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Thank you, Tom!

By on May 16, 2012 in 2012, Nourish Office, Office Updates

This coming week, a member of our team will be moving on to a new opportunity. The Nourish Staff would like to take a minute and recognize Tom Meehan, our first Nourish Fellow, for his contributions and commitment to Nourish International.

In January of 2011, Nourish International decided to add a new program to our repertoire to enable the National Office to better serve the Chapter Network. This program took shape as the Nourish International Fellowship, a year-long position that focused on service and professional development at the National Office.

When Tom’s application hit our inboxes, we knew we had found our Fellow. His passion for social entrepreneurship, belief in the power of students and past experiences as a student leader made him stand out from the crowd.

Tom joined our team in June 2011 and has been an invaluable team player since then.  Some of his major achievements include mentoring and guiding 11 chapters through a successful year, contributing creative and innovative ideas for chapter ventures, and of course, being an incredible Excel ninja. In all seriousness, Tom rounded out our team and made it possible for Nourish to hit new heights.  This year, Nourish International chapters are implementing eighteen projects abroad, up from fourteen last year. The chapters had a successful year with their ventures and leadership transition. We are planning to build on new ideas introduced by Tom, and take Nourish to even higher heights.

As we look to next year’s programs and next year’s Fellows, I can say with confidence that Tom has left his mark on this organization and on our Fellowship. We wish you the best of luck with your new position at Credit Suisse. Thank you, Tom, for embarking on this past year’s thrilling journey with us!

Allie and the Nourish Team

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Shedding Light On Small Blessings

By on May 16, 2012 in 2012, Guatemala, NC State, Summer Projects, UF

Tisa and Katie previously described our experience with our first two house visits and, through this blog I will share with you guys the last house we visited. Pati is known as a community leader at Casa Del Alfarero. Her job is to observe what’s going on in the community she lives in and to focus on the health of the people that populate that community. She lead us to her humble home where we were introduced to four of her six children (2 of which were sleeping) and her 4 month-old grandson . Pati’s home consists of one room with 3 beds, a dirt floor, a tin roof, and a blanket for a door. Pati, her husband, and her six children, and her grandson have made this room their home. They don’t have actual legal ownership over the land they live in so, if the government decides to use this land for an alternate purpose then they would be left without a home.

I was so grateful because Pati openly invited us into her home without hesitation and shared with her her worries, her hopes, and her past. As soon as I walked in to her home I noticed that the 8 year old boy was left to care for his 15 year old sister’s baby while she went to school. I sat on the bed and saw that he had a radiant smile that instantly filled the entire room. Pati then announced that there was something that she needed to share with everyone. She mentioned that after her first husband (the father of all her children) died of alcoholism she became very abusive with her children. She mentioned that she would beat them and speak to them with deep anger. She spoke with such sadness and said that Casa Del Alfarero had helped her see her children as blessings and it gave her such peace of heart. She told that she encouraged her children to dream big so that they can accomplish the things she could never do. She said that one of her sons would be an electrician because he loved playing with cables. Her 8 year old son was going to be her lawyer because he can retain information easily. Her youngest son would become a soccer player because he is always playing with a ball and her grandson would be a nurse, because that’s what she loved to do.

We gave her some words of encouragement that came from the scriptures and Laura asked one of us to pray for the family out loud. Although I was very hesitant, I offered to say the praying. I prayed for their health, I prayed to God and asked him to give Pati and her children the courage to continue to work hard and believe in their potential to achieve their dreams.

As we left the house I was talking to one of the volunteers from Casa Del Alfarero about Pati and her family. She shared with me that Pati’s daughter, Katy, was in a relationship with a man who was a drug trafficker and who impregnated and abandoned her as soon as their soon was born.  Taking in the reality of these people was really a wake up call for Tisa, Katie, and me. We walked to Casa Del Alfarero with heavy hearts as we swatted the flies away from our faces.

 

Nicol.

