Margaret, South Salem, New York
| Africa
filled many needs I've had since I was in my twenties. For me it was
sort of a mini Peace Corps experience. We furnished food wherever we
went and brought modems to the hospitals. Living in compounds in
the homes of teachers provided the opportunity to dialogue with
everyone; teachers, scholars, children, women who were mobilizing the
society, mayors, healers, and fortune tellers. Wherever we went there
was music. Despite the poverty and lack of opportunity for the young
people, we witnessed joy, family love, solidarity, and friendship in the
true sense of the word.
In many ways my
French classes have been enhanced by my experiences in West
Africa. Upon returning, I was able to set up a literary e-mail exchange
with a Senegalese village. My students were astonished not only by the
differences, but also by the similarities that exist in teenagers from
the USA and Senegal. We have also connected with social studies
classes in the study of the Muslim religion. Although most of those in my group of participants had never traveled to a third world country, it was no problem because Janet and John anticipated our every need during the trip. ID is unique in that Janet and John make an effort to tailor the trip to the individual needs of the participants. This contributed to the richness of everyone's experience. It is the chance of a lifetime. |
Margaret, center |
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