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Global Village

There are numerous times that we are reminded of the poverty and disparities that exist in our world, not only in our own ‘backyard’ or our ‘global backyard’. Seeing or experiencing these images is even more heart breaking when we observe that the ‘have not’s’ often had no choice in the daily existence they have to live. And there are always people living in worse conditions than ourselves. And all too often necessary needs like clean water, shelter and food become a struggle for many.

There are many ways that we can respond-through sponsorship and supporting aid organizations. Publicizing events and opportunities to give and serve or even going to a country or place that has real need. These are all real and relevant ways to respond. Conversely we have occasions every so often to experience these real necessary needs (even for a short time) to create empathy, identification or even educate and prepare one to go and be part of making life better for the have not’s.

Global Village is just such a place. A place to be confronted with the never ending conditions that millions live in around the world. It brings people together to live and experience for a pre-determined period of time to understand what and how day to day life occurs in many developing countries.

Participants will stay in Global Village for a determined period of time (at least 24 hours is desirable) and be immersed in the day to day occurrences of life. A day quickly becomes occupied with the following…

• Preparing the next meal (over an open fire)
• Making bricks (in the Brick Factory) to provide more shelter
• Fishing in the pond to discover just the ‘extra’ piece of food for the next meal
• Building a shelter in the Global Village Slum
• Harvesting food from the field with produce is grown
• Collecting water and making sure it is used wisely

All these things seem like simple and readily available for us however in a developing country these are daily chores that can quickly fill and an entire day and create the opportunity to see how fragile life is when crops fail, there is no clean water, people are too sick to work and there is no medicine.

Global Village participants will see through experience and simulations how important the simple parts of life are and how we can often take them for granted. Participants will get to barter with market people in purchasing their own food and really ponder the challenge of not having enough money to purchase the things they need even for basic human nutrition.

While in Global Village participants will have the opportunity to live one or more examples of several developing countries housing. The following options are…

• Haiti
• Refugee Camp
• Urban Slum
• Palestine

Whether you want a day long, overnight, or longer experience to prepare one for a mission trip or even just raise awareness Global Village is a great place to begin, or continue that journey. Global Village is a place to meet the world.

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Complete the form on the left to request more information about our Global Village, check availability or schedule a visit for your group.

Want to see the Village before you make plans? Feel free to drop by at the Calvin Center.