Jaclyn Carrillo's India Trip
Friday September 26, 2008 6:47
Hello World Bridges! I just got back from India and let me tell you, I used everything I learned from WB to help me on my trip! I was there for an action packed two weeks of volunteer work and the training of World Bridges was very applicable in a country like India. It is definitely a challenging place to travel, for the culture is so different than ours. But with the help of World Bridges, I was able to love and appreciate every part of it. I felt so confident because World Bridges built me up into a global citizen. I was always open to the cultural differences, assimilated quickly, had street smarts, never got lost and didn't over pack my backpack! Also, my experience with World Bridges taught me how to fundraise, budget for a trip and even how to apply for a visa. Before World Bridges, I didn't even know you needed a visa to visit other countries! Look at me now! ha-ha. The other day, someone said to me, 'I love how the only two places you have traveled to are Kenya and India.' I just smiled and thought, 'Yeah, I am very blessed'. Thank you so much World Bridges for everything, my life is definitely changed because of you"
Let me tell you about my trip…
While in India I got to lend a hand at a dairy farm benefiting a church that is involved with humanitarian efforts. These holy cows provide nutritious milk to the local nearby villages that normally wouldn't have access to such basic needs. It is perfect for the little children who live nearby because they need their milk! I got to milk a cow, plant trees and listen in on the business side of this start up farm.
Also, I got to spend some time at a couple orphanages, both in rural parts of town. It was the most touching experience just to be there with the kids, giving them love, affection and attention. One of the orphanages houses many children with special needs. It was called Happy Home orphanage and there was only had 4 house wardens for 250 children. The children definitely needed individual attention, so it was a very special experience for me. If I were to say where I left my heart in India, it would definitely be at the Happy Homes Orphanage.
As for the touristy stuff- I got to see the marvelous Taj Mahal! Let me tell you, it is B-eauuu-ti-ful. It was amazing just to be there and realize, 'I am in India!'. And oh yeah, I got to ride an elephant. It was quite the experience. Overall, from the culture to the people to the sights to see, India was a beautifully great, eye opening experience."
Jaclyn Carrillo, LEX participant 2007.
Henry Morales, Mike Ramos and Rene Quiñonez
Guatemala, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 6:14
Resistance & Hope: A Partnership Blossoms Across Borders and Barrios
When Nancy Hernandez of the San Francisco-based group HOMEY SF contacted World Bridges last year with the idea of sending 3 HOMEY representatives abroad, we immediately thought of setting up an exchange with a Guatemalan group called HIJOS. Both HOMEY and HIJOS work at the grassroots level, engaging Latino/a youth in community organizing, learning about their cultural roots, and resisting oppression through artistic expression. HOMEY (www.homeysf.org) has recently garnered much media attention and a prestigious Agape Peace Award for its innovative work in preventing violence and offering alternatives to street life. Its staff is made up of former and would-be gang members, talented artists, entrepreneurs and activists who grew up in the SF Mission district.
We thought that the members of HIJOS—young people whose relatives are known as the “desaparecidos” because they were “disappeared” under horrific military and police repression—would benefit from learning about HOMEY’s model of organizing and micro-enterprise, while the HOMEY folks would gain new insight from HIJOS into the global nature of poverty, oppression and militarization. There was risk involved in setting up this exchange. HIJOS members are understandably skeptical of “student exchange” groups coming from the North to peer into their difficult lives. Moreover, HIJOS warned the HOMEY visitors that they would be targeted by police in Guatemala City if they showed tattoos or had long hair. The HOMEY delegates had both! Nevertheless, in October, after months of preparation, World Bridges workshops, and fundraising, Henry Morales, Rene Quiñonez and Mike Ramos of HOMEY traveled to Guatemala. Following are some of their post-trip reflections which shed light on how powerful this journey was for them.
“Guatemaya. A country of many extremes and contradictions. Home of two Nobel Peace Prize winners, yet the majority of its people are illiterate. Tremendous natural resources, yet the poorest country in Central America. A people who have a long history of tragedy yet who find joy and happiness in their ability to resist and persevere. They have succeeded in preserving a love, a culture and a humanity in the face of so much loss and destruction. The experience will undeniably change who I am, will forever be a part of me. Guatemaya, Land of Resistance and home of hope.” –Rene Quiñonez
“My experience was mind blowing and life changing. The experience and training that World Bridges gave us before our trip prepared us for the cultural shock and understanding of the conditions we were arriving to. Seeing the social hardships that the people in Guatemala went through everyday was eye opening. Living it was a huge learning piece. I’d like to thank the World Bridges program for understanding the people and showing us love and support. I’d love to stay involved and be a part of World Bridges in the future.” -Henry Morales
“When I filled out the application for World Bridges, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I got to know the WB staff and the other participants, I knew it was the beginning of something that would have an effect on my life forever. The experience in Guatemala was more than words can explain. The people we met there were some of the nicest and most dedicated people I have ever met in my life. I’ll definitely be going back some time in the future.” –Mike Ramos
Now back home, Rene, Mike and Henry have quickly become immersed again in their daily work and struggles to bring justice to their community. They have expressed interest in having World Bridges create and lead global education workshops for the high school classes that HOMEY teaches in San Francisco. We are excited to explore this idea further, and to continue strengthening the partnership with HIJOS. Nancy says she already has several HOMEY members in mind for 2008!
