Global Visionaries is proud to announce the creation of the ECO BUS; a traveling Eco Classroom that will move throughout La Antiqua in Guatemala teaching the local populace about the importance of sustainable environmental practices.
The bus was given to Global Visionaries in 2011 by a tour guide company named ViaVenture. The brightly colored school bus was driven from the United States all the way to Guatemala during its time with ViaVenture, however it was a surplus vehicle in their inventory. The generous donation was made for the purposes of transforming the school bus into an educational and environmentally conscious unit. The Eco Bus will run on bio diesel which will be donated as well.
The Eco Bus needs a renovation in order for it to be used as a classroom. Global visionaries had been looking for someone to take on the project and finally found the right fit in Melissa Padavich.
Melissa will be moving to Guatemala as Project Manager for the Eco Bus project in January 2012. She will manage the retrofitting of the bus and design the interior to fit project needs. Melissa will be doing a home stay for three months while creating a portable curriculum that will be used to teach the villagers about the importance of sustainability. Stay tuned for updates!
Although Somalia is often overshadowed by other news headlines the inhabitants still suffer from grave intersecting forces of political instability, drought, famine, and outbreaks of cholera. An estimated 10 million people are affected by the drought with 3.2 million needing emergency medical and food assistance, and tens of thousands of children’s lives being claimed by starvation.
It does not give justice to distill Somalia’s acute humanitarian crises into brief bullet-points; however the deluge of information and history surrounding such circumstances can be overwhelming. This brief overview will hopefully explain the significant factors contributing to what many consider as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in history.
Political Instability
Efforts to transform Somalia into a Western style democracy have been unsuccessful since the collapse of Mohamed Siad’s Barre’s military dictatorship in 1991. Protracted periods of civil unrest rendered the existence of nationhood difficult to achieve.
The Transitional Federal Government (TGF) was created in 2004 as the internationally recognized governing body of Somalia. It is the product of two years of negotiations among representatives from Somalia’s major clans, mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. This political institution is not democratic. The mandate for the transitional government was supposed to end in August 2011 with popular elections, however Somalia’s current president (Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed) refused to step down.
Many consider the TGF to be inept, weak, and corrupt. There is an overall lack of political support for the country’s population and human rights activists have accused the TGF of raping women and children, killing civilians, and engaging in looting and theft. Because of the TGF’s inability to govern it cannot protect its own citizens from extremist militant groups or even provide adequate assistance for Somalis enduring one of the worst famines in decades.
The Al-Shabaab is an extremist militant Islamic faction that is affiliated with Al-Qaeda and has been waging an ongoing insurgency against the TGF. It promotes a very conservative branch of Islam and rejects Western cultural imports. Their anti-Western attitudes have made it especially difficult for foreign aid workers, oftentimes affiliated with Western nations, to carry out humanitarian work.
Al-Shabaab has imposed encompassing restrictions including a ban on the UN World Food Program in 2009, worsening the effects of the famine as it hit the country in 2011. The militant group controls most of the southern region of Somalia, though have recently withdrawn their presence in the capital, Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab is blocking the emigration of starving communities out of the country, forcing them to remain in camps with horrible living conditions and where food supplies are extremely scarce.
Because of the anarchic violence embroiling Somalia, it is common for aid workers to work remotely from Somalia. It is especially difficult for humanitarian workers to accomplish their missions due to a hostile, anti foreign Islamic militia and the lack of a strong centralized government. As the New York Times reports, “large aid organizations tend not to base their own staff members there and instead appoint local groups to monitor aid deliveries, worth hundreds of millions of dollars each year.”
The local groups responsible for the distribution of food and supplies are accused of selling the donations in the market in order to gain profit. As a result assistance does not reach those who are fighting to survive. The lack of a stable political structure greatly discourages safe, efficient and equitable distribution of aid.
Drought
Somalia is among the countries comprising the Horn of Africa, which are experiencing the worst famine in sixty years. Decreased rainfall from two consecutive rainy seasons has negatively impacted water supplies, crops harvests and livestock.
The man-made dimensions of Somalia’s calamities have crippled the country’s ability to care for its suffering population. Adjacent countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya cannot meet the overwhelming demands of incoming refugees arriving en masse.
The aforementioned factors are inextricably connected. Flooding the region with aid will not necessarily allay starvation. There needs to be a multi-pronged approach when addressing the country’s political and economic stability in addition to providing adequate humanitarian aid is necessary in order to save the lives that are in mortal peril.
GV intern Ashley Michie shown with an orphan at Sauzal.
Every year the student organization SALSA (Spanish and Latino Student Awareness) at SPU visits El Sauzal orphanage in San Antonio De Las Minas, Baja California, Mexico. This year I had the opportunity to go on the trip after being involved with SALSA for two years. I was excited to have the chance to get to know the orphans, learn about the lives of the children of the orphanage and practice speaking Spanish.
We arrived in a small town just outside of Ensenada after spending a day and a half of driving in a 12 passenger van. Even though we were tired from the long journey we were eager to meet the children. The students that were returning to the orphanage were excited to reconnect with the children and hoped that they would be remembered.
