The one that's most important...

I'm officially going to South Africa from January 12 - February 12, 2012! All of the plans are made... now I just owe GVI 2000 dollars over the next three months... that savings bond I won sophomore year of high school will come in handy (My speech about James Monroe and the Monroe Doctrine was really inspirational).

I'll have more on all of this later, but I wanted to share one thing with my Vandy friends -- The lady I talked to said I would get to engage the "special needs children" in sensory activities such as brushing.... *gag*.

More later!
Elyse

The Story

Everything Happens for a Reason:

Three years ago I began planning a volunteer trip abroad to Japan with a group called United Planet. At this location, I would spend time volunteering in a childcare center for children with special needs. When funding for this trip did not work out, I spent my summer volunteering at a local school in New Jersey for children with special needs. There I met handfuls of fabulous people and decided to become a special education teacher. It was largely because of that experience that I decided to get my masters in special education at Vanderbilt. I believe that my funding fell through for a reason. My two summers spent working at PG Chambers provided me with incredible experiences that all occurred because I could not afford to go to Japan. Volunteering abroad is a dream, but volunteering in my own community was a blessing. 

Resurfaced Feelings:

This year when the urge to volunteer abroad resurfaced, I knew that I couldn't ignore it. Unfortunately, the Japan programs are not currently running due to the effects from the Tsunami and I was forced to look elsewhere. This led me to two options: (1) volunteering in Romania in an orphanage or (2) volunteering in South Africa in an orphanage. After careful consideration of where I would feel the safest, how my special education degree would be put to use, and the overall reliability of the programs, I decided on...

South Africa! 

Gordon's Bay, South Africa:

The program that I decided on is located in Gordon's Bay, South Africa.

Gordon's Bay is a beautiful, small town about 40 minutes outside of Cape Town and 30 minutes from the wine region - Stellenbosch. I will be volunteering there for four weeks in either January or July (still working on choosing a date) in an orphanage called the Nceduluntu EduCare Center.

I cannot wait to see the children and have the opportunity to teach them and learn from them! 

Future Plans:

I still have a lot to do before I go to Africa. This week I am planning to meet with a woman at the study abroad office and officially choose a date. This journey has a lot in store for me and I can't wait to see how it unfolds.