Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
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Class Year
Country
The Islam I See
Becky McClements
2013-03-12
The Islam I see is not the one they said I would see. It is joyous dancing that shakes the ground you walk on. It is singing while you weep for the loss of a loved one. It is quietly washing yourself and laying down a mat five times a day. It is gathering every Friday under a...
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The Reality of Giving
Ariel Vardy
2013-03-12
“White person— give me money, give me presents,” the kids say in French. Shameless, they repeat themselves in case I did not hear them scream from across the court yard that they wanted my money. Then they grow up. “Give me your bike, I don’t have one, you can buy another easily,” the older men...
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Happy Holidays from Mboro!
Marisa Comeau-Kerege
2013-03-12
Here is a little holiday video I put together from our holiday festivities in Mboro. S.E.E.M. is a local youth group that I work with and C.R.E.P.E. is the school I am currently working at. Enjoy!
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“I forgot your name.”
Marisa Comeau-Kerege
2013-03-12
“I forgot your name.” “What? Which one?” “Your American name.” “Oh, Marisa.” “Marisa, that’s right. Where did Marisa go? Where is she?” We were talking about my plans for the future after I returned home. I’m not sure in what context the question came about for my host mom, but what bothered me was how off guard it...
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Expectations
Becky McClements
2013-03-12
Expectations more often or not lead to disappointment for they are usually based on external circumstances out of our control. At some point during fall training I decided to relinquish all my expectations for the year to come to save myself from disappointment. That is, I thought I had until an expectation I didn’t even know I had smacked...
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The Expectation: A Girl Effect Post
Talia Katz
2013-03-12
In mid-January, the Senegal cohort gathered together in the region of Kedougou to partake in our second training seminar- an inspiring week filled with beautiful hikes through the Bedik Mountains, thought provoking discussions, plenty of cultural activities, and of course time to reconnect with our fellow fellows. Together with the three other Nike Girl Effect...
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Texas vs. Senegal
Barker Carlock
2013-03-12
Although Texas and Senegal have their obvious differences, my encounters thus far have unveiled core belief systems that link the two very dissimilar countries (yes, Texas is a country in its own right, and I will be referring to it as a “country”). Many similarities can be traced back to the religions within both countries....
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Donne-moi une cadeu
Emily Collins
2013-03-11
In the amount of time it takes me to run to the island of Fadiouth and back, I hear an overwhelming amount of ‘toubab’ or foreigner, something like word throw up for many people I have encountered. Recently the phrase, “donne-moi une cadeu,” or give me a gift has also been commonly said. Give me...
Read More Toubako in Mako
Kevin Do
2013-03-11
One month into village life. One month of being a toubako, or foreigner in the local language of Pulaar. As one, I draw stares from many people, but I’m not the first foreigner in my village of Mako. Actually to call it a village would be wrong considering there’s roughly 3000 people who live in...
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“Africa”
Marisa Comeau-Kerege
2013-03-11
As my time here comes to an end, I was warned to prepare myself for the questions from family, friends and anyone else that will hear I lived in “Africa.” Trying to find a way to explain my life here has proven much more difficult that I anticipated. Finally, it dawned on me that the main problem I was...
Read More A Day in the Life
Marisa Comeau-Kerege
2013-03-11
I would like to introduce Coumba Seck. She is my host cousin out here in Mboro and the subject of my Day in the Life project. The assignment was to follow a boy or girl age 12-18 in our host community so we could see what life was like for the local kids. I decided...
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No power, no problem
Marisa Comeau-Kerege
2013-03-11
What happens if the power goes out in America? Life kind of comes to a stand still. Some school districts might cancel school, back up generators would kick in, those without back ups would start freaking out about the food in the fridge or freezer, and the general American population would go into withdrawals or just be bored...
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