Name: 

Tell us about the organization you work for and what you do for them.
Last week marked the three-month anniversary of the beginning of my year long commitment to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA. My decision to apply for AmeriCorps was an easy one. I was uninterested in getting a post-grad entry level job, with crappy pay and little opportunities to learn or grow. I wanted to use my year between life as an undergrad and a graduate student as an opportunity to do something meaningful, to continue to evolve and develop my passion for social change and social justice and to make a tangible difference in someone else’s life. Through AmeriCorps, I was placed at The SPARK Center in Boston. The SPARK Center is a model child care program offering therapeutic, medically-specialized programs for children of all ages based on the philosophy that children are resilient and able to take control of their futures. We make long term investments in some of Boston’s most fragile children. Most of our children are growing up in poverty, with parents and caregivers who struggle daily to maintain the integrity of their families.
My primary goal this year is to strengthen, expand and increase the visibility of SPARK by assisting with a variety of organizational activities essential to creating a strong future for the program and for the families we serve. This includes developing and maintaining social media sites, overhauling the existing client utilization database, increasing the number of grant proposals, participating in community meetings and events, and assisting with fundraising initiatives. In addition, I have become an active contributor to the day-to-day goings on at SPARK both with the administrators and the children.

Share a favorite memory.
On of my favorite memories so far during my year of service is the afternoon when the Red Sox mascot Wally and friends from the Boston Red Sox visited SPARK. Our organization was part of their 100 Acts of Kindness, an initiative to give back to 100 area organizations in celebration of their team’s 100th year. They donated a brand new camera and compact printer to SPARK to help with our social media efforts. The best part of the visit, however, was watching Wally interact with the kids. Outside in our Nature Outdoor Classroom, the children were dancing, running, playing and giggling along with Wally. Although I am not from Massachusetts, I have quickly learned how passionate everyone is about sports and how much the Red Sox are an icon for this city. It was exciting to see the kids decked out in their Red Sox gear playing with Wally. It was also excited to develop a relationship with the Red Sox, because powerful community relationships are what help our organization strengthen and grown.

What have you learned from your experience? How has it affected your long-term goals?
I am only a quarter of a way into my year of service, and I have already learned a tremendous amount. I have learned a lot about the inner workings of a non profit organization. I have learned about development, fundraising, grant writing, developing community relationships, billing practices and social networking. Most importantly, I have been given the wonderful and powerful gift of perspective. One of the goals of the VISTA program is to help us to not only see, but to understand how the other half lives. We spend an entire year working full time for an organization that serves people living in poverty, and we are paid at the federal poverty line. The combination of our placement with our payment is designed to create an all encompassing experience. And it works. I don’t think I grew up spoiled, but I definitely grew up having everything I needed and nearly everything I wanted. Now, I work hard all day and make just enough money to pay the bills. And the experience really works. I am getting a glimpse into the struggles that millions of people, including many of the families at SPARK, face every single day. But I don’t have to support a family, deal with physical or emotional abuse, pay outrageous medical bills, use food stamps or grapple with the daunting prospect that my kids may get stuck in this cycle. I’ve got it good.
My experience so far has helped me to realize that I want to apply for a graduate program in Public Health. It has also exposed me to many new organizations and foundations, and helped me to foster relationships with people who will be beneficial to me in my future career.

What was the most challenging part of your job?
One of the biggest challenges of my job is working so much for very little pay. A paycheck is a natural incentive for an individual to work hard, and when that paycheck comes in the form of a very small “living stipend”, it is challenging to stay motivated. However, most people who take gap years aren’t in it for the money. And, if you are serving with AmeriCorps, you definitely are not motivated by money.
I quickly found alternative ways to stay motivated and to reinforce my own work habits. I found that spending a little bit of extra time each week in the classroom with the children was all I needed to keep working hard. Spending extra time with the kids gave me an opportunity to see why my hard work was needed.

