Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Get Involved - Take Action T here are huge problems of global pro-
portions today, but human ingenuity should not be underestimated. More human beings also
means more bright ideas! The interconnectedness of the world means that more and more people
acquire knowledge about each other, and many decide to take action for a better world. There
are numerous encouraging things taking place globally as well as at the grassroots level.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a document agreed upon by the majority of na-
tions in the world. It establishes an essential common platform for all of humanity, and more
and more people come together in multiple forms and formations to work towards its implemen-
tation. In the year 2000, the United Nations set up 8 Millennium Development Goals for all na-
tions on the planet to work to achieve before 2015. The first of them is to reduce extreme pov-
erty. Many believe that it is within reach of our generation to put an end to poverty. One genera-
tion ago, 1/3rd of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today the figure is 1/6th but
still, far too many, and they are unevenly distributed—with Africa lagging behind and even
moving in the wrong direction in some places. There is progress and encouraging news. It is our
experience that just knowing, and talking, about all the problems in the world is discouraging;
however, as soon as you start doing something about them—no matter how small—
encouragement follows.
The programs at CCTG provides an opportunity for ordinary people to do something and be a
part of setting encouraging examples and taking action for a better world. Together with the
people in need, we can progress one step at a time. Install a new bore hole and a pump so clean
water is secured in a village. Establish a school garden to provide a nutritious meal for the chil-
dren in grade one. Organize that yet another family receives a small loan and can start planting.
Hold a course for women about hygiene. Build a new latrine. Mobilize five more girls to go to
school. Teach HIV-positive people about the “10 rules of survival”. Educate primary school
teachers for rural areas. The list is long and everybody can take part. Each event is a small vic-
tory in the fight against poverty, and over time have an impact. The people who are part of the
development work develop themselves in the process and build their capacity to do more. Good
examples spread and development can only be created through a collective effort.
We invite you to join us in this endeavor—if you are up for the challenge!
Campus California Teachers Group
The TG started in Denmark in the 1970s and has grown to almost 2,000 members worldwide (the majority
in Africa). The TG consists of a group of people of many nationalities, ages, and backgrounds who are
committed to working together to create human development. Despite the name, TG members are not
only teachers, but also lawyers, accountants, business managers etc.; and they commit themselves to be
part of the group for two years or longer.
As a CCTG participant, you have the opportunity to join the TG if you wish, after your program is com-
pleted.
* The opportunity to create human development either by working with others in an existing project, or
by starting up something new.
This means that you can push yourself and take on new challenges, even if you might not think you are
"qualified" to take them. You will have both the financial support of the TG behind you, as well as a sup-
port network of others in the TG around you with varying backgrounds and experience who can give you
input to help you grow and meet the new challenge.
The TG has "joint economy". So financially you "contribute what you can" and "take out what you need
and what is reasonable". So as a member of the TG you can focus on your development work and not
need to worry about paying your rent, or having food to eat etc.
In all areas of the world where TG members work, TG members meet regularly in order to qualify and
develop their work further.
Ultimately you are responsible for developing your work together with those you work closely with, seek-
ing input from others if you feel you need it.
Campus California Teachers Group
AT THE SCHOOL:
Anthony Nugent (American) was a participant of the October 2006 DI team and taught at a Teacher Training College in Nacala
-Porto in Mozambique for one year. Anthony was the team leader for CCTG’s first pioneer Fight Poverty team to Belize and is
currently working as the promotions manager and teams up with Laura as operational manager.
Rita Lapof (American) was a participant in the February 2007 DI team and worked with the Farmer’s Clubs in Malawi for 8
months. She returned from Malawi in May 2008 and in September 2008 committed herself to working at CCTG and has taken on
the role of the team leader for the Pioneer Ecuador team, DA teacher, and is currently with her Belize team traveling in Central
America.
Laura Pouponneau (Canadian, originally from the Seychelles) was a participant of the November 2007 DI team and commit-
ted herself to CCTG before leaving for the TCE (Total Control of the Epidemic) program in Namibia. Laura returned and re-
joined the staff of CCTG at the end of January 2009 and become the team leader to the February 2009 DI team. Laura continues as
the DI teacher, currently for the August Africa team, has charge of the school economy, and runs the programs at CCTG working
closely with Rita and Anthony.
