Since the beginning of this year, Will, Anna, Chan, Parker, and I have prepared to travel across the world to the continent of Africa, where we will be spending our time in Namibia. We have learned much about Namibian culture and history ranging from the Namibian Genocide in the early 1900s to their recent independence from South Africa. Interestingly, Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs in the world, which makes our experience working at the Cheetah Conservation Fund unique. Founded in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to protecting cheetahs from poaching and maintaining their populations in the wild. The organization works hand-in-hand with live cheetahs, analyzing their DNA, and attempting to conserve genetic variation. We have the incredible privilege of visiting the CCF, and I hope that we can learn much about cheetah DNA and gain insight into the future of the species. We will also go to the Himba tribe and learn about their lifestyle without modern amenities. This experience should be eye-opening to the experiences of people less fortunate than us. However, I am most excited to stay in the Etosha National Park and search for big game. Richmond is a beautiful city, but with our faces constantly in our phones, we forget to appreciate God's beautiful creation. I know that this opportunity to see some of the most majestic, powerful animals will be awe-inspiring, which is why I cannot wait until we arrive in Namibia.
Since the beginning of this year, Will, Anna, Chan, Parker, and I have prepared to travel across the world to the continent of Africa, where we will be spending our time in Namibia. We have learned much about Namibian culture and history ranging from the Namibian Genocide in the early 1900s to their recent independence from South Africa. Interestingly, Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs in the world, which makes our experience working at the Cheetah Conservation Fund unique. Founded in 1990, the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is dedicated to protecting cheetahs from poaching and maintaining their populations in the wild. The organization works hand-in-hand with live cheetahs, analyzing their DNA, and attempting to conserve genetic variation. We have the incredible privilege of visiting the CCF, and I hope that we can learn much about cheetah DNA and gain insight into the future of the species. We will also go to the Himba tribe and learn about their lifestyle without modern amenities. This experience should be eye-opening to the experiences of people less fortunate than us. However, I am most excited to stay in the Etosha National Park and search for big game. Richmond is a beautiful city, but with our faces constantly in our phones, we forget to appreciate God's beautiful creation. I know that this opportunity to see some of the most majestic, powerful animals will be awe-inspiring, which is why I cannot wait until we arrive in Namibia.
When we arrived in the airport and once we loaded up all our stuff on the bus, I really enjoyed the bus ride to Laguna de Apoyo. Seeing the malnourished animals on the road and the broken down housing made me sad at first, but also forced me to appreciate what I do have. I am really fortunate that I get to experience a culture that is so different from my own in the United States and excited to be experiencing a brand new culture for the next week.
Once we arrived at Laguna de Apoyo, I was struck by the natural beauty of the mountains, vegetation, and the volcano crater. The mineral water was awesome to swim in and everyone seems so hospitable.
Addie B.
My school has come to Nicaragua to work with Los Quinchos, and from the short car ride, I can already see the importance of this program in the country. We have done the research and heard what they do, but listening to a man who has dedicated almost 30 years of his life to the program, put more of these problems in perspective. Carlos made the important point of saying our care and confidence in the children are far more beneficial than simply giving them money. After listenting to our speaker, I think our group understands the magnamity of the problem for Nicaraguan children. Our short trip cannot form permanent solutions but can provide us with a sense of awareness to create more permanent solutions.
Mythili V.
We took the train to Washington D.C. Once we got there, we took the metro to Church of the Epiphany, which is our headquarters for the week. After we dropped our bags off, we went to the Smithsonian National Zoo and walked around for 2 hours. The best part of the zoo was Joe’s SWEET custom-made safari vest! He was also mistaken as a tour guide in his new vest. In the metro station, there was some trouble with the metro tickets (and also the train tickets too!). After the zoo, we went to an authentic Mexican restaurant, which was mistaken by many as a pizza restaurant. When we got back to the church, we heard a heartfelt reading by the one and only Ms. Seay (check out her fan page on Facebook!) which encouraged us to think about the effect on us and others, and was only scratching the surface on our deep reflection. Ms. Seay cares deeply about one sentence, which we will think about each night before we “lay our pretty heads down”: “You were sent to be nothing but a special mercy upon the world.” We’re getting ready to walk to the White House in the twilight, this misty dusk will surely make our journey valuable, but don’t worry, Joe will be wearing his vest in style with his bucket hat. We’re all exhausted, and will all sleep well!