Do you have any advice for prospective gappers?
My biggest piece of advice is to TAKE A GAP YEAR. There is no rush to get a full time “real” job. And there is no rush to go straight to graduate school. Take some time to really figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. All you need is that one amazing experience to help you figure it out, and most likely that experience won’t be found sitting in an office or in a classroom. I think it is important to spend your gap year doing something that will not only benefit yourself, but will benefit the greater good. The world is a very damaged place, and there is so much work that a prospective gapper could do it make it better! And in the end, you will better yourself too!

Check out more on Amanda’s blog!

My name is Alyssa Llamas and I am a Public Health Associate for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I am currently stationed at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW).

The Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) is a training program that provides young, public health professionals the opportunity to work at the frontlines of public health. Associates are stationed at a state, local, tribal, or territorial health department and assigned two focus areas (Chronic Disease, Environmental Health, Public Health Preparedness, Global Migration and Quarantine, Immunization, Injury Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, STD, TB, and/or HIV, Other Communicable Diseases).

PHAP gives associates the best of both worlds. While employed by the CDC, they are placed in the field, implementing programs, providing health education, conducting research, etc. Public Health Associates are towards the end of the public health professional food chain. However, it is encouraging to hear that many of CDC’s leaders started at the bottom. During the summer training, Dr. Frieden, Director of CDC, recalled stories of his early days in public health: moving to a new city for an assignment and working at the ground level to improve community health. It is this kind of experience that the Public Health Associate Program provides.

PHAP is a fantastic program for postgrads interested in public health and want to get work experience before applying to graduate school. There are many positives to PHAP, but there are also some negatives.

PHAP does not give you the choice to choose your host site, but you’ll get to live somewhere you never thought you would. Remember, it’s only temporary and two years goes by fast. You also don’t get to choose your focus areas. They are a packaged deal with the host site, but do not feel limited by them. Keep your eye out for other projects at your host site. When I was offered the job, I was told my assignment was at a tribal epidemiology center in Billings, Montana and that my focus areas were environmental health (EH) and injury prevention (IP). These areas were completely new to me, but I was excited to learn about them and to work with American Indian Tribes.

PHAP staff does their best to ensure that each associate is placed in a host site that will nurture but also challenge the associate. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. My host site in Montana did not meet PHAP’s expectations so I was relocated to Boise, Idaho. Although my experience in Montana was discouraging, I took advantage of any opportunity I could find while I was there. I especially cherished my time working directly with the American Indian tribes and visiting them on the reservations.

As a CDC employee, you’ll have access to all of CDC’s resources, including the library, training courses, and staff. Each associate is also assigned a PHAP supervisor and CDC mentor. They provide advice on projects, work issues, and future plans.

I love the work that I’m doing now. I am juggling several projects, including ones in immunization, HIV/STD, and epidemiology. I am visiting schools with low immunization rates and working with their staff to increase the number of students that are up-to-date on their vaccines. I am also working on an HIV website and community blog for the MSM (men who have sex with men) population in Idaho. I am also doing an descriptive epidemiology project and classifying Cryptosporidium cases in Idaho using data from the past 5 years.

PHAP has helped me discover what areas of public health I am most passionate about and what kind of public health work I want to do. Though public health is a broad field, there are essentials skills needed to work in any area of public health. PHAP helps associates develop those skills such as program development and management, communication, community partnership, and critical thinking. With about six months left in my program, I feel ready for my next assignment after PHAP.

Advice for applicants:

1. Carefully examine the application and PHAP fact sheet. Use key words (hint: check the program competency domains).
2. Highlight your skills and accomplishments, whether or not they are public health-related, and emphasize their impact.
3. Convey your passion for public health and your desire to learn more.
4. Use numbers.
5. Be flexible.

Me and an elephant

Name: Allie H.
University: UCSD
Major: Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Type of Work: Medical/Public Health
Region: Africa
Length of stay: 3-6 months

Tell us about the nonprofit/social business you work for:
I am working in the capital city of Swaziland, a tiny kingdom located inside of South Africa. Primarily, I work with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) as a research volunteer in the BCM Clinical Centre of Excellence pediatric HIV clinic in Mbabane. At the clinic I am engaged in a variety of small and large scale clinical research projects (mostly retrospective) directed towards supporting policy changes related to HIV care and treatment in Swaziland.

