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October 2007
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ALUMNI NEWS |
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Around the World and Back: Alum Highlights Tour for Social Action
Most people would consider it an accomplishment to visit 11 countries on five different continents in a lifetime. Kyle Taylor, SIS/BA ’06 was able to squeeze it all in over just three months. Originally interviewed for the May 2007 issue of Alumni Update, highlighting his “Dream it. Do it.” tour prior to his departure, now, after experiencing everything from Dengue Fever to organic rooftop farming, Taylor is back in the States with a fresh perspective on how youth are creating positive change from Brussels to Bangkok. When we last spoke with Taylor, he was about to board a plane to Brazil, where he would begin the first leg of his summer tour. Brazil ended up being a highlight of the trip, as he encountered a Youth Venture mission that was clearly living up to the organization’s mission. The Luanova Center For Girls, whose residents were all victims of rape or incest under the age of 18 - many of whom had consequently had children of their own - welcomed Taylor to their world. Approximately 100 miles from the city of San Paulo, Brazil, the girls support themselves and their children by running four different businesses, all housed within Luanova: jewelry and doll making, glass recycling, and producing organic bricks with which they build homes. Each enterprise contributes to an unbelievably organized and self-sufficient business model that keeps the women's babies in diapers and food on the table. The "venture" program at the center was established through a partnership with Youth Venture, which approved of the girls' proposition and provided valuable assistance. “These girls have created a completely sustainable venture with income generation models and more,” says Taylor. “These young people are forward thinking, very entrepreneurial – ‘gung-ho’ actually sums it up best.”
A memorable September stop in Mexico City provided Taylor with another perfect example of how youth are creating social change and empowering others around the world to do the same. Juan and Lilliana, biology students and future scientific leaders, took it upon themselves to develop an all-natural fertilizer so they could grow tomatoes, lettuce, and more, on a building rooftop within the world's second most populated city. The fertilizer works, and it is inexpensive to produce (six pesos per liter, or approximately 60 cents). Taylor was highly impressed with the Youth Venture duo. “It’s like witnessing the future leaders of Mexico, as they create sustainable farming and talk about important issues, such as Mexican politics,” says Taylor. During his last day in India, just prior to departing for Thailand and the last leg of his journey, Taylor was hit with a double whammy of Dengue Fever and an intestinal infection. After one last healthy day upon arriving in Bangkok, enough time to do a media interview with a local paper, Taylor succumbed to a dangerously high fever, landing him in the city hospital. Luckily, Bangkok’s facility is recognized as a top 10 hospital (in the world), and he says he received “incredible care.” So what now for Taylor, who amassed 60 hours of video, more than 6,000 photos, and countless hours of studying the lives of these prolific youth? “In addition to the Web sites where I’ve cataloged everything as I traveled, we’ve got a lot coming up to help spread the word about the action being taken. We’re making a short film about every country visited; talking with media outlets abroad; producing a feature length documentary for distribution in the U.S.; and organizing a university tour, teaching and empowering others.” -David Ferraris | |||||
