“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” ~Frederick Douglass

“Literacy arouses hopes, not only in society as a whole but also in the individual who is striving for fulfilment, happiness and personal benefit by learning how to read and write. Literacy... means far more than learning how to read and write... The aim is to transmit... knowledge and promote social participation.”~ UNESCO

I saw what rural literacy looks like today.

A great group had turned up for our livestock training sessions all week long. They came everyday. Why were they attending? Their answer was very simple- they wanted a better life for their children. For me, this was reason enough. After all of the training sessions were complete, this group of 31 members, would be organized into groups of accountability and problem solving. Each member of the groups would receive the livestock they had applied for- cows, pigs or chickens. The livestock loan would then have to be re-paid after a certain amount of time.

The sessions were shaky, but okay. It was our groups first time at this whole livestock thing. There was a language barrier. There were many unknowns involved in the process. Then it came time to teach record keeping. I knew the literacy rate was low, but usually in my past experiences, number literacy tends to be a bit higher. Out of 31 group members, 1 was able to record her own numbers for herself. This was a problem. We came up with a solution- bring someone in your family who can write for you.

We held the last session of training. Each member brought a scribe with them- a child- and many of these children struggled to write themselves. But this livestock was so incredibly important to the family, that the child would be trained in keeping records. A few of the members could not even produce a child of their own to write for them and so another member's child would record keep for both.

It was a hot room. There wasn't an empty seat in the place. We'd finished all the lessons, all of the training, all of the information had been covered. It was time to fill out the paperwork... loan applications, group agreements, etc.

I saw what rural literacy looked like today- when not one, no not one, could sign their own name to their loan document.

Instead, a red fingerprint was pressed next to their name- which someone else had written.

This was a most humbling experience. I can't remember a time when I couldn't read or write. I simply sign my name to all kinds of things, often times with very little thought to how powerful that signature actually is.

Once the documents had all been fingerprinted, the livestock recipients could not be prouder of being a member of such a group.

The committee who worked on this project was AMAZING! No matter what obstacle they encountered, they stepped up and figured things out. They learned a ton and taught me so much. I have nothing but great respect for the difficult work they did.

Thanks to all those givers out there who helped make this project a reality. Many people sponsored an animal for a family. Your donation is genuinely appreciated. You have made a beautiful difference that will only keep on giving!

A Lovely Way to Spend the Day, Biking Angkor Wat

A cathartic re-connecting to the world. It was dark out when I began my ride. Though it wasn't 5 am yet, the air was warm and sticky. Smells of yesterday's spices lingered in the air. The breeze blowing through me felt reviving. And so the journey began, biking my way through the Angkor Temples of Cambodia.

We raced the sun to get to Angkor Wat. The entire temple is art. Each column is carved with intricate images and ancient words of Sanskrit. Even the window bars were beautifully and meticulously shaped. Simple stacked rocks are altars reaching upward. Wandering the halls of this ancient wonder was awe inspiring.

Always an audience- even while trying to lock up my bike I was followed and watched by kids made to work by selling to thirsty tourists. After a relaxing stop at a cool cafe that included a bowl of sweet fruits and a refreshing tiger balm towel for the neck, it was time to ride on to the next destination.

A clumsy bus usually carries me down this road. This time I carried myself. The sounds were different. The monkeys were a little to close for comfort. The colors were too tempting to pass up and pictures had to be taken.

Angkor Thom is something out of a waiting adventure. Its ruins are magical. I could sit in one of the towers and wonder at the carefully carved faces that are woven throughout for a good long while. And I did. I enjoyed quiet conversation, watching from afar and just thinking about life- the simplicity and complexity of it all is a mess of tangled adventure.

From there it was time to find the elephants for a bouncy ride. Back on bikes again, back toward where we had come, a new path was taken. Though we had a map, somehow along the way we missed our turn. And then another. Lost. But it was good. A simple village arose where people were living their lives... Woven mats were spread wide working with the sun to dry the rice... Naked babies entertaining themselves with simple sticks... Uniformed students riding or walking home from a morning of learning... Car batteries being charged at a roadside stand in order to provide a home with electricity later that evening... Lush trees, brilliant flowers and an encroaching jungle lined the orange earth road. It was a lovely detour, a great place to get lost.

Finally we decided to get some directions- we were WAY off base. Three giddy girls with very little English looked at our map and pointed out where we were and which way we needed to bike to get to where we wanted to be. They did speak enough English to ask for a dollar for their trouble. Back down the beautiful road again. A right turn. And then another.

A last temple to see. My favorite one of all~Ta Prohm. The way the tree giants weave themselves through and around and over the buckling temple walls is enchanting. Colossal roots have overtaken the land and I feel small.

It's late afternoon and my stomach is ready for some of the best Khmer food I have tasted. A vegetable curry with a cold water and a cold soda is just the ticket.

But we still hadn't found those elephants yet... where did they get to anyway? So we had one more stop to make. Continuing on our bikes, a bit more sore than we were before lunch, we made our way to the elephants. They were huge. And harry. And we bumbled slowly up the side of the mountain to a grand surprise~ One more temple. Only this one has really steep steps, and I'm wasn't sure I had it in me anymore to climb another. But we decided to do it. We climbed sideways so as to not point our butts to the gods, as we were told on an earlier tour. And what a delicious treat for the eyes it was.

Up so high, a view all around of the below. Simple flags flapped in the warm breeze. The smell of incense burning for Buddha perfumed the air. A grand finish to a grand day.

Youthlinc Cambodia

It has been far too long since my last posting... we've been in the U.S.:) But now we are off on many summer adventures again.

First stop, Cambodia. I've traveled with 27 students, 11 mentors and we've added on two delightful girls from Holland that upon hearing of our projects, wanted to join. How could we say no?

I'm posting a link to a post that some of the students on my team created because they did a great job talking about the going ons of the trip.

Here's the link- check it out!