How did you find your position?
One of the Baylor AIDS Corps doctors is a close family friend. I contacted him when I decided to take a year off between undergrad and graduate school and he was more than happy for me to have me travel to Swaziland and help out at the clinic.

What’s your typical day like?
My work schedule varies greatly depending on the day because I am involved in a number of projects. Everyday brings a different set of responsiblities and tasks for me! I love it because my work is unpredictable, challenging and constantly changing. Some projects are long term while others have been short and intensive for a few weeks at a time. I typically work 6-8 hours a day and the three organizations are conveniently located on the same street in Mbabane so it’s easy for me to walk back and forth between them.

What kind of people do you work with?
I work with all kinds of individuals and I love it! At the clinic we have international doctors, local Swazi nurses, pharmacists, social workers etc, as well as volunteers of all ages from all over the world. I am on the younger side of the age spectrum here but the community is perpetually changing so the age make-up changes almost weekly. People from all backgrounds live and work in Mbabane such as health professionals, consultants, businessmen and women, journalists, etc.

Me and my Rwandan Family + Marta (the Spanish girl I live with also)

What are your living accommodations?
When I initially arrived I stayed with my family friends but quickly moved into a one bedroom apartment attached to a house owned by an amazing Rwandan woman. I have definitely become part of the family and eat breakfast and dinner with them each day and spend weekends at BBQs (or braais in SiSwati) with their family friends. My apartment is fully furnished with a full kitchen and bathroom and I have wireless internet access as well. There are very few if any “apartments” in Swaziland like there are in the US; all of my friends here live in houses or rent rooms from families.

What do you do in your free time?
Lots! I’m fairly certain that my social calendar in Africa is twice as busy as it ever was in the States. I am blessed to have a wonderful expatriate community here in Swaziland full of adventurous and brilliant individuals. Each week we play ultimate frisbee with a group of local Swazi teens and have weekly themed dinners (mexican food night is my favorite!). I have been taking portuguese lessons twice a week, running in the local game parks on the weekends and hiking all around Swaziland. We take weekend trips to the beaches in Mozambique and South Africa whenever we get the chance or travel further within southern Africa on long weekends. Swaziland also has ridiculous events such as the annual goat and rat races and Slojo half marathon which I have participated in. Never a dull moment in the Swaz!

Table Mountain, Robben Island

Allie and some of her girlfriends after running the half marathon

Share a favorite memory or story from your experience!
Daily life in Africa is an adventure in itself and its hard to choose just one experience. I’d say one of the most memorable, and quintessentially African, moments is when my friends and I ran into a hippo sleeping on the street corner as we were walking back from dinner!

What inspired you to do this kind of work? If you are taking a gap year, what motivated you to do that?
My gap year was motivated by the pursuit to discover my future career path. I knew I wanted to study public health in graduate school but I wanted to be certain that it was for me before dedicating two years of my life to a program. After my time in Africa I am 100% certain that this line of work is for me and the first-hand experience I have gained from working in a resource-limited setting is irreplaceable.

How are you financing your time?
I am financed by own personal savings and some contributions from my lovely family. I had a difficult time finding a paid internship or volunteer position that was exactly what I wanted. Although its tough to finance it all on my own, the freedom I have to create and shape my own experience abroad is pretty much priceless. I have made my experience into exactly what I wanted it to be.

What kind of special skills do you need to do your job?
None

Menzie, Mduduzi and I at the top of a mountain in Swaz (Menzie and Mduduzi are two of the Swazi teens I play frisbee with each week and love dearly)

Do you feel like you are making a positive, critical impact on the global community?
On a personal/individual level I am making an impact on the daily lives of the Swazi teens I work and play with. My friends and I provide them with a critical support system they are lacking at home in most cases. The work I am doing at the clinic and other NGOs definitely has the ability to have an impact at the national level by informing organizations and health care providers of better ways to direct care and resources to patients. Most of my projects are still works in progress but the eventual outcomes will be influential to patient care and treatment in Swaziland.

