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Stone to spend school break in Africa teaching the poor
(by David Jimenez - April 23, 2008)
Moved by the need to help children, Boonton resident Danielle Stone will travel this summer to Kenya where she will apply her language skills to an overcrowded school system in need of a few good teachers.
As an international volunteer, Stone hopes to empower young boys and girls by giving them the help they need to overcome poverty.
“I’ve never done anything quite like this before,” she said. “Throughout my life. I have done what I consider small charitable acts; such as visiting nursing homes as a Girl Scout. With no career and nothing else to hold me back, I realized how blessed I was and became motivated to do something for someone else.”
The trip will not be without its challenges. Volunteer teachers assume every last penny associated with their stay, which includes: the cost of a passport, vaccinations, airfare, food and shelter. Organized and managed by a New Zealand-based, non-profit organization called The Global Volunteer Network, volunteers are paired with local families who live in the suburbs surrounding Nairobi.
Stone, who is pursuing a teaching career at Montclair State University, will spend the month of June in an adventure that could cost $5,000 of her own money.
Stone said she is not going at this wearing rose-colored glasses. Reading the blogs written by volunteers who are in-country would give any future volunteer pause.
For example, Josee from Canada wrote, “I brought Mama Tunza and head teacher to visit an organization that is supposed to help orphanages. I got a glimpse at the bureaucracy and the realities of life here. First, the organization had no food or clothes. They are constantly seeking donations from churches and locals.”
With a bit of humor, Tessa from the United Kingdom wrote, “The kitchen shack at Mary’s flooded and we continued to cook lunch while rain poured through the roof. My shoes are now unrecognizable, and I cleverly wore long baggy trousers which, by the end of the day, were fully saturated with mud. My skin is now ingrained with Kenyan dirt!”
Stone will, no doubt have her own adventures to report. She noted that she will not be alone. The nonprofit group sponsoring her activity promises that another of its volunteers will be nearby.
Her plans call for living with a local family in one of Nairobi’s suburbs, which to date has not been identified. The family will provide her with two meals a day and a place to stay.
“My assignment will be to teach English and history five days a week. On the weekend I can volunteer to work in the local orphanage or participate in food drops to other communities,” she said.
Stone said that her parents are supportive of her decision, while other family members are leery about her safety in a country known for its political turmoil and poverty.
For now, Stone is preparing for her trip both mentally and physically.
“Kenya is a walking society,” she said. “School is about two to three miles away. I will probably use a bucket to do my laundry and will need to go out and get food.”
Gone will be the days of easy living. “I won’t be able to go over to the sandwich shop, which will be a real shock,” she said.
To help Stone’s effort, family and friends are hosting a two-hour fundraiser on Sunday, April 27, at Boonton Lanes, 720 Myrtle Ave., beginning at 3 p.m. For more information or for those wishing to send Stone words of encouragement, she can be reached on the Internet at stoneiie@aol.com.
According to the group’s Web site, The Global Volunteer Network began its philanthropic work eight years ago. Last year it placed approximately 2000 volunteers around the world to help impoverished communities in need.
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