Feliz Ano desde Guatemala - by Emlyn Lee

1/2/201010:34:53 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

Emlyn's Expressions

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s a start of a new decade. Since August, I have probably spent more consecutive days living in Antigua, Guatemala than I have in Austin, TX, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to end and start a new year. I’m sitting next to the beautiful private annexed pool in Porta Antigua Hotel, reflecting upon the projects and programs Cultural Embrace has accomplished in 2009, and motivated for a better 2010.

In 2009, we have sent over 40 participants to teach English (and other subjects, such as: history,  American culture, physics, computers, math, etc) in Chile, China, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand for at least a committed semester or school year.

We have organized dozens of volunteers to help at-need communities in Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Austin, TX from 1-52 weeks. Sample projects have included: building schools in Guatemala, helping with reforestation projects throughout Australia, the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, and Thailand, training at health/HIV clinics in Kenya, Thailand, Ecuador, and India, and tutoring kids and orphans in Argentina, Austin, China, Kenya, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, and Thailand.

Over 50 students or recent graduates have interned abroad gaining professional development in their field of study. Some of the interns’ needs were to earn academic credit, but all of them were focused on developing practical work skills in the global market. Examples of where and what some of these interns did are: working as an assistant for the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, coordinating events and cultural exchanges for Brazilian students to go abroad, marketing for businesses in the software, auto, language schools, radio/media, engineering, biotech, etc in Argentina, Spain, Australia, China, France, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Interns have also shadowed doctors in clinics and hospitals in Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Peru.

We have had over 25 young adults work in the hospitality and non-technical fields in Australia, Spain, France, and New Zealand. They have worked in hotels, restaurants, chateaus, golf and ski resorts, farms, and families as au pair/nannies. This is a great chance for them to earn a local wage, afford to live, work, and travel abroad, make new friends and professional contacts, and gain a sense of independence, responsibility, and global mindset.

Every business needs to set daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual goals. The New Year is an obvious time to lay down new resolutions and aspirations, and to increase and improve our services to encourage people to recognize and appreciate cultural diversity. We plan to build deeper relationships with at-need communities, by ‘sponsoring’ and facilitating their projects. I am starting with Guatemala, and developing relationships with several project leaders to discuss ways that Cultural Embrace may assist with marketing, fundraising, and providing awareness and guidance in building sustainability within their village. Plans to sponsor communities in Kenya, and India in 2010 are in the works.

I encourage you to put international travel on your New Year’s resolution list for 2010. There is no better way to balance your personal, professional, and spiritual state of mind than by going abroad. Cultural Embrace and I are committed to provide you the service that will allow you to have a safe, healthy, and memorable experience to...“Discover the Similarities…Share the Differences” of this beautiful world.  Feliz Ano! I look forward to making this the best year and decade!