A Wandering Sole

My Little Bell from Thailand

// December 8th, 2012 // 7 Comments » // Kenya, Malawi, Thailand, Volunteer

Working in Kibera

Time

I have now been in Kenya for 10 days and it has been a super. crazy. chaotic 10 days! And I plan on telling you all about it very soon. But as I sit here on this Saturday morning, freshly showered and sitting on my new cozy couch, I have been reflecting on the importance of how we spend our time. After days spent walking miles in the hot afternoon sun, I have come home each day here absolutely exhausted (last night I accidentally dozed for a few minutes at 6:00 waiting to Skype with a friend), but I come home each day feeling so thankful and realize that my life is so much more enriched. The past few days I have spent less time on trying to rearrange my life and get settled into a new apartment and more time focusing on my social enterprise. I have had my first couple of informal meetings and am trying to develop a timeline. Although I am very passionate and excited about my future plans here and with my business back in the U.S., it has become more obvious to me how much pressure there is to succeed. (more…)

So, You’re Going to Save the World?

// January 11th, 2011 // 12 Comments » // Volunteer

Saving the World

“So, you’re going to save the world?”

The sarcasm spilled out of X’s mouth shortly before I left on my RTW trip. Sure, he thought traveling was a great opportunity and something I should do while I’m still young, blah blah blah, but as I rattled off about volunteering, I was suddenly caught off guard with his question. I fumbled and said something like, “No. I know I can’t save the world, I just want to help a few people along the way.”

The question irked me, and I felt it was a bit demeaning… trivializing my volunteer efforts. But it certainly didn’t deter me. If anything, it made me question what and why I do it.

One of the nicest letters I’ve ever received included this line, “Laura I have been telling you that I would like to be a musician but my main aim is to be helping those people who are in needy [sic] like me…” Seeing the smiles on faces and the words and acts of appreciation like this make volunteering worthwhile to me. And if I can encourage people to pay it forward, well that’s even better!

As much as I’d like to forget X’s question in casual conversation, I can’t. His words stuck. I’ve thought about what I would say if I had the chance to answer his question again. And I think, I just might give a resounding, “Yes, damnit, I’m trying to save the world!”

If you’d like more information on international volunteering, I recently wrote this article: Volunteer Abroad for Free. If you think it has relevant information, please stumble, tweet, or email it to friends. I found it tough to find legitimate, affordable volunteer projects when I first started searching a few years ago, so I’m hoping this helps someone else!

Sole Purpose: It’s a Wrap!

// January 7th, 2011 // 15 Comments » // Volunteer

Just over a year ago, I raised $1100 for secondary education in Kenya. So, when I took off to travel, I thought I’d ride the wave, so to speak, and keep at it. I am amazed at the money and support everyone has given to Sole Purpose and most are from people I’ve never even met. Together, we put $1135 towards Sole Purpose projects for education and micro-lending this past year. That’s $2235 over the past 15 months, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m not a huge fan of asking people for money- I’d rather spread the word about projects and let people decide to donate in a no-pressure way. But, at one point on this trip, I did plead for donations and the response was great! Now that my trip and my fundraising have concluded (for now), I’m trying to decide my next move. I’m very grateful for everyone who supported my cause by stopping by to read about it. I’m not done fundraising, but am searching for a method with longevity. Until then, here’s an overview of all of the projects and the amazing people that made a financial contribution!! (more…)

Montage Monday: Why I Volunteer

// December 6th, 2010 // 11 Comments » // Kenya, Photo of the Week, Volunteer

Mwangi- sweet, cute, and into everything (don’t let the smile fool you, he got into a girl’s room and drew lipstick on everything)- is a perfect example as to why I volunteer. There’s been several articles recently on the Internet including one on whether you should pay to volunteer over at Almost Fearless and one on The Guardian about how volunteering can be harmful. I believe both have factors to consider, and I have loads of opinions on this that I will share in due time. But for now, I can only hope that as selfish as I am by saying how much I get out of seeing smiles like these, I hope these kids benefited just as much from my time spent with them.

Sole Purpose: Baan Dada Children’s Home (Thailand)

// October 6th, 2010 // 11 Comments » // Philanthropy, Thailand, Volunteer

Lush landscape in Huay Malai

Note: In Thailand I never once heard the word Myanmar. It was always referred to as Burma. I believe the U.S. also supports the name Burma and out of respect for Burmese refugees,  I will do the same.

When I was looking for a volunteer project in Thailand, I started by skimming the guidebook. I read about a couple of projects assisting Burmese refugees in two border towns. While these projects were not a good fit for me, it sounded like there was no shortage of NGOs in these areas. I narrowed it down to the area of Sangkhlaburi due to time constraints and transport options. (more…)

Cards for a Cause: Deadline is THIS Thursday!

// September 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Philanthropy, Thailand, Volunteer

Get ‘em while they’re hot! Kids from Baan Dada Children’s Home, where I am currently volunteering, have worked very hard on making these cute Christmas cards. The cards are an annual fundraiser for the home and if you send these to your friends and family, you’re guaranteed to be the hot topic at Christmas parties! The cards cost $1 each: the child who made the card will receive $0.15 and the remainder goes to support running the orphanage. There are also Easter cards, Valentine’s cards, and birthday cards available, so if you fancy stocking up on birthday cards to have them on hand you can do so as well.

I will ship them once I’m back in the States, and you will have them on your doorstep by the end of November- just in time to send out for the holidays! If you are interested in purchasing these cards, please email me with your name, address, and how many of each type of card you would like. Check with friends, family, or neighbors who may be interested.

Each card comes with an envelope and a little slip telling you which child made the card and. You can keep the slip for yourself or include it in the card for the recipient to see what a nice person you are!

My email: awanderingsole@gmail.com

The deadline is THIS Thursday, September 23 at 5pm EST. Please let me know if you have any questions!