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Posts Tagged ‘poverty’

March 1st, 2012 - 4:26 am § in Colombia, Culture, Day in the Life

Inequality and Inspiration Between the Clouds

About two weeks ago, I took a field trip with a few other volunteers working in my school system. There are endless sites across the country that are deserving of a day’s attention (or more), but our field trip wasn’t for a photo safari. The administrators in charge of our (private) schools wer[...]

January 24th, 2012 - 8:13 am § in Good Ideas, Guatemala, Nonprofit Spotlight

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 [...]

July 11th, 2011 - 10:00 am § in Day in the Life, Mexico

Cheesecake Philosophy

I am poor by my own country’s standards; I am rich by the standards of the country I currently call home. This constant economic identity crisis can often lead to guilt. I recently went to teach two girls in my youth group how to make cheesecake. The setting was one that made me thankful it [[...]

November 24th, 2010 - 11:17 am § in Day in the Life, Guatemala, In the Field, Nonprofit Spotlight

Give a Student Hot Lunch, and She’ll Eat for a Day…

…but give nutrition and cooking classes to 96 mothers six times a year, and every student will eat a healthy lunch and attend school with a full tummy and an eager mind. At least, that’s the idea driving Mil Milagros, a Boston-based non-governmental organization operating in four schools around [...]

September 10th, 2010 - 11:58 am § in Around Town, Culture, Mexico

Worlds Apart

I am poor by common U.S. standards. When friends and family give to me instead of me having to go to a second-hand shop, I find myself overjoyed. When they buy lunch or coffee for me and my husband, I am humbled. But that humility can turn sour. Sometimes, I feel like a moocher, a [...][...]

August 31st, 2010 - 7:23 am § in Around Town, Careers, Day in the Life, Guatemala, In the Field

Partners in Poverty

Conversely, Guatemalans will ask how much your left shoe cost you without a second of hesitation. Living in such a money-obsessed, impoverished community has been difficult and bitter, and at the increased exposure to the question "How much?", I find myself fretting for my personal financial future.[...]

August 6th, 2010 - 9:53 am § in Around Town, Culture, Mexico

Pennyless

Pets are not people, not more worthy of life than humans. I distinctly remember experiencing reverse culture shock to an extreme when I came home for a quick vacation during my teaching stint in Honduras. Fresh off the plane, I went to one of my brother’s lacrosse games. I overheard person aft[...]

July 28th, 2010 - 5:00 pm § in Costa Rica, Looking for Opportunity, Tips & Resources, Volunteer

If I Won the Lottery Tomorrow: Why Everyone Should Volunteer

I think it should be mandatory for every university degree to include a volunteer component, whether locally or internationally. Why? I have recently returned to my home in Canada after eight months of working at a Costa Rican microfinance organization. Most of my friends have university degrees and[...]

July 16th, 2010 - 10:46 am § in Around Town, Chile, Tips & Resources, Volunteer

“Let yourself be defined by your actions”

Cajón del Maipo, Chile: no internet access, no phone service, no distractions of city life.  Every class of VE Global volunteers gets to go on a weekend jornada, or day trip, to this quaint little ranch in the mountainside outside the city that is rented out by an adorable and generous  hippie co[...]

June 21st, 2010 - 9:50 am § in Op Ed, Peru, Volunteer

Everybody Say Lúcuma: A Follow-Up to “Buying a New Jacket While Surrounded by Poverty”

In response to my post “Buying a New Jacket While Surrounded by Poverty,” I received a number of insightful comments, both privately and through La Vida, on the question of how much personal spending is reasonable to help the underprivileged, and whether this should increase when working closely[...]





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