What have you learned about the nonprofit and social business world in your experience?
One of the most important things I have learned is that you must work within the system, whatever that system may be-social, political etc. I spent quite a bit of time going about my work as if I was still in America and found myself frustrated day to day. Eventually I realized that I needed to work within the bureaucratic systems in place, thereby saving myself from a bit of frustration and grief. To the same extent, it is equally important for organizations to work on capacity building within the communities they operate in to establish sustainable programs.Do you think you make a unique contribution to your organization as a young person? Is your perspective or approach different from others?

Do you think you make a unique contribution to your organization as a young person? Is your perspective or approach different from others?
Yes. I have found that many of the employees working with NGOs in Swaziland are quite young and I think the vibrant personalities and fresh ideas provided by our generation contribute positively to the programs that are designed and implemented here. The dynamic between the younger and older employees is very valuable because it combines new ideas with wisdom and experience.

How do you see this experience fitting into your long-term goals?
My time here has solidified my passion for global public health work. I have had opportunities to experience or observe many aspects of the field that I did not know existed previously and I am confident that having that knowledge will benefit my studies in the future. My main goal has not changed but I have a more focused objective for the future.

What’s next?
I will be volunteering in Sao Paulo, Brazil for 6 months beginning in January before starting graduate school next fall to pursue a Master in Public Health degree! After graduate school I plan to continue public health work abroad.

What is one thing you wish you knew before you came to your position?
The amount of communication skills it would require. A lot of my work involves communicating ideas clearly and succintly to other organizations and government programs. I have definitely developed my communication skills greatly over the past few months.

Do you have any advice for prospective gap-givers?
Taking a gap year is a wonderful way to figure out exactly what you want to do and provide you with a more focused perspective for future endeavors. I highly recommend taking some time off to give back to the world and learn; learn about yourself, your ambitions, the world, opportunities, other cultures, everything! All of your experiences will benefit you in the future.

Are you blogging about your work or travel? How can we stay in touch?
Blogging @ alliebhughey.blogspot.com

Would you be willing to take questions from potential Gappers?
Yes

Visiting a Peace Corps friend in northern Armenia for the weekend and making some good old-fashioned pizza

Name: Talene Ghazarian
School: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Type of Work: Medical/Public Health
Region: Eastern Europe
Length of stay: 1 Year+

Tell us about the organization you work for and what you do for them.
I worked predominantly for two organizations: World Vision in a more rural setting, and the Women’s Resource Center Armenia (WRCA) in the capital city, Yerevan. While working with World Vision’s area development program in the small town of Talin, I worked mostly with maternal support groups in the surrounding villages doing public health education about various topics (diabetes, nutrition, smoking etc). In addition I planned health education days at various summer camps for children. All my work was done in Armenian. At the Women’s Resource Center I chose to focus on women’s self-defense and sexual education. I taught the staff the basic methods taught in RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) course and left them some teaching material. I also co-taught a comprehensive sexual education class for young women. During my time in Armenia, a women was killed as a result of domestic violence. We became involved on various levels, including; getting legislation changed, organizing a march, helping the family and the orphaned child etc. I also helped do research and basic translations. The Women’s Resource Center was a very warm and welcoming environment to work in. Also many staff and volunteers speak English.

Playing a nutrition education game about food groups with summer camp kids in Talin. The kids loved it!

Share a favorite memory.
Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6th. I was a bit sad to be away from home for the holidays, but the women at the Women’s Resource Center were so thoughtful and inclusive, that my mood quickly changed. The week between New Years and January 6th was spent going from house to house, eating, drinking and being grateful. At that point, I no longer felt like an outsider who had come to volunteer, I had become part of the collective.

What have you learned from your experience? How has it affected your long-term goals?
My work in both placements helped me realize the importance of policy in affecting change in health and women’s rights. This sparked an interest in law and I actually applied to law school, with plans to do a dual masters in public health and law degree. I decided to start with the MPH and am trying to figure what my niche in the health policy world would/could be, and how to best prepare for it.

