Spring Breaking the Rules

Sit in front of the TV and vedge all day? Forget about it! Our buildOn members are no couch potatoes. For the past five years, we’ve been organizing alternative Spring Breaks in all of our regions. Read some of the highlights from each region below:

New York

We started our Spring Break at Brook Avenue Garden, a community garden that is beloved by everyone in the Bronx Region. When the students arrived we gathered in the field area of the garden and informed the students of the week’s theme: using your voice. We had 110 students volunteering that day, and because we were such a large group we were able to send a smaller group of students to a neighboring community garden, Padre Plaza. Both gardens were extremely grateful for the help we provided. At the end of the day the groups from both gardens came together at Brook Garden and a representative from each group explained the highs and lows of their respective projects. buildOn’s Mat Pryfogle, a Senior Program and Trek Coordinator, ended the day with a tag game that addressed a nutrition fact he shared with them earlier that morning. Students made the connection that their communities are in need of better food choices and community gardens can be an educational resource to learn how to adopt better eating habits.

Friday was the grand finale to Spring Break. We had a buildOn Olympics. Students were split into twelve teams and competed against one another in six different events. Events included whiffle ball, kickball, touch football, ultimate Frisbee and relay races. The two teams with the most points challenged each other in a final Tug-of-War.

Connecticut

Connecticut collaborated with the Yerwood Center in hosting a week-long day camp for children in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade. Activities at Spring Break Camp focused on community, creativity and the environment.

buildOn students were engaged in the planning process through  planning committees. The Stamford-based committee worked in conjunction with the Youth Leadership Program at the Yerwood Center and met weekly to create and plan activities for the kids during the day. The Bridgeport-based committee met to plan the evening activities for the buildOn members.

The Stamford planning committee developed daily themes and brainstormed a variety of activities for each day, from organizing a field day, teaching how to tie dye and playing with worms in dirt. buildOn staff compiled these activity ideas into a master camp schedule and each evening buildOn students signed up for the activities they wanted to lead the next day. They then planned the content of the actual activity. Students took on the role of camp counselors and stayed with a class all week.

It was truly incredible to watch students take on this incredible challenge of planning and implementing a camp for kids. They discovered new-found patience and responsibility and developed tremendous skills for working with children and developing activities. Best of all, the students made new friends with other buildOn students from eleven schools and the thirty Yerwood Center teens, and completed over 2,000 hours of service!

Detroit

Spirit of Hope is a historic church located in Detroit with a heritage that goes back to the 1880’s.  As you walk through the church you can feel the rich history and the love, which was the perfect environment for our Spring Break Overnight Retreat. This was the second year buildOn brought together young leaders to participate in this fun and meaningful project. We started the day with fun ice breakers, getting everyone laughing and learning each other’s names. This year we had in-depth conversations about everything from race relations within our schools to the importance of service to bullying. We used activities to recognize the power one person has for change, following up with a question to captivate their imaginations and get them thinking about a perfect society.

This year, we worked in the Spirit of Hope’s garden and helped in the food pantry. The students always have a good time working with the chickens, roosters and a huge turkey name Uncle Bob, who got a girlfriend this year.  Spirit of Hope has been very innovative in the use and reuse of everyday items. They use tires to help keep the vegetable in the garden growing longer, by keeping the soil warm, when the winter begins.  They also have rain catchers to preserve water and use it in the Hoop House Garden, which allows them to grow fruit, vegetable and herbs all year long.

After four hours of service and dining on tacos, we organized a group activity where students analyzed the events and stages of their life that have shaped who they are and where they’re going. They ended the night with a movie, went to bed and went home the next day.

