken for Granted

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The ability to see is powerful and should not be taken for granted. On my first home visit in Tanzania, I listened to the story of a struggling family and all the challenges they overcame to make it to this point. I was welcomed open heartedly to the home of Lillian and her two children, Ebenezer and Enoch. Lillian has lived in Arusha, Tanzania her whole life. At the age two, she became completely blind and has been blind for 37 years now. Her condition is really rare and it still causes pain in her eyes to this day. It is impossible for me to imagine what it would be like to be blind. The thought scares me, and makes me hope that I will never encounter that challenge. Not only is Lillian blind, but her husband left her when the kids where very young, which intensifies the situation even more. To support her family, she washes dishes and cleans clothes. She said it is very difficult because she cannot see and has to rely on touch. She tends to cut her hands badly on the knifes when
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Last One Before Tanzania!!!

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Hello all, I am 2 months away from my trip and I am so excited to finish off the journey I started at the beginning of the year. Thank you to all who have helped me reach my fundraising goal and donated supplies towards Tanzania. From now until my trip I will be finishing up in school and start working on lesson plans that can be put into action once I am in Tanzania. Every year I have done these trips, they sneak up on me and then they are over in a blink of an eye. I cherish the moments on these trips that much more because of how quick they are gone. I know the memories I will be making in Tanzania will stick with me and be shown in my everyday life afterward. Edwards Colorado is the tiny town outside Vail in which I was born and have been raised. I know that if I was not surrounded by this community and the people within it that I would not be who I am today. I believe that this community has really impacted who I am as a person and who I am yet to be. Being surrounded by dive
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Halfway to Tanzania

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It is already February, the year is flying by and I know that Tanzania will be here in a flash. Recently I have fundraised by a super bowl football pool, collecting Christmas trees to take to the dump and house work which has about brought me to my half way point for fundraising. Tanzania is still a developing country but has been a prosperous one for many years. For this blog I have some done some research and learned a lot about Tanzania’s past, present and what the future holds for them. The past and present demonstrate what type of country Tanzania is (united and prosperous) and the future of Tanzania if successful will lead their country out of poverty and into a spot of global power. Tanzania was a major hub for the Arabian Slave Trade and over 75% of the population in Zanzibar (known as Tanzania now) was enslaved. Tanzania was first colonized by Germany in the late 1800s. A major development from the German Colonization was the Maji Maji rebellion which was against German col
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First Pre Tanzania Blog

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Hello, My name is Karsen Williams, I am 16 years old and I am a junior at Battle Mountain High School in Edwards, Colorado. I love to spend time with my family and friends as well as being active within my community in sports and activities. I like to play Soccer, Basketball and Men’s Volleyball. My soccer season just ended with an unfortunate loss in the first round of the playoffs, we were the 5th seed and we lost to the 28th seed. My basketball season is about to start which I am excited about and Volleyball which I play with Vail Mountain School is not until the spring. I also participate in Best Buddies where you befriend kids with special needs within your school and Small Champions, a local organization that gives kids with special needs, the ability to participate in activities such as skiing, rock climbing and swimming. My family consists of my brother Kaden, who is also working with CGA this year, my mom Carrie, and my dad Todd. I enjoy spending time with them on the week
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Goodbye Cambodia

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It is hard to think that after a year of preparing for this trip I am 8 hours away from it being over. I know when I get home I am going to wish I was still here in Cambodia spending my time at the school and orphanage. Cambodia was a prosperous country until it went through some rough times and the Khmer Rouge in the 1970’s. The country is still recovering from the Khmer Rouge takeover but it’s rebounding into a better country then it used to be…slowly. I see a bright future for Cambodia. The kids I worked with at the orphanage especially Sok Heng, Niron and Adia are extremely intelligent. If they use their knowledge correctly they will do great things in the future. In the school most of the kids worked really hard as they understood schooling and a second language could take them to a better life. All the kids I met here were extremely happy except for one very grumpy baby. The kids made the best for what they had and where grateful for it as well. Despite living in terrible con
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