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Struggles, Hopes, and Dreams

By on May 16, 2012 in 2012, Guatemala, NC State, Summer Projects, UF

Today we went on house visits within the squatter community close to Casa del Alfarero. It was very humbling, eye opening and emotional for all of us. Tisa explained our first visit in her last post, and here I will highlight our second house visit.

After we left Blenda, Virginia, and Ruth, we walked further into the community in hopes to find Carolina’s house. On the way we saw the community water supply. The houses do not having running water, and the cost to install the infrastructure was too expensive, to the community shares a water source which is reduced to a pipe and a bucket. We also learned that electricity has been installed in many of the houses, and some of the neighbors will share a cable bill. I never saw a bathroom, and in the shock of everything else did not ask what the people use or where they go. This question will be saved for another day.

We passed by dogs and children playing in the alley between the maze of cardboard and tin houses, and finally found Carolina. We ducked under the sheet she used as a door and escaped the smells of hot garbage, sweat, dirt, dog feces, and marijuana, and entered Carolina’s home. It was made of the same scrap metal and cardboard as the other houses, and had the same dirt floor, but was a little larger than the first house we visited. Carolina lives there with her two daughters who are 15 and 16 years old. As soon as I entered her house I saw that she had a bird cage, and in the cage were two parakeets singing their song, and brightening the mood of the home. Instantly I thought of my own parakeet, Santiago, and later shared that with Carolina; she laughed and introduced her birds to me. Carolina also participates in the jewelry workshop at Casa del Alfarero, but explained to us that even though her dream is to leave the dump behind, it is not possible to do right now because she still has to support her daughters. She attends the classes to prepare herself and give herself the opportunity to create a better life and escape the dangers of scavenging. Then, she told us a story. Carolina explained that the dangers of working in the dump go much farther than health risks and violence, recently while she was working the mountain of garbage gave out under many of the workers, this created a landslide like effect, and thankfully carried the workers with it down the side of the ravine where the dump is located. She explained that they were lucky, and many times the garbage will fall and bury the workers, who trapped under hundreds of pounds of garbage will die there, and may never be recovered. Carolina is anxious to leave the dump, but knows that it will take time to build her business big enough to not have to rely on the dump and its resources anymore.

Then Carolina showed us the jewelry that she made, and told another story. Last thursday, mother’s day in Guatemala, Carolina was very worried. She had no money and didn’t know what to do next. She went to Casa del Alfarero for her weekly jewelry class, and there Laura, another Volunteer purchased a set of her jewelry. Carolina explained this act as Gods blessing that gave her the opportunity to run to the store and purchase a phone card. With this phone card she was able to call her mother that she hasn’t been able to talk to in a long time on mothers day to tell her that she loved her. Her children were able to talk quickly with their grandmother, and she even had enough minutes left to call her brother in the U.S. to say hello to him. As Carolina told this story her voice cracked and her eyes began to water, and that is when my defenses broke down. Seeing her standing in her home, thanking God for the opportunity to talk to her mother, while so many things in her life have been so hard for her made me realize just how different life is for the Treasures.

We went to another house visit, which Nicol will explain in her post, and returned to Casa to teach our first class. In this class we focused on getting to know the women. We wanted to know who they are, and what struggles their facing, and what they want to get out of our classes. Tisa and I prepared about me speeches in Spanish to introduce ourselves to the women, and included information about our families, what our hopes and dreams are, and why we’re here. We believe that creating a trusting environment with these women will help us to help them as much as possible, and encourage them to participate in our classes so that our time may be spent productively and our lessons will be tailored to the specific needs and situations of these women.

I am humbled by their eagerness to learn, acceptance of our presence, and courage to dare to dream outside the life they have known all their lives, whether that be 20 years or 60 years. These women are some of the bravest people I’ve ever met, and I have learned more from them in the past few days than I could hope to teach them in the next month.