Jennifer Nguyen
Vietnam, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 6:03
I never imagined that green rice patties could make me sway. This is the first image my eyes absorbed when the airplane descended towards earth —it was monumental—I was lost in the green lines of the land, the gentle curves of the hills, and the milk white clouds being stretched and pulled like cotton candy at a county fair. A sense of newfound calm washed over me. Moments before, on the connecting flight to Hanoi, I was fiddling my fingers and leafing through my guidebook to find something incriminating to confirm my growing doubts. I knew I was going home, but I was more lost than a tourist.
The first work camp I participated in was in an orphanage, called SOS Village, near Viet Tri. The children were exuberantly curious, yet seemed to own such old souls. When we communicated - they in their broken English and I in a Vietnamese my tongue still remembered - I melted. One girl said to me, “no matter how far away you live, Vietnam is forever your motherland.” This was a personal journey that has sparked something in my soul that had been simmering for so long.
I realized during this trip how much I have in common with people thousands of miles away. In my second work camp, the Friendship Village, I interacted with children affected by Agent Orange. This was a live-in rehabilitation center, school, and vocational center that centered on providing these children with skills when they returned to their homes. Some embroidered, some sewed, while others made flowers and stems from cloth. The international volunteers worked in their organic garden to produce chemical-free vegetables and fruit that the children ate and sold. I worked one-on-one with an Australian activist to create a painting that would help instruct future international volunteers in the garden. I will always remember playing in the courtyard while rain poured down almost every evening precisely at 5:00 PM. When the dirt started blowing into our faces from the coming rainstorms, it was time to bicycle back to our host home in a mad dash. One time we had to wait out the storm under a stranger’s tin-roofed house because the one-lane dirt roads were flooded!
Before I fell asleep on my mat each night, I could hear the crickets outside. It was surreal experiencing such calm and peaceful nights. How greatly this contrasted with the Vietnam I knew in movies, books, and the stories I heard from family. The War was never far from my mind when I was on Vietnamese soil. Lightning would etch its scars across the black sky to the beat of a ticking metronome, and I could imagine the thunder of faraway bombs. This horrible past was brought to my present each time I wanted to communicate with the children, but the Agent Orange poisoning made it almost impossible. Many were mute, and most mentally or physically challenged. The by-products of these toxins have been entrenched into their ecosystem. Mothers and fathers can pass it on to their children. These impairments pained me because even if war memories fade into the country’s consciousness, their future will still continually be plagued with toxins sprayed during the war. This trip has made war a reality for me, in a sense. It makes me feel sick knowing that collateral damage to children and families is not taken into consideration during times of war. And if it is, it’s only as an afterthought. I still can’t believe that after thirty years, this mentality continues to this day in wars fought overseas.
When I was on the plane home to America, I remembered that I had made the trip to Vietnam alone. Yet, I had befriended so many strangers that also crossed international borders, shared personal stories, spoke Vietnamese, laughed till it hurt, and held in tears. I now see my duality. I crave my independence yet still need to feel a part of a community. Joining two work camps for my first international trip was amazing. But to top it off, I knew that World Bridges believed in my potential to return and use my trip to make a difference in my community.
Where do I fit in all of this? The World Bridges program has engrained in me the feeling of global responsibility. I needed to experience this for myself to be able to spread awareness. How I view public health, for example, has deepened beyond what I studied in school. I see the parallels of the dioxin used during the war and the environmental hazards that underserved populations in the Bay Area must endure. Since I’ve returned, I’ve been researching ways to be more involved in this struggle. I feel that living and flourishing is nearly impossible when one’s environment negatively affects one’s health. Moreover, I’ve found more motivation to pursue medicine, and the need to incorporate it with public and environmental health. Now that I am working at World Bridges as the Administrative Coordinator, I see how much work the staff and volunteers do to make these trips a reality for us. Thank you, World Bridges, for your dedication to broadening our horizons.
