Be a part of Youthlinc's first trip to the village of Peak Sneng. Located just 30 kilometers north of the town of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Peak Sneng lacks many modern conveniences and Youthlinc hopes to improve the quality of life through sustainable projects. Hopeful projects include classroom construction, restoring school bathrooms that are unusable, providing clean drinking water for families, helping start domestic and community vegetable gardens for small business, giving microloans to purchase cow's for families, improving community health and medical facilities, and teaching English and other lessons.
Tentative trip dates- June 10-23, 2011.
To apply and learn more visit our website: www.youthlinc.org
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Go on an international service trip with Youthlinc
Youthlinc’s approach to international service is based on best practice research in international development. We work in partnership with small villages to bring sustainable change. By using project based and cooperative learning, we ensure student ownership over each service project. Each international team is comprised of five core committees (medical, education, cultural, microenterprise/vocational training, and construction), which allow students to guide the projects in each given area of development. So, no matter which site you go to you can expect: to build a classroom, bathroom, medical clinic or water system; teach English and other lessons; teach art and dance; give micro-credit loans and vocational training; or teach basic hygiene and help meet the community’s medical needs.
Serve in one of our five international sites:
NEW!! Cambodia: June 10-23, 2011
Thailand: June 17-30, 2011
Mexico: June 26 – July 9, 2011
Peru: July 1- July 15, 2011
Kenya: July 15- 28, 2011
Family and Friends Trip Peru: August 3- 16, 2011
To learn more visit International Service on our website: www.youthlinc.org
Serve in one of our five international sites:
NEW!! Cambodia: June 10-23, 2011
Thailand: June 17-30, 2011
Mexico: June 26 – July 9, 2011
Peru: July 1- July 15, 2011
Kenya: July 15- 28, 2011
Family and Friends Trip Peru: August 3- 16, 2011
To learn more visit International Service on our website: www.youthlinc.org
Earn a sponsorship for an international service trip by volunteering locally with Youthlinc.
Serving the needy populations in your own community is essential to Youthlinc's goal of creating humanitarians. By sponsoring youth who serve locally for an international trip, Youthlinc offers the opportunity to all students to visit new cultures and serve internationally.
Part of local service involves attending monthly meetings to plan out international projects. This gives our participants the unique opportunity to participate in all stages of international service: from planning and fund raising to teaching lessons and building schools. We truly give our participants the most inclusive and extensive service experience.
To learn more visit our website: www.youthlinc.org and click on Service Year on the homepage.
Part of local service involves attending monthly meetings to plan out international projects. This gives our participants the unique opportunity to participate in all stages of international service: from planning and fund raising to teaching lessons and building schools. We truly give our participants the most inclusive and extensive service experience.
To learn more visit our website: www.youthlinc.org and click on Service Year on the homepage.
We need professionals to mentor & travel internationally with our students. Apply NOW!
Mentoring is a critical element of the Youthlinc program. Professionals in education, medical, financial, construction, social work, and just about any other field are necessary to our teams.
Youthlinc creates lifetime humanitarians. We need role models of service who will act as committee chairs, delegating and reviewing the work of our students as they plan educational, community health, vocational training, microenterprise, social work, cultural exchange and many other activities during our Service Year.
Mentors also travel with the teams next summer as valuable resources in Cambodia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and Thailand.
For full information about applications, trip dates next summer, and tentative costs, visit our website www.youthlinc.org Click Apply, Service Year, and the FAQ tab at the bottom of the Home page. Do not hesitate to contact our office youthlinc@xmission.com with questions.
Student deadline for application is October 9. We accept mentors who pass background checks on a first come, first serve basis, so get your application in as soon as possible. Mandatory General Orientation is Saturday, November 13.
Youthlinc creates lifetime humanitarians. We need role models of service who will act as committee chairs, delegating and reviewing the work of our students as they plan educational, community health, vocational training, microenterprise, social work, cultural exchange and many other activities during our Service Year.
Mentors also travel with the teams next summer as valuable resources in Cambodia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, and Thailand.
For full information about applications, trip dates next summer, and tentative costs, visit our website www.youthlinc.org Click Apply, Service Year, and the FAQ tab at the bottom of the Home page. Do not hesitate to contact our office youthlinc@xmission.com with questions.
Student deadline for application is October 9. We accept mentors who pass background checks on a first come, first serve basis, so get your application in as soon as possible. Mandatory General Orientation is Saturday, November 13.
Now accepting applications for our 2010-11 Service Year: Deadline October 9!
