I’ll admit it, before I started research for our week in Cape Town, I didn’t know very much about the history of apartheid in South Africa. I knew we had to visit Robben Island where political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, were held before apartheid was brought to an end. But I didn’t know about District…
Author: Kim Schmahl
7 Reasons to Visit Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa
If you’re planning a trip to Cape Town, Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden should definitely be on your itinerary! We spent a few hours exploring these beautiful gardens, but had we known how much there was to see, we would have brought a picnic and filled an entire afternoon. Here are 7 reasons to visit Kirstenbosch… 1….
Cape Peninsula Road Trip: A Day Trip from Cape Town, South Africa
During our week in Cape Town, my friends and I spent one day exploring the beautiful Cape Peninsula. We rented a car and drove down the coast, here are all the places we stopped at on our way and some tips for planning your own Cape Peninsula day trip… Muizenberg Beach – 30 km from…
Spreading Awareness about Malaria
Malaria is one of the biggest health challenges here in Liberia. It’s the leading cause of death in Liberia and young children and pregnant women are at an even higher risk than the rest of the population. (Some statistics are in this post that I shared last year.) But malaria is preventable! So we’re working…
Life in Liberia: Yard Names & Porch Kids
Here in my community in Liberia, the houses can be close together in a way that to my American eye seemed disorderly at first — not all the houses are on an actual road and they can be built just feet away from another house. Unlike in neighborhoods in the US, you can’t distinguish which…
A Day in the Life of a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia
What does a typical day look like for a Peace Corps education volunteer in Liberia? While every volunteer’s experience is different, here’s what a normal weekday looks like for me… My alarm goes off at 6:30, though I’m often awake sooner, hearing the roosters crowing and my neighbors at the well right outside my window,…
Life in Liberia: Living without Running Water
In Liberia, outside of the capital city, Monrovia, most people do not have running water – including the Peace Corps volunteers! Here’s how I live without running water in my community…. Most communities usually have either a pump or a well, or both. At my site, I have a well right outside my house that…
Where my Christmas?
December was a busy month so I wanted to share an update about where I spent the holidays! The last week of school before Christmas vacation was a pretty slow week. Attendance was low as many students (and teachers as well unfortunately) decided to begin their breaks early. But the students who were there kept…
A Little Motivation from my Students
Teaching is hard work! I recently posted about starting my 2nd year of teaching here in Liberia and some of my challenges. From classroom management issues to figuring out what’s most important to teach, there are days that are really frustrating. But I recently had a conversation with some of my 12th grade students that…
Reflections on Teaching: Starting Year 2
With one year of teaching under my belt, I’ve started my second school year here in Liberia! We’ve finished the first of 6 marking periods and about this time last year I wrote my first post about my experience so far teaching in Liberia. So it feels like a good time to write an update,…
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