The YSOP'ers were so hungry they could eat bamboo.
Dental hygiene is key!
No really...we went to the zoo.
From Allison: Traveling is always exhausting. I think we will all sleep well tonight and we face an early morning tomorrow. I think one of my favorite moments today was seeing everyone this morning at the train station with their luggage and air mattresses. There was something festive about it—even as we looked at the forecast and saw 90 degree weather for the next week.
I’m glad to be here—to get to know further some of the students I already know, and to meet and know some new kids as well. As I type there is an intense game of something that looks like a cross between dodgeball and soccer. And somewhere along the way somebody scored some starbursts and lollipops.
I think it will be a wonderful week. I am reading a new book called Hearing the Call Across Traditions: Readings on Faith and Service. It’s an anthology of readings including everyone from Ghandi to Mary Oliver, Abraham Lincoln to Thich Nhat Hanh; I’m especially drawn to the unique ways in which we will reflect on the complexity of service, and our call to act. And I hope to share a lot of what I learn with the students in the evenings…
We took the train to Washington D.C. Once we got there, we took the metro to Church of the Epiphany, which is our headquarters for the week. After we dropped our bags off, we went to the Smithsonian National Zoo and walked around for 2 hours. The best part of the zoo was Joe’s SWEET custom-made safari vest! He was also mistaken as a tour guide in his new vest. In the metro station, there was some trouble with the metro tickets (and also the train tickets too!). After the zoo, we went to an authentic Mexican restaurant, which was mistaken by many as a pizza restaurant. When we got back to the church, we heard a heartfelt reading by the one and only Ms. Seay (check out her fan page on Facebook!) which encouraged us to think about the effect on us and others, and was only scratching the surface on our deep reflection. Ms. Seay cares deeply about one sentence, which we will think about each night before we “lay our pretty heads down”: “You were sent to be nothing but a special mercy upon the world.” We’re getting ready to walk to the White House in the twilight, this misty dusk will surely make our journey valuable, but don’t worry, Joe will be wearing his vest in style with his bucket hat. We’re all exhausted, and will all sleep well!
The YSOP'ers were so hungry they could eat bamboo.
Dental hygiene is key!
No really...we went to the zoo.
From Allison: Traveling is always exhausting. I think we will all sleep well tonight and we face an early morning tomorrow. I think one of my favorite moments today was seeing everyone this morning at the train station with their luggage and air mattresses. There was something festive about it—even as we looked at the forecast and saw 90 degree weather for the next week.
I’m glad to be here—to get to know further some of the students I already know, and to meet and know some new kids as well. As I type there is an intense game of something that looks like a cross between dodgeball and soccer. And somewhere along the way somebody scored some starbursts and lollipops.
I think it will be a wonderful week. I am reading a new book called Hearing the Call Across Traditions: Readings on Faith and Service. It’s an anthology of readings including everyone from Ghandi to Mary Oliver, Abraham Lincoln to Thich Nhat Hanh; I’m especially drawn to the unique ways in which we will reflect on the complexity of service, and our call to act. And I hope to share a lot of what I learn with the students in the evenings…
Today on the first day we rode up on the bus with Mr. Fulk and Sid Negus. We left early and got to the church where we are staying earlier then the train group. It was a struggle to find a parking spot and from there Sid, Mr. Fulk, Charlie, and I carried all of the bags upstairs. Since we were first we got to choose where we put our beds and get comfortable. We were informed that we would be going to the zoo, so we were excited. The zoo was fun, but it was very hot and Joe bought a vest! We saw cheetahs, lions, and anacondas to name a few.
After the zoo, we ate dinner at California Tortilla. After dinner Mr. Fulk took a squadron of kids to the super market to carry all the food so he didn’t have to. While there we also purchased some candy. We trudged on back to the metro and walked back to the church. We then reflected on service, and what it means to serve. A good point made during the reflection, was that while serving that some people may feel selfish but there is a difference between feeling good while serving and serving to feel good. We plan to walk to the White House in a few minutes.