Campus California Teachers Group
The collection in the Bay Area is run by two general managers (Sophia Campus Duus and Keld Duus). Clothes are collected from the
collection boxes in six trucks by six drivers. CCTG also employs a driver’s manager and a public relations manager. Donated items
are brought to the warehouse in Richmond (the other side of the bay from San Francisco) and resold, raising an annual surplus of $
160,000 for the training center- CCTG – in Etna.
*Job creation for a total of 14 drivers and warehouse workers in the local area.
*Providing convenient opportunities for people to donate their clothes, shoes, toys and household items to be reused, keeping them
from ending up in landfills.
*Assisting in the fight against global warming (allowing clothes to be reused means that fewer new clothes need to be manufactured
reducing the global carbon footprint).
As a CCTG participant, you will be involved with the clothes collection as it is an important part of CCTG, and gives you an opportu-
nity to learn about a recycling production.
* Your team will spend an "action week" in the clothes collection. The program during that week will depend on the needs of the
clothes collection at that time; it may include public relations activities with site-hosts or finding new sites for clothes collection boxes.
The action week will give you the chance to improve your organizational, presentation, and communication skills.
* It is also likely that you will have the chance to "fundraise through outreach" by finding hosts for new clothes collection boxes in the
San Francisco area.
Sophia Campos (Brazilian) was a Development Instructor with IICD Massachusetts in 2003, she went to Mozambique and volun-
teered with EPF (Teachers Training College) for 1 year. She also assisted with starting up the Clothes Collection for IICD Michigan and
currently contributes to the success of both our—CCTG—and IICD Michigan Clothes Collections.
Line Henriksen (Norwegian) has been a teacher for Development Instructors at IICD, MI and IICD, MA. She has recently started up
the Development Action program that runs a door to door collection in cities around the San Francisco bay.
Jan Sako (Slovakian) was a Development Instructor with DRH Lindersvold in Europe in 2005, he went to Mozambique and volun-
teered with EPF (Teachers Training College) for 6 months. When he came to do his 3rd period of the program in the USA he decided to
stay with CCTG and has been contributing to the expansion of our Clothes Collection since 2006.
Campus California Teachers Group
Africa’s 800 million people constitute more than a thousand tribes, each with its own history,
language and culture. They live in fifty three independent countries with borders drawn by
colonial powers. Thus each country typically consists of a colorful mix of cultures. Independ-
ent Africa began after the second world war. Ghana was the first country to gain independ-
ence in 1957. The process was completed in 1990 when Namibia, the last colony, gained inde-
pendence. So the “New Africa” is young and facing huge changes and transformations.
Often the images we get of Africa are those of endless doubts about Africa’s resolve, intention
and capacity. However, the truth is that all over the continent, even in the most extreme of cir-
cumstances, Africans are engaged in endless numbers of initiatives, projects and programs to
enhance life and improve living conditions. The truth is also that the people of Africa have a
lot to cope with.
One of Africa’s many folk tales is the story of the mouse who tried to mobi-
lize his fellow animals—the chicken, the goat, and the cow—to remove a
mousetrap. Well, they did not care about the mousetrap, since it posed no
danger to them. But then it happened that a very dangerous snake got caught
in the mouse trap and when the farmer wanted to take it out, he was bitten.
Now, when bit by a snake you immediately have to wash the bite with blood
from a chicken, so the chicken was slaughtered. As the farmer became more
ill and unable to work, the family had to slaughter the goat to have enough
food to eat. And alas, when the farmer died from the bite, the family had to
slaughter the cow to have food enough for all the people coming to the fu-
neral. Moral: don’t turn your back on the problems of your fellow human
beings, because they will end up being your problems as well.
Campus California Teachers Group
Africa is the poorest continent in the world. It is a continent that has suffered a history of underdevelop-
ment: slave trade, colonization, apartheid, war and more; currently a continent that is hardest hit by the
worst epidemic in human history, HIV/AIDS. More than half of the population lives on less than a dollar a
day and the number of people living in extreme poverty is growing,
Facts and figures out of Africa can be depressing, however behind the figures
there are human lives; people who, with a unique social network, reach out to
care for each other, using all available resources to make the best out of life.
