Tuesday, June 26, 2012










Well our first week in Ethiopia was full of getting settled, setting up contacts and getting to know the staff. Last week we had the opportunity to go out to a village that is about 20 minutes outside the city of Debre Zeit where we are staying. One of the things that we do for Engage Now Africa is evaluations. We go out to schools that the NGO has built and check up on them. We see if the building is doing well, if the school is running at full capacity, and we look for room for improvement. It is not enough just to build a school and walk away. You must make sure that it will continue to run and educate the children that surround it for years to come. We took statistics and interviewed a teacher, student, and the guard. This school currently educates 210 students. Before the school was built the children stayed at home and helped out with household chores. Now these children have the opportunity to get an education which is priceless. Here are some pictures from our village visit. We will keep you posted!
Eshi Chow!

Love, Tay

Wednesday, June 20, 2012


 (A picture of the Staff here in Debre Zeit)



Hey Everyone!

We have arrived in Ethiopia and it has been an adventure right from that start. We flew for a total of 25 hours and as a result were sick from all the airplane food and super tired. The jet lag has definitely taken it's toll. I wake up every morning at about 2am and read with my geeky head lamp on. We made it safely and are in the process of settling in. We are currently living in a little bedroom right behind the Engage Now office. The first day that we got here we met the owner of Engage Now and had a discussion about what our goals are here in Ethiopia. We also met up with the staff and got to know everyone. They are all so nice and helpful. At this time we are just making contacts and setting up a schedule for the next 2 months. I will keep you all updated on our progress.
Eshi Chow (Alright Bye)

Love, Tay

Tuesday, June 12, 2012




Life has been crazy lately with going home to SLO, spending the weekend with the girls in Park City, and trying to get everything ready for Ethiopia since we leave in 3 days!!!! Here are a few pics from this weekend. We haven't all been together since Alex's wedding a year and a half ago. Love you all sooo much!

Love, Tay