Service Trip to Colombia

This coming March 8-16, 2014 I will be traveling with a group of students and staff members from the University of San Francisco for a week-long immersion in the country of Colombia. This trip is organized through a program called Arrupe Justice Immersion programs through University Ministry at the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA. Every year students and staff from the university stay in Colombia and other countries to engage in a week of solidarity and community with the people from the country at hand, to challenge our perceptions of our world, and to delve into social justice issues.

The main focus of this immersion will be on internally displaced and underserved communities in Colombia, as well as on the effects of the drugs wars on people in Colombia and education within the country. These topics are challenging and will require a mindset of working alongside others, not trying to fix problems; my student group will do so through partnering in dialogue and education on topics at Javeriana University in Cali, Colombia, a non-profit called IMCA in Buga, Colombia, and within the Jesuit community in which we will be staying during our time in Cali. The USF student group will be working alongside university students, children, staff, professors, and Jesuits in both Cali and Buga.

As a part of the preparation process for this immersion I need to raise $500 to cover the travel and on-site program costs while in Colombia. It is ultimately up to me to raise this money to pay my way to the immersion, though my immersion group will work to fundraise via selling food, running events, and more. I have decided to help supplement my overall program costs via this fundraising website. Thus, I am turning to you to request a donation of money to help me to pay for this immersion. Any amount of money will assist me in making my trip to Colombia financially feasible. Thank you for your donations.