When making my decision to live and teach abroad three years ago, a major concern for me was language. How will I communicate? How will I get what I need? Will the locals understand me? How will I make friends? Learning the spoken language is obviously one of the most essential steps in getting to [...]
Archive for the ‘Good Ideas’ Category
Think Fast: Are “Hunger” and “Poverty” Experiments Legitimate?
Approximately 1 billion people currently experience hunger. According to World Vision International, about 1 in 4 of the world’s children suffer from malnourishment, and about 5 million children will die this year from hunger-related causes. Hunger is a formidable issue that fuels civil unrest, a [...]
Movember in Quito
Living abroad for me is a constant balance between trying to learn the language and fit into the Latin culture, while simultaneously keeping some American customs and cultural practices. I enjoy trying to blend in to the fabric of Quito. Obviously, I physically stand out as a foreigner, but I a[...]
November 11th, 2011 - 5:00 am § in Good Ideas, Looking for Opportunity, Nonprofit Spotlight, Tips & Resources
Connecting the Least Connected (with people who can help!)
Today’s guest post comes from Kamiel Verwer on his start-up site KindMankind. KindMankind seeks to create a world in which tiny, struggling grass roots initiatives in poor areas get an equal chance to connect and can attract skilled, pro-active “changemakers” that support them on their[...]
Earthquake! (and Disaster Mitigation through Microfinance)
Last Friday morning my post on the official Kiva Fellows Blog mentioned the devastation of the 2007 Peruvian Earthquake in Ica, Peru and the surrounding areas. At 2 PM local time later that day, another earthquake shook the city. Kiva Fellow David Connelly, my predecessor here at Kiva Partner Caja[...]
Mindo’s Green Revolution
“Han escuchado la historia de tourism en Mindo?” Have you heard the history of tourism in Mindo? “No.” Ok, well….. It’s a story of deforestation and reforestation; of destruction and rejuvenation; of changing perceptions of land use; and of ecology. Last week when I visited Mindo (a smal[...]
Innovative approaches to Youth Development
Music/sport/theatre for development? I have to admit that previously I had thought these ideas perhaps a bit arty-farty. After all, I thought, surely there are more basic needs to meet? But this week I have been pleasantly surprised by these ideas and have come round to a new approach to youth dev[...]
Modern Muse
Recently I have been torn between writing about my current city, Guayaquil, or returning to my favorite Inca town in Peru, Ollantaytambo. This week I decided to return in my writing to the Sacred Valley in Peru, in order introduce my source of renewed inspiration in my teaching craft. This inspirati[...]