Latoya Sales
Egypt, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 5:50
When I think about my recent trip to Egypt, the story, “What would the world be like without black people,” seems to come to mind. The story is of a young child needing the answer to a question that has been questioned so many times by young black children, needing answers about their heritage, yet too often answered with lies and/or misinformation.
Growing up, the question, “What did the African and African American people contribute to the world?” was not one that I was particularly concerned about because I had already known the answer, nothing. I concluded that people who looked like me contributed nothing because it was not a subject matter that neither my school nor my family made sure that I was aware of; and just a general idea that I concluded from the world around me. Some of you may be wondering why I thought African Americans contributed nothing,. Seeing as how I grew up in a time when it was mandated by law that the history of African Americans be taught in schools at least once a year, this question is quite simple to answer. It is quite traumatic to start one’s history with slavery and ending with the “poster” children of Black America. This way of teaching African history implies that we had no history dating before slavery and having contributed nothing but the docile “turn the other cheek” idea in wanting to be treated as equals or a crazed savages wanting equality “by any means necessary.” It was not until my junior year of high school that I began to question the authenticity of information given to me about people who looked like me. This journey of self knowledge led me to reading a book entitled, “They came before Columbus,” written by Ivan Van Sertima, who was a world renowned literary critic, a linguist, and an anthropologist, who explained how African people traveled all through out the world long before Europeans. It was this book that started my search for self-discovery and questioned the given “history” of my people.
One of the most damaging claims made by Eurocentric egoism “scholars” is the completely false idea that Ancient Egyptians were not African. Euro-centrists claim that ancient Egyptians were of European, Asian, or present day Arabic descent, not African descent, which is the truth. Egyptians were a deep brown almost blue/black, as depicted on the wall of Egyptians temples, not the light skinned almost Latin depiction that Euro-centrist “scholars” would have people believe. This Eurocentric view is so damaging because the Egyptians are noted for having one of the most advanced civilizations in history and these lies take away from what African people have contributed to the world, not only past but it also keeps us in an internalized oppressive state because we don’t know the “other” history of our heritage. The African people created the foundation for science, mathematics, surgery, writing, astronomy, medicine, architecture, engineering, government, yet most of the world has no idea of the brilliance that Africans have given to the world.
The reason I decided to attend the trip to Egypt was to broaden my knowledge about the history of Africans. I wanted the “other” history, not the watered down version oppressive Eurocentric scholars want everyone to believe. Attending the trip to Egypt has truly made me proud to be an African woman and a descendent of such an intelligent and spiritual people.
I joined the World Bridges Program because I have always wanted to travel the world and learn about different places and people, but I was never able to afford it because of my socioeconomic position. I wanted to learn more about myself as well as the Egyptian culture. Now, thanks to World Bridges, I have!
Carol Pacheco
Cuba and Mexico, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 5:32
I want to start off by saying that I feel that I am one of the most fortunate World Bridges participants from the 2007 Leadership Exchange Program, for I had the opportunity to visit TWO countries and to experience two very different work projects. I went to Cuba for two weeks (from June 23rd to July 8th) and to Mexico for three weeks (from July 8th to July 30th). So I was out of the country for 5 weeks!
My work project took place in Playa Michigan (a.k.a. Isla de Los Pajaros), Guerrero, Mexico. It was an environmental work camp that focused on saving endangered marine turtles by “saving” turtle eggs. As volunteers, we patrolled the beach at night and would look for turtle nests, dig up the eggs the turtle laid, take the eggs back to the camp and bury them in turtle work camp (an area closed by netting and fencing to ensure that predators would not get in). We were, of course, trained in how to properly dig a turtle nest, and when we would go turtle patrolling, which usually would occur in groups of 3 or 4, a local would accompany us since they know the area. I even got to see with my very own eyes a turtle laying eggs! And I saw turtles in two other instances, heading back into the ocean after laying their eggs! They are HUGE and super beautiful!
In my work camp, there were 3 Americans (all Mexican American), 2 male Austrians, 2 French women, 1 Spanish male, 1 Canadian (French descendant) woman, and 1 Korean woman. They were all in their 20’s. They were all cool people, and we keep in contact by e-mailing each other once in a while, but I cannot say that I made friends with these volunteers. I did, however, make friends with the camp leaders, Titi and Monica.
I am Mexican American (my parents are Mexican and I was born in the States), so going to Mexico was like going back home! Hey, I was in my motherland and loving it! I did, however, have some challenges adapting to some of the work camp circumstances.
