Karsen's CGA Blog

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...

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...

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...

Sou s’dei, School in Cambodia is not enforced what so ever. Kids, babies, whoever, roam the streets all day and parents and other adults do not care one bit. Schooling might be the easiest way to a future in America but here in Cambodia school and education only takes a few kids to successful lives. So many parents do not see the need to send their kids to school, because it is not benefiting them to try for that slight chance. I have not understood this yet, and it really surprises me. Leading into my next topic, people in Cambodia need an incentive that will directly and absolutely affect them positively. That is why I also believe people here do not pick up trash. At the orphanage kids throw their trash everywhere except the trash can. When Meng, our lovely Cambodian chaperone, offered the kids a little money for one big bag of trash each, the kids grabbed a bag and dashed off. Lee Lee a cute little girl who hates picking up her trash, was the quickest one and all the kids ha...

In America...” love” is a strong word. It is rarely expressed and only used after a long time of knowing someone. In Cambodia, love has no barriers. Love was instantly shown to me through hugs and happiness. The first day I went to the school and orphanage, kids were hugging my legs, jumping up to me and on me. My dad used to always say he was not a human jungle gym… I always thought it was so funny until I came to Cambodia and became the human jungle gym. When the kids look up to you, you can see the love and hope in their eyes shining on you which makes me feel extra warm inside under the toasty Cambodian sun. For me showing love and trust first sight to a foreign stranger seems unreal. However…what kid does not want attention? All the hugs, and spins we give these kids might be more love and attention than they get all year. These kids are uncared for and neglected as they are surrounded by many people who gamble and use drugs. It makes me hurt to see the conditions these kids are...

Hello all, Poverty is one of the biggest issues our country and especially our world faces constantly. In 2013 there were 3 billion people living in poverty and 1.5 billion people living in extreme poverty around the world. A person living in poverty today makes less than 1.40 international dollars every day. In the U.S there is a 14.8% poverty rate which is low, however that is equal to 45,950 people. If you have ever been to a major city you see people living in poverty throughout the city, everywhere. Now think about all the cities in the U.S with all the people living in poverty only adding up to 14.9%. Nicaragua a country we travel too, has a 46% poverty rate 2nd highest in Latin America only to Haiti. Imagine all the people you would see in poverty there, not just everywhere in the cities, everywhere in the country. In Cambodia many children are working in garment factories for very low wages and harsh conditions and long hours to bring home money for their parents. Parents in...

Hello, I am back again! I am at my halfway point in raising my money and about 6 months away from my trip. Thank you to everyone who has assisted me to reach my fundraising goal. I hope everyone had a great holidays and a great start to 2018. In this blog I will be giving an overview of Cambodian history and a few fun facts, as well as one goal I would like to accomplish throughout my trip.  My number one goal that I hope to accomplish over my trip is to leave an impact on Cambodia and the people I meet there and have fun while I am doing it. What I mean is that I want to have fun while I am working hard and I want the people to remember what I did to help them for the rest of their lives. In Morocco the growth I saw from the kids learning English was amazing, what I want to see this year is that my teaching is working and that I am giving the kids desire to learn more. Overall, there are many goals I hope to accomplish over this trip. Such as making many friends with the ...