Pennsylvania

We organized a variety of projects all over the city. Students helped with physically demanding projects, such as gardening, clearing trail, and cleaning up trash by the river. They participated in a Civil War Park Day at Mount Moriah Cemetery where they raked freshly mowed grass, toured the cemetery grounds and, to their excitement, met the mayor. They also helped serve dinner to the homeless and pack boxes of food for those in need. Students directly worked with seniors, children at a shelter and adults with developmental disabilities, creating healthy snacks. They participated in a cultural scavenger hunt at the art museum, as well as an anti-street harassment workshop with Hollaback Philly. Students were able to talk about their experiences with street harassment and discuss its effects.  Students got into groups that either compiled their experiences and thing they have heard, or compiled things that they wish they could say back for videos to advocate against street harassment.  We ended with a celebratory picnic at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Saturday where students were able to relax, socialize and eat.

California

One of our most exciting and unique projects was the buildOn Compass Olympics!  Six students from Mission High School spent one day of their break assigning roles and coming up with activities to host an Olympics-themed event at Compass Housing Alliance, a local transitional shelter. Students designed medals, came up with games, and outlined the rules and logistics for the day. Two days later, we met at the shelter and the games began. We had two teams; our students were the team leaders and another group of students organized the games. We had relay races, hula-hoop contests, freeze dance competitions, limbo and more. The kids from Compass had so much fun, and their youth director was so thrilled with the event that afterwards she treated all of our students to ice cream with her kids. One of our students commented, “When we were planning, I didn’t think we were really going to be able to do it, but we did.”

Chicago

buildOn students attended a tour of Columbia College. We were treated to a different type of tour that focused on the photography, journalism and broadcast departments. Afterwards, we were given the opportunity to use a photography studio. Students learned how to operate tens of thousands of dollars of photography equipment while taking portrait photos of each other. Afterwards, students reflected on their experience and wrote down a few meaningful statements.

We also took 18 Chicago students to Camp Cavell in Lexington, Mich. Students had a wonderful time serving. Our work projects included: moving mattresses and bunk beds to different cabins, a demolition project, reorganizing their storage shed, cleaning out stables for a rescue horse barn, cutting poles to make teepees, restoration work near the beach front, washing down the camp kitchen, raking leaves to clear walking paths and, last but not least, splitting up into different teams to cook meals during our stay. We are so proud of these students for maintaining positive attitudes and for being flexible and open with their tasks.

We made time for fun adventures in town that included running across a hanging bridge, watching a movie at the local theater, sight-seeing and shopping. We challenged students to go on a night hike and explore treasures on the beach. Our closing activity was making delicious homemade pizzas over the camp fire while gazing up at the stars on the beach. We are all very grateful for the wonderful relationships we have with Camp Cavell and look forward to returning very soon!

In Community Service Days

buildOn Staff Give a Shout Out to their Mothers for Mother’s Day Part II

We love our mothers at buildOn. Considering Mother’s Day is right around the corner, we decided to pay tribute to all of the wonderful women in our lives by interviewing staff about their mothers – and we even had the opportunity to talk to their moms. What we learned is that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree; staff said their mothers inspired and motivated them to do the type of service work we do at buildOn.

Aled Hollingworth, Program & Service Coordinator, Connecticut

One of the things my parents always recommended was to reach out and help others, and it’s something they continue to do, as well. We lived overseas and traveled a lot growing up. My dad worked for a nonprofit and my mom always encouraged us to go out and do those things, as well… My mom is loving, caring, passionate. She’s the best mom in the world!

Ann Griffith, Aled’s Mother

In school, from a very, very young age, sports was a big thing in his life. And we were told by several people, just as he started in 9^th grade, that he should be a coach or a teacher because, apparently, at that time he considered the best athlete in the school. And he would partner up with kids whose skills were not up to par with his. He would pick the kid who otherwise wouldn’t have been picked. That stands out to me.

There was a moment very recently when we spent Easter in DC… and he was engaging us in a conversation of what was going on in Mali. And my husband has been working for NGOs for ages, and he asked, “What are you doing in Mali?” He was speaking with such knowledge that my jaw dropped, and I guess one of the exciting and humbling things is what we passed down to our children a combination of what my husband and I do; because I’m a teacher; because he’s chosen to be in the field of education, and there are some development things going on there, too.

