My project took me to Arizona where I participated in a Buck-I-Serv service project at the Polatki Heritage Site in Sedona, Arizona. I helped the United States Forest Service preserve and maintain a trail leading up to an old structure built by Native Americans thousands of years ago so that people can observe it for many years to come. I also partook in lots of outdoor activities, including camping, rafting, and backpacking in order to learn about good environmental habits as well as enjoy Arizona’s rich outdoor culture.

This project transformed me in a couple of ways. The biggest transformation I see in myself after leaving Arizona is the need to preserve history for the benefit of others. Assisting the Forest Service with their trail maintenance project made me realize just how important it is to preserve all the historical artifacts we have. If I hadn’t carried buckets of soil up the trail to the site of the structure, the base would have been unstable and may have collapsed within a few years. This would mean the loss of a piece of history that acted as a teaching tool to all who gazed upon it. Looking at the structure, people were given an opportunity to see how others lived thousands of years ago, and can compare it to the way we live today. Without the physical structure, it would be much harder for people to imagine what it would have looked like. However, because of the work I and other students took part in, the structure will be able to stand for many years. As a result of this project, I have gained an interest in preserving historical artifacts and structures. Without these pieces of history, it will be very difficult to learn from the past.

Another transformation I saw in myself is that I have the ability to live a very simple life for an extended period of time. The housing on this trip was camping, aside from one night where we stayed in a hostel. When we camped there were no electrical sockets, no air conditioning or heating, or even beds. I slept in a sleeping bag in tents shared with other trip members. I pushed my limits in this regard because the longest period of time I had ever camped for prior to this trip was 5 days, while this trip lasted 12 days. I was barely on my phone, as I had chores to do around the campsites and was bonding with my fellow Buck-I-Serv trip members. This trip taught me that I can be detached from my phone and even society and still survive. I learned how to cook meals with a little gas stove, a pot of water, and the food that we carried on our backs while we hiked in the Grand Canyon. This simple way of living has further taught me that I do not need large amounts of material possessions to be happy. While on this trip, I essentially only had the necessities, with my phone being the one exception. I am now able to get by with less, which is a good life lesson to learn.

The most important relationships that fostered my development were those that I made with the other students who accompanied me on the trip. We all had to learn how to live in the wild, with just the supplies we brought and our wits about us to help us survive. Doing this with 15 other people helped me because they encouraged each other to stay off their phones and socialize, as well as helped each other get chores done for the day. In addition, we all led by example. By not being on my phone, I was demonstrating to others that we should stay off our phones and enjoy each other’s company. Everyone was doing this by the end of the trip, which allowed us to all better enjoy the trip.

In addition, my relationship with the Forest Service crew taught me the importance of history. While we were working in Sedona at the Polatki Heritage site, we had several lectures on the stone structure we were helping to support with trail materials. We were taught about its construction, what it meant for the inhabitants, and how it separated Native Americans living in Arizona from those living in other parts of the country. These lectures demonstrated to me just how much we can learn from old structures and other artifacts we find. These artifacts help history come alive in my opinion, which is why it is crucial that we preserve as many of them as we can. As the Forest Service preached to us, it is important that we learn from our country’s history so that we pay respect to those who were here before us and honor them by displaying their creations.

Along these lines, the work I completed helped me realize just how difficult and laborious it can be to preserve history. My group and I spent 3 days carrying buckets of soil up and down the trail to the base of the Native American structure. These were 3 very long days. We worked in the heat, with the sun beating down on us, and with bursts of storms and rain. By each day’s end we were all exhausted, but at the same time satisfied with our work. Working in varying conditions for 3 days straight was a tough start to the trip, but it demonstrated just how much work I can do. At the end of our service, we had added 3 inches of material to a lengthy trail at the base of the structure. It was so gratifying seeing the slow yet steady progress we made each day. Although the work was hard, I enjoyed doing it because it fostered my appreciation for history and the need to protect it so that others can learn from it.

These changes are significant to me in two ways. The first way is that I believe I am now better suited to travel to foreign locations. I learned about the history, plants, animals, and ways of life of people in the southwest region while on this trip. This was my first time traveling to the American southwest, and I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived. However, thanks to my trip leaders I was able to quickly adjust to the different environment. This is important to me because I love traveling and learning about new cultures, and the ability to not just learn about new places but also feel like you belong there in such a short time is a very unique trait to have. This trip instilled this skill in me and has left me excited to continue traveling and adapting to new regions.

