Women’s rights activists around the world have found a new poster child, literally, in 2014 Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient Malala Yousafzai. Famous for having been shot by members of the Taliban because of her outspokenness about the importance of education for girls in Pakistan,…
In the development world, there are tons of metrics by which to assess growth – ways to quantify a program’s progress in promoting health and wellness in a community. And who doesn’t love to see these numbers? Numbers that can easily be translated into…
Take one part lime, one part trash, one part string, one part friendly competition, and two parts motivational reflection, and you have the recipe for our latest Children’s Club meeting. The meeting, which was our third official Children’s Club meeting of the year, was…
I have had multiple role models during my life. Perhaps the most important role model of all was my mother; she is a well-educated woman who is dedicated to her job and to others. She has spent the majority of her life not only…
A young child sits in her bed one night, determined to finish just one more chapter of the book she borrowed from the library a few days ago. She has to know what happens next! Will the main character slay the dragon in the…
When asked to teach a Summer Art Camp at Profugo’s Center of Development for the kids of the Prashanthagiri village, I was excited, to say the least. At the time, I knew that this opportunity was going to be a complete 180° change for…
Anticipation is laced into the air and into the tinsel that shoots of flickers of light like sudden lightning bolts. The children file in, glancing curiously at the various arts and crafts that have been distributed, bringing their contribution fee and signing in their…
It started to rain heavily. Nevertheless, the children came. Big, grey clouds hovered over the beautiful lime green hills overlooking our yard. Despite the rain, the community’s children came happy. They walked up to Profugo’s Center of Development (COD) with big smiles unbothered by…
She told me that I could fly, that all I had to do was believe and wings would escape from my shoulder blades and I would become a great wild eagle, a stranger to tethers and cages. No, not an eagle, but a beautiful…
The past few Spoken English classes have been full of lively discussion and expression. A couple weeks ago we started “Star of the Day.” This gives each student a chance to speak in front of their peers and present something that is special to…