Well, I took the past month off blogging because of exams and final papers and then a few weeks of vacation and stressed out packing. Now, I am sitting in Pearson International Airport in Toronto, waiting for my flight to board and take me off to Stuttgart (via London) to visit my grandparents for 4 days. Then I will continue on (on the weekend), flying from Stuttgart to London, London to Johannesburg (South Africa), and Johannesburg to the final destination: Lilongwe, Malawi! I had a wonderful few weeks of rest - spent some time at the new family cottage, visited a friend's cottage, hung out with my new sister-cousin Caro, and was surprised yesterday with a going away party! I think pictures do a better job than words for this part, so enjoy! I've had a few people ask if I plan on continuing with the blog while gone - ABSOLUTELY! I think it will the easiest way to communicate my experiences to a wider audience. So... please read along and leave comments! And now, I will leave you with a video of the song that has played relentlessly in my head for the past 2 weeks, which my mumsy and I both love to watch and listen to.
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We are currently heading into the last two weeks of classes for the spring term, and are down to one more INDEVOURS event before we leave on September 9th! I’d like to cordially invite you to the INDEVOURS Global Gala, to be held on Saturday, July 27th at Bingeman’s Conference Centre in Kitchener. It will be a semi-formal event that will begin at 5:30 pm with cocktails, followed by dinner at 7:00 pm, and a silent auction later in the evening. We, the INDEVOURS, will be presenting our story and telling you more about what our aims and plans are for the upcoming placements. There will be live music and lots of time to mingle and meet all 27 of us. I’d love to see you there! Please contact me to purchase tickets, or visit our website www.indevours.wordpress.com and choose the Global Gala tab to find out more information about the event. Another INDEVOURS highlight is that we were featured in a recent edition of SNAP Kitchener/Waterloo, a local print publication that features photos of events and life in our community. Check out the pictures of our Battle of the Bands event here.
Thanks for visiting! Today I'd like to share a video with you, made by someone who works in the refugee camp that I will be working in come September, featuring a man by the name of Patron, a resident of Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. It is wonderful to see the skills and talents that are present in the camp, and the hope that this man has. However, it is also difficult to watch, because as Patron says, they are hidden away from the Malawians, and so the market for products produced in Dzaleka is very small. P.S. Just wanted to remind you of the INDEVOURS Family Festival, which we are hosting in the Uptown Waterloo Square (75 King St.) on this Saturday, July 6th. We will have booths with information on each of the countries we are going to be placed in, and fun games and activities for the whole family. There will be a Latin band and a magician performing! Also, because our rain barrel sale was so successful, we have decided to host another one at the Family Festival. Come on out between 1pm and 6pm that day for a fun time!
We had the great privilege of being featured in a segment of the local Rogers Daytime show yesterday! Bree & Zain, two of my classmates, represented INDEVOURS wonderfully, and explained our mission, values, and future goals, as well as sharing some of our upcoming events.
Take a look here: http://www.rogerstv.com/page.aspx?lid=237&rid=54&gid=115011 One of the events that my counterparts promoted is the Family Festival, which we are hosting in the Uptown Waterloo Square (75 King St.) on July 6th. We will have booths with information on each of the countries we are going to be placed in, and fun games and activities for the whole family. There will also be a Latin band performing, and a magician! Also, because our rain barrel sale was so successful, we have decided to host another one at the Come on out between 1pm and 6pm that day for a fun time! Get your rain barrels here, folks! This is the last week to pre-order a barrel (the poster says the 15th was the last day, but we haven't made our quota yet, so we're continuing to sell)!
We will be selling the barrels and accessories at the Kitchener Market (300 King St E.), this Saturday from 7am-3pm. There will be music and food and lots of INDEVOURS to chat with! Rain barrels are great for your garden and the environment - they prevent groundwater from becoming contaminated by collecting rainwater before it can become contaminated and enter the groundwater, and the water is a great way to save on your water consumption in the summer! Even if you have rain barrels already, check out our sale website - there are some pretty cool accessories to help you make the most of your barrels. My family currently has about 5 barrels set up around the house and yard. Some have screens covering the opening to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the water, and in others, we've put some goldfish to eat the larvae. If you cannot make it to the Market for pick-up on Saturday, but would still like to order a barrel, let me know and we'll work something out! So, now that I've convinced you that you really ought to buy a rain barrel - here's the website from which to order one: http://rainbarrel.ca/indevours/. See you on Saturday! One of my assignments this term was to write a personal mission statement, a task I took seriously, and was pleased to find that within about half an hour of sitting down, I had produced the essential aspects I wanted included. I thought it might be of interest to those of you supporting me on this adventure, so have decided to share it here. Now, the main comment I received from the professor was that I need to include how I plan to accomplish these goals, and that is an answer that I am still mulling over and working on figuring out. For some of the statements, they are accomplished through life choices that I am already making, but others are more complicated and require some thought as to how I plan to make sure I practice them in my daily and future life. Anyhow, let me know what you think! My life mission is: Well, today is the last call for chicken orders - if you want some, message me ASAP! Find the info here. The rain barrel fundraiser has been extended, as we now have a set date and location! You can pre-order your barrels until June 15th. We will be having our sale at the Kitchener Market (300 King St. E) on June 22nd, from 7am-2pm. We'll be located outside on the piazza, so come on by and say hello (I promise to remind you all the Thursday before the event)! Oh, and by the way - it is an amazing price for the quality of product you are receiving - rain barrels are typically sold for $60-150 in retail stores, and our price is $50! Visit www.rainbarrel.ca/indevours to place your order. Now for the comment on development. One of my professors used this political cartoon in one of her presentations, and I just think it is one of those images worth a thousand words. There is so much truth and in it. I think this image is an accurate depiction of how the 'Western', 'developed' (or whatever you want to call us) world has taken advantage of the other nations, beginning in the time of exploration and colonization. The one comment I would make on the image is that it neglects to depict our similar treatment of South America and Asia.