Getting to know these people, working alongside them, and creating develop-
ment together, you realize their strengths and know there is hope. The people of
Africa have a huge capacity to cope and a strong will to make things better, but
they need assistance. Fellow human beings who have surplus in the form of skills
and knowledge, can assist Africans so they can expand their capacity, resources,
money, and the encouragement and energy it provides, working side by side in
solidarity with someone who cares.
This is not about charity. People in Africa do not need charity. It is about human dignity and every human
being’s right to live with dignity and fulfill his/her potential.
The Development Instructor Program offers a unique possibility for you to get involved and be a part of
creating development together with the people of Africa.
The Americas are diverse continents that have been populated by immigrants from all corners of the world,
since the earliest Native American settlers making their way through the arctic to settle all over North and
South America to the European conquest and numerous waves of immigrants, including those forced into
slavery.
When we begin to learn about Mexico, Central America, and Ecuador, we can begin to recognize many
similarities between their history and present day conditions, to those of Africa. Colonialism, exploitation,
and entire communities forced into slavery and poverty being made to produce raw materials and agricul-
ture for export to wealthy countries.
Campus California Teachers Group
During the last three weeks, I have been working in the school in the village El Molino.
The school is quite nice. It’s made of concrete blocks and has a tin roof. It is white-
washed both on the inside and on the outside. There’ s space and furniture enough for
all pupils. It is quite worn down though. The paint is falling off and the beams and raf-
ters supporting the roof has been badly eaten by worms and termites. There is no system
for garbage collection and when I came the school yard was covered with litter. The
blackboards definitely need painting.
The school’s greatest asset is its teachers. They are very friendly and supportive. They
know their pupils very well and care for them. Being a teacher in Guatemala isn’t easy
though. In order to get anything done they have to deal with a very conservative and
inflexible bureaucracy. Then there is the lack of money. In short, they cannot rely on the
government if they want things to improve.
Change here must come from the people themselves. In this change, we can play a posi-
tive role, first and foremost as catalysts. I have found, that I as an outsider see and react
to things that people here have gotten used to. An example of this is, of course the gar-
bage on the school yard. Another is the lack of good routines and a place for washing
your hands after using the latrines at the school. As a way of tackling these and other
health problems, we organized a health week at the school in El Molino last week
Humana started as a small organization in 1977, and now operates over 200 humanitarian develop-
ment projects in 30 countries. Millions of people worldwide participate or work at Humana's projects.
The following is an extract from Humana's Charter (complete version available at www.humana.org),
giving an insight into the philosophy of the organization.
" WE, who are not secret drinkers in cradles of comfort while
watching the world turn itself into a ball of fire, unite in
hearts and in words and in deeds with all Mankind.
* When being a child means never becoming a grown up, we stop the sources of dysentery. And we stand by
the graves. And we die a little.
* When being a grown up means never becoming old, we become part of the struggle against the plague and
the war. We create jobs. We take action.
* When life cannot be lived, hardly even survived, we place ourselves in the line of fire.
One good example of this is Humana's action in Angola. Angola was at war from 1962 to
2002. A country rich in resources (diamonds and oil), it was a cold war battleground at one
point, the MPLA government being supported by Cuba and the Soviet Union, the UNITA
rebels being supported by the US and South Africa. The majority of the ten million people of
Angola were affected by the war in one way or another. Most development organizations
pulled out of Angola because of the danger in staying there, but Humana stayed to be to-
gether with the Angolan people throughout the war. In May 2001 the Humana projects in
Caxito were attacked by UNITA rebels. 60 children were abducted by the rebels from the
school for orphans there. Humana was determined not to give up hope for these children and
worked actively with the UN and other local organizations to force UNITA to return the chil-
dren unharmed. Three weeks after the children were abducted UNITA returned them to Hu-
mana, the first time in the history of the conflict in Angola.
Humana's projects in the North - Europe and North America - generate funds for the pro-
jects in the South through the collection and sale of second hand clothes. The projects in the
South—Africa, China, India, Central and South America—meet basic human needs through
the creation of sustainable development within areas such as education, child aid and orphan
programs, training primary school teachers, sale and distribution of second hand clothes, ag-
riculture, tree planting, water supply, and fighting HIV/AIDS.