The other significance this trip has is that it has made me aware of the extremely materialistic life I have been leading. While camping in Arizona, I had only the essentials; food, water, clothes, tents, and my phone. My phone was the only piece of technology I brought. Usually, when I go on trips, I pack headphones and my laptop and spend lots of time on them. My STEP project has shown me that I can enjoy a trip without all of these material possessions. While these items may make the trip more “comfortable”, they are not necessary. I barely spent any time on my phone because I was too busy working, or getting to know the students on the trip, or just even having fun. Phones and technology are very helpful in modern society, but they can also take away from certain experiences. I will apply this lesson as I move forward in life, to take my eyes off my phone and be in the moment more. This will allow me to develop better relationships with people and learn more about the world around me.

For my STEP signature project, I traveled to Guatemala through a Buck-I-Serv trip and worked with the non-profit organization, Constru Casa. Over the course of a week, we built 3 houses for families in need in the village of San Miguel Milpas Altas.

The village we worked in, San Miguel Milpas Altas.

Upon returning to the United States and reflecting on my time spent in Guatemala, I now realize I underwent significant personal change. I feel as though my eyes have been opened and now, I can see what the struggles of a developing country really look like. Although the extreme poverty was such a stark contrast to what I am used to, it was the people of Guatemala that made such an impact on my life. Despite their struggles, their smiling faces and open hearts did not represent suffering. They did not use their poverty as an excuse, but instead lived full happy lives, rich in tradition and culture. This inspired me to have a better mindset, one that focuses not on material possessions, or the things I may lack, but instead one that strives to be as happy as I can be with the things I have now, and to keep working hard to pursue what I want.

Our home for the week, Antigua, Guatemala.

Throughout the week the work we did was incredibly strenuous. Activities such as digging foundations and mixing concrete with nothing but old rusty shovels in the Guatemalan heat while lacking sufficient amounts of clean water left us sore, tired, and dehydrated. We all worked hard, but our work was nothing compared to the work of the masons. It was so humbling to watch them work tirelessly all day, completely unaffected by the heat or lack of water. Their attitude towards their work was inspiring, and when we saw the final fruits of our labor it was incredible. They taught me how valuable it is to be a diligent worker.

Another challenging situation I was put in on this trip was our excursion to Volcano Pacaya. Upon starting our climb, I was not prepared physically or mentally for how challenging the climb would be. Part of my struggle can be contributed to the fact that I was physically out of shape and not yet adjusted to the high altitude and mountainous landscape, so different from that in Ohio. It was hot and the mountainside was sand and ash, making it so that with each step forward I slid a half step back. It was very steep. There were many times when I doubted myself and my ability to get to the top. I seriously considered staying back and letting the rest of the group carry on. But slowly, I kept walking. Upon reaching the top I was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the land around me. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Suddenly I was so happy and so proud that I did not give up. I was also in disbelief at how close I was to giving in and missing such a life-changing sight just because I didn’t think I was capable of reaching the top. The rest of the day I felt so humble and so grateful for what I had been able to experience. Climbing Volcano Pacaya taught me how valuable it can be to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

The beautiful Volcano Pacaya

Finally, at my worksite for the week there were a handful of little smiley girls that ran around giggling and playing every day. Two of the girls were part of the family I was building the house for, however, there were also cousins and friends that made up the group. One morning my group was watching these girls sit in the dirt and play with little plastic cups and bowls, the whole while talking and laughing together. After a few seconds, I realized they were having a “tea party”, passing around “coffee” and other “snacks”. I begin to think how interesting it was that many years ago across the world I was doing the same thing in the dirt in my backyard with my siblings. The rest of the day I paid closer attention to the girls and the things they did. It made me realize that despite their poverty, these kids were just being kids, the same as I once was. This realization allowed me to feel a deeper sense of connection to not only the children but everyone in the village. When you take away material wealth and possessions, we’re all people. Many of us enjoy the same things and strive for the same goals and desires. I realized that these girls had no influence on where they were born, they just happened to be born there, just like how I happened to be born in Ohio. This feeling that I was already at an advantage simply because of where I was born was overwhelming, but once again a humbling reminder that I now carry with me. These little girls showed me that despite their situation, kids will be kids and that there is much value in not letting your situation determine your happiness.

A few of the little girls at the worksite.