Glenda Hernandez, Program Manager, New York

My mom is from Puerto Rica. I think she’s always wanted me to do service; she was a missionary. She was always super involved and giving back. She came from extreme poverty and had nothing, but she’s always managed to overcome all of the struggles and put all of her four daughters in college. In her dire need, she always found a way to help others. And she’s raised all of her of her grandchildren.

Our family always gets together and takes her out to dinner. She bought a house in Puerto Rico and there are just a few finishing touches. We’re all chipping in to finalize the house, and we want to send her to Puerto Rico.

Luz Hernandez, Glenda’s Mother (interview translated from Spanish)

First, I taught my daughters good values. Second, were morals, and that we have to live to serve. We serve to live, and to give what we can in the same way that we need things in the hopes that we are able to share the blessings that people give us. I’m happy that she’s involved in service. It teaches me that I’m human, and that she’s helping other people who are less fortunate. I’m also pleased that she studied, she’s a good daughter, and she’s a good person. She has compassion in what she does… Usually the husbands cook for us on Mother’s Day. This year, we’ll have a picnic if it’s a nice day.

Brooke Ahles, Program & Trek Coordinator, Michigan

My mom, growing up, taught me to get involved in learning about other cultures, and people who came from different ethnic races and different races. She encouraged me to play with different dolls and meet new people. That’s where my inspiration came from, and why I became a social worker. She inspired me to be kind to others and help others.

She helped donate money to a student of mine that wanted to go to (buildOn’s Trek for Knowledge). It was a student who wasn’t selected, and I found another volunteer project and she volunteered to do that. Right now my mom is in the process of helping us with the end of the year celebration. She used to own a catering business for 13 years, and we’re going to be making all the food. It’s a luau-themed prom. She also took it upon herself and bought Hershey’s kisses and turned them into roses on sticks with cellophane, and made 200 of them to give to all of my students.

Laura McKinney, Program & Special Events Coordinator, California

My mom is someone everybody likes and gets along with. She was always PTA president and always involved with her community… She worked as staff gardener for a town north of San Francisco, and because she did that as a profession, she wanted to give back. She believes in sharing beautiful places with people, and she talks about that a lot.  I was telling her about how excited I was about this community garden, where there was this woman who spent 10 years getting the rights for these six abandoned lots in an impoverished area in San Francisco. It was something my mom was really involved with, and she tagged along and became friends with the woman who started it, and now she volunteers there. The way that my mom thinks about it is when you’re beautifying a place you’re uplifting them by giving them the respect of having a location.

Joahan Suarez, Youth Engagement Zone Program Coordinator, New York

My mom passed away in August 2007. She was 57 years old at the time and she pretty much raised me by herself.

She never knew service in the way you and I knew service – like serving at a soup kitchen. Instead, she pinpointed the people she knew she could help. She listened to people’s stories, always cooked extra meals. If she knew someone was hungry, she’d bring them food for the week. Literally, her service, giving back to the community, was how she got along with everybody. She never asked me to give back, but it was instilled inside of me to be selfless and give back. She believed that the way you thank someone is by being a good friend… Thanks for making service the cool thing to do.

Kimmy Kunkle, Program Coordinator, New York

Growing up, she definitely encouraged me to give to others. She always tells me she’s so proud of the work that I do, and that means so much to me because everybody wants their parents to be proud of them. And it makes her really happy, what we do. She keeps track of buildOn on Faceook. She’s very involved in what I do.

She never favored anyone. One of the things I appreciate about her is she didn’t treat us all the same; she treated us how she felt was necessary. She appreciates all of our individuality and let us become who we wanted to become. That encouraged me not to be afraid to be who I am, which is why I do what I do.

Karen Kunkle, Kimmy’s Mother

That girl is amazing! She’s always been service-minded and always been concerned about others. She would help take care of the kids a church and then into high school.  In college, she started working with a Reparations for Slavery campaign in Portland. Then she moved to New York when she was 19 so she could join City Year and work with disadvantaged kids. She got her suitcase and there she went. She inspires me every day.

Keisha Brooks, Program Coordinator, Michigan

My mother is the most wonderful educator, mother, and supporter! My mother taught me to do what I say and say what I mean.  I appreciate her so much and so grateful she’s my mother. I love you mom!

We also received an email from one Dr. John Velasquez, a member of buildOn’s chapter, Project Africa, at The University of the Incarnate Word.

Dr. John Velasquez, Project Africa, The University of the Incarnate Word

My mom was a social activist in the ’60s and ’70s.  With no education of her own, she promoted the education and health of the Mexican-American community of Abilene, Texas.  She was a role model to me.  She showed that if you truly care for another person you can really change the lives of people.  She helped Mexican immigrant families and others in the community to address school, medical, and legal problems. She stepped up for people  She also was a political activist with the League of United Latin American Citizens (a.k.a LULAC) and the Democratic Party.  With my Dad as her political partner, she participated in the democratic process, including: running for office, convention delegate, polling place officer, and was a voice at school board and city council meetings.  My work as a psychologist is a direct modeling of her passionate love of people and hope and belief in the community. She passed two years ago, but her memory and legacy continues.

In Uncategorized

buildOn Staff Give a Shout Out to their Mothers for Mother’s Day

We love our mothers at buildOn. Considering Mother’s Day is right around the corner, we decided to pay tribute to all of the wonderful women in our lives by interviewing staff about their mothers – and we even had the opportunity to talk to their moms. What we learned is that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree; staff said their mothers inspired and motivated them to do the type of service work we do at buildOn.

Tom Silverman, Global Chapter Manager

My mother has inspired me to serve others through her own actions.  Even though we didn’t volunteer at homeless shelters or food banks when I was growing up, my mom has always put others first.  Whether it is taking care of older relatives, hosting every single holiday at her home, or making endless sacrifices to strengthen those around her, my mother has demonstrated a spirit of service in everything she does.  She is Italian, so you can’t go to her house without her smothering you with food and attention. Her greatest service is making everyone around her feel loved, appreciated and supported. My mother’s spirit has influenced me greatly and has inspired me to live a life of service as well.

Catarina Schwab, Vice President of Development

My mom was a foreign language teacher for her whole career and was actually the buildOn Co-Advisor at New Canaan High School in CT for many years. She and my Dad are really involved with buildOn and introduced my sister and me to buildOn. What I got from her is a joy for life, her determination and – hopefully – her incredibly loving nature. She’s a very loving person; always nurturing, always selfless in her guidance to her daughters and students and inspired many people to aim higher, do better and be happier. Not to mention she is the most stylish and beautiful person I know.

Christina Norman, Catarina’s mother

I taught in New Canaan high school and I started a buildOn club there. We used to send one or two students per year a broad to Nicaragua and Nepal. We did a lot of community projects in the Bronx, and in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was very nice for our children to work with children from different circumstances.  Geoffrey (Christina’s husband) and I grew up in Europe, and our parents were givers of some funds, but were never involved in service work.  And growing up in a socialistic country (Sweden), it was very much that the state took care of things. Our daughters, growing up in America and going to schools where volunteering was a priority… we were quick to learn from them. They are really the guiding light. We keep learning from them.

Clarisa Ramirez, Social Media Manager

My mom, Yolanda, is energetic, opinionated, stylish and a heck of a cook! My family and I grew up overseas, and living in so many different countries brought us closer as a unit. It forced us to be creative and to be resourceful, and my mother always is. She never limits herself in what she can do, whether it’s throwing a successful fundraising dinner party or teaching people how to compost or donating her time and energy to help my ailing grandfather and aunt living miles away in Texas. The greatest thing I learned from her is to think big. She has always believed my sister and I were destined for great things, and that’s probably why I ended up working with the super-energetic and optimistic people at buildOn. To my mother in Doha, Qatar: Happy Mother’s Day!

Quinton Snodgrass, Vice President, Midwest

Quinton is celebrating his first Mother’s Day with his wife Abigail and their eight-month old daughter, Olive. On celebrating the big day with his wife: We’re building a house! We might be picnicking on the newly sanded floors of the house that we’re trying to move into. I built Abigail a handmade work-bench for her art room, because she hasn’t had an art room in the last six or seven years.

On his mom: Spunky! She’s about 4’11” and is always taking on more work than any other two people could at the same time. She never says “no” to projects and she’s always busy. She’s done a lot of volunteer work for the community, has served on boards – and for Thanksgiving she invites not just family, but everybody from the neighborhood to come over.

She was always very supportive of the decisions that I’ve made. When I went to college, my very first internship was with a nonprofit organization, even though I went to business school. I went into nonprofits because I felt more committed to the mission that I did for the for-profit jobs that I’ve had, and she was very supportive in my decision to do that.

Tre Stroud, Quinton’s mother

I hate to sound like a mom, bur he was the best child a parent could want. He was as easygoing as he is today, and always fun to be around.

I’ve always been involved in not-for-profits and volunteered on boards, and I actually referred him to his first job working at an afterschool program, and his second job was in United Way at summer camps.  He got his start doing things like that. And I did a lot of things and he attended a lot of meetings and a lot of functions as a young man with me.

I wasn’t one of those ‘mommy play games.’ I was one of those mommies who was, ‘let’s do a project,’ or ‘you can read, figure it out.’ For Mother’s Day he got in the habit where he would always make me something. He never ceases to surprise me with some of the things that he’s made.  He once said, “Mom, you got to sew up my clothes.” And I told him to learn how to sew. “You know what? Figure it out. And he made me a stuffed pound puppy for mother’s day. That was one of the sweet things. He’s made me lamps and all kinds of things for the house. I said, “I am so impressed. Wow, good for you.”

He maintains a tremendous sense of humor in whatever he wants to do. His ability to connect with so many people pleases me and makes me very proud of him because he’s carried it on to his career. And I’ve vey glad he chose non-for-profit as a career.

Asha Vitatoe,  Program and Service Coordinator, California

I want to give a shout out to my mother Yvette Vitatoe and grandmother Juanita Wilson. They have always been extremely supportive of everything that I do, and my work with buildOn is no exception.  My mother has cooked and volunteered on a number of occasions.  This picture was taken at our most recent Regional Service Project, the Bucket Walk, and although it was my grandmother’s first buildOn event she promised it will not be her last.  She told (my co-worker) Chad, “She’d been building on for years. Now it’s just official and she has a T-shirt”.

Jamie Pelusi, Program and Trek Coordinator, California

I remember being a kid and going with my mom to the Veterans Hospital, where she volunteered in the gift shop.  I was so excited just to be spending time with her, but as the time passed that excitement transformed into something bigger.  She would let me push the vacuum (that’s right, push; it was one of those non-electric roller vacuums), and I remember feeling that feeling for the first time.  Doing something small and feeling big.  As I grew up, my mom took me to volunteer with her more and more. We went to soup kitchens, Special Olympics, elderly homes, etc.  I started volunteering on my own and really fell in love with serving with others.  That feeling of being in community with those around me started in those early days with my Mom in the gift shop and has grown into my life’s journey.  Although my path has led me far from home, she has always been my biggest supporter and really the light that guides my way.  That’s why I have BIG love for my Mom.

In Uncategorized

Learning About the Power of Education in Malawi

Rahni Davis, a freshman at Banana Kelly, wrote a blog post about her experience during her high school’s Trek for Knowledge to Malawi in February.

I was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity all the way from the Bronx, New York. I was accepted to go Malawi, Africa to build a school with buildOn after having to write an essay, and was still unsure about it because I was the only freshman to apply. buildOn usually excepts students in higher grades. I knew this was an incredible experience so I had to put everything into getting this opportunity. Before going to Africa, we had pre-treks to prepare us in what life in Malawi is going to be like. This also allowed us to get to know each other as ‘trekees’ and focus on our trip to Malawi.

The whole purpose of going to Malawi was to help build the foundation of a school in a developing country. This trip came with many emotions and new understandings. When we arrived to Malawi, there was a joyful ceremony. The whole entire village met the bus as we came in on the only path leading to it. They sang songs in Chichewa (the native language of Malawi), saying things like “today is a great day.” Kids of all ages were there, celebrating with song and dance. This was definitely one of the most stimulating factors of the whole entire trip. We also got assigned to our host families the day we arrived. This was also an inspirational part of the trip because every member of the family had open arms, accepted us into their homes and gave us the best of what little they had.

We worked on building the school for 10 of the 14 days we were in Africa. Each shift consisted of three hours in the morning and afternoon. Having the villagers work along with us on the work site was so motivational. It really showed how serious these people, of all ages, were about having a school in the community. Men did the handy work while the woman carried water, sand, and bricks to and from the work site, or where ever it was needed. The work site consisted of three stations: Passing bricks, mixing cement and, the hardest, working the latrine. Another catalyst that pushed all 15 of us was seeing Jim Ziolkowski (buildOn’s President and CEO) on the work site, working just as hard as us. Jim pushed us like no one else on the work site, reminding us that this was an important project.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the ‘chat circles.’ That was when every member of the trek came together and spoke about how they felt, or talked about what changed their perspective on life. Most of the time, our trek leader, Rosann Jagger, started our chat circles with topics or facts about Malawi. My favorite topics were about education; and we broke it down to how much of an impact it made on every other aspect of survival. For example, we spoke about how education allows you to be healthier; how to protect yourself from major diseases in Malawi, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS. Education can also allow you to become wealthier. In Malawi it’s a big advantage to understand English and Chichewa. When tourists visit, vendors can have a conversation with many customers. Education is powerful. The chat circles made me realize that we could make an impact on this village that had so many great things going for it. The last chat circle was the most nurturing part of the entire trip. Once again, we came together as a whole, but this time, we discussed how the trip changed us. We had a chance to give voice how we had seen each other grow over the previous two weeks from our adventure.

Before leaving Malawi, we started building the walls of the two-roomed school. It was an amazing feeling on our last day to know the outcome of our hard work. During this enlightening trip, all 15 of us had a moment where we felt like we couldn’t make it because it was just too hot, we were homesick, or we just couldn’t handle life in Africa. But in the end, we had each other’s backs. Trek for Knowledge Malawi 2012 brought us togetherness, love, and a warm heart for Malawi. We now all understand how imperative education is to be successful. You can’t take advantage of having an education with ambitious and loving teachers because some people don’t have anything or anyone to supply education, and they would do anything for it. Life in Malawi was amazing and I would love to go back! So, in conclusion, I would like to ask, “Who are we?!”

“BUILDON!”

“WHO ARE WE?!”

“BUILDON!”

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU! WHO ARE WE?!”

“WE ARE BUILDON!!!”

In International School Construction

A Mother’s Day Card That Funds Schools in Developing Countries

Tell your mom you love her this Mother’s Day and help fund schools for children in need at the same time. A mobile app, Sincerely Ink, makes it possible. You can save your postage and send your mom a personalized card right from your smartphone.

Each Sincerely Ink card for buildOn is $10, and that money goes directly to school construction projects in Malawi, Mali, Haiti, Nepal and Nicaragua. The app is part of Sincerely’s philanthropic program, Sincerley Giving, which drives awareness to organizations such as buildOn through its exclusive digital card collection.

“Sincerely’s work with great organizations, like buildOn in the Sincerely Giving program, gets at the true core of giving,” said Matt Brezina, CEO of Sincerely. “It’s incredibly exciting to know that customers can send a card while supporting a favorite cause and changing lives, straight from a mobile phone.”

Other Sincerely Ink designs include High School Graduation and Inspirational cards. The purchase of these cards funds other buildOn programs, including afterschool service programs in struggling high schools across the U.S.

We’re proud to be working with such an innovative company. Remember your mom on Mother’s Day and send her a card using the Sincerely Ink app.