The Humana project involving the largest number of people is the TCE (Total Control of the
Epidemic) program. This operates in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa hardest hit by HIV/
AIDS, and involves the effective and low-cost mobilization of communities against the spread
of HIV. This program has had impressive results, and been adopted by the Botswana govern-
ment as their official anti-HIV program.
Campus California Teachers Group
Our Programs:
The Development Instructor Program
Campus California TG runs the following programs: (comprised of 3 periods)
• 1st Period: 6 months education and action
1. Development Instructor program—DI program
period in the USA
2. Fight Poverty Program—FP program • 2nd Period: 6 or 12 months development
3. Development Action program—DA program. work at one of Humana People to People’s
projects in Africa
• 3rd Period: 2 months follow-up with
The Fight Poverty Program information and outreach activities and the
(comprised of 4 periods) opportunity to expand work experiences.
• 4th Period: 2 months back in the USA • Up to 3 months with the Clothes Collection
Campus California Teachers Group
1. You must show that you can work 2. You must demonstrate 3. You need to demon-
with people from different back- that you can communicate, strate you have the skills
grounds. orally and in writing in the appropriate for your work
Your team may include people from language of the country at the project
many nationalities, ages, and back- you are going to. You will use the educational
grounds. Some may not be fluent in You will have regular lan- system at CCTG to secure
your native language. You will have guage lessons from a mem- this, guided by CCTG staff.
some common responsibilities as a ber of CCTG staff or a team Courses will be given by
team : to learn the language of the member fluent in the lan- CCTG staff or others, which
country you are going to, to organize guage of the country where together with individual
evening programs at CCTG, to meet you are going. You will studies, will secure this.
your fundraising goal through out- have regular language tests.
reach ... You will gain an understand- You will be expected to
ing of the strengths and weaknesses of show that you can give oral
your team members by taking these and written presentations in
common responsibilities. The nature the language.
of the teams and the programs at
CCTG means that you will show that
you can work with people of different
backgrounds by going through the pro-
gram.
Campus California Teachers Group
As you have understood by now this is a challenging program! We challenge you and
ourselves because this is how we achieve personal development.
Not everything will turn out as we expect and we will make mistakes, but we will
learn a great deal.
This is a program of challenges and every challenge you tackle in this period will bet-
ter prepare you for what is to come, fighting poverty, food shortages, AIDS, Global
Warming.
This will not be easy but what you gain can not be had any other way, please join us,
embrace the challenge!
Be the one in charge of a situation, and not a victim.
You decide how your day will be, how your endeavors will turn out, and you are the
one not to let outside factors take over and determine the outcome.
Campus California Teachers Group
You will be going to the project where there is most need for you at that movement. Early in
the training period each of you will get to know which project you can concretely prepare for
and learn about the actual tasks there. This can still change during the preparation time so it
is important to be flexible and open for changes.
It is also important to bear in mind that; - “where there is a will there is a way”. This
means that all kinds of technical preparations are not enough. It is our experience that the De-
velopment Instructors, to a large extent, also need to use all their best human qualities and
fully understand Humana’s Solidary Humanism to make a successful project work period.
Namibia Malawi
• TCE • TCE
• Vocational Training School • Farmers’ Clubs
• Child Aid—environment and HOPE activities
• Private school
You will have an active weekend program. The weekend activities are planned according
to the program of the project and your job as a Development Instructor
Examples of weekends:
• Project weekend: A special activity with and for the people at the project like Open
Sunday or other activities and events.
• Cluster meeting: Common program where the Development Instructors report to the
team of Project Leaders in the area (called a cluster).
• Cluster weekend: An activity to promote the development in the cluster and its
activities: A building weekend, a common action, an outreach weekend or an
income rally.
Campus California Teachers Group
After completing the 1st and 2nd periods you return to CCTG for the final 2 months of the pro-
gram. It is a very important 2 months, full of informational activities to further educate peo-
ple about the work that you have done and the situation in the world. After being at the pro-
jects and going through the struggles, successes, frustrations, times of joy etc, you are in a
very good position to inspire others. This period is planned during the 1st period and some
examples of activities are: teaching a new team for 2 weeks, making a theater play and pre-
senting this in schools, holding Info Meetings for people interested in the programs, making
presentations in colleges, writing articles for newspapers, etc.