What is the most challenging part of your job?
Most of the world works at a slower pace than we are used to in America. Making that mental adjustment can be very tricky and result in a lot of frustration. This was especially true for me at World Vision. There were also gender inequality issues and issues of people smoking indoors that was very challenging and resulted in many fruitless conversations.

Taking part in a march organized by the Women’s Resource Center Armenia, to increase awareness about domestic violence and the need for more stringent punishments.

Do you have any advice for prospective gappers?
Be a flexible, self-starter. Think hard about things you might want to bring with you that you can’t get there. Resistance bands for exercise, a multi-tool, a head torch etc.

Where is Talene now?

Talene went on to get  her Master’s in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hall. Currently she is studying law at Boston University

Full interview transcript

GYG: So first, can you introduce yourself for us?
Maggie:Hi my name is Maggie Hicks. I’m from Colombia, South Carolina, I’m 25 years old, and I’m currently living in Beijing China volunteering for Magic Hospital.
GYG: What is Magic Hospital? What do they do?
Maggie: Magic Hospital is a quality of life organization. So we work in partnership with hospitals, migrant schools, and orphanages around Beijing to help improve the programs that they already have in place. So we bring in volunteers who can help with art or music or just to bring a new level of engagement to organizations that work with children. We also do different individual programs like outdoorsy days or gift-giving where we go into these organizations and do a special type of event.
GYG: What do you do specifically for Magic Hospital? What are some of your daily tasks?
Maggie: I’m the volunteer communications coordinator. I have a full-time job, but I also work as a volunteer with Magic Hospital to do the website, work with local publications, spread the word about different fundraising events that we’re having, basically just get the word out about what Magic Hospital does. So daily stuff that I do is I post pictures of our most recent events, I edit our website, or I’ll answer questions that a local publication might have about what we do and our volunteer opportunities.
GYG: How did you find Magic Hospital?
Maggie: I originally moved to Beijing to teach, and then have since found another job. I found Magic Hospital just through searching. I wanted to do something that would supplement the skills that I already had and was learning through work and where I could help an organization grow and use the skills that I was learning through my professional job. So I found Magic Hospital just through Google and through word of mouth. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of different people from everywhere around the world in Beijing.
GYG: What can other people do volunteering at Magic Hospital?
Maggie: We have two different ways to volunteer at Magic Hospital. One is the core team that does more the administrative work. We help coordinate the different programs and do fundraising, communications. We also have volunteers who work within the specific programs in our partner institution. So they go into the migrant schools or the hospitals and actually play out the programs that we help coordinate and work with children and teach them, or do art with them, or play with them.
GYG: How do you like living in Beijing? What’s the experience like to volunteer here?
Maggie: Living in Beijing has been a great experience. It’s been three years and I get to meet people from everywhere who are doing really really interesting things. As everyone knows, China is growing, and there are amazing opportunities if you do choose to come here. There is someone who is working on everything, so no matter what your interested in, someone is here who is doing something innovative in that space. I think that’s what I’ve enjoyed the most.
GYG: Why should people come to volunteer at Magic Hospital?
Maggie: I think the real reason people would want to come to volunteer for Magic Hospital is because you really do get to see the difference you get to make. We are a small organization but we have strong partnerships with the groups that we work with. When you go into these schools, the little bit that we are able to do has a big impact. I think that you’re not going to get lost in the scope of Magic Hospital. You’re really going to get to see what your skills and your energy can do to make a positive change.

Thanks Maggie!! It was so great to see someone dedicating their little free time volunteering, even while working abroad. Best of luck! Check out our full feature on Magic Hospital.

GiveYourGap got to sit down with the coordinator of the Positive Living Programme, a center for people living with HIV.