If you are a secondary, college, or graduate school student who wants to participate in our unique Service Year program, go to our website www.youthlinc.org and click Apply to download an application. The deadline is October 9!
If you are accepted, you will earn a sponsorship that will pay a portion of your international service cost. You earn that sponsorship through local service and attendance at monthly planning meetings, where you are mentored to take a leadership role in educational, community health, vocational training, microenterprise, and cultural exchange service activities in Cambodia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, or Thailand next summer.
For complete information, visit the Service Year pages of our website, and click FAQs along the bottom tab of the Home page. Contact our office at youthlinc@xmission.com
We look forward to having your participation in a program that creates lifetime humanitarians through local and global service!
If you are accepted, you will earn a sponsorship that will pay a portion of your international service cost. You earn that sponsorship through local service and attendance at monthly planning meetings, where you are mentored to take a leadership role in educational, community health, vocational training, microenterprise, and cultural exchange service activities in Cambodia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, or Thailand next summer.
For complete information, visit the Service Year pages of our website, and click FAQs along the bottom tab of the Home page. Contact our office at youthlinc@xmission.com
We look forward to having your participation in a program that creates lifetime humanitarians through local and global service!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Visiting Angkor's Glorious Past
Day 3
While I have focused much of my writings on the tragedies of Cambodia’s past, today I witnessed the relics of a remarkable era. I visited the ruins that lie on the outskirts of Siem Reap and can honestly say that Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples are some of the most awe inspiring creations I have seen.
I spent almost the entire day meandering through the ancient edifices and marveling at the reliefs etched into stone. The scale of the work left me wondering how it is possible that humans could build something so meticulous, miraculous, and masterful. Walking through amazing architectural feats reminded me of the unparalleled ability we have as humans to grasp genius and artistic skill and employ them to sculpt glory out of stone.
There is little that I can say or write, that would describe the grandeur of it all. How can you put into words the experience of smelling pungent odors that leak from damp and corroded stone; of 100 foot trees fingering their enormous roots through the cracks of ancient walls; of vistas from temple tops over forest canopies; or of the impressive reliefs that continue to challenge the storms of time? It is truly one of those things you have to see to believe.
The temples of this region help make Cambodia a wonderful place for Youthlinc students to experience. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful and peaceful people and to have experienced a portion of the wealth of history and culture this country has to offer.
While I have focused much of my writings on the tragedies of Cambodia’s past, today I witnessed the relics of a remarkable era. I visited the ruins that lie on the outskirts of Siem Reap and can honestly say that Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples are some of the most awe inspiring creations I have seen.
I spent almost the entire day meandering through the ancient edifices and marveling at the reliefs etched into stone. The scale of the work left me wondering how it is possible that humans could build something so meticulous, miraculous, and masterful. Walking through amazing architectural feats reminded me of the unparalleled ability we have as humans to grasp genius and artistic skill and employ them to sculpt glory out of stone.
There is little that I can say or write, that would describe the grandeur of it all. How can you put into words the experience of smelling pungent odors that leak from damp and corroded stone; of 100 foot trees fingering their enormous roots through the cracks of ancient walls; of vistas from temple tops over forest canopies; or of the impressive reliefs that continue to challenge the storms of time? It is truly one of those things you have to see to believe.
The temples of this region help make Cambodia a wonderful place for Youthlinc students to experience. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful and peaceful people and to have experienced a portion of the wealth of history and culture this country has to offer.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 3
The wake of the destruction from the Khmer Rouge has left Cambodia behind the Asian Tiger economies in many ways. The ideology of the Rouge promoted the murder of Cambodia’s educated class leaving the country’s infrastructure 20 years in the past. Today many NGO’s exist to remedy Cambodia’s ailments.
One infrastructural casualty is found in the fact that nearly 75% of Cambodia’s population has no access to clean water. I had the opportunity to spend my morning with the leaders of Water for Cambodia. Started with funds generously provided by a Rhode Island Rotary Club, WFC has placed over 5,000 filtration systems in Cambodian homes in its 4 years of existence. The systems cost $50 and helps avert water borne illnesses that continue to plague the country.
I ventured through the rural villages near Siem Reap to examine how this group has worked to improve Cambodia’s situation. The WFC has helped many families. However, there is still much work to be done. If all works well, we hope to have Youthlinc’s inaugural Cambodia team raise money to donate these devices to the impoverished families of Peak Sneng.
