Important update, May 9, 2013: Due to political unrest, this trip will not be happening this year and is tentatively rescheduled for 2014. All funds raised will be put toward a future trip. The original post is below.
I am going to Zimbabwe for two weeks this July to serve alongside Hands of Hope Africa as they care for orphans and children at risk.
Zimbabwe has more orphans per capita than any other country in the world. There are 1.4 million kids under the age of 17 who are orphaned.
I’ll be working at the WestGate Haven Home, which is home to 12 school-aged girls who lost their parents and other close family members to AIDS.
I’m going to be with about a dozen other people traveling from San Jose, CA. It’s a huge privilege to be able to go and experience the world in a totally different context.
After I visited Peru last year, the trip left a lasting impression that made a difference in my life back home. We took deserving kids on a countryside retreat for 3 days—swimming, wheelchair races, horseback riding—which left a lasting impression on the kids and staff too. That makes me excited to serve again.
Learn more about my trip and why I’m going. Since announcing the trip yesterday on Twitter, I’ve already received a few donations toward the trip’s $4,000 cost, which is fantastic! Thank you.