This trip promoted personal change that is now a priceless part of my life. The lessons I learned in Guatemala, to work hard, to expand my comfort zone, and to strive for happiness instead of success, are all things that I can apply to whatever challenges I may face the rest of my life. These lessons will be especially useful as I finish college and start a career working with kids of all ages and backgrounds. I know this upcoming time in my life could be very stressful and I can’t be sure what lies ahead, but I do know that if I can carry this new mindset as I embark on these new journeys, I will live a more enriching life. I am incredibly grateful for the experience I have been given through STEP, and I will carry the lessons I have learned through this trip with me for years to come.

The finished house!

During my STEP signature project, I volunteered abroad in a remote village in Fiji.  During my time volunteering I helped implement a waste management system that helped the locals better fulfill the three ‘R’s’; reduce, reuse and recycle.  Also, during my time in Fiji, I helped rebuild and paint houses that were destroyed by Cyclone Winston a couple years ago.

During my signature project my view of the way of life in America was greatly changed.  In Fiji, the local people lived off their land.  They fished the ocean for food, harvested crops from their farms and even made their own clothing.  The local people didn’t need money to satisfy their lives.  I thought this was really cool.  Another thing that was very different in Fiji compared to the United States was the culture.  The local people in Fiji were the nicest people I think I have ever met in my life.  They always greeted you with a very warm smile and generally cared about how you were doing.  This was very different that my experiences in the United States.

One of the local people, Roni, that I got really close with is one of the reasons that I was transformed during my STEP signature project in Fiji.  Roni was the leader of our community development crew and helped us complete our volunteer work.  During our time together he shared many stories about how thankful the locals were that we were doing this work for them.

The natural beauty of Fiji also shaped my experience when I was on my trip.  During my trip we adventured all over Fiji.  One of the days, some of the locals took us to visit a waterfall that was close to their village.  This was one of the coolest things I think I have seen.  We swam in the pool that formed beneath the falls and it was all around a good time.  Over the weekend, we traveled to a small island resort called Leleuvia.  In Leleuvia we snorkeled and explored the ocean during low tide.  It was very cool to see all of the different sea life in the water.  We saw so many starfish, hermit crabs, fish and even an eel!  The stars in Fiji were amazing as well.  You could see the entire milky way galaxy.  The natural beauty of Fiji definitely helped enhance my experience and was very transformational.

These are some of the starfish we saw!

During my time building the recycling point for the waste management project, we talked to the locals about the benefits of recycling and how bad it is for the Earth if recycling is not occurring.  During this project, I found out that most of the locals just throw away their trash in the ocean when they are out fishing.  We explained how bad this was for the sea life and how it impacts the entire environment.  We built a recycling point for the village and they were super thankful that we did so they could help keep the Earth clean!

This is the recycling point foundation that we built!

This correlates to my personal goals of one day becoming a doctor.  During my time in Fiji, I fully got to understand the way of life of people that live among a differing culture.  This will help me in the future because this is a start at understanding how people live out their lives.  If I can fully understand how my patients live their lives, then I will be able to better treat them and help them.

While on the Buck-I-SERV trip to Cape Town, South Africa, I was able to serve the Philippi township and learn about the history and culture of South Africa. In Philippi, my team and I worked with a program called EduCares, which runs preschools in the area. We helped the children with their daily activities and played with them. We also worked with an organization called Sakhulwazi, which provides fresh vegetables to the community. We weeded and planted in the garden alongside the South African volunteers. Additionally, we had lessons on HIV-AIDS, apartheid, and Afrikaans among others in order to broaden our knowledge of the culture, history, and current crises in South Africa.

During my time in Cape Town, my assumptions about South Africa as a country and Africa as a whole where challenged. Before participating in this service trip, and having never been to Africa before, I regret to say that I envisioned a dirty, rather helpless place. I imagined Cape Town to be a crowded and outdated city; what I actually experienced surprised me. The city center of Cape Town itself was not unlike any modern American city, with gleaming skyscrapers, highways, and enormous, luxurious shopping malls. Cape Town had restaurants with cuisines from all over the world, colorful houses, and clean streets. It was a thriving metropolis with an African flair.

