Some of the Global Buddies Alumni have been inspired to organize projects that give something back to their friends around the world. Others have created art to express what the experience meant to them. We’re proud to feature a few of these projects here.
UTU Social Ventures can accept tax-deductible contributions on behalf of any of these projects. All funds go directly to supporting community needs in Africa. To contribute, contact Diane Flannery at (310) 794-8117 or DFlannery@mednet.ucla.edu.
Briana is a 13–year–old–seventh–grader from Torrance, California. She traveled to South Africa with Global Buddies in 2007, when she was in fifth grade, and went back again in 2008. By the time she returned, she and her family had raised more than $30,000 from friends, family and neighbors to improve the lives of chilren in Mfuleni township.
To honor what they gave, the Consul General of South Africa, Jeanette Ndhlovu, made a personal visit to the 600 children who attend Laguna Road School in Fullerton, California, where Briana’s mother, Kristie Lanktree, is an Instructional Aide.
Students at Laguna Road pitched in with the Lanktrees’ effort to help children in Mfuleni – with bake sales, lemonade stands, garage sales, penny drives, and anything else they could think of to raise a few dollars.
With the money they raised, Briana and her family were able to share many things with their South African friends:
- School Supplies
- Uniforms for children who need them to attend school
- A new playground — complete with swings, merry–go–round, and climbing structure — to give children a safe and fun place to play
To find out more about how Briana made such a difference, and to see some of the news coverage of her efforts, visit WE CAN HAVE WORLD PEACE or CLICK HERE.
Rosy is a junior at Nevada Union High School in Grass Valley, California, and she traveled to South Africa with Global Buddies in 2008. Since returning home, she has started Books Across the Water to raise $5,000 to create a library at Women for Peace in Mfuleni township.
Many of the children and youth who attend Women for Peace’s after-school program love to read, but they only have access to the limited selection of books in their school library. Rosy and her family are raising money to purchase books in both English and Xhosa. The library will help South African youth improve their English, learn more about the world, and enjoy the pleasures of reading.
Rosy will be holding a benefit concert for Books Across the Water at St. Joseph's Hall in Grass Valley on April 18th, 2009. The event will feature a variety of musicians; original dances choreographed by local advanced dance students; African dance and drumming; a photography display and Global Buddies slide show; and a South African crafts sale.
For more information, go to BOOKS ACROSS WATER..
Rosy also created a photography project, Portraits of South Africa, to express the joy and dignity she saw in the children she met while traveling. CLICK HERE to view some of these pictures.
Hello, we are Rooms 5 Otto and 5 Crain. We support the Global Buddies connection, because we want to have cultural diversity.
Our class joined the Global Buddies program in Room 3 when Maya, Austin, and Sayahn went to South Africa and joined the program. One of the activities we did when they came back was to send out letters to their new friends. We continue to send fellow classmates there every spring or summer to make new alliances. We have built amazing friendships that will last us a lifetime. We hope to continue this wonderful program and spread it throughout the world. This year we are in Room 5. We started the year learning about the U.S. election and the U.S. government and wanted a way to share our knowledge with our global buddies. The U.S. government is a Democracy, which means that the people have power along with the President, Senate, and House of Representatives. One of the powers the people have is to elect the President. This year was an election year, so we participated in many fun and exciting activities all relating to the general election between Barack Obama and John McCain. The highlight was a mock election. In this website, you will find many U.S. election-related activities that we would like to share with you.
By Adrian Lapsenson and Liz Yount Greif
Read Austin's letter to President Obama.
Lisa Narchi, Brentwood resident and business owner, fell in love with Global Buddies as soon as she learned about the organization. She had been searching for an opportunity to be part of a local organization involved in international service work. She loves it that Global Buddies offers people easy yet profound ways to give to countries abroad. When she learned about the children in Mfuleni, a township outside of South Africa, and their passion for ballroom dancing and their difficulty affording it, she wanted to help. Lisa learned ballroom dancing while living in Germany and discovered it was a way to increase her self-esteem and stay connected to others. When she returned to the States she volunteered in Seattle’s inner-cities schools and had the chance to work on summer school projects teaching Latin dance to elementary school students whose parents worked during the day. Because she knows how dancing can change lives, she is excited about raising money for the “Let the Children of Africa Dance!” project. Women for Peace, an organization in Mfuleni, runs an after-school program that teaches kids ballroom dancing. Most of the kids are very talented and the trophies they win at competitions mean the world to them. The major obstacle in their way is affording the clothes and shoes they need to dance. Lisa is committed to raising money for the pants, shirts, dresses, and dance shoes these kids need in order to keep dancing and stay off the streets. A donation as small as $35 can buy a child a pair of dance shoes, and a $200 contribution can send a child to a dance competition. Without donations most children are unable to participate in the after-school dance program. For more information about how you can get involved, contact Lisa Narchi, 310-386-1125 or lisa@globalbuddies.net.