New Blog

Hey guys, Sue and I made a new blog that we can both contribute to. Check it out here: http://greetingsfromtz.blogspot.com/

Leaving..on a Jetplane..

A couple of days ago Sue and I booked tickets to Tanzania. We're flying for like 30 hours and have 4 stops. These stops are: Italy, Kenya, Ethiopia, then Tanzania. exciting! I'm slightly scared of shady African airline companies..but o well!

Send Me to Tanzania!

After weeks of discussion/arguing with my parents, and tons of thought, stress, and frustration, I've finally committed to OHS. To Tanzania I go!!

Well the next 6 months will be really busy and stressful as I juggle preparation for the trip and schoolwork. I'd like to thank all my friends for being there for me. But yes..I am going to Africa, but not exactly yet. One hardship has been overcome, but I still have a few more in front of me.

OHS is a non profit organization, essentially meaning, if I want to go to Tanzania, I need to provide the money by myself. There is no financial aid or support from the foundation. Altogether, it costs roughly 4,7oo dollars for the 10 week program in Tanzania (including transportation between the US and Tanzania).

Do you want to feel good about yourself and semi-live vicariously through me?? Do you want to help the AIDS orphans in Tanzania? Are you sick of me and want me to disappear for 10 weeks? Help send me to Africa!! If you would like to make a donation on my behalf to help send me to Africa, please find me on campus or make a check payable to One Heart Source and send it to this address:

Michael Nguyen
9450 Gilman Dr. #923042
La Jolla, CA 92092

I would greatttlyyy appreciate any donations: big or small, and all of your money..meaning 100% of it..will go towards supporting the volunteer work I will do in Tanzania. Please spread the word and feel free to contact me via cell or email if you have any questions. Thanks guys!!

Ok Summary of What I will be doing

Ok so the purpose of this blog is to update my friends and family about the steps towards my trip to Tanzania and to update you guys when I am actually there..so here it goes.

Summary of what I will be doing (with pictures for you lazy people):

Next fall, I'm 85% sure I will be here:


Tanzania (surprisingly the secretaries in the Programs Abroad Office at UCSD thought Tanzania was, on one occasion in Australia, and on the second in New Zealand..*sigh*)

I will be working with OHS (oneheartsource.org) to help AIDS orphans in Tanzania. I will be there for 10 weeks working with these children to give them what they do not have: a future. I will care for these kids through many ways including help educating them, and being the support figure AIDS has stolen from them. I will also be working with the community to inform the population about AIDS prevention to try to end the vicious pandemic plaguing Tanzania. Essentially I will be a helping hand in a continent that the world has turned its back on.

Check out the OHS website for a more indepth explanation of the projects. So yup. Keep checking here for updates!

P.S. I have a lot of reading to do...I am sad.

Acceptance

For those that don't know..I might be going to Tanzania (thats in Africa).

Today I got my acceptance email from One Heart Source, the organization I want to go with to Tanzania. I will post a more indepth explanation of what I will be doing there later, but essentially I will be working with AIDS orphans in Tanzania and helping educate and support the children that everyone else has forgotten about. One part down, a couple more to go. I have a week to decide if I want to commit, and week from then to put down my down payment of 400 dollars. My biggest concerns right now are housing next year, funding for the trip, and my parents' approval...hopefully things will turn around soon.

Funny thing..I got accepted today, but I still need to receive acceptance.