My first challenge was facing that my friend, Sandra (my best friend who is also part of this year’s LEX Program), and I were the only people of color (the third Mexican American arrived a week later after we did) in the work camp. Heading to Mexico, I was very excited to partake in an international work camp, so I was expecting people from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. But when I got there, I only saw Europeans and a Korean (I actually hear that Moah, the Korean young woman, was the second Asian to participate in this work camp). I was disappointed because I wanted to meet people from all over the world, but after much reflecting, it made sense of why that wasn’t the case.
My second challenge was sleeping on the ground, for we camped out on the beach for three weeks. It sounds lovely, and it was, but that’s not what my back was communicating to my brain! I got used to sleeping on the floor after the 3rd day or so, but the BIGGEST challenge of my trip to Mexico was dealing with the mosquito and bug bites! They were painful and the bugs almost ate me alive!
Another challenge I faced was the ignorance of some of the volunteers. There was one particular volunteer that chronically insulted the Mexican food and culture. There were many times I felt like punching him in the face, but Sandra would tell me, “Carol, NOOO! He is ignorant; he didn’t go through the World Bridges trainings like we did.” I would think about this and tell Sandra, “You are right.” I would never critique someone else’s culture, especially if they are hosting me, and I couldn’t help but to take personal offense since I am Mexican American.
I learned soooo much about turtles. I learned that in nature, a turtle egg has a 1/1000 chance of surviving, and that under the controlled conditions of the work camp, a turtle egg has a 1/100 chance of surviving. I learned how to locate a turtle nest by moonlight (and an occasional flashing of a flash light) and how to dig up my very own turtle nest. The work camp in Mexico really made me appreciate World Bridges and all the training I got. The trainings taught us money management, how to be culturally sensitive and respectful, and how to deal with work camp beef (either among volunteers or with camp leaders), and all those trainings came in handy in Mexico and truly helped me have a more enjoyable experience.
In Conclusion…
Playa Michigan is beautiful and most of our work as volunteers occurred at night, so the days were pretty much to ourselves, with occasional day projects here and there, so I did a lot of reflecting and a lot of writing (journaling, poems, and even short stories), so I learned a lot about myself. I definitely feel I grew from my experience of visiting Cuba and Mexico. I feel about a year older and wiser. And at this point I want to personally thank the World Bridges staff for not only providing me the monetary support that made my journey possible, but also for all the trainings and advice that made my trip only the more meaningful and enjoyable. I also want to thank the WB staff for allowing best friend to participate at the same time, which in turn gave us the opportunity to strengthen our friendship. I began this 5-week journey with my friend Sandra, but I came home with a sister, and I KNOW Sandra and I will be in each other’s lives for the rest of our lives: supporting and motivating one another.
I definitely see myself continuing to volunteer with World Bridges by helping out with recruitment, joining the Advisory Board, becoming a travel advisor, and helping with any training if needed. I have been helping out with my home community (that's why I got selected for the LEX Program), but this trip has only added motivation for me to do the things I do. I learned a long time ago that I can be a vehicle for change, and this journey only reinforced that knowledge. Once again, World Bridges staff, thank you for all the blood, sweat and tears you have put into this program. I love you and thank you for allowing me to join the World Bridges fam-bam!
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Sandra Magaña
Cuba and Mexico, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 5:29
I was able to travel to Cuba, with a group of students, through the African American Studies department at Merritt College. This was such an amazing opportunity, and it was a privilege to have been able to travel to Cuba this past summer since there are so many restrictions. Our group had to get a special license, which allowed us to travel to Cuba without running the risk of getting penalized. Prior to our departure, it was mandatory to attend a two week summer session where we learned some background about Cuban history, politics, and culture. Once we were in Cuba we visited different organizations such as: Instituto de Cuba Uniendo Patrias, Federacion de Mujeres Cubanas (FMC), Casa de Orientacion a la Mujer y a la Familia, Centro Nacional de la Sexualidad (CENESEX) and many more. We also had the opportunity to visit a hospital, and we also had the opportunity to speak with the people and see what they had to say about Cuba and Fidel Castro. Just like any other country, Cuba has its positive attributes and its negative attributes, but traveling to Cuba made me see how much of a difference and how much of an impact a free education and free health care can have.
