A Wandering Sole

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 // 9 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!

Sole Purpose: Back to School Foundation (Malawi)

// July 6th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Africa, Malawi, Philanthropy, Volunteer

Garden and Tutoring Center

Wow! I feel so out of touch after being offline for nearly a month except for the occasional Montage Monday posting. Frankly, internet hasn’t gotten much better but I was excited to share with you about my latest volunteer post. I spent 25 wonderful days in Malawi, well nearly wonderful (ahem, Ilala Ferry ride). The first two weeks I was volunteering with the Back to School Foundation in Monkey Bay on Lake Malawi. It is a fantastic organization focusing on secondary education, and I only wish I had more time to spend there.
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Second Time Around: The Verdict Is In

// May 21st, 2010 // 7 Comments » // Kenya, Volunteer

Riding in a tuk-tuk near Mombasa with fellow volunteers

I’ve had to take a few days to contemplate this post. Two years ago, I volunteered for an orphanage in Kenya and decided to return on my around the world trip. I had anxieties about whether or not the second time around would be better, worse, or just different. And if the truth be told, I’m not really sure how I would categorize it. So here’s a rough breakdown.
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Watoto Wa Baraka Children: A Photo Essay

// May 13th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Kenya, Volunteer

I have wrapped up my stay at Watoto Wa Baraka (WWB) orphanage here in Kenya. I wrote about my anxiety going into my second stay here, and I still don’t know that I’ve formed a conclusion on the second time around: it was definitely different. I have a few more posts about my time at WWB, but for now I want to share with you about these cute kids! In 2008, during my first volunteer stay, I took lots of photos. This time I never even pulled out my SLR camera, but rather, just took a couple of snapshots here and there with my pocket camera. I can’t say I have great photos of them this time around but the kids are so cute that I wanted to share these snapshots. Hope you enjoy :)

Mwangi just before he tried to let the pigs out of their pen!

The Waiting Game in Kenya

// May 6th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Kenya, Travel Tips, Volunteer

Listen carefully, as this is one of my greatest pieces of travel advice: If you don’t have patience, don’t come to Kenya. Most of you who read this travel blog come from modern countries. You make an appointment if you want to go to the doctor or get your hair cut. If someone is more than 20 minutes late, they’re probably not going to show up. Our Western view places a high value on time, and the world just might collapse if we don’t stick to it.

In Kenya, time is viewed very differently. If a local tells you that they will arrive at noon, it could be 2pm or later. And there’s really no need for an apology. Sadly I have gotten used to Kenyan time. This morning I was 40 minutes late to meet up with James. Luckily for me he has no clock, so he may know I am late but he doesn’t know by how much :)

I believe the reasons for inefficiency in Kenya are as follows:

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Slow Communications & Food Theft

// April 30th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Kenya, Volunteer

April 22:
Field Work
I left Watoto Wa Baraka orphanage at 8:30 with Erick, our field worker. We were walking to Ciumbu and Mihango to visit several of the sponsor children. This Saturday we had planned our monthly sponsor event, where the sponsored children come to collect food and supplies. Unfortunately, due to a death in the family of one of the staff, we had to postpone it. Back home, if you cancel an event, you pick up the phone or send out a quick email letting people know. Here, you spend hours and hours walking. Eric had just let some of these people know last week to come, and now we are spending the day telling those that live the furthest away not to come.

Mihango landscape while out on field work

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