One of the most important parts of the third period is to work with the 1st period partici-
pants as you represent the link between them and the projects.
Campus California Teachers Group
Period 2: 1 month bus travel and investigations from the school to Mexico, Guate-
mala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua– before finally ending in Belize. Getting
to know the people of the USA and Latin America, their culture, living conditions,
hopes and fears
Period 3: 4 months work in Belize - Fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Poor
Period 4: 2 months at the school - Alerting Americans to yield support for the poor
During these periods the course offers you, the participant, to learn and
develop in multiple ways:
Campus California Teachers Group
Period 3: 4 months work - Fighting Shoulder to Shoulder with the Poor in Central
America
The bus heads for the areas in Central America where Humana People to People has estab-
lished its projects in Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua. This might mean that your team
goes to different countries, in groups of two or four, to work at different projects.
One scenario might be that he bus drops you off in the Southern part of Belize where you
join up with Humana People to People who are running a Farmer’s Club for 3,000 farmers.
Daily, you visit the farmers, standing shoulder to shoulder with them, assisting them in im-
proving their agricultural output, as well as the quality of their life and welfare. You learn
about, teach, and put into practice simple, efficient, and sustainable methods of cultivation.
You figure out and help to organize how cash crops can be grown and taken to markets,
national or international.
You find partners for micro financing to start new farming ventures such as rearing animals
or planting new types of crops. You assist farmers with building rope pumps for water
availability. You help to establish vegetable gardens for growing nutritious food for the
families. You take part in Farmer’s Club meetings. You also work with the farmers and
their families to ensure that their children can go to school and preschool and you work
with them on how to improve their health, nutrition, and sanitary conditions.
After four months has flown by and the Farmer’s Clubs have accomplished much, it is time
for you to say goodbye to everyone. A farewell party takes place, hugs are generously dis-
tributed, and the bus is ready to leave to go back to California. Heading north you do not
make many stops for investigations, nevertheless the bus serves as a familiar home for your
team and you all participate in a wide range of discussions and studies on all that you have
experienced and learned.
Campus California Teachers Group
TCE is not a project but a framework, in which many projects and activities can operate. All
aiming to mobilize every single person and all possible resources in getting one of the worst
epidemics in human history under control.
A country is divided into areas of 100,000 people, holding fields of 2,000 inhabitants. In
each field, a local Field Officer is employed for a period of 3 years. During these 3 years, the
Field Officer’s task is to reach out to all people in the area, finding volunteers from all walks
of life, educating them to educate others, going door to door, starting activities such as
sports clubs, production groups, and women’s clubs. Their tasks contain everything that
works towards getting the epidemic under control.
As a DI with TCE you will be a “Special Force” and you can be training local Field
officers, be a problem solver and teach them to become one, do base line surveys,
The school – Periodincluding
4: 2 monthsvisiting all Americans
alerting families in to
anyield
area Support
and finding outPoor
for the about their situation, do
they have people sick with AIDS , do they know about HIV/AIDS?, organizing
events,
Once back at the school collecting
in California, andteam
your evaluating statistics,
undertakes a majorsetting
effort tostandards, being a goodof,
mobilize understanding example
and
etc.
support for, the projects in Central America that you have been part of building up. You put together a road
show that mayToinclude; films,
work with pictures,
TCE, stories, presentations,
it is essential to have humanexhibitions, and street theater.
skills, mobilization andYou tell about the
organizational
people you worked with, their families and children, about the situations of the poor in the Americas as within
skills, and to be able to administer and manage large groups of people and work you a
structured program.
have seen it, one country after the other.
These actions combine many ways of acting as messengers: Passing on knowledge to the wealthier Americans
about the poverty in the Latin part of the Americas. Spreading the idea that people in North America not only
have an obligation to know about the situation in their hemisphere, but to also do something about it.
You suggest many concrete ways in which North Americans may help. You inspire your audience and help
them to set up and implement ways so that funds and help is gathered for projects in Central America and
other nations in need.
The road show is produced, rehearsed, and preformed, initially at the school for your team to work out with
the help of the school as the audience. Then you may want to invite the community in Etna, where the school
is located, as we are always looking for ways to interact with our neighbors. At last the bus becomes the cen-
ter of ‘action on wheels’ - so as to visit and mobilize American homes, parks, streets, board rooms, meetings
places, churches, assemblies, government bodies, neighborhoods, schools, and inner city community centers.
