IGLOW NGAWI 2015

This year, Christmas came early in Indonesia – at least for me! After months of planning and wondering if all of the piece would really come together, my school hosted IGLOW Ngawi 2015. I couldn’t have wished for anything more this holiday season.

Indonesian Girls Leading Our World is a branch of Peace Corps’ popular “GLOW” (and BRO for boys) camps. All across the world, youth gather for empowerment, wellness, and leadership training. It was a privilege to work with my school on developing our own IGLOW camp. I can’t say enough how much the success of IGLOW Ngawi is owed to the teachers and staff at my school, as well as the high school counselors and my fellow-Peace Corps volunteers who helped everything run smoothly (and kept me sane!).

Rather than continuing to gush over how all my “summer camp meets Peace Corps meets Indonesia” dreams finally came true, take a look for yourselves. The smiling faces of these lovely girls as they grew in confidence and as leaders was worth more than all the silver and gold Yukon Conelius could ever put to song.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Wonderful New Year to all!

IGLOW Ngawi Needs You!

Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of. – Bethany Hamilton

When women have opportunities to share equally in leadership roles with men, as well as have equal access to family income and work opportunities, communities thrive economically and socially.

In light of recent and ongoing tragedies in Paris, Beirut, and Baghdad, it is easy to wonder how much of a difference we, as individuals, can make in the world. Our hearts are broken and our minds uncomprehending.

But every day when I go to school and am greeted by the fresh, eager faces of my students, I am reminded that there is good in the world. There are hopes, there are precious futures, and there is kindness.

This December, some of those bright faces and eager souls will have an opportunity to attend an IGLOW camp at my school.

IGLOW: Indonesian Girls Leading Our World is a camp organized throughout the world by Peace Corps Volunteers and their community partners. Sixty girls from ten local schools will join us for three days of workshops and camp activities. We hope to create a safe, open environment for the girls to explore their strengths, goals, and opportunities. They will also receive information about personal health, safety, and how to be good stewards of the environment. These skills and information are desperately needed in many Indonesian communities. What a privilege it will be for these girls to lead the way towards a physically, environmentally, and socially healthier future in their families, schools, and communities!

But we can’t do it alone. My school has made a generous contribution to our IGLOW fund, but we would like to raise an additional $800. Faithful readers and subscribers, this is a precious opportunity for you to step in and give directly to the community I have been writing about and sharing with you for the past 20 months. With your donation, you can make a tangible difference in the lives of these girls. For less than $20, we can send one girl to camp – all expenses paid.

There is much fear and doubt in the world, but I hope IGLOW will give these girls an opportunity to see the good in themselves, their communities, their futures, and in those who lend their support from abroad. Please thoughtfully consider giving to our IGLOW project. 100% of your donation goes directly to IGLOW: Ngawi, and every dollar goes a long way.

Click here to give!

You can be sure I will keep my blog updated with plenty of pictures and stories as our IGLOW plans unfold!

What’s for Sale?

I always learn a lot from my students – they teach me about themselves, their culture, and life. A few weeks ago, I posted about some of my students’ hopes and dreams. This week, I want to share a little something different.

Towards the end of this past school year, Bu Isna and I asked our students to make advertisements in English. They could choose to advertise anything they wished, but we encouraged them to think about the kinds of things they see and use in their daily life. None of you will be surprised that a group of 13 year olds came up with a lot of food and many cellphones. But the kinds of food and other items also struck me as so very Indonesian. Here are some of the best…

“Tahu” is tofu…guess we should have covered that in class. Here you can see two advertisements for tofu and one for fried bananas – staples of Indonesian snack food.

Here are some more favorite foods – ice cream and bakso meatballs. And what’s Indonesia without a healthy serving of some fresh fruit?

Every day before school, my students read from the Qur’an, so these advertisements seem particularly useful.

Finally, every successful student needs a good English dictionary and a sturdy pair of shoes.

So Tell Me What You Want…

We all have hopes and dreams, and we all have things we want to accomplish in life. These things may change with age and experience. They may also depend on culture and socioeconomics. But, in general, I think we all have some sort of a “bucket list” in our heads.

My counterpart and I were recently teaching our students about “already” and “not yet.”  Why not ask our students to make their bucket lists? I thought. What did those shy, wide-eyed faces want out of life? What would any 8^th grader want out of life?

Sports, celebrities, jobs, and exotic foods.

Many of the boys wanted to meet their soccer heroes.

 

Far-flung destinations and new experiences.

Paris appeared on many of the girls’ lists. Thirteen year old girls love that romance.

In many ways, their lists could have been written by a middle school student anywhere in the world. They wanted to travel, meet their idols, try new things, and have exciting jobs. The differences often lay in the details.

Donkeys and sandwiches – why not?

Sandwiches, strawberries, pizza, and spaghetti – things we see every day in America – became exciting and exotic.

Many students wanted to travel, but their destinations often included India and Mecca, both of which have huge cultural and religious significance on this heavily Muslim, formerly Hindu, island.

One dream, however, struck me as more “Indonesian” than any other. It appeared on multiple students’ lists, and one lucky student got to put it in her “I have already…” column…

“I have already taken a picture with a tourist.”

The vast majority of Indonesians I have met are welcoming and friendly, and sometimes that means they want to remember welcoming me to their country forever. Some days, it’s hard for me to understand why people ask for my picture as if I was Taylor Swift just strolling down the street, but after seeing my students’ lists, I wonder if I’ve ever helped someone check something off of their bucket list.

Some of my students’ dreams will be difficult to achieve. Many of them will encounter financial, social, and educational obstacles along their paths to seeing snow, travelling to America, or becoming writer, doctors, and policemen. But, as they grow older and learn to face the sometimes harsh realities of the world, I hope they won’t forget the time they made their bucket lists in English class. Every 8^th grader should have room to dream, whether they dream of eating a sandwich or travelling the world.