During our first couple of days at the orphanage the children attended school until lunchtime. While the children were at school we worked on various projects such as cleaning, painting and weeding. By the time lunchtime came around we were definitely ready to eat and spend time with the children. Each day we bought their favorite foods — pizza, Chinese, and lasagna.
Our last full day at the orphanage was both joyful and sad. We were sad to be leaving after such a short time. That last day the children did not have school so we were able to spend more time with them. Each year SALSA plans a party for the children on the last day. This year we decided to give the nanny a break for an hour and take the “bebes” (the children in the nursery) to the playground and play with bubbles. Later, with the older kids, we did a relay race—consisting of hopping through tires, eating donuts hanging from string, and a sack race.
El Sauzal is operated by the Espinoza family. Since 1967 three generations of Espinozas have been providing a loving home for children in need. There are currently 40 orphans living at El Sauzal ranging in age from 15 months to 22 years old. During our first day the orphanage’s director (Erika Espinoza) took us on a tour that introduced us to the children and showed us the rooms in which they slept.
Erika Espinoza told us that the orphanage staff knows each of the children personally and that they know the last name of each of the children. I was most impressed with the fact that there were older orphans. She explained to us that El Sauzal is like a traditional Mexican family and they support children even after they turn 18. This loving support is an example of two of the three aspects of their mission listed on their Facebook page — family and the chance for a successful future.
According to El Sauzal’s website, most of the children who come to the orphanage were abandoned or abused. The orphans that we encountered at El Sauzal may not have everything that we have but they are surrounded by people who love them and take care of their basic needs. Many of the orphans at El Sauzal have siblings at the orphanage but those who don’t still have a surrogate family in the other children and staff at the orphanage.
El Sauzal is committed to the futures of its orphans and it ensures that the children receive a complete education. The elementary children are sent to school and they pay for the older children to go to high school. The two oldest orphans are currently in college.
Both Global Visionaries and El Sauzal change the lives of young people; Global Visionaries through its leadership programs and El Sauzal through providing a loving home and supportive education. Working at Global Visionaries will give me the opportunity to be a part of an organization that impacts the lives of young people locally and globally.
Global Visionaries (GV) is proud to be hosting an all-ages Experience Guatemala trip from November 19 through 27, 2011. We are currently almost full, however there are still a few more spots available for adventurers to sign up!
This trip is a great way for you to experience Guatemala with your family as it combines sightseeing with cultural immersion while being less labor intensive than our other programs.
The trip is led by tour guides and longtime friends of GV trained by Rick Steves. Participants will explore areas from Guatemala City to Antigua, the jungles of Tikal and the majestic Lake Atitlan. In the nine day “Experience Guatemala” trip you will be given the opportunity to enjoy culture, explore the country’s highlights, and travel with Global Visionaries; long respected for its student leadership work in Guatemala.
Global Visionaries’ in-depth understanding of Guatemala combined with the invaluable assistance of Rick Steves allows us to create a tour that blends the best of both worlds; an exciting sightseeing adventure with both meaningful learning and cultural exposure. Guatemala offers an unforgettable travel experience from the Indian villages, jungles, dazzling Mayan ruins and volcanoes that pepper the landscape.
The current cost of the trip is $2290 per adult and $1290 per child. $1000 of the adult trip fee is a donation to Global Visionaries and therefore will be tax deductible. The trip fee includes room, board, transportation, and meals. Plane tickets to and from Guatemala City and money for extra meals and expenses are not included in this fee. A deposit of $400 per person is needed to hold your spot. Availability is based on first come first served.
Come explore with us as we visit this exceptional country tucked between the Caribbean and the Pacific. Immerse yourself in local culture by visiting a woman’s weaving cooperative, touring GV’s rural school projects and picking coffee beans with Guatemalan farmers. If you cannot make this trip the next trip is being planned for early spring 2012. For more information, call Jan Slack at 206.322.9448 or visit our web page.
September 30 marks a seven year partnership between GV and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. To celebrate this anniversary a limited amount of tickets will be available for purchase through GV; featuring five plays hosted by the Seattle Repertory Theatre. All proceeds will be directed to the GV scholarship fund.
The first show, Humor Abuse, recounts the childhood of Lorenzo Pisoni, a man who grew up dreaming of running away from the circus. Tickets are available for showings on the first and second of October at 7:30pm. A massive discount is offered, costs going as low as $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Subsequent shows that are available through GV are:
Sylvia November 12th – November 15th 2011
How to Write a New Book for the BibleJanuary 14th –January 17th 2012
RedFebruary 25th – February 28th 2012
Clybourne Park April 21th– April 24th 2012
For inquiries and to purchase tickets please e-mail the GV office manager at OfficeManager@global-visionaries.org. For more information on this play and other upcoming plays please click here.
More details about the shows and tickets forthcoming.
Enabling young people to become global leaders, creating a just and sustainable future.
Global Visionaries is proud to announce the creation of the ECO BUS; a traveling Eco Classroom that will move throughout La Antiqua in Guatemala teaching the local populace about the importance of sustainable environmental practices.
Global Visionaries 