Blogs from Minnesota, United States, North America - page 21

Why Establish a University in Karagwe? KARUCO – Karagwe University College The aim of establishing KARUCO is to prepare young people from Tanzania to build entrepreneurial Agri-business committed to sustainability and social justice – - That will bring social and economic transformation to Karagwe and surrounding areas. Why Entrepreneurial Agri-business? Agriculture is the backbone of the Tanzanian economy. More than 90% of people in Karagwe are small-scale farmers and more than 80% of all Tanzanians rely on agriculture to live from day to day. Most farm for subsistence. These people face overwhelming challenges including depleted soils, poor seeds, lack of clean water, lack of access to meaningful markets, and confining roles especially for women who toil, fetch water and supplies but are removed from reve... read more

Today was probably our most relaxing day on the bikes, even though we rode for almost 500 kms. On the road at 9:30 am from Devil's Lake ND en route to Grand Rapids, MN. It was a beautiful clear day, with sunshine forecast for the day We made not one but two stops into WallyWorld in search of green food for a picnic lunch. Found it at the second superstore. No grocery stores on the route. I'm getting alot of vibration on the bike, especially at the higher speeds, and desperately needed to improvise the gloves to give my hands a break, so bought some shoe heel gels and shoved them into my palms. Ahhh, relief. Could actually feel my fingers at the end of the day. Got a much warmer, fuzzier feeling riding through Minnesota. ... read more

Not too much new to report, but I'd like to get in the habit of writing on the blog for the future. I was able to speak with a former professor of mine who travels relatively frequently to Guatemala and, lucky me, she actually does a lot of work right in Xela (the nickname of Quetzaltenango)! I showed her the apartment Roger and I are looking at she told me it's a 5 minute walk from the fresh fruit market and also near an amazing pizza place. She also said there's some really fabulous cafes and book stores right around the area so I'm sure I'll be in heaven :) Via FB my aunt asked about Jade (she's a crazy dog lady like me!) so I figured I'd address that right now too. We found out ... read more

Hello all! I have never blogged before, but I figure since I will be abroad for 5 months, now is a good time to learn/start. I am writing this two days before my flight leaves from the cities. I will fly from Minneapolis to Dallas and then on to Santiago, Chile. This is sure to be a wonderful and eye-opening adventure! I will be living in Viña de Mar and attending school at the Catholic University in Valaparaiso, called Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. During the five months I will live with a host family, go to school, and learn what life is like in the Chilean culture. I have spent the last few weeks leading up to this trip seeing and visiting family and preparing to depart. It has been a special time for me ... read more

It's been nearly two months since I left India. After a couple of weeks home, I thought to myself, "Lynn, you ought to write a reflections blog," but I had no idea what I would put in it. Plus, there were holidays to celebrate and families to visit and wedding invites to send out (It's likely I didn't mention this before in my blog. For those readers who weren't aware: Surprise!). I decided to put my reflection off. Then, one month after I returned, the idea crept back. This time it was more imposing, and kept repeating, "You must have figured things out by now!" Needless to say, I hadn't. It wasn't just that I was too busy looking for a job or seeing relatives anymore; I was speechless. I cannot begin to count how many ... read more