It is not about the destination, it is about the journey -- An update from our Vietnam F&F Team

From just these first few days of being in Vietnam, we'd like to share about the great journey we are on:

We were fortunate to gain some education and perspective on the Vietnam War while visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and later the War Remnants Museum. The Cu Chi Tunnels once spanned over 200 km, but now only 50 km remain. Of those remaining many Youthlincers were eager to jump inside the tight spaces (not made for Americans) and crawl the same routes used during the war. It was quite an experience to feel the confinement and stifling conditions that soldiers called their home throughout the many years of battle.

The War Remnants Museum was a difficult and an eye-opening experience, as most often we do not learn the opponents' side in History class. It was an interesting museum with perspectives not easily digested as an American. The feelings and emotions of reading how the USA was portrayed throughout the war grants a broader and a more balanced view of the Vietnam War. As a group we were able to discuss and share our thoughts which really enhanced the learning experience.

“It's not about the destination, its about the journey” - these words have never rang more true.

After days of travel including:

3 flights (18 hours flying and 11 hours of lay overs)

overnight train (12 hours)-with four beds to a compartment, housing 4 bodies and 8 pieces of luggage, a bus ride (1 hour)- 1 bus for 45 people, over 90 pieces of luggage....

we arrived in Song Cau- PRICELESS!

Upon arrival at the school for Opening Ceremonies all the travel strife of jet lag, irregular diet and strange holes in the floors- called bathrooms, it all goes away. The meaning of your trip and the sacrifice of leaving your comfort zone becomes crystal clear as you reach the crest of the hill, drenched in sweat from the climb in the 90 degree weather with what feels like 100% humidity. The people waiting at the gate come into view. With their beautiful smiles, the universal high fives, the mocking giggles after fumbling foreigners say hello in Vietnamese (Xin Chao), the hope of friendships and relations to be solidified.

The ceremony consisted of excitement and anticipation for the projects to start and those already underway. We were greeted with enthusiasm from leaders, teachers, community members, and darling kids.

Hats given to us at construction.

We are building a house for an elderly couple the community has selected and repairing a room at the school. This is the first time the community has experienced foreigners in the area, and they aren't quite sure how to handle us yet. The construction work has taken a few days to “warm-up” to the Vietnamese for us to do more work than stand aside and watch them work.

For the women in our group, the Vietnamese men have not accepted the level of intensity they put in. Female Youthlincers are dedicated, hard working volunteers whom have been stopped several times by the Vietnamese men because they aren't sure what women can do. The girls have stayed consistent in their work and have even surprised several people on the efforts they have put in.

Team Guatemala learns as much as they teach! Report on Day 1-3 In-country

A message from Team Guatemala:

We are having so much fun exploring this stunning country. Our very long journey was worth every second.  We finally reached Ak’tenamit after our six hours of flight, hours of layovers, a bus and a wet boat ride. We were welcomed with the country’s songs, dance, and music. The Guatemalan people are musically gifted; especially with the marimba (a Guatemalan xylophone).

Since our welcome, we have been going back and forth from our hotel, Finca Tatin to the Ak’tenamit school.  We have been gardening, building shelves, eco-benches and teaching.  We will be starting the bunk bed project soon. Our classes are going exceptionally well; the kids absorb everything we show them and say.  They are enthusiastic and excited for us to be here.  

Although we’ve only been here a few days, we’ve already learned some valuable lessons. We came here with the idea of serving the people because we know of their struggle; but they’ve taught us more than anticipated. While we speak our broken Spanish, they have been unendingly patient and helpful with our communication.  When we made tortillas with the girls and did it completely wrong, they guided us with their expertise and improved our skills. All in all, we’ve learned more from them than they have of us.  

We’ve learned how kindness and patience are a form of communication; but most importantly, we have learned how a simple life can be lived happily.

We hope that we can inspire the Ak’tenamit youth - through our planned activities and interaction - to look also for opportunities greater than what they might expect. 