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Culture Shock

By on May 16, 2012 in 2012, Guatemala, Summer Projects, UF, UNC

We’ve been here for just one week, and I have been amazed by the culture we’ve experienced during this short time. This weekend we got to go downtown where the main road is blocked off to traffic, and is where many Guatemalans go to do their everyday shopping. The streets were filled with street performers and artisans trying to make a living. There were musicians, techno dancers, clowns, caricature artists, and handicraft artists hoping to make some income in addition alongside the many stands full of clothing, food, and other items. We also got to go to the local zoo which cost about 25 quetzales or a little over 3 dollars for adult admission.

When we got back to work, we were able to go on our first house visits to see what the daily life of an average “Treasure” was before starting our first workshop. Casa de Alfarero called the people who scavenged in the dump “Treasures” rather than scavengers in order to give them a sense of dignity, and to reinforce to the treasures that they were not beneath anyone. We are all equal in the eyes of God. In stark contrast to our lighthearted weekend, the three houses or shacks we visited set a more serious and emotional mood among all of us.

The first house we visited was the home of three generations of women: Virginia, Blenda, and Ruth.Virginia was the mother of of Blenda and the grandmother of Ruth, who appeared to be only 3 or 4 years old. The tiny home (maybe 10′ by 10′) consisted of metal and cardboard walls, an un-level dirt floor with one bed, a small tv, and bags and bags of recycled goods from the dump. Outside the shack was a small grill for cooking, and a rampant population of houseflies. Like most other families in this community, this family consisted of single mothers and their children struggling to sustain themselves. All of the people in this community were also living in fear in of being evicted for squatting, or living on government property without paying, and were very aware that this eviction could happen at any time.

Virginia faced mobility problems due to incorrectly prescribed medicine after a stroke, resulting in paralysis until she received the correct medication. Once she received proper treatment, she was able to rent a wheelchair weekly in order to go to Casa del Alfarero to attend workshops. The doctor recommended physical therapy and for her to remain active, which is something she struggles with today. She shared with us some of the difficulties she faced when she was paralyzed. Her daughter would prepare her food for the day before leaving to work in the dump, and little Ruth would spoon feed her. As she told us this story I could see the love that was present in this family as little Ruth hugged her grandmother tightly while recalling these tough times.

I really appreciated how all the families we visited were so open, raw, and willing to share their life story with us. They showed us the jewelry they had made from recycled goods such as plastic bags, posters, and aluminum cans. They were able to sell their jewelry in order to make a small income in addition to what they made from working in the dump. Part of our funds raised for this project will  help workers like Blenda and Virginia who want to start a small business. These businesses include not only those who make jewelry, but also to those who are taking workshops to learn skills as a cook and beautician. We will be giving workshops to the people in these classes as well as starting a “Phase 2″ workshop for those who were taking the entrepreneur classes on how to start up a business using the same core steps we used in Nourish to start Ventures.

For our first lesson with the Beauticians we gave a presentation about our project, who we were, and the contingencies of the class. It was fun preparing a small introduction about ourselves in Spanish and showing pictures of our own families in order to create a relationship with the people. We asked questions in order to gauge where they were in the process of creating a business in order to prepare lessons at the correct level for each class. The attendants of our class were very receptive and participated in sharing some personal stories as well as sharing their business experiences.

In future our workshops we will teach a lesson from our book we are creating, and receive feedback to improve our project for future use to those who want to start a microenterprise, and as a reference for those who are currently in the process. We will also facilitate activities where the Treatures can apply the lesson that they  learned and work as a group, which many have trouble or very little experience in doing.

We still have our first lessons to give with the Jewelry Making, Cooking, and Entrepreneur classes, so we are hoping they go as well as our lesson went today. I am so excited to continue working on this project, and to be used as resource for this group of people. I feel that I am learning from them as much as they are from me, and cannot wait to see how everything progresses.

 

Tisa

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New Chapter Founders for 12-13

By on May 14, 2012 in Chapter Founders, Student Spotlight

Nourish is thrilled to announce 5 of our 2012 Chapter Founders who have been selected from a competitive pool of applicants to found Nourish Chapters on their campus. We are so excited to welcome the University of Minnesota, Randolph-Macon College, Juniata College, and Boston University to the Nourish family!