Another dilemma proliferating throughout the countryside is access to medical care. Of the over 500 Cambodian doctors prior to the rule of the Khmer Rouge, only 45 survived leaving the country’s medical system virtually nonexistent.
Meeting with the Angkor Hospital for Children’s staff today showed me how individuals are helping meet the medical needs of Cambodia’s children. The hospital treats between 400 and 600 patients a day and has a satellite office in the countryside. A major function of the AHC is to train medical professionals and to educate parents how to avert common health problems. Hopefully, the Youthlinc Cambodia team will be able to bring doctors in 2011 to help in this worthy cause.
While Cambodia’s past haunts the realities of today, resilience and hope can be found for the future. The people here are so eager and willing to find solutions to their problems. The plethora of NGO’s and individuals dedicated to improving this country overwhelms and inspires any visitor who ventures deeper than the ancient temples and picturesque countryside of Cambodia.
One infrastructural casualty is found in the fact that nearly 75% of Cambodia’s population has no access to clean water. I had the opportunity to spend my morning with the leaders of Water for Cambodia. Started with funds generously provided by a Rhode Island Rotary Club, WFC has placed over 5,000 filtration systems in Cambodian homes in its 4 years of existence. The systems cost $50 and helps avert water borne illnesses that continue to plague the country.
I ventured through the rural villages near Siem Reap to examine how this group has worked to improve Cambodia’s situation. The WFC has helped many families. However, there is still much work to be done. If all works well, we hope to have Youthlinc’s inaugural Cambodia team raise money to donate these devices to the impoverished families of Peak Sneng.
Another dilemma proliferating throughout the countryside is access to medical care. Of the over 500 Cambodian doctors prior to the rule of the Khmer Rouge, only 45 survived leaving the country’s medical system virtually nonexistent.
Meeting with the Angkor Hospital for Children’s staff today showed me how individuals are helping meet the medical needs of Cambodia’s children. The hospital treats between 400 and 600 patients a day and has a satellite office in the countryside. A major function of the AHC is to train medical professionals and to educate parents how to avert common health problems. Hopefully, the Youthlinc Cambodia team will be able to bring doctors in 2011 to help in this worthy cause.
While Cambodia’s past haunts the realities of today, resilience and hope can be found for the future. The people here are so eager and willing to find solutions to their problems. The plethora of NGO’s and individuals dedicated to improving this country overwhelms and inspires any visitor who ventures deeper than the ancient temples and picturesque countryside of Cambodia.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Cambodia Day 2
August 17, 2010
Today I had the opportunity to see two sides of poverty in Cambodia. I woke up early so I could go to the Tonle Sap, Cambodia’s largest lake. During the dry season the Tonle Sap drains into a tributary that feeds the mighty Mekong River located miles away. Once the monsoon season begins, the Mekong becomes bloated and actually reverses the flow of the tributary filling the Tonle Sap. The lake can raise as much as 40 feet in a single wet season.
The ebb and flow of the lake maintains a current of life for over 2000 people. The communities of the Tonle Sap float along the lake and live from its waters. Seeing how these people live reminds me of the floating town of Belen in the Peruvian Amazon. The roofs of many of the house boats do not reach above 4 feet. The people work, eat, and play from the lotus position.
It’s amazing to see how well people have adapted to life on the lake. They are resourceful and are constantly working on their boats, fishing nets, spears, and other needs. It seems as though the lake provides them with enough in terms of food. However, it is evident that education, health and sanitation, and lack of resources are major problems in the area.
The other half of poverty I experienced was the rural poverty that permeates the nation. The majority of Cambodia’s population lives in rural regions. Driving in a tuk-tuk through the country side is like being in a movie. The land is flat and checkered with squares of rice fields; some patches swell with water, while millions of lime green blades fill the others. Storm clouds fill the horizon and the hard packed red dirt road is lined with people coming to and from Siem Reap: walking, or on bikes or motor-scooters. I must have passed hundreds migrating to and from the small city.
When I arrived to the future Youthlinc site of Peak Sneng, I met with community leaders and establish a partnership to help them improve their quality of life. In our 2 hour discussion, the aftermath of Cambodia’s history of violence form Khmer Rouge became more and more evident. The rule and fighting of the Khmer Rouge left an entire generation without education, which is now the community’s top priority. Access to medical care is also a major problem; it generally takes at least 2 hours to get to the nearest hospital. Many of the poorest families do not even possess basic agricultural knowledge to grow their own crops.