Projects on Days 1-3:

Opening Ceremonies:

Some of our students were worried or embarrassed about performing, rather than seeing it simply as a way to connect with the people and express love (rather than a performance).  We sang our national anthem and had 2 musical numbers by 4 students.  Addie and Brittany sang a popular current song, with guitar.  Kristen played the guitar and Amber sang “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. All the performances were well received, and the students at Aktenamit would call out "otra, otra, otra!" after the performance, which means Anothersong, Another song, Another song!

Projects:

The existing library shelves made of wood had been eaten by termites and they only had 10 feet of shelves.  They were so bad, they were about to fall over.  Books and magazines were stacked on tables and the floors.  We built 40 feet of 7 foothight shelves made of wood that termites do not eat and anchored them to the walls.  In the beginning, we bent more nails than we drove into the wood, but by the end Youthlinc and the students teamed up to be a construction machine.  (We did have to send some Ak’Tenamit students away, since there wasn’t enough to do.  This seems to be a problem with some projects that the school students stand around and are uncertain of what to do, or aren’t utilized.

We have poured the foundation for 6 eco-benches around the soccer field.  Hopefully this will allow the school to interact more during soccer games and allow the girls of the school to have a nice place to sit, all while removing non-biodegradable garbage.

We have started on the garden.

Committee Reports:

What are our goals?

Cultural:

Break language barriers.

Learn and understand one another’s culture

Connect with the kids and make sure they have a good time

                             

Medical:

To provide education to the people of the village

To have effective communication so that they can take information into their lives

Microenterprise:

Bond with the people and learn about the culture

Give them tools to pass the info down to generations after them

Teach in a respectable way, not condescending

Education:

Give them a larger understanding of things about our culture

Set a good example for them by showing them girls can be teachers too.

Vocational:

Learn the students’ names

Teach and help them understand the 4Ps

Become friends and introduce ourselves as Americans

Build personal connections

Remember this experience later in lives

Personal and educational development

Connection with trust

Improve Spanish

                             

 What differences do we want to make?

Cultural:

Improve their living conditions

Help them be self-sufficient

Medical:

On-going education

Inspiration to learn more

Microenterprise:

Improve the quality of life and provide them with a sustainable income

Show the value and impact that learning has

Education:

Give them a broader perspective of the world

Give a diverse experience

Raise expectations for the future

                             

How do we want to be remembered?

Cultural:

We want to be seen as their friends and equals

We want them to feel and know that we care and we are eager to learn about where they come from and who they are.

We want them to know that they taught us and changed our lives

Medical:

Positivity

We want to be remembered as excited, not boring

We want to be remembered as hard workers

Microenterprise:

Caring, respectful, helpful people

Education:

Remember us for our enthusiasm for learning and serving

We want to be remembered for reaching out to them and improving their lives

We want to be remembered as friends.

Vocational:

People willing to help

We’re not afraid to work and get our hands dirty

Our women can also lead and gain education

Kenya Team Update!

The Kenya team does not have access to internet in Kajuki while they are working at St. Peter's School but thanks to the wonders of technology, the team leaders do have phones that can text us! (when they get service, of course.) This morning we received a welcomed update from Scott Bawden, the team leader.

"Things are great here in Kenya.  Everyone is working hard and we are getting a lot done.  Father Franklin and the children send their love." 

Short and sweet.  We are happy the team is doing well and we can't wait to hear more about their trip.  We will continue to update the Youthlinc blog, Twitter, and Facebook each time we receive updates!

Scott Bawden

2012 team in Kajuki

Do our Service Year teams work hard internationally? Check it out - the schedule for one of our Vietnam teams!

Here is an example of how our teams work in country.

Our standing committees are:
Education (always involving English teaching as requested by the villages we partner with)
Health (our 'medical' committee which focuses are basic health and sanitation needs, as well as question & answer sessions with our medical professionals)
Microenterprise (teaching small business lessons, setting up small loans & animal exchanges)
Vocational Training (teaching requested and common skills needed to set up a business or support a family)
Construction (we build everything from schools to medical clinics - in Vietnam we are building homes for the community's most needy residents)
Oral Histories (a part of our Cultural Exchange committee, these interactions help our U.S. students understand the lives of the people we are partnering with).

Even though each Youthlinc student (and mentor) has a primary area of focus and leadership, we feel it is important that every person does a little of everything, so that each person gets the big picture of international service.