Although the city center of Cape Town was modern, the outskirts of the city were impoverished. The unequal distribution of wealth shocked me. Inside the city, people lived comfortably, and their lives were filled with all the modern amenities a wealthy lifestyle can afford. Shopping malls, coffee shops, and nice restaurants surrounded their sturdy brick houses. A ten minute drive outside the luxurious city, and poverty reigned. People lived in tin shacks on dirt roads. Only ten minutes away! I was surprised to see the effects of apartheid still so visible in the city, even though it was eradicated 25 years ago. For the most part, wealth is still distributed by the color of your skin. Even though this is still the case, the people living in the poorer townships are not helpless. They live their lives well by having families, buying and selling goods, and most importantly, caring for one another. What I will always remember from this experience is how willing the people of Philippi were to help their own people.

Sakhulwazi is an organization that provides meaningful work for women and supplies fresh vegetables to its community. Their mantra is, “Empowering people in Phillipi to solve the problems they face through teaching innovative, sustainable skills and practices”. The organization teaches sewing and beading to the women of the community and sells the goods they create in order to fund the garden as well as create an income for the women. As a bit of history, it was founded in 2006 by a woman named Rose Makosa, known to us and everyone who knows her as Mama Rose. Mama Rose is a black South African who grew up in Philippi, and instead of leave in search of a better life when she grew of age, chose to help her community. She saw a problem right where she was and chose to do something about it. The organization is 100% owned by black South Africans and 60% owned by women.

Nikki and I planting kale seeds at Sakhulwazi

Larissa, Mama Rose, Julia and I at Sakhulwazi

Kaiha is Mama Rose’s right hand man. He has helped make her dream come true by working out the details and logistics of the project. When we first met him, I remember him thanking us for being so willing to do whatever he needed us to do. Our labor was at his command, whether he wanted cleaning, weeding, planting, or any number of odd jobs to be done, we would do it. He was so thankful for that, he said it was refreshing. He said, “Lots of people want to volunteer at this place. So often they don’t listen to us, they tell us what they are going to do rather than the other way around. Who knows the needs of this community better than us who live here?” What he said stuck out to me. What he said was true! Throughout history we can see examples of how people of higher standing, greater wealth, or more advanced technology automatically assumed that their greater wealth meant that they had a greater knowledge of the area as well. Although money and improved technology can help a community in a very meaningful way, it must be implemented correctly. Sometimes charity can be toxic for a community if it is not delivered correctly.

Kaiha was so relieved when we came to help Sakhulwazi because he knew our help would be delivered correctly. We always listened to him because he knew the area and the needs of his community better than anyone. Kaiha knew our service would be completed with a good deal of humility and respect. In conclusion, we must not assume that those of a lower position than us are lazy or ignorant. Philippi can benefit from outside help, but its people have always been ambitious and generous in generating new solutions to the problems they see in their community. Africa, although some areas may be poor, is not helpless.

This shift in my thinking was a humbling and very welcome experience. When coming on this trip, I was eager to learn more about service and experience life in an impoverished area, as with my mechanical engineering degree I hope to do a good deal of humanitarian work. I learned from Kaiha on this trip that sometimes charity or volunteerism intended to help can actually harm a community. I will carry my experience working at Sakhulwazi forward with me as I pursue mechanical engineering and using it to help others. I’ll remember that sometimes a project that looks good on paper may not be the best for community when implemented, that help must be delivered with a good dose of humility, and that volunteering is the most rewarding for both the helper and the helped when they work alongside each other, sharing their knowledge pools rather than declaring one dominant. Altogether, I know I am better equipped to serve others in the future and look forward to doing so.

Planting Spekboom at Sakhulwazi

Brendan Nemunaitis

Special Olympics Baltimore, Maryland

STEP Post-Project Reflection

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

I participated in a Buck-I-serv trip and we volunteered from May 4^th to the 11^th at a Special Olympics in Baltimore. Here we ran the throwing vectors for the City Games. In addition, we helped run a tennis practice for a handful of the athletes.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

Prior to this trip I lived a fairly normal life with little difficulties to overcome. As a result, my view on the world wasn’t as wholesome and you could say that I lived in a bubble. Like most, I hear about tragedies and injustices on the news, and I say that they are terrible, but I have never experienced anything like those, so I can’t truly speak as to how terrible they really are. Sadly, through my volunteering in Baltimore I was able to see certain injustices first hand. I began to realize how lucky I am in life to have to opportunities that have been given to me. I now understand more of how the world is and how there are many people who suffer from many different things. Prior to this trip I just acknowledged those suffering and said I feel bad for them, but after working with some of those people and providing them with certain things, I now know it is my job to use the resources available to me in order to help others.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