There are many needs and many ways that Youthlinc could help this community become more self-sustaining. I am still amazed by the resilience and humility of this people. They are so kind and eager to lend a hand and share a smile. The future teams that come to Cambodia will gain so much from the rich, full lives that fill this country.
Today I had the opportunity to see two sides of poverty in Cambodia. I woke up early so I could go to the Tonle Sap, Cambodia’s largest lake. During the dry season the Tonle Sap drains into a tributary that feeds the mighty Mekong River located miles away. Once the monsoon season begins, the Mekong becomes bloated and actually reverses the flow of the tributary filling the Tonle Sap. The lake can raise as much as 40 feet in a single wet season.
The ebb and flow of the lake maintains a current of life for over 2000 people. The communities of the Tonle Sap float along the lake and live from its waters. Seeing how these people live reminds me of the floating town of Belen in the Peruvian Amazon. The roofs of many of the house boats do not reach above 4 feet. The people work, eat, and play from the lotus position.
It’s amazing to see how well people have adapted to life on the lake. They are resourceful and are constantly working on their boats, fishing nets, spears, and other needs. It seems as though the lake provides them with enough in terms of food. However, it is evident that education, health and sanitation, and lack of resources are major problems in the area.
The other half of poverty I experienced was the rural poverty that permeates the nation. The majority of Cambodia’s population lives in rural regions. Driving in a tuk-tuk through the country side is like being in a movie. The land is flat and checkered with squares of rice fields; some patches swell with water, while millions of lime green blades fill the others. Storm clouds fill the horizon and the hard packed red dirt road is lined with people coming to and from Siem Reap: walking, or on bikes or motor-scooters. I must have passed hundreds migrating to and from the small city.
When I arrived to the future Youthlinc site of Peak Sneng, I met with community leaders and establish a partnership to help them improve their quality of life. In our 2 hour discussion, the aftermath of Cambodia’s history of violence form Khmer Rouge became more and more evident. The rule and fighting of the Khmer Rouge left an entire generation without education, which is now the community’s top priority. Access to medical care is also a major problem; it generally takes at least 2 hours to get to the nearest hospital. Many of the poorest families do not even possess basic agricultural knowledge to grow their own crops.
There are many needs and many ways that Youthlinc could help this community become more self-sustaining. I am still amazed by the resilience and humility of this people. They are so kind and eager to lend a hand and share a smile. The future teams that come to Cambodia will gain so much from the rich, full lives that fill this country.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Cambodia Site Visit Day 1
Its 2 am and I cannot sleep. Today, I arrived in Cambodia without a solid understanding of its people. You can read all the books you want to about culture, people and politics, but books will never offer you smell, the sight, the feeling of someone’s hand when you shake it for the first time, or the soft peace that enters your heart when that person offers you a simple and inviting smile.From the little interaction I have had with this tried and resilient people, I can tell you that they are as simple and inviting as their smiles, which abound as the rains in monsoon season. They are not interested in conflict and seek genuine relationships.
I met the Siem Reap Rotary President, Prin Sophanit. Sophanit is her first name, which they put last in the order. She works for a small NGO called Hope and Life, and has seemingly dedicated her life to improving the condition and people of her country. Work is as familiar to her as an old friend, and it is easy to see that her heart is in everything she does.
I met the Siem Reap Rotary President, Prin Sophanit. Sophanit is her first name, which they put last in the order. She works for a small NGO called Hope and Life, and has seemingly dedicated her life to improving the condition and people of her country. Work is as familiar to her as an old friend, and it is easy to see that her heart is in everything she does.
We met over lunch and discussed goals of my visit and what is needed for a Youthlinc team. She seemed a little overwhelmed by the number of tasks asked of her, but remained serene and confident about completing them. A tranquil feeling dominated the meeting, it is a little hard to explain, but it seems as though everything is falling neatly into place for this new Youthlinc site. Still, I know that difficulties may and will most likely arise during the planning and building stages.
I was also able to meet Sophanit’s boss and Director of Hope and Life, Hoeurn Somnieng. He is a gentle and peaceful Buddhist monk. It is funny; there are no other words that can be used to describe this people. Hope and Life’s mission is to improve the quality of life of Cambodians through sustainable activities. They teach vocational skills and run a junior high school and an orphanage, both of which are located in the village of Peak Sneng, where the Youthlinc team is planned to work.
Home and Life seems like a natural partner for Youthlinc’s Microenterprise and Vocational Training Program. With donations from a California group, Home and Life will be implementing a mushroom farming program in the village. This could present itself as an opportunity for Youthlinc students to get involved in training and fund raising. There are no other mushroom farms in the area, and they could be sold in a variety of markets.