The team has to be efficient and quick on the money as two months will quickly pass by.
Campus California Teachers Group
Period 1: 2 months at the school – USA and its backyard: Rich and
poor in USA and in Latin America
During these periods the course offers you, the participant, to learn
and develop in multiple ways:
Campus California Teachers Group
Period 1: 2 months at the school - Rich and Poor in USA and in Latin America
For two months (actually 9 weeks), your focus is on learning about the rich and poor in the USA and
in Latin America, preparing for traveling to Ecuador, and working at the project. You read, investigate,
discuss within the team, and with many others. You build friendships in the team so that your team
spirit is a sound foundation for your travel and your tasks ahead in Ecuador.
The Americas consist of a diverse continent that has been inhabited by immigrants from all corners of
the world, the earliest Native American settlers who made their way through the arctic to settle all over
North and South America, the European conquistadors, and numerous waves of immigrants, including
those forced into slavery.
Driven by poverty in their home nations, millions of Hispanic migrants continue to head north of the
Rio Grande in search of jobs in the far wealthier USA. They are willing to take the lowest paid jobs
often without the legal papers that secure social rights. You first explore the issues from the northern
side of the border. You meet people from Mexico, Guatemala and Ecuador, talk to business owners,
opponents of immigration, human rights organizations, journalists of Spanish radios, farm workers, and
street vendors in Chicago. You learn about poverty in the US among migrants and minorities. You look
for reasons in the history, geography, culture, and economics of the US and the world for the current
state of affairs. You consider what the future might hold.
You learn how to manage your time between learning Spanish, how to conduct an investigation, how to
protect yourself from HIV infection, how to secure safe drinking water, facts about the countries you
are going to visit, and how to present, speak and teach to a group of people.
How to mobilize a community; how to teach about and implement improvements in health, nutrition
and hygiene; how to organize, plan, and carry out, small scale income generation ventures, child care
and running preschools, how to raise funds; how to organize a farmers club, run a youth club, or start a
women’s club.
Campus California Teachers Group
The school – Period 4: 2 months at alerting Americans to yield Support for the Poor
Once back at the school in California your team undertakes a major effort to mobilize understanding of and sup-
port for the Child Aid projects in Ecuador, that you have been part of building up. You put together a road show
with many films, pictures, stories, presentations, exhibitions, street theater, and more. Your presentation tells
about the people in the Child Aid projects, their families and children, the situations of the those in Ecuador, and
to do something about them.
You suggest many concrete ways in which North Americans may help. You inspire your audience and help them
to set up and implement ways so that funds and help is gathered for projects in Central America and other nations
in need.
The road show is produced, rehearsed, and preformed, initially at the school for your team to work out with the
help of the school as the audience. Then you may want to invite the community in Etna, where the school is lo-
cated, as we are always looking for ways to interact with our neighbors. At last the bus becomes the center of the
‘action on wheels’ - so as to visit and mobilize American homes, parks, streets, board rooms, meetings places,
churches, assemblies, government bodies, neighborhoods, schools, and inner city community centers. The team
has to be efficient and quick on the money as two months will quickly pass by.
Campus California Teachers Group
About the countries: Belize - Under the shadow of its forests blooms Belize. Although
better known for its diving paradises and the second longest coral
Mexico - The site of advanced Amerindian civilizations, Mexico came barrier in the world, Belize has extensive forests, mountain chains and
under Spanish rule for three centuries before achieving independence wet lands. Occupied and robbed for years mainly by British settlers,
early in the 19th century. A devaluation of the peso in late 1994 threw Belize was a source of wood for Europe; and Maya farmers, native to
Mexico into economic turmoil, triggering the worst recession in over the land, were forced out of the country, few remaining on the very
half a century. The nation continues to make an impressive recovery. countryside. Also colonized by refugees from Civil War in the United
Ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, under- States and later African slaves, the country shows its diversity in race
employment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement and culture, and the many social divisions, results of the divide and
opportunities for the largely Amerindian population in the impoverished rule principle of colonialist. Today, the society still tries to overcome
the underdevelopment patterns introduced by colonialism and exploi-
southern states. Mexico has a free market economy that recently entered
tation. Agriculture became the main economy. Education receives
the trillion dollar class. It contains a mixture of modern and outmoded
investments, but the population still faces poverty, unsustainable
industry and agriculture. Per capita income is one-fourth that of the US;
foreign debts, and increasing urban problems, and HIV/AIDS rates.
