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How did you hear about our organization?

“I heard about Color My World from my cousin Bella in Vermont who went to Nicaragua the year before with Color My World.”

Why did you pick the trip/country that you went to?

“After hearing about Bella’s experience with Color My World I knew I wanted to go the following summer. The idea of helping others in another country and learning about their culture seemed exciting. I chose Peru because it provided the ability to work with children and teach them English. Machu Picchu was also a day trip and I have wanted to go there for many years. This provided me with the best of both worlds.Helping others while seeing a beautiful country.”

Did you come with a friend or your family?

“Yes, I came with my cousin. My cousin and I grew up 4 miles from each other and went to school together. Then my family moved away 5 years ago. This was an opportunity for Bella and I to hang out more and spend time together before she goes to college next year.”

What were some of your favorite activities/projects?

“My favorite activities were working with the kids because they always had this sense of joy to them and they made you feel like you were making a difference. I feel like I will always remember the kids and what they did for me even though we were there to help them. We had a party for them at the end which was a lot of fun for them and us. They were so happy to be a part of it.”

What lessons did you learn while volunteering?

“I learned that while you volunteer it’s not about you but the people around you but also that when you are helping them out they are also helping you out in unimaginable ways.”

What would you tell future volunteers?

“I would tell future volunteers to open themselves up to the kids and the culture because they are great loving people. Try new things and have fun!! I also want to say always prepare for the weather down there because it can change drastically.”

The post Why I Volunteered With Color My World? – Will’s Experience In Peru appeared first on Color My World.

How did you hear about our organization?

“I heard about Color My World through conversation in my town, because Angela had lived here for a while and was well known among my friends’ parents. Color My World is a well-known organization where I live, so it had been something I had just heard about many times.”

Why did you pick the trip/country that you went to?

“I chose to go to Peru with Color My World because all of the trips in the organization have great programs for helping people and volunteering, but the “touristy” part of Volunteer Peru was the reason this trip stood out to me. Going to Machu Picchu was something that had been on my bucket list for a while, so seeing that really made my entire volunteer experience even better.”

Did you come with a friend or your family?

“I came with one of my best friends Liv and I am very glad that she came with me. It was nice to have a friendly face that I knew in the beginning, but it did not feel like I was still at home with my parents watching me. It was a perfect balance of independence and comfort.”

Did you fundraise for your trip? If so what did you do?

“Liv and I set up a Go Fund Me page to raise some money for the donations to the school. We were able to raise nearly $500, which helped us buy school supplies, shoes, and small activity things for the kids. We were also able to get donations from the elementary schools in our town because our friend’s mother is a teacher, so most of our school supplies were generously donated by her and other parents in our town.”

What were some of your favorite activities/projects?

“I really enjoyed the medical clinic project we did with the kids. Even though I was only taking the height and weight of the kids and checking their development on a chart, I still felt like I was doing something important and really helping these people. This was especially important to me because my dream is to become a doctor and work with Doctors Without Borders someday, so this gave me a glimpse of what I want my future to be like, and it felt really great.”

What lessons did you learn while volunteering?

“While volunteering, I learned that is it very easy to form close connections with people no matter your circumstances. I spoke absolutely no Spanish going on this trip, but I was still able to make a few friends at the school who would call me “mi amiga”. Even though we didn’t speak the same language, the kids at the school were so eager to spend time with us and get to know us as much as they could, which was very special. In another sense, I am usually not a very outgoing or talkative person except with a few, close people. However, by the second day, I became very close with my fellow volunteers and was quickly brought out of my shell. The people that volunteer with Color My World are truly special and I became very close to them very quickly.”

What would you tell future volunteers?

“The most important piece of advice I would give future volunteers is to have an open mind going into the trip. The schedule changes, you don’t know exactly what you’re doing each day, and you’re eating new foods you don’t usually like, but it is all part of the experience and you just have to embrace it. Sewing dolls and speaking Spanish are nowhere near specialties of mine, but it’s all a part of the journey and becomes central to your experience no matter which trip you do with Color My World.”

Do you have a funny story from the trip?

“When we were making dolls, Brandon happened to mention that he listened to screamo music. Obviously, we were all interested, because Brandon is the last person you would ever expect to listen to screamo, and we forced him to play it for us while we sewed. He turns on this heavy metal screamo music and starts head-banging and we all start cracking up. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen because he just looks like a little teddy bear jamming to hardcore screamo and its the most ironic combination ever. I have to admit, I have been jamming to “Blank Space” by I Prevail in my car lately, so I highly recommend 🙂 ”

The post Why I Volunteered With Color My World? – Molly’s Experience In Peru appeared first on Color My World.

How did you hear about Color My World?

I heard about Color My World from one of my good friends who was wanting to go on a humanitarian trip.

Why did you choose to go to Nicaragua? Did you come with a friend?

My friend and I decided to go to Nicaragua because it sounded amazing and the time frame that Color My World was there worked best with both our schedules. The second summer I choose Nicaragua again because I loved it so much the first time I wanted to go back. The second summer a bunch of my friends came and a couple of my cousins.

What were some of your favorite activities/ projects?

Some favorite projects were going to the local orphanage and playing soccer with the kids, hand mixing cement to lay a foundation on the house we were building, and going to the local dump to play with kids and make/ hand out lunch. Both years I made newborn kits to hand out to mothers, which was so fun and humbling.

What were some of the lessons you learned from volunteering in Nicaragua?