The PT Foundation is an organization dedicated to helping prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and enhancing the lives of those living with the disease. They offer free and confidential HIV/AIDS testing along have different programs that help address the needs of the five at-risk groups: those living with HIV, drug-users, sex-workers, transgenders, and MSMs. We were lucky enough to be able to visit their offices, where they offer counseling and support groups for MSM individuals, and the Sex Worker resource center.

The PT Foundation organized a campaign of international celebrities to bring awareness to the needs of the AIDS-affected community.

As soon as we entered in to the PT Foundation offices, located in a low-income area of Kuala Lumpur, we were immediately welcomed and could feel the supportive environment of the office. They have a small but hard-working staff that comes from all walks of life. All of them offer their individual skills to help the foundation. Their offices are filled with inspirational posters, pamphlets and resources offering advice, and comfortable counseling rooms. Besides the staff there were a number of volunteers, both local and international, who give their time to keep the programs running.

A short distance away from the office centers is the Sex Worker resource center. Here they run a drop-in center offering many programs to help sex workers in the area. The center serves as a safe shelter for these women to stay away from the streets during the day. They also provide them with condoms, sexual health education, HIV/AIDS prevention training and resources. The shelter also provides a safe place for the children of these workers. While the PT Foundation does not promote sex work, they understand that ignoring the needs of the workers will not make it stop… it will merely become more and more unsafe for the women working. In addition to providing a safe environment and health tips, the program also offers support to women wishing to leave sex work and be trained to enter another profession. They also work hard to reduce the stigma that sex workers face so that they might be treated better by society.

The PT Foundation gave us a tour of the safe shelter they provide for sex-workers.

The women we met at the center were all strong and hard-working; a diverse group of mothers and transgender people all benefiting from the resources PT was offering. Those who were active sex workers were able to get off the street during the day to enjoy some rest and clean conditions. Others had transitioned into working for the center instead of on the streets. Both employees and clients benefited immensely from the center.

Volunteers played a big part in helping out in most of the centers. At the office there is always extra work that the volunteers can help with, especially if they come in with ideas about what skills they can contribute. In the other programs they can have more time working with people helping out in the centers. We met a wide range of volunteers coming from many different backgrounds and countries. All of them were passionate and inspired by the work both they and the PT Foundation were doing.

A volunteer at the Positive Living Programme arranging handouts.

We left the PT Foundation feeling excited about the work they were doing and hopeful for the future of the communities they served. Our time in Malaysia was much more enjoyable knowing there were people out there as dedicated and driven as those of the PT Foundation.

To see more, check out our Gapper Video Profile with PT volunteer Asma.

Cameron Price, Peace Corps Swaziland

Name, Age: Cameron P., 26
University: Northern Arizona University
Major: Communications
Type of Work: Medical/Public Health, Education
Region: Africa
Length of stay: 2-3 Years

Tell us about the nonprofit/social business you work for:
I have known that I wanted to apply for the Peace Corps since 2007, and I thought about it hard for several years. It was ultimately a tough decision to come to, as it is a two year commitment, and I would have limited ability to come home. But I made that decision, and spent two years living in rural Swaziland. Those two years were some of the most fulfilling I have ever had, but my third year extension here is proving to give them a run for their money.

I currently am working at Columbia University’s ICAP (International Clinical Support Program) in Mbabane, Swaziland, while donating my free weekends to Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative’s Teen Club Youth Support program. ICAP has been an awesome opportunity for me, and I have seen a lot of Swaziland that I wouldn’t have otherwise. NGOs can be frustrating, but my experience has been great and working on the Clinical and Psychosocial Support programming that we help the Ministry of Health with has been incredibly valuable experience to put under my belt.

To be completely honest though, I stayed for the kids and teens that I have built relationships with at Teen Club. Teen Club is a support group for HIV-positive youth, and currently has something akin to 450 young men and women attending at four different sites. Doing Peace Corps brought me to some of the most beautiful children the world has ever seen, and for that I am so very thankful.

Teen Club: swazilandteenclub.wordpress.com
ICAP: www.columbia-icap.org

How did you find your position?
Applied at peacecorps.gov. Sadly this is only available for US Citizens. I do know that there are awesome organizations like Skillshare… GVI… etc.