Here is a working schedule of how that might happen, courtesy of one of our Vietnam Team Leaders, Justin Powell, who like ALL our just incredible Team Leaders, puts his all into the activities of our participants in-country. It gives you an idea of how hard our team members work! Thanks all!

Four critical ways we keep our teams safe and sound

Keeping our teams safe and healthy is our top priority at Youthlinc. We take it very seriously. Here are the precautions we take to make sure you, or your loved one gets home safe and sound.

1. We send staff or representatives on site visits before-hand to make an assessment of the destination. In each of the rural villages we stay in, we make certain: 

• We develop partnership with community leaders and in-country coordinators
• The village is safe, easily accessible by vehicle, and close to medical facility 
• The team will have access to safe and reliable drinking water and food 
• The team will stay in safe and clean accommodations, with running water 

2.  We maintain close contact with our in-country coordinators.
Our in-country coordinators are respected Rotarians in their communities, NGO staff, and leaders in their villages. With our students in mind, they help us determine projects, notify us of potential risks, and help us ensure that our transportation company, accommodations and restaurants are credible, safe and appropriate to the needs of our teams.

3.  We prepare our teams for their trips.

• Every team members signs the Code of Conduct, which outlines basic rules such as not engaging in illegal behavior, following directions of the Team Leader, and staying with the team at all times. Team Leaders and mentors are strict on these rules when the teams are in country, so much so that a team member will be sent home from a trip if in violation of the rules.
• Youthlinc requires that any participants over 18 receive a background check. 
• Each of our teams has a medical professional accompanying the team
• Each minor participant must have a medical check-up to ensure that it is safe for them to travel. A Medical Release Form must be signed by a physician in order for a minor to accompany the team. 
• Each participant must sign a Medical Information Form stating that they have received information about traveling healthy. They have the option of providing confidential information about their health conditions that would help our volunteer medical staff meet their healthcare needs. 
• Through a 10 year partnership with the University of Utah International Travel Clinic, we send team members for a briefing on how to prevent disease and illness while traveling, and an opportunity to receive recommended vaccinations. 
• We institute the "Safety Minute" where teams reflect on possible dangers in any activity several times a day. The essential part of a Safety Moment is to engage as many individuals as possible in the thought process of 'what could go wrong' in order to avoid those possible risks. 
• We offer team members a list of Traveling Tips that outlines what participants should pack, ways of preventing basic illnesses and accidents while traveling and working.

4.  We purchase emergency medical insurance for each team member.
This insurance is part of the cost of the international service trip and is purchased through Wallach and Company, covered by MEDEX HealthCare Global. The insurance includes $250,000 in medical expense benefits, including: accident, sickness, medical evacuation, emergency reunion, repatriation of remains, emergency dental, and $25,000 for accidental death and dismemberment.

Youthlinc's Emergency Medical Insurance for participants

Youthlinc purchases Emergency Medical Insurance for all Youthlinc participants.  Below is the policy description.  Participants have $250,000 in Medical Expense Benefit ($500 Deductible), $25,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and $1,000 for the Evacuation Benefit.  

The Medical Expense Benefits include benefit for:

• Accidental and Sickness
• Medical Evacuation
• Emergency Reunion
• Repatriation of Remains
• Emergency Dental

Youthlinc's "Safety Moment" for keeping teams safe while traveling

They say mothers have ‘eyes in the back of their heads’. The same must be true of Team and Alum Leaders, and good Youthlinc mentors and participants. To help us all develop these very useful ‘eyes’, Youthlinc has instituted the Safety Minute to be used as often as needed (several times a day) on all international service trips.

The basic concept is that Team and Alum Leaders, and anyone in charge of any activity, should pause with the participants for a moment, and together assess out loud any dangers or accidents or health issues that could arise in the course of the activity. If a ‘Safety Moment’ is used often, many potential hazards can be avoided. It is impossible to mention every time or every occasion or every consideration that should be taken account of in a Safety Moment. The most important part of a Safety Moment is to look around, and engage as many individuals as possible in the thought process of ‘what could go wrong’.

For example, upon arriving at an airport departure gate, the Team Leader could: