| African village hosts youth volunteers (04/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Eliza Hidalgo | |
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From March 15 through 28 two juniors traveled to western Africa to build a school for the local community. Juniors Niki Irgens-Moller and Connie Chan traveled to the village of Diakoroba in Mali along with 15 other Bay Area high school students as representatives of the Building with Books organization. During the trip, the students learned about the culture and lives of the Diakoroba residents while they stayed with different host families. “They were very kind and welcoming,” Chan said. Irgens-Moller also enjoyed her stay with her host family. "That was the best part," she said. "Just getting to know our host families and getting really close to them was a very memorable experience. They're all amazing people." The villagers’ attitudes in particular impressed her. "Yes, they are poor but they are not unhappy,” she said. “They are very communal and it's just like a big neighborhood." The learning experience disproved many stereotypes. "No one in the village had AIDS,” Irgens-Moller explained. “They are like us and are actually quite conservative. The only difference is that they lack things such as hospitals and education." Every year, the Lowell branch of BwB sends two students to countries that need assistance in building schools. For the past three years they have traveled to Mali, but, according to Irgens-Moller and Chan, students have also been to Nircaragua and Nepal. Private donations to the national BwB organization funded the trip, according to Irgens-Moller. "To qualify for the trip we had to write an essay and go through an interview process," she said. Irgens-Moller and Chan both encouraged others to join BwB, donate money to the club and apply for the trip. |
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