In buildOn In The News

Nearly Done With First Raising Malawi School

We’ve broken ground with three schools in Malawi since our announcement in January about partnering with Madonna’s nonprofit, Raising Malawi, to build 10 schools in the underdeveloped African country – and we’re making great progress. We’re nearly finished with our Kabila school in the Kankhumbwa community and construction of our other two schools is ahead of schedule. Maurice Muchene, our Malawi Country Director, reported that this week the building team is installing the doors to Kabila and it will be finished.

We plan to finish construction of the other two schools in June. The Mkwayule school in the Mzoweza community is adding drains and painting the building. The Vigando school in the Jembe community is about to start roofing the building. Stay tuned!

In International School Construction

Tina Charles’ Slam Dunk: Building a School in Mali

Basketball player Tina Charles is many things: a member of the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, center for Connecticut Sun, 2010 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Now, thanks to her $32,0000 donation to construct a school in Mali with buildOn, she can add Sports Ambassador for OmniPeace, a humanitarian fashion brand that partners with us.

“At some point, I always wanted to give back,” Charles said in a press release. She became interested in partnering with OmniPeace while she was a sophomore at UConn. “Once I was financially stable when I got to the pros, I decided I wanted to link up with OmniPeace and Mary Fanaro, who is the founder of OmniPeace.To build a school in Africa costs thirty-two thousand dollars. I have it, and I was able to supply it to the kids in Africa, and just try to do my part to help end poverty and help them have a brighter future.”

Just yesterday, Charles shared this Instagram photo of students in Mali on her Twitter account with the caption, “the most amazing feeling I feel _ words can’t describe the feeling for real; my greatest creation was you.”

Charles’s school will accommodate up to 150 children in Ganale, a village in the Sikasso region of Mali. The land-locked country in Western Africa recently faced a military coup that attracted international attention, but buildOn’s staff reported there wasn’t violence or unrest in the Sikasso region, and the team only stopped construction on Charles’ school for two days. So far, buildOn has constructed 178 schools in Mali.

“We are honored to have Tina as a partner and are very inspired by her generosity and commitment to education,” said Jim Ziolkowski, Founder and CEO of buildOn. “Before Tina funded the school in the village of Ganale, students were learning in two temporary mud huts, with very little light and no ventilation. The new school is built to last 100 years which means it will provide education for generations of children, parents and grandparents.”

Watch Charles talk about her commitment to education on Connecticut Sun Media Day (at the 30 second mark) here.

In buildOn In The News

Bronx Student Talks Africa Service Experience, Impact

By Matt Surrusco, YEZ Program Coordinator

Whether traveling to Africa, Central America or Asia, students who participate in the buildOn Trek for Knowledge Program leave the U.S. having done significant volunteer work in their local community. After spending two weeks in a developing country, they return home global citizens, having served others on an international scale by helping build a school in a village that previously had little to no access to quality education.

Christopher Taylor, a junior at Mott Hall Bronx High School, is one student who expanded his service credentials from local to global. He traveled to Malawi in February with 14 other Bronx high school students, a few buildOn coordinators and buildOn’s founder, president and CEO Jim Ziolkowski. Chris lived with a Malawian host family, participated in three hours of cultural activities daily and worked for three hours a day alongside buildOn students and community members. Each was committed to digging the foundation, mixing the cement and moving the bricks that become a new school for village children, parents and grandparents.

Pictured Above: Christopher Taylor, 16, from the Bronx, lifts up his host brother outside a buildOn school.

buildOn spoke with Chris recently about his Trek experience and the impact the international service trip had on him.

buildOn: What did your friends and family think when you told them you were going to Africa?

Christopher Taylor: They said, “You’re crazy. Watch out for the lions.” Monica [Christopher’s sister and legal guardian] said, “don’t drink the water over there.” One of my friends said, “You’re crazy. You’ll get eaten or killed.” Teachers said you’re going to have fun, and take pictures.

buildOn: Did you ever have second thoughts about going?

