Emma's Volunteer Trip to South Africa!

My name is Emma Crisman and I'm starting a GoFundMe page to help raise money to attend a Sound of a Smile volunteer trip in South Africa. The Sound of a Smile Program was created in 2018 as a volunteer program focused on improving poverty-stricken African villages' educational environment and experience.

The donations will assist with the following aspects of the trip:

Travel

1) Bussing/ Transportation

2) Lodging

3) A Percentage of Meals

4) Team Building Events

Village Project

1) Hiring/ Paying of Kurland Tradesmen to assist with home repairs

2) Equipment (Hand Tools, Saw Blades, Safety Apparel, etc.)

3) Construction Materials

4) School Supplies

Kurland Village is a small community of about 5,000 people outside Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. Kurland is home to Black and Colored people speaking several languages, including Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa. The effects of apartheid still linger in the area, leaving behind inequality and poverty.

Kurland Village has two pre-schools and one grade school teaching children up to 8th grade. Students then attend high school about 30 minutes down the road. Kurland, like many other poverty-stricken areas in South Africa, battles with low employment rates, drug addiction, hunger, theft, and neglect. Kurland is made up of mostly wood, clay, and brick homes ranging in size from as small as 8'x8' to as large as 20'x15'. These structures house anywhere from one to eight people. Many of Kurland's residents are awaiting government-assisted homes, with wait times as long as 20 years. The village is home to dozens of small stores that sell snack foods, vegetables, fruits, drinks, toothpaste, shampoo, and other small items.

Our program takes on various projects every year depending on the needs of the village. We focus on specific areas, which are education, youth development, community outreach, and self-growth. The most important part of our program is making sure our time and efforts are focused on projects that have the largest impact on the community. We work in partnership with the 'Kurland Collective' along with village members to highlight, plan, procure materials, and oversee the steps of each project. We also participate in community engagement such as assisting during weekend village events, after-school events, and, most importantly, educational support. Our program collects school goods year-round and donates supplies to them annually. We volunteer our labor efforts towards community projects to refurbish schools, playgrounds, public facilities, homes for the disabled, and more. During our trip, we spend 11 days in the village refurbishing these buildings as well as holding tutoring hours for the children after school. Our projects consist of carpentry, painting, cleaning, gardening, along with helping in the classroom during school hours.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read about my trip. If you have any questions, I am all ears and smiles and will 100% take the time to go over anything you may be interested in!

For more information please look at:

www.soundofasmile.com and thank you all for your donations!!!

Any donation makes an immense difference!