Global Roots’s Service Corps assists local humanitarians plant Children’s Gardens all over the world to improve lives of orphans and disadvantaged children. |
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Ben, a GAP year volunteer, spent three months in Shangri-la, Sichuan (China) tutoring and mentoring Tendol Gyalzur’s orphans. He then joined up with our 2009 mission in Cambodia. Ben raised the money he needed to travel by starting a letter writing campaign in his local area. His family and friends made charitable tax-exempt donations to Global Roots (a 501c3 non profit entity) while others supported him directly. Ben has future plans to study biology and pursue a career in medicine.
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Daisy joined Global Roots for an important supply mission in Shangri-la. She took 25 boys and 25 girls shopping for warm clothing, in preparation for the cold winters of the southern Tibetan plateau. She is currently a professional tour guide in one of the top Chinese travel companies in Beijing. Daisy shines with her organizational skills, perfect English and Chinese, and most importantly, passion for helping and getting things done.
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Erin Moran, 20 years old, from the University of Wisconsin
Hong T. Lam, Campbell, California
Erin first contacted Global Roots as she traveled to Nepal, offering her help and support with Tendol Gyalzur’s orphans. After sending Erin to Shangri-la to help the children, Global Roots then assigned her an important task of conducting a personality profile on one of the project managers in the Northern Grasslands. These missions turned out to be very rewarding experiences for Erin. She continued to volunteer with Global Roots by traveling up and down the West Coast, sharing her experiences at selected high schools. You can view her introduction here:
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Hong was part of a significant mission in Shangri-la in 2009. She ran the Shanghai Marathon to raise money for her trip and winter clothing for 51 children. In addition, she engaged the children in a very creative, artistic project that provided a medium for them to express their identity. Each child did a cut out of their hand, glued it on colored paper, and decorated around it. Banners of the decorated art are displayed at the entrance of the orphanage. You can view her introduction here:
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Josh Kunstler, 17 years old, Larkspur, CA
Patrick Firouzian, Shanghai, China
Josh wrote a compelling letter to Global Roots’ director Rick Montgomery when he was a junior in high school. Josh explained that he wanted a real volunteer experience and that Global Roots was the only organization he had found with a mission that he could truly believe in. With Josh’s and his parents’ help, we devised our first ever volunteer experience for someone under 18. Josh spent a summer tutoring and mentoring orphans in western China with Global Roots. The mission was a resounding success. The orphans hope to see Josh again when he graduates from college and “is a successful basketball star”. You can view his introduction here:
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Patrick happens to be French, having lived in US many years, and now is leading eBay’s software development team in China. Patrick trail-blazed many of Global Roots’ projects, ranging from Kenya to Cambodia, Afghanistan to Nepal. During his missions, he connected with the communities, listened and understood their needs, and then worked with Global Roots and selected partners on a solution. Patrick has a passion for adventure and brings experience gained during his crossing of the African desert, motorcycle raids, safaris, and many solo expeditions in remote parts of China.Patrick enjoys photography and videography. The pictures and videos on this site provide a window through which the world can see the significant impact of our volunteerism and our donors’ generosity. Most importantly, it shows how children around the world continue to need our help and support.
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Franchesco (Pippo) Franchin, Genova, Italia
Travis Gearhart, Boulder, Colorado
Pippo is an Italian-born aerospace engineer and one of Global Roots’ first professional volunteers. Pippo ventured to Cambodia with our 2009 mission and was an important contributor in the design and construction of the nursery and school. Pippo brings many skills to the job and is able to get things done with very little resources such as leveling the floors with a tube and water, or building foundation with river rocks. |
Travis was one of Global Roots’ first volunteers and continues to serve with us, now as the International Volunteer Supervisor. Born and raised in rural Oregon, Travis first served with Global Roots on the Litang mission in Sichuan, China during the summer of his junior year at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He later returned to Litang before overseeing the final stages of our first successful school construction project in Tamoung Pha-em, Cambodia. He can be contacted here with any questions or comments regarding our missions. |
Emily Axelrod, 16 years old, Oregon
Lizzie Kronbergs, Boston University
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Emily? |
My name is Emily Axelrod. I’m 16 years old and a sophomore at West Linn High School in Oregon. My main hobbies include acting, singing, and running.
Why Africa?
I have always been drawn to Africa for many reasons. First, it is such an interesting country and I have always wondered about life in a culture completely different than the one I have grown up in. For the past few years, I have become more and more aware of the problems we are facing in this world today, as well as many of the struggles and difficult times other cultures are facing. I want to be part of the solution to these problems…I want to bring the love and support I have grown up with to these children, and let them know that they are loved. I am ready to step outside of my comfort zone and give to those who need it most.
What drew you to Global Roots and its Service Corps?
I am extremely interested by the full-scale help Global Roots brings to their projects (including the project ongoing in Kenya). Global Roots isn’t just a group that sends money to those in need. They actually go to the people in need, and help them hands on…Global Roots pours their heart into helping those in need.
What are you most excited about with the program?
I am most excited about making a difference for these children in Kenya. I love kids, and I hate to see them suffer. I am so excited to step outside of the life I am used to, and give my full devotion and love to the children.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Lizzie? |
I’m an undergrad at Boston University majoring in special education. I’m taking a semester off to volunteer with Global Roots and couldn’t be more excited! I love kids, foreign cultures, teaching, and volunteering. I am an extremely passionate person, almost to a fault sometimes, but it serves me well in experiences such as this.
Why Africa?
I became interested in Africa when I met a good friend of mine from BU who spent a year in Ghana when she was in high school. She simply fell in love with Africa and was always talking about when and how she could go back. I had been looking into taking some time off to volunteer abroad and decided that Africa was where I wanted to go, so I started looking into organizations that had programs there.
What drew you to Global Roots and its Service Corps?
What drew me most to Global Roots was the fact that instead of deciding what was best for a community, they find local philanthropists that are already doing good work and support them. I really like that Global Roots realizes that the people who know best how to support the community are those who are living there and helping already.
What are you most excited about with the program?
I’m most excited about being able to use my love of children and my talents in teaching to try to effect positive change in the world. I’m also really excited to experience and learn from a culture I have no prior experience with.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I would just like to add how thankful I am that Global Roots has made this all possible and I cannot wait to serve and volunteer.