CT: No, I was just very excited to go. Time out of America. Time out of my life.

buildOn: What was your first impression of Malawi when you walked out of the airport with your fellow students?

CT: It was hot. So hot. It was shocking because I saw everybody looking at us. We were the outcasts, the outsiders. That was on the bus ride. But once we arrived in the village it was a totally different feeling. The villagers embraced us and showed us love.

buildOn: What was the most challenging experience you had?

CT: The first day of working. We had to dig holes. Dig deep into the ground to start the foundation of the school. It was a lot to do. I was extremely tired. I could barely breath. But I didn’t stop. I kept going because in my mind my three hours of hard labor each day, compared to the Malawians’ regular labor, was nothing.

buildOn: Did anything surprise you while you were in Africa?

CT: The kids. They had an old school right there in the village. Some kids who lived right next to it, they’d be on time everyday. Over here, every kid who lives right next to Mott Hall High School, they’ll come late just because they live right next to the school. And then the Malawian kids who live far from their school, two hours away, they’d still be on time, they’d be right there in school learning. It just shows they actually care. They value education.

buildOn: What do you think the long-term impact of this trip will be on you?

CT: It made me want to do better in life. It made me want to stop slacking, and get on board. Be where I should be at, not where I could be at.

buildOn: What’s similar about doing service locally and doing service in Africa?

CT: buildOn tries to help out anybody who needs help. It’s similar in Africa and the Bronx. For us to go over there, to Africa, they had to build thousands of bricks. And over here, for us to do a community service project, they have to arrange that, make sure everything is okay to do it. So it’s a commitment from the villagers in Malawi and a commitment from the Bronx for us to do something. We need to get the commitment from the community we serve.

buildOn: What do you want to be when you grow up?

CT: When people ask me what I want to be, I say I just want to help people. And I went to Africa, so a humanitarian, but I’m not too sure. I’m undecided, but it seems like it’s going in that direction.

In Afterschool Youth Empowerment, International School Construction

buildOn remains committed to work in Mali

By, Brett McNaught – Vice President of International Programs

In the wake of the recent coup in Mali and the increased rebel advancements in Northern Mali buildOn is exercising extreme caution and doing all it can to support buildOn staff and communities in Mali during this extremely sad and turbulent time.

At this time buildOn continues to work in the Sikasso region of Mali and currently has 4 construction projects underway as well as the buildOn Community Education Program for 1,450 adults, 55% of the adults are women. We believe that our work in Mali is crucial to the communities we partner with. Since 1998 buildOn has been working in rural Mali and has completed 178 schools that serve up to 26,700 children per day.

The people of Mali have been an inspiration to hundreds of Americans that have visited Mali on behalf of buildOn over the years. Malians have contributed more than 450,000 volunteer work days building schools for their children that is more than 3,600,000 hours of service not including the land, sand, gravel and water they donated for every buildOn school.

It is those staggeringly inspiring metrics that commit buildOn to Mali with a strong bond that cannot be broken by political coups or rebellions. We remain committed to Mali and to building schools for years to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Mali and we hope for a quick and peaceful resolution to their problems. The regions where we have buildOn schools in Mali are Sikasso, Segou and Koulikoro and we can report that thus far there have been no reports of any violence or unrest in our communities. We continue to place the safety of our Mali team and communities ahead of anything else.

For background on the coup in Mali read: Mali coup highlights African country’s divisions

In Uncategorized

buildOn temporarily suspends programs in Mali

In wake of the recent coup in Mali, West Africa, buildOn is temporarily suspending our school construction program in the country. We have confirmed that all buildOn staff are safe. We look forward to resuming construction as soon as it is safe to do so.

As reported in the New York Times, Mali is considered one of the most democratic countries in the region. Since 1998, buildOn has constructed 178 schools in the regions of Segou and Sikasso. More than 27,000 children are attending these schools every day. buildOn is scheduled to construct 18 schools in Mali during 2012.

Update: We have resumed construction on the schools that were started before the coup. New construction projects will remain suspended until further notice.

In Uncategorized