KID2KID
This section presents articles about kids growing up in places we've been on our adventures...
GROWING UP IN A GER IN THE GOBI
A Mongolian nomad's most valuable possession is a ger, known in the Russian language as a yurt. It is a circular, lightweight movable home built on a lattice wall structure with fabric overlay. Its walls can be folded accordion style into a single bundle that is transported on a camel or yak across the desert from camp site to camp site. After the lattice wall is unloaded it is pulled out to form a circle, usually about 12 feet in diameter and five feet high. The door-way always faces south to protect the interior from winter's frigid north winds. Wooden poles, colored orange to honor the God of the sun, are fitted into slots on the top edge of the walls and connected to a wooden ring at the top-center of the roof. The ring forms a hole to allow the pipe from the stove to reach the outside. Walls and roof are covered with layers of felt blankets and, finally, by a sheet of linen canvas. Two or three long ropes encircle the outside to keep the canvas tight against the walls even in gale force winds. In hot weather the felt and canvas sides are raised to allow a cooling breeze to circulate. All in all, it makes a practical and cozy home to grow up in.
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SCHOOL IN THE PANTANAL
Deep in the Pantanal, the world's largest wetlands in Brazil, students attend a tiny school in session only when the floodwaters recede enough for the students to be transported to school by tractor or truck. This jungle school enrolls 15 students, some who travel to school in canoes, and is managed by one dedicated teacher. Their logistical challenges are daunting. The start of the school year is timed to miss the annual flooding. Humid, 100-degree heat is endured with no cooling system. Surrounded by miles of dense mosquito infested jungle, their isolation cuts off most contact with the outside world. No texting, no Internet, no television.
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MAASAI SCHOOL IN TANZANIA
The Tanzania school system consists of elementary school, secondary school and college/university/trade school. Entry to secondary school is via national exam. If a student fails the exam, they cannot advance to secondary or trade school. Schools are few and widely scattered, forcing children who do attend school to often walk long distances or live at boarding schools.
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SCHOOL AT THE DUMP IN HONDURAS
A massive garbage dump lies outside the capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It receives garbage trucks every day bringing the trash of more than 1 million people in a vast expanse on the hills. Acres of unwanted materials create one of the most undesirable landscapes imaginable, but each garbage truck that arrives from the city is met by an eager group of people forced to sustain themselves by scavenging through this waste to find things to use or sell. The school was started in 2001 and began holding classes in the garbage dump. Then they moved to a nearby field in 2004, meeting under trees and small metal structures. Now, the school has expanded to three buildings and teaches about 150 children in kindergarten through 11th grade to give the children living near the dump a chance to receive an education.
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BERBER KIDS IN THE SAHARA
The Berbers families live the typical Nomad's lifestyle of the desert. This means the children must to learn to herd sheep, goats and camels and many other chores to help the family survive. As Nomads, they travel along traditional family routes, always following food and water sources. The family and the children will likely have no fixed place of residence and simply wander from place to place, following the seasons and food supply. They live in tents with dirt floors so that they can quickly pack up move.
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