At the City track games, I controlled the throwing vectors and had to personally interact with all of the athletes and their caretakers. Every athlete that participated was required to be chaperoned by a caretaker. These were either parents, high school students/friends, or paid professionals. The quality of the caretakers was probably split 50:50 between good and bad. The good caretakers were amazing because they kept up the excitement for the athletes and truly made the day that much more enjoyable. But the bad caretakers changed my view on the world a bit. They were uninterested in the success of their athlete or the excitement of the day. They were clearly there for the pay check, but that’s just it. This broke my heart at first by seeing people with intellectual disabilities that had caretakers that they didn’t choose, try and care for them. Talking to the head event coordinator I learned that this event is the highlight of the year for many of the athletes, but some of them have it ruined by the emotionless reactions and disinterest of their caretakers. This was an injustice that the athletes had to unwillingly bare.

On the flip side, I had to look at the situation from the side of the caretakers. Many of them were from the inner city of Baltimore and needed this job for the money. They may not have been qualified, but they ended up getting the job. In addition, I do not know what it is like to live in the harsh neighborhoods of inner-city Baltimore, so I can’t say that they should show up with a smile on their face every day. I do not know what injustices, if any, they had to go through to either get this job in the first place, or to get to work in order to receive their paycheck. I know that I have had plenty of bad days in which I was sour to those around me, so maybe I saw one of those days. If it was not a fluke and this is a common occurance, then this is a true injustice that the athletes experience, and there isn’t really anything I could do to change it.

Another experience I had on this trip is we drove around the city of Baltimore and handed out food to the homeless. This event happened spur of the moment. I was the one driving the car and wanted to get home immediately, then the head event coordinator said the Olympics had extra food from the day and asked if we wanted to give it to the homeless. I was initially irritated, but we took the food and embarked on our journey down the streets of Baltimore, a city I have never been to. After seeing how grateful the first homeless person was for the food my attitude began to change. In total we handed out 40 meals and received gratitude and smiles and a lot of “God bless you people”. I began to change after this experience. After this experience I realized that I have a very privileged life and should not be complaining about anything. There are people out there begging for food and water, sleeping under highways not knowing when their next meal will be. At the end of this trip all I can say is that I have a very innocent view of the world, but now my eyes have started to open up to some of the hardships and injustices people have to work through on a daily basis. My attitude towards the world has definitely changed for the better after this trip.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

I aspire to be a doctor one day. This means that I will be serving people of all backgrounds. To be best at my job I want to be able to understand and connect with all people. Prior to this trip I feel I was limited with the types of people I have been exposed to. Most of my friends are middle to upper class white people, and that is a very limited group in comparison to the rest of the world. However, through this trip I was able to work with a more diverse range of people who had disabilities, came from all socio-economic classes, and all different races. Although this is a limited exposure to people of newer backgrounds for me, it was important for me to start understanding their ways of life. Hopefully I can continue to volunteer and work with more people of less fortunate backgrounds so that I can better connect with and serve in the future when I am a doctor.

Today was our first full day in the country. It was really fun, but also really exhausting. We started out the day with breakfast at the hotel then headed an hour or so away to Chichicastenango to visit the market.

The market was crazy—there was so much going on everywhere. It was also a day for fresh produce, so there were people there that aren’t there everyday since this is only there Thursdays and Sundays. Bartering a big thing at the markets, especially for Gringos like us. They will start with a price that’s double to triple what they would charge a native. Kids would also follow us around and constantly ask us to buy stuff for them, and a lot of the time they ended up getting us to buy something small.  So, we learned how to barter a little bit and got some pretty good deals (at least what we though were good deals).

We had a buffet lunch at Hotel Saint Tomas, and were able to go back to the market another time to spend even more of our money. I also met a girl Candi, who was one of the girls who was persistently asking me to buy something from her. Since we talked a decent amount, we got to know each other on a name basis. We then got talking some more after shopping at the market and got to learn a little bit about her. She has seven siblings and sings in her church band! It was really cool to see that my “proficient” Spanish could allow me to have a full conversation with Candi.

After leaving Candi and the market, we got to walk down to lake Atitlan for a little bit. While we were there there were still artisans and families trying to sell us things, and we ended up giving in to some little kids with keychains and they took a picture with us in front of the lake. Once we got back to the hotel, my room had really hot water for our shower! This was a very nice unexpected surprise to an already great day.