Parachute games at Camp. I got to be Camp photographer, and it was probably one of the best few weeks of my life. I can’t show pictures of the kid’s faces for legal reasons, but this picture always makes me smile.

What’s your typical day like?
I work at a 730-430 desk job now, and it is only OK because I get to do site visits and love rural Swaziland. Lots of paper work.

My weekends, however, I spend with the kids at Teen Club, and that is where I really love my experience.

What kind of people do you work with?
By day I work with some of the nicest office workers ever. By Night I work with chupacabra (pl). On the weekends I work with the most beautiful kids in the world.

Seriously though, NGOs are all pretty highly educated, socially minded people, and I dig them.

What are your living accommodations? 

I stay in an apartment near the town center, but for two years I lived in a rondavel. A rondavel is, for those of you who don’t know, it is this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondavel

I often times miss my hut. Oh well.Someday I will build my own.

What do you do in your free time? 
Volunteer at Teen Club, hike, travel, read, photography, swimming in Manzini, participate in shenanigans generally.

Share a favorite memory or story from your experience! 
The following is excerpted from my blog itsbrilliantanyway.blogspot.com, and was written in August 2010:

How do you explain, on paper, the eccentric, erratic, serendipitous events that make life beautiful?

Writers have been trying to do that for thousands of years, so I don’t even want to begin to tackle that challenge. Frankly, I am just too lazy to try. But still, sitting here, I am faced with the task of writing to you lovely people to tell you what I have been up to.

It can be boiled down to a few catch phrases that I sometimes rattle off when you guys call or are on Skype, like: “The usual,” “Studying,” or “I’m awesome, it’s Avocado season.” Or I could relate a few quirks of life here… like the stuff I put on my Facebook status updates; e.g. “A chicken in a bag bit me on a khombi,” “I almost physically ran into the director of NERCHA with an armful of Hoola Hoops while carrying things into his building,” or the ever popular “I have a handlebar moustache.” But that wouldn’t really get anything valuable across… besides the fact that I am awesome at talking without actually saying anything at all. Which I am.

So why don’t I tell you guys a story. A story about Camp. I just got back from camp, you see, and it was truly the highlight of my service so far. I mean that in much the same way that Optimus Prime would say, “Defeating the Decepticons was the highlight of my service so far.” OK, he would probably never say that, but you know what I mean: Camp changed the way I see the world… and here’s how.

We ran the camp for two five-day sessions, with about 100 kids in all. It was sponsored by NERCHA, BIPAI, Young Heroes, and the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps. All of the kids were HIV-positive, were initiated on ARVs, and knew about their statuses. They ranged in age from 10 to 16, the older kids mostly coming in the first week, and they were all g-d-awesome.

The difference between when the kids came in, and when the kids left was breathtaking. It was simply the most amazing thing I have ever seen happened over the course of five days; they metamorphosed into something new completely. When they showed up, nervous, anxious, and probably homesick, they seldom smiled and didn’t know what was in store. I’m pretty sure a few were afraid of me as I was wearing a strange hat… also I have strange, pale skin. Anyways, after five days of games, songs, scavenger hunts, skits, and praise, they’d all been changed. By the time they left, even the shy kids were giving us hugs, high-fiving their new friends, and saying fond farewells to us all.

Cameron with Bunny Ears

But the magic of camp wasn’t just for them. Over the last six months I have been getting used to the idea of everyone now knowing I have a polyplural neuropathy called Charcot Marie Tooth. It’s a hereditary disease passed down from my dad’s side of the family, and will most likely limit my mobility someday. It slowly lessens my body’s ability to conduct electrical impulses to my limbs, and will lead to weakness and possibly chronic pain. I had been aware that I might have it for some time now, but it’s different when it’s on paper. Part of it is knowing that other people know. It’s one thing to feel broken all the time and keep it a secret, it’s another thing entirely for everyone to be on the know with you