Thanks to World Bridges for making my travel experiences possible. I felt prepared and ready to face any obstacles or challenges during my travel because I had learned so much through the World Bridges trainings and retreats. Not only did I learn so much from the World Bridges staff, but I also learned so much from the other participants. Thanks! - Sandra
Aurita Urbina
Guatemala and Cuba, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 5:26
Peace, everyone... my name is Aurita Urbina and this summer I participated in the World Bridges program. My 2007 trip of a lifetime took place in Guatemala and Cuba linda. I traveled to Guatemala to set up and finalize the summer youth exchange of Loco Bloco. Loco Bloco is a performing arts program that I’ve been participating with for 7 years now. They provide children, teens and young adults with “hands on" introduction to musical, dance, and theater traditions. I wouldn’t have been able to breathe this new life without all of the encouragement, preparation and love from Jenny, Aaron, the WB staff, friends, family and all the other beautiful individuals that participated in this year’s WB program. Thank you guys so much for making it possible!!!
To describe my experience, I wanted to share one of my journal entries with you guys. Here we go...
Well, I actually made it to Cuba!!! I am on my 8th day here in Havana and I've been so blessed. this trip has been such an amazing experience. It seems as if everything has been falling into all the right places from day one... I can’t believe I’ve been away from the bay for 6 weeks already and there’s still one more week to go. Throughout this entire experience I'm so glad that everybody was by my side. Me and my girl, Corina Peila, came to Cuba on The 17th of August, 2007 after Loco Bloco had their summer exchange in lovely Guatemala. That trip itself was a great, hard working experience. It was a little difficult because in 3 weeks my responsibilities included finding places (for the 35 Locos) to stay, eat & perform. When Loco Bloco arrived, I had people asking me questions left and right because I had all the 411. "Aurita, what are we doing today?", "What time do we need to get up?", "When are we gonna eat?", “What do we need to wear?"... it was such a trip. we met some great people that we learned so much from. Some taught us their traditional dancing, others taught us that "getting hyphy" isn’t only a West and East Coast thang... lol.
One thing that really got to me was the history of Guatemala. We went to this place called FAFG. It was a spot where they kept all the remains of people who have been murdered throughout the years..."desaparecidos" (the disappeared), who were snatched and tortured by the military. Violence is so sad and crazy to me but, man, that experience was sooooo emotional. We walked into a room that had hundreds of boxes full of unidentified skulls. There was another room that had only what was left of the "desaparecidos" on tables. Some were missing legs, others were burned, and many were kids. I walked into this silence and couldn’t stop crying, being in that space and being surrounded by all the pictures on the wall of children & people lying in the streets lifeless was all very real. as tears kept running down my face, the thought of what was happening to all these families just kept going through my mind. Everybody’s struggle to survive was very empowering.
Jaclyn Carrillo
Kenya, 2007Wednesday March 26, 2008 5:22
My name is Jaclyn Carrillo and for five weeks, I had the opportunity to live amongst the locals of Kenya. It was the most life-changing experience of my life! Through the amazing World Bridges program, I was trained in travel preparedness and placed into an international voluntary work camp. The work camp consisted of about 30 international volunteers, split up into two groups; each assigned to a primary school to perform volunteer work. My group was placed into Illasit Primary School, where we lived on campus.
Volunteering at the school hardly seemed like work, it felt more like a privilege - being able to experience their life in a rural town. The work consisted of anything the schools needed us to do- anything from teaching classes to working in the kitchen to planting trees. The town I stayed in is named Loitokitok, known for all its dusty red, African dirt. There is no electricity at the school and only one tap for running water. This meant we fetched our water using buckets. We prepared our meals hours ahead of time and cooked them over charcoal burning “jikos”. We rose with the sunrise and slept with the sunset. The kids roamed free, not even knowing or caring about ipods or video games. This may sound like a challenging lifestyle to most, but to me, this was the most freeing experience of my life! Every morning was so amazing and was my favorite part of the day. It was like a fantasy, waking up to the sound of Kenyan students laughing, playing and singing in Swahili. It was wintertime, so the morning crispness provided a perfect way to wake up and brush my teeth, while gazing at the beauty of Mt. Kilimanjaro. There are not enough words to describe the grandness of that Mountain and to watch the clouds swim through its snow capped peaks… it literally was breathtaking!
After my work camp ended, I had the privilege to stay behind and work closely with the Maasai Tribe. I visited their villages and really got to know their culture, which is such a beautiful one. I will never forget the women and children of the Maasai Tribe. They always welcomed me with cultural singing and dancing. They even taught me some songs and got me dancing! I’ve definitely left pieces of my heart in every one of those villages and, one day, I will go back.
Overall, my whole experience in Kenya was incredible. From the lions to elephants, from the Mountain to the Maasai and from the volunteers to the students...it was such an amazing experience. Hopefully, I will return to Kenya and continue working with the Maasai Women. In the meantime, I am finishing school and taking small trips around the U.S. I am so thankful for World Bridges and everything they have done for me. It is because of compassionate organizations like them that make me realize that individuals really can make a world of difference.