In closing for the day, I just want to say what an awesome and singular experience it is to meet people who are different from me and come together for a cause greater than ourselves. I know that this partnership, while it reaches across forests, deserts, mountains and vast expanses of ocean, will grow into a hallowed, honorable, and working relationship. I am proud and honored to be here and to be working to make some kind of difference in the lives of Utah’s youth and Cambodia’s needy.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Why we do this work: It saves lives
Every year at this time, I get a lot of notes, emails, phone calls from parents of students completing the Youthlinc program. They are thanking me and Youthlinc staff for providing a program that has helped their son or daughter decide what to do for a career, has made them less materialistic, more giving, more outgoing, more comfortable with themselves and with others.
They say to me: We noticed the change even as she came down the steps at the airport. She was a different person.
They say to me: When does this new attitude go away? I like to say in response: Oh, in about 40 or 50 years... because I know this program works and creates lifetime humanitarians: Young people, and old people, who not only stop (even when they are in a hurry) to open doors for folks carrying packages... but who also stop in their tracks and invent new ways to help others, make career turns away from possibly lucrative (but empty) enterprises to fields that provide deep personal satisfaction by making this world a better place in ways large and small.
It may sound strange for me to say that these kinds of exchanges are fortunately commonplace in my world. I am fortunate to work with Youthlinc and with amazing staff and volunteers who pull in the same direction: the direction of good.
It helps me get up in the morning, and it is why I do this work.
But today, I got an unusual phone call from a parent. She said: I've been meaning to write you a note, but I start out and can't see the page for crying. Your program saved my son's life.
He was depressed, even suicidal, when he started the Youthlinc program last fall. I had to force him to go to the meetings at first. But something changed at the team social in January. He called me and asked me to pick him up. He couldn't stay the night. But when he got in the car, he said, Mom, I gotta go to therapy. These are great people, and I want to be around them.
And even though she had been begging him to make this step, he took it on his own, and began to grow through the fellowship and leadership that was just a natural part of being part of Youthlinc.
So she wanted to thank me, not just for her son's new found self confidence and optimism, but for his willingness to live ... not just exist ... with arms wide open to the wonder of this world.
So that's why we do this work.
They say to me: We noticed the change even as she came down the steps at the airport. She was a different person.
They say to me: When does this new attitude go away? I like to say in response: Oh, in about 40 or 50 years... because I know this program works and creates lifetime humanitarians: Young people, and old people, who not only stop (even when they are in a hurry) to open doors for folks carrying packages... but who also stop in their tracks and invent new ways to help others, make career turns away from possibly lucrative (but empty) enterprises to fields that provide deep personal satisfaction by making this world a better place in ways large and small.
It may sound strange for me to say that these kinds of exchanges are fortunately commonplace in my world. I am fortunate to work with Youthlinc and with amazing staff and volunteers who pull in the same direction: the direction of good.
It helps me get up in the morning, and it is why I do this work.
But today, I got an unusual phone call from a parent. She said: I've been meaning to write you a note, but I start out and can't see the page for crying. Your program saved my son's life.
He was depressed, even suicidal, when he started the Youthlinc program last fall. I had to force him to go to the meetings at first. But something changed at the team social in January. He called me and asked me to pick him up. He couldn't stay the night. But when he got in the car, he said, Mom, I gotta go to therapy. These are great people, and I want to be around them.
And even though she had been begging him to make this step, he took it on his own, and began to grow through the fellowship and leadership that was just a natural part of being part of Youthlinc.
So she wanted to thank me, not just for her son's new found self confidence and optimism, but for his willingness to live ... not just exist ... with arms wide open to the wonder of this world.
So that's why we do this work.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Annual Benefit at LeCaille
July 29th was a wonderful evening. I was so proud of my Youthlinc coworkers and volunteers for putting so much effort into an event that will be memorable for years to come. My favorite part of the evening was watching Rich and Bonnie receive the Lifetime Humanitarian Award. It was so fun to be at LeCaille and soak in the beautiful surroundings. Lawn darts were a hit and the entertainment was amazing, thanks to the efforts of Donna Dewey.
It was fun to be a part of the such an exciting and successful event. Thanks to all those who supported and came out. Its events like those that continue to make Youthlinc a great organization year after year.
Smitty
It was fun to be a part of the such an exciting and successful event. Thanks to all those who supported and came out. Its events like those that continue to make Youthlinc a great organization year after year.
Smitty
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)