Finally in Switzerland! (May 29th, 30th, 31st)

It has been a long two days that's for sure! The flight over to Europe went very well. It was kind of weird because the sun never really set. Talk about the time change!

Arriving in Amsterdam was a beauty and all of the staff at the airport were very helpful and nice. They started my trip off to Switzerland!

I arrived at Our Chalet (one of the four International Girl Guide houses) at around 1630 on May 30th. I was greeted by a lovely receptionist. Got a room with a pretty nice view!!!!! The mountains are absolutely stunning! It has been far too long since I've seen any mountains. The Swiss Alps are comparable to the Canadian Rockies, but different still. It is a comforting feeling having that girl guide connection with the guests and staff of Our Chalet. It definitely made traveling by myself easier. It feels a little like home here. 

Random fact about Adelboden: it snowed here a few days before I arrived. There are still snowmen standing in the yard around the chalet!! And I was complaining Canada was too cold for the end of May!!

I have been asked many times if I am a new volunteer coming to work for the summer. (This weekend is the change over of spring volunteers to summer volunteers).I attended the final campfire for the spring volunteers on the evening of May 30th. Their three month volunteer period has come to an end. All this questioning is making me think about perhaps volunteering at a world centre. Scratch Pax Lodge and Our Chalet off the list. (That leaves Our Cabana or Sangam ... next summer's adventure maybe? ... ).

Today, the new summer vollies (slang for volunteers) and I hiked our very first Swiss hike! We took the trek up to the Woodcarver's. It was mostly along roads on the way up. We stopped and warmed up at a small cafe with hot chocolate and some cake. The woodcarver was fantastic! So many cool carvings and such all handmade. All of the wood they use is from the area (mainly Fruitigen). I learned that there are maple trees in Switzerland!!!! I was sad to find out that they do not tap these trees for syrup. I was told that this could be a new business endeavour for me as a Canadian in Switzerland. 

It hasn't been the greatest weather today, but I trudged through the rain. My socks are SOAKED! Good thing I brought many pairs. I am currently working on completing my Our Chalet Challenge. Lots for me to do over the next few days!

Tomorrow I will be attending an official Our Chalet welcoming/pinning ceremony alongside the other guests here at the chalet. I am very excited as this is an official Girl Guide event and I will be able to wear my uniform!!!!! I also plan on hiking to the Magic Tree. Apparently it is the oldest tree in Adelboden (about 500 years old!) and it's hollow so I'll be able to stand in it.

All for now folks!

-Steph :) 

Almost Ready to Leave!!!

Almost finished packing and ready to start my summer 2013 adventure. 

I was overwhelmed by the amount of soccer and rugby cleats that were donated from friends, teammates, high schools and people in the community. I do not have space to bring all of them with me to Uganda, but they will all eventually make their way over. I plan to continue collecting once I get back and send a package over next spring. Thank you to everyone who collected cleats from high school soccer and rugby teams, children's soccer teams, as well as anyone who dug through their old kits and closets to donate to Gainline. This picture below isn't even all of the cleats I have!

I am super excited to head off to the international Girl Guide house (Our Chalet) in Switzerland for four days!! Spending a few days in the mountains hiking and taking in the beautiful Swiss culture! After my time there, I am heading across the boarder to Germany to spend the weekend with some family. It will definitely be a change of scenery (and temperature!!!) once I land in Uganda. 

Well that's the update for now. Looking forward to blogging from across the Atlantic!

-Steph

What Am I Doing This Summer?

Hi!

I am super excited to begin blogging and eventually sharing my experiences from my travels this summer. I am new to blogging so please keep that in mind when reading this! 

We are so fortunate that we come from a peaceful and developed country. There are no major wars or conflicts going on in our backyard. There have been no civil wars in my lifetime and I have not had to experience any form of poverty. This is not the case in Uganda. 

Over the years the Gulu district in Uganda has seen much blood shed and violent attacks from Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army(LRA). Employing terrible raid tactics the LRA has taken many of Gulu’s young boys and forced them to become child soldiers. Since 2007 relative peace has returned to Gulu along with many former displaced children and families.

Gainline Africa promotes the values of the sport we love by working in rugby communities at home and abroad.  At home, we raise awareness and involvement through various initiatives that educate and engage Canadians about the issues our partners face. Abroad, we provide local community leaders and high school teachers with the tools they need to deliver after-school rugby programs to youth who have faced extreme hardships. 

Our sustainable rugby community club model incorporates sport, space and play as tools for addressing a variety of critical development areas, such as:

1. EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Gainline Africa’s programs foster the physical, cognitive and social development of youth, teaching them valuable life skills through role models in their community.

2. HEALTH PROMOTION & DISEASE PREVENTION
The structure of Gainline Africa’s programs effectively, and non intrusively, educates youth and their families about relevant health and disease prevention issues. (i.e HIV and AIDS, malaria, sanitation, immunization)

3. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP & PARTICIPATION
In order to create sustainable change and a lasting impact, Gainline Africa looks to build the capacity of rugby communities, not replace it. We work in partnership with local organizations and community leaders to build infrastructure through local engagement and leadership. 

4. CONFLICT RESOLUTION & PEACE BUILDING
Our rugby programs assist in teaching conflict resolution and peace building skills to youth exposed to war and violence. Regular participation in physical activities influenced by positive leaders and cooperative teammates facilitates healing and re-bonding of communities and reintegration of those affected by war.

I will be spending 2.5 weeks in June building up the rugby program and community in Uganda. Below you will find a link to the Gainline Africa website as well as a fundraising link if you would like to sponsor me and support this great organization.

Gainline Africa Website: http://www.gainlineafrica.org/

Fundraising Link: http://raiseathon.ca/gainlineafrica/profile.php?id=6nidet2 

Cheers!

-Steph