My sister and I are going to Rift Valley Children's Village in July. We will volunteer at an orphanage to help make a difference. We are excited to help the children learn, grow, and play. We have lots of love to give and are excited to share our experiences with you!
~Melissa Becerra & Monica Dominic
January 9, 2013:
Jambo! (That means "hello" in Swahili.) My "Learn Swahili" supplies came in the mail! I plan on learning some key phrases so that I can attempt to communicate in Tanzania's native language. I have books and CDs to help me in this process. Kwa heri! (Good bye!)
I feel very honored and blessed to have such a supportive backing of family and friends. I've been amazed and in awe of people's generosity! At this very moment I have raised $7,922. That's almost double my goal! Now I'm able to donate my time, skills, AND other resources/supplies that the Rift Valley Children's Village (RVCV) needs. The additional funds, and future donations, will go straight to RVCV.
Friends and family have been generous in many ways. Items are being donated and made, and lots of conversations are occurring about taking action. Two students at my school, who were in my class last year, wrote an article about my trip in the Boulevard Times. I love that my excitement is catchy! Talking about my trip to Tanzania is one of my favorite topics of conversations. Many people have been asking for travel plan updates. So, I thought this would be a good time to start my action blog.
Just this morning, my mom and I purchased our tickets! (Each ticket was over $2,700.) In 6 months we will be in Tanzania! We leave on July 4th, and 26 hours later we'll be in Tanzania! We arrive back in the US on July 29th (after 28-ish hours of travel). As our travel plans are made, I will post updates. In the mean time, here are some videos and website links to give you more of an idea of what we'll be doing.
http://vimeo.com/5577888 This video was made by a volunteer at Rift Valley Children's Village a few years ago. The video will show where we'll be staying and some of what we'll be doing.