income distribution remains highly unequal
Honduras is
Guatemala has been
known as the
called the “Land of Fire”
“Banana Republic”
for the blazing reds, blues
because of the major
and yellows of its hand-
role foreign industry
woven clothing, the searing
has played in the
heat of its lowlands, and the
both economic and
fiery blood of over 200,000
political affairs of
people killed during its 36
the country. While its
year civil war. The year
neighbors were
1996 marked the end of the
mired in civil war,
war as a newly elected
Honduras has seen
government took power
relative peace in
and a peace agreement was
recent decades.
signed. The struggle for
Peace did not mean
justice and an equal share
prosperity, however,
in the country’s wealth,
as outside influences
however, continue. Most
and a succession of
effected by poverty and El Salvador is a tiny and densely popu- Costa Rica - Although explored by the military rulers have
prejudice is the indigenous lated country struggling to find its way in a Spanish early in the 16th century, initial kept power, money,
population, the largest in all post-guerrilla war era. It is a fertile and
attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved and access to re-
of the Central American beautiful land with lush valleys and low unsuccessful. In 1563 a permanent settle- sources in the hands
countries lying mountains covered with plantations ment of Cartago was established in the of a few. Estimates
growing coffee, corn, and sugar cane. The cooler, fertile central highlands. In 1821, indicate that the
possession and power over this valuable
Costa Rica became one of several Central devastation to infra-
land has sprung countless insurrections and American provinces that jointly declared structure, homes, and
a twelve-year civil war. The war ended in their independence from Spain. Costa agricultural lands
1992 with peace accords signed and prom- Rica’s stable economy depends on tourism, brought by Hurri-
ises made. Though the country is at peace,
agriculture, and electronics exports. Pov- cane Mitch in 1998
the struggle continues to create a strong erty has remained at roughly 20% for will set the country’s
economy and to improve living conditions nearly 20 years, and the strong social safety development efforts
for all the people of El Salvador net that had been put into place by the gov- back several years. It
Nicaragua is the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes, characterized by beauty that ernment has eroded due to increased finan- is the poorest popu-
stands in sharp contrast to the poverty and struggles of its people. It is a cial constraints. Immigration from Nicara- lations who will feel
country still recovering from a decade of civil war in the 1980’s and the gua has increasingly become a concern for the greatest impact
repercussions of economic “shock therapy” during the 1990’s. Nicaragua is the government. The 300,000-500,000 of these setbacks.
among the poorest countries in the Americas. Most rural areas and many Nicaraguans estimated to be in Costa Rica
urban neighborhoods are deeply impoverished making illiteracy, malnutri- legally and illegally are an important
tion, illness and unemployment widespread. source of (mostly unskilled) labor.
Campus California Teachers Group
Practical Information
Program Fee is $3,900.00 USD
This helps to cover the training, including food and lodging. The fundraising, that is part of the training,
will help to cover your airfare to and from the project, health insurance while at the project, visa to project
country, vaccinations needed and malaria medication. Your stay in Africa is covered by Humana People to
People, including food lodging project costs, as well as pocket money.
Half of the program fee is to be paid 1 month before the team starts and the other half at the start of the
team.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for paying your travel to Etna and back home after the end of the program,
also when going on Home Travel period or visiting your friends during the Christmas time.
RECOMMENDED: We recommend you to have a health insurance for the period you are in the USA. You
can bring your own insurance or you can find a policy here.
* If you don't have the insurance then you will be personally liable for any medical expenses during your stay in the USA
Teams starting:
2009
* Number of people enrolled in the team may affect when the team starts
Campus California Teachers Group
Campus California TG
510 Collier Way,
P.O. Box 854
Etna, CA 96027
Phone: 530 - 467- 4082
Cell: 510 - 734 - 6777
Email: info@cctg.org
Website: www.cctg.org
www.drh-movement.org
www.humana.org