As I prepare to leave Bagamoyo and the volunteer portion of my trip, I wanted to take a moment to let my sponsors know where their generous donations to my program fee have gone...
Your support has:
* Created and supports 16 full-time jobs for local citizens in a town where full-time, consistent work is difficult to come by. They are the office staff, cooks, housekeepers, drivers, and gate security for CCS. They have also been like family to myself and countless others who come to Baga. After working up to a 24 hour shift, they smile and greet us as if we've known them for years. Many are working on their secondary education and are able to get help from volunteers so that they, in turn, can better their own lives and support their families.
* Provided support materials for CCS's partner programs in Bagamoyo. While I was volunteering at Mwasama and Imuma, other volunteers were giving of themselves in local hospitals, HIV/AIDS centers, Red Cross, women's empowerment groups, small business development, orphanages and daycares as a result of what you have given.
* Provided cultural exchange opportunities. Not only am I learning a great deal about local culture, I am also sharing my own. Through guest speakers, swahili lessons, and experiences with local artists, I will continue to be an ambassador of sorts long after my return home.
To all who have supported me with an email, a hug, or a donation to CCS: You are remembered and appreciated each day. My experience here has been life-changing. I hope that you can tell by my blog entries just how much I have seen and done. Know that this experience, though, has been so much more deep, rich, and overwhelming than words can ever begin to express. What you have read is simply a drop. I will be forever grateful.
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