Read on to learn more about these Chapter Founders:

Hanna Mihalko is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota. She is majoring in Genetics with a minor in Spanish Studies. While studying in Ecuador this past year, she was confronted with the devastating lack of basic needs in many communities. As she left Ecuador, Hanna was motivated to join the global fight to eradicate poverty and found Nourish as a practical way to pursue this dream. In her free time, Hanna loves to go biking in Minneapolis, hike along the Mississippi river, and cook with her friends.

 

Valeria Vargas Brenes is a United World College graduate that is currently a sophomore at Randolph-Macon College, VA. She’s from Costa Rica but lived in Norway for two years while studying at RCNUWC. Her majors are Political Science and Sociology/Anthropology with a minor in Film. She was part of the founding group of the Peñas Culturales in Costa Rica and preformed her own poetry in these events for about three years. Valeria is excited to serve as Chapter Leader for the Nourish International Chapter at R-MC.

 

 

Shuyan Zhan is a rising sophomore in Randolph-Macon College. She is double-majoring in French and Econ/Business and minoring in English. As a Chinese student currently studying in the US, she is always fascinated by cultural encounters and is thrilled by the possibilities that Nourish International offers to foster outreach between different communities. She has a deep understanding of poverty and passion for a possible solution for the problems in impoverished areas. She is eagerly looking forward to the successful launch of Nourish on her campus.

 

 

Andrea Morillo is entering her sophomore year at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA studying Integrated Media Arts with an emphasis in Business. As a Honduran, she’s always been aware of poverty and has always known she would dedicate her life to improving the living conditions of those in need. She is extremely grateful for her education and she withes to provide other Hondurans with opportunities for education. She strongly believes in Nourish’s capacity to make a difference and she’s extremely excited to be a part of it. In her free time she enjoys drawing, traveling and spending time with her family.

 

 

My name is Pooja Shah, and I will be a junior at Boston University in the 2012-2013 academic year, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  My dream is to become a Doctor and ultimately join Doctors Without Borders.  In my free time, I enjoy dancing, reading, and going home to CT to spend time with my family.

My passion for international healthcare stemmed from traveling to India and understanding that underprivileged communities in Third-World Countries need and deserve our help the most.  I love to teach, and I believe that education and the appropriate resources are critical tools in building a successful and sustainable community. I believe that Nourish is the key to providing these tools and making a lasting global impact.  I am excited about bringing Nourish to BU, and I believe that it will flourish here because BU is an integrative university with students passionate about facilitating change.

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Featured Alumnus: Audrey McKenna

By on May 11, 2012 in 2012, Alumni Spotlight, Nourish Office, UT Austin

In 2008, Audrey decided to attend an information session for a new organization on her campus, something called UT-Austin Nourish International. After just one meeting, she was hooked. “I loved how enthusiastic Natasha, the Chapter Founder, was about the whole thing. I loved the message and the idea behind it! I think the model of an undergraduate organization raising money throughout the year to send their own members on a project is pretty neat.”

Audrey held the International Projects Director position for two years in her chapter, and she loved that the chapter was like a family. “Being the IP Director, I always tremendously enjoyed all the project planning, and then watching it all finally unfold after months of work. I also loved the feeling of camaraderie, when we were all holding emergency poker-dealing tutorials before Casino Night or something. Everyone was really committed to helping the chapter succeed.”

Since graduating in 2011, Audrey has moved to Houston, Texas and joined the working world. Her main advice to students thinking about joining Nourish is pretty easy to follow: “Do it! In addition to being a great organization, it’s a great opportunity to grow. The skills you use in Nourish are directly transferrable to your life post-graduation. How many 23-year-olds can say completely honestly that they have a strong background in project-planning and budgeting? Plus it’s so rewarding to be around all these people that are all passionate about the same thing. You really develop a community together!”

 

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