Here’s the thing, and it’s something I go back and forth between feeling like an a-hole about and feeling blessed because of. These kids all have a disease that will cost them their lives, most likely in the next few years, and they never should have been exposed in the first place. Just because Swaziland didn’t get (and still sometimes doesn’t have) the medications and professionals to prevent it, these kids and a few thousand more won’t have a shot at being normal kids. I spent my 25th birthday asking myself what the f*ck I did to deserve this disease instead of a case of Pediatric HIV. It was a crap shoot and, even though I spent all this time thinking I was S.O.L., I am so shamefully lucky. I feel like a major cock for writing this down, but those kids fixed me. I think I got more out of camp than they did. Seeing them smile and beat me at soccer games did more for me than they will ever know: They just had a good time at camp… I figured out what I want to do with my life.

I may have a hereditary disease, but that’s OK. I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make kids like the ones I met at camp smile. I want to make them feel better, because when they feel better, I feel a little less broken inside. Ugh… and I still can’t properly construe what this means to me, probably won’t ever be able to. I want to live every single day like I am still at camp

… guess that’s the most important thing I learned there.

Anyways, seeing kids smile… isn’t it just the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen?

Best Wishes from Swaziland,
Cameron Price
PCV Group 7

Define yo’ terms!

NERCHA – National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS

Young Heroes – An NGO that sponsors AIDS orphans with regards to school fees in SD

BIPAI – Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative. Baylor Pediatric Clinic in Mbabane is amazing. They distribute meds, do testing events, reimburse for travel, and operate Teen Club Support groups in three regions of Swaziland… soon this will expand to all four. Also the Baylor docs are always incredibly cool, quick to give you straight answers, and sometimes even rides in cars. Hats of to you guys. Especially Doug. You deserve a Sivivane Kilo!

Association of Hole in the Wall Camps – Founded by Paul Newman, actor and Philanthropist (RIP), Hole in the Wall operates camps in countries around the world, specifically aimed at giving kids with chronic or terminal diseases a shot at a fun childhood. Their rep was awesome and totally is the reason our camp was a success… thanks Babe Jazz.

What inspired you to do this kind of work? If you are taking a gap year, what motivated you to do that? 
I was born here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona and – though I still love it – I needed to get the hell out. I have wanderlust, and these roads aren’t going to walk THEMSELVES, now are they? I met a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, heard about her experiences in Nepal, and I knew I had to apply.

Going abroad is the best way to learn about where you are from. I never knew America until I left it and saw it through the eyes of others. I also was fortunate enough to meet some spectacular people along the way.

How are you financing your time?
Peace Corps pays my stipend monthly, and my NGO picks up the costs of housing.

What kind of special skills do you need to do your job?
Language, Medical expertise

Do you feel like you are making a positive, critical impact on the global community? 
Yes. Absolutely. I have made friends for life. No matter how unimportant my filed forms are, I will always have another (Swazi) family.

What have you learned about the nonprofit and social business world in your experience?
That one must be careful of where one donates money; that people can do a lot of good and that the world will work out OK if you put some time into it.

Do you think you make a unique contribution to your organization as a young person? Is your perspective or approach different from others? 
Yes. My 2 years in rural Swaziland allowed me insight into how Swazis live, that town-folk don’t always get. My age makes me relevant with certain things, and have abilities that some older people might not be aware of.

How do you see this experience fitting into your long-term goals?
I spent two years working on HIV projects in Swaziland, the country with the highest HIV prevalence and incidence rates. I want to go to Medical School so I can come back and make sure those numbers go down.

What’s next?
Medical School. Hopefully. And as for volunteering, I will always do it in any way I can.

What is one thing you wish you knew before you came to your position?
You can never be TOO open.

Do you have any advice for prospective gap-givers?
DO IT. If you don’t you will end up asking yourself, “What If?”

Are you blogging about your work or travel? How can we stay in touch?
yes, but you need an invited to read it. PC is strict about what gets published. Email me questions at brilliantanyway@gmail.com and I will furnish you with answers ASAP.

Cheers!

Would you be willing to take questions from potential Gappers?
Yes