Piso Saludable: Foundations for Success

October 1, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

“What does it mean to you to have a floor?” I stared blankly.  Floor?  Well, you can’t have a house without a floor.  Linoleum?  Hard wood?  Tile?  What the heck does she mean, what does it mean? Isabela continued in Spanish.  “I asked the women, what does it mean to you to now have a floor in your home?  Tell me in one word.  And they told me:  Seguridad.  Stabilidad.  Felicidad.” Security.  Stability.  Happiness. The last descriptor came from a nine […]

Categories: Actuar Por Bolivar, Cartagena, Colombia, Community Development, Microfinance, Volunteerism

Things I’ve learned by volunteering

August 13, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

This week marks my one-year anniversary of leaving the corporate world.  Since then, I’ve traveled a lot, learned a new language, and spent a good deal of time volunteering.  Here are a few of the things I’ve learned as a volunteer. 1.  What’s easy for you may be difficult or impossible for others.  And vice versa.  One of my placements in Yaroslavl, Russia was at a school for mentally disabled children.  Some of them could not complete the craft projects […]

Categories: Actuar Por Bolivar, Children, Colombia, Community Development, Cross Cultural Solutions, Peru, Russia, Touchy Feelies, Volunteerism, Yaroslavl

Las Olimpiadas have begun!

August 4, 2012 by Meghan Johnson

Yes, the 2012 Olympics in London have begun, with much fanfare and a Mr. Bean appearance.  But more importantly (because I don’t have a TV), so have Las Olimpiadas de Cartagenito! The athletes, having trained long and hard, were eager to begin the competitions. They listened attentively to their coaches and stretched their muscles in anticipation of the great feats of athleticism they were about to undertake. Behind the scenes, official Olympic artists worked feverishly to complete the Olympics-themed flags […]

Categories: Actuar Por Bolivar, Cartagena, Children, Colombia, Community Development, Microfinance, Playtime, Volunteerism