The Cougars trekking to the zoo!
Grace and Caroline learning about the mysterious DC Metro.
Today on the first day we rode up on the bus with Mr. Fulk and Sid Negus. We left early and got to the church where we are staying earlier then the train group. It was a struggle to find a parking spot and from there Sid, Mr. Fulk, Charlie, and I carried all of the bags upstairs. Since we were first we got to choose where we put our beds and get comfortable. We were informed that we would be going to the zoo, so we were excited. The zoo was fun, but it was very hot and Joe bought a vest! We saw cheetahs, lions, and anacondas to name a few.
After the zoo, we ate dinner at California Tortilla. After dinner Mr. Fulk took a squadron of kids to the super market to carry all the food so he didn’t have to. While there we also purchased some candy. We trudged on back to the metro and walked back to the church. We then reflected on service, and what it means to serve. A good point made during the reflection, was that while serving that some people may feel selfish but there is a difference between feeling good while serving and serving to feel good. We plan to walk to the White House in a few minutes.
The Cougars trekking to the zoo!
Grace and Caroline learning about the mysterious DC Metro.
The first time I heard about this amazing opportunity, I was sitting in Oates Theater with some of my friends. The video showcasing the international trips that Collegiate offered began to play. The trips to Spain, France, and Italy; all ones that did not catch my attention, began playing. This year being my second year in high school meant that I had already seen this video. I began to avert my attention to something else when a new trip began playing. It was a unique trip offered only one year to go to Namibia and study cheetahs. At the time, I was excited; knowing that I could have an opportunity to go on this trip. I went home, did some research, and presented the trip to my parents. Surprisingly, both of my parents agreed on allowing me to go on the trip. I received the application and filled it out. Several days later, I was thrilled to find that I was one of the five students going on the trip. I was just as excited as a child finding out they are going to Disney World. Then I quickly began to prepare for the trip.
Since my realization that I was going on the trip, I have completed an extensive course; learning the history and culture of Namibia. This course used both videos and articles to teach us the income gap that Namibia faces (one of the largest in the world), the horrible Namibian genocide during the early 1900s, and the information on the Cheetah Conservation Fund; a group that we will get to know very well as we spend several days with them during our trip. In Namibia we will spend several days with the Himba tribe; learning their culture. From their, we will travel to Etosha National Park to explore the big game. Then, we will finish our journey at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in which we will study cheetah DNA, collect cheetah scant to study, and observe the cheetah's in their habitat. I am very excited to be going on this trip and I can not wait to share my story.
The first time I heard about this amazing opportunity, I was sitting in Oates Theater with some of my friends. The video showcasing the international trips that Collegiate offered began to play. The trips to Spain, France, and Italy; all ones that did not catch my attention, began playing. This year being my second year in high school meant that I had already seen this video. I began to avert my attention to something else when a new trip began playing. It was a unique trip offered only one year to go to Namibia and study cheetahs. At the time, I was excited; knowing that I could have an opportunity to go on this trip. I went home, did some research, and presented the trip to my parents. Surprisingly, both of my parents agreed on allowing me to go on the trip. I received the application and filled it out. Several days later, I was thrilled to find that I was one of the five students going on the trip. I was just as excited as a child finding out they are going to Disney World. Then I quickly began to prepare for the trip.
Since my realization that I was going on the trip, I have completed an extensive course; learning the history and culture of Namibia. This course used both videos and articles to teach us the income gap that Namibia faces (one of the largest in the world), the horrible Namibian genocide during the early 1900s, and the information on the Cheetah Conservation Fund; a group that we will get to know very well as we spend several days with them during our trip. In Namibia we will spend several days with the Himba tribe; learning their culture. From their, we will travel to Etosha National Park to explore the big game. Then, we will finish our journey at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in which we will study cheetah DNA, collect cheetah scant to study, and observe the cheetah's in their habitat. I am very excited to be going on this trip and I can not wait to share my story.