Anyhow, the truth of this struck me when I saw it, and I was shocked at the suddenly overwhelming feeling of guilt that I had, as I recognized in this simple cartoon, the story of how I came to have all the objects and general wealth that I possess. What do you think about this map of the world? Does it make you wonder? Well, we want all of our supporters to get to know us a little bit better, so our marketing team is making short videos of each of us and featuring them on our YouTube channel, indevours1. Today was my debut, so I thought I'd share it here! There are a few other videos up on the channel, and 2 more will be uploaded every week, so check back to meet some of my classmates! In explanation of my constant need to look down in the video - I am horrible at public speaking, so I have to write out what I want to say in order to actually get it said! Hope this gives you a more clear idea of what I'll be doing and why I'm going to absolutely love it! Hey, hey, hey! The INDEVOURS are moving at super-speed to get fundraisers up and running, and our first two are ready for orders! Additional info is below. Here’s why you should buy from us: I am representing INDEVOURS, a student-run organization at the University of Waterloo whose members dedicate the fourth year of their International Development studies to living in and working with communities in the developing world. In order to help our members offset some of the significant costs associated with this field placement, we are hosting various fundraising events. The funds raised will assist us in putting our theoretical acumen into practise as we strive to achieve positive and sustainable social, environmental and economic development for our communities at home and abroad. We value optimism, education, and stewardship, and will work for change by harnessing diversity, innovation and opportunity. Please visit www.indevours.wordpress.com to learn more about us. Elmira Poultry is super tasty, raised free-range in the area, locally processed, and the different kinds of packaged meat are listed above. I have also attached the PDF sell sheet below, so if you'd like to download that for easier reading, feel free! If you want to order some meat, please submit your order to me via email (katianakonig@gmail.com) by May 30th. I’ll need your name, phone number, and the call number and quantity of boxes you want. Money needs to also be submitted by May 30th in cash or cheque form (made out to St. Paul's University College, with INDEVOURS written on the memo line) – contact me to make arrangements. Chicken will be delivered Saturday, June 15th from 2-4 pm at St. Paul’s University College. Once again, if you can’t make it for that day and time, contact me to make other arrangements, and I’ll see what I can do.
We are partnering with RainBarrel.ca to run a fundraiser selling rain barrels in Waterloo. Orders are now being taken for a June 22nd pickup date at the Kitchener Farmers' Market (300 King St. E). Rainbarrel.ca reclaims food grade barrels to be reused as rain barrels, each of which comes fully equipped with a leaf and mosquito filter basket, an overflow adaptor that permits multiple barrels to be connected in series, 1.2m of overflow hose and a spigot that attaches directly to a garden hose. The price is $50 per barrel, and barrels can be ordered online at www.rainbarrel.ca/indevours.
Rain barrels capture and store rainwater collected from roofs through downspouts. They provide chlorine-free and fluoride-free water, which is ideal for flowers, vegetables, lawns, shrubs and trees. Collected water has a number of other uses including washing cars, cleaning floors, laundry and more. These many uses can provide cost savings and conservation opportunities for every homeowner, especially those who pay to have water trucked in, use a well or have a water meter installed. Environmental benefits of using rain barrels include reducing reliance and draw on city water, healthier plants because there are no additives such as chlorine in the rainwater, and reduces storm runoff that can pick up contaminants on its way into the local water supply. So, what do you think? If you are interested in purchasing yummy chicken from Elmira Poultry, or eco-friendly rain barrels for your garden, let me know as soon as you can! |
AuthorWelcome! My name is Katiana and I am a development professional pursuing my dream to live out Isaiah 1:17 to the best of my abilities. I am passionate about teaching and working with vulnerable families and children to improve their lives sustainably.
CaveatThis blog is composed of my personal opinions, which do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of institutions or organizations that I may be or have been affiliated with.
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