One of the biggest lessons I learned is how important it is to be grateful and more appreciative. These people that we went to another country to serve would always end up serving alongside us, helping however they could. This taught me that I should always strive to be helpful in any situation I can, especially when I’m not asked, because by helping others I will start to develop habits of selflessness which will make my life so much happier!

What would you tell future volunteers?

I would tell future volunteers that no matter where they go it is up to them to make the best of this amazing experience they are able to have. Things might not go as planned, different foods, and creepy bugs could gross you out, but look to all the positive things and focus on serving others and you will be able to have one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences you could have!

Thank you Regan!

Want to share your story? Email us at hillary@colormyworldkids.org

The post Why I Volunteered With Color My World? #CMWvolunteer appeared first on Color My World.



If you feel like this, then join us for our Nicaragua Infomation Webinar, Sunday, February 25, at 9:00 pm EST. In 30 minutes we will go over Color My World’s service history in Nicaragua, the local needs we strive to address, and how to create a meaningful connection with those you serve. You will leave with a clear understanding of not only what we do but why we do it. We will also talk about our two scholarship opportunities and how you or a friend can apply for a one.

At the very least, it could be a good insight into the world of service. But who knows, it might even be just the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Click here here to sign up for our webinar today!


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How To Apply For The Color My World Scholarships

Click here to apply!

The post Color My World 2018 Scholarships Application appeared first on Color My World.

With the school being completed in the summer, and a teacher hired for the year, what matters most is the development of the children, by providing a platform for them to learn and achieve their potential.

On Friday November 28^th the school held its first open evening for parents of students, and discussed the future of their children. Each point raised in the open evening highlighted the importance of education in planning a bright future. Education throughout the years, supplying the necessities in schools, and regular school attendance, were some of those key points highlighted in the meeting.

Education throughout the years.

Key to the success of the school sponsored by Color My World is the need for consistency in education, through the funding of the school, and opportunities for the continued learning for the children of Islamabad. Families and teachers agreed on the long term importance of the school, and ensuring that the doors stay open, no matter the cost.

Supplies for schools

For each child to learn, and take in all the knowledge available, supplies are needed. Whether the pen or pencil, notebook or study guide, each child needs the basic necessities to succeed. As a community, the families of Islamabad have committed to give 100% effort to support their children in learning. These supplies are not only needed in the classroom, but at home, by providing an ability to rest in peace, and nourishment for sustenance.

Regular school attendance

At the conclusion of the parents evening, teachers and mothers agreed on the importance of their children’s regular school attendance. As parents committed to supporting their children in their education, they devoted themselves to providing a brighter future with more opportunities to the rising generation.

As a charity we are proud to sponsor a school and community that are so committed to the future of their children. There is always a need for further support, from the funding of a teacher’s salary, to the purchasing of school supplies. To get involved in the sponsoring of the school, donate below and help us make a change in the future generation of Islamabad.

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The post Parents Evening In Islamabad appeared first on Color My World.

The town of Jiquilillo is home to so many of our volunteers because of the connections and bonds that are formed with the community.

One of the members of the community who’s name will never be forgotten by any Nicaragua volunteer is Alvaro, a 17 year old from Jiquilillo, and a best friend of Color My World.

Throughout Alvaro’s teenage years he has followed the same career path as almost every other man in Jiquilillo, fishing. Night and day fisherman will travel miles out to sea, searching for their food and income for the day. With the ever increasing numbers of fisherman in the Pacific Ocean, boats have to travel further out and disrupt the ever diminishing fish eco systems that are struggling to stay alive.

With schooling in Nicaragua only going to age 11 for 80% of Nicaraguans, people like Alvaro have very little opportunity to choose which career path they want to follow.

As a human family, it is up to us to support each other. Each day Alvaro would help volunteers in Nicaragua learn Spanish, and answer questions about the country, helping us to integrate with the community, and not just be visitors looking in.

The decision was made while in Nicaragua to sponsor Alvaro in school, paying for the tuition fees, and assisting him in deciding what he wanted to do for his career.

Now Alvaro goes to school every week. While the cost of tuition may be covered, each day he has to catch a bus that takes 2 hours to get to Chinandega, he has to buy school supplies, and food for each day that he is in school.

By working together, we can support those  that want to support themselves. Help sponsor Alvaro. Whether $10 or $50, any amount can make a difference.

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The post Support Our School Sponsorships & Alvaro appeared first on Color My World.

While the activities vary each year according to needs, the supporting of the rising generation is always a constant focus.

Color My World is proud to sponsor schools and community centres in Jiquilillo, Nicaragua and their English programs. Each year we have volunteers work in local community centres and schools to help increase the opportunity for learning in these rural communities.

In a recent article The World Bank highlighted that 80% of all 25 to 39 year old Nicaraguans have a primary school education or less, with that percentage growing in rural areas.

Over recent years Nicaragua has received attention from the travel and tourism industry from its untouched natural habitat, and continued reductions in crime. This attention will require a workforce capable of speaking a variety of different languages, with English being one of them.

This fact hit home last year in our 2015 humanitarian trip when one of our Nicaraguan friends that we had been working with for several years became a tour guide for the hotel where we stay.

So what is it that our volunteers can expect to do while in Nicaragua? The answer is simple,
reach out and share what you know.

We do not expect our volunteers to have teaching qualifications, or to take away from the skilled teachers that they already have in Nicaragua, but instead to help and support in the rural areas that are in need.

With every volunteer comes a more authentic way to learn a language, instead of reading from a book, the locals have the opportunity to practice their skills through conversations, and learn the intricacies of the language.

When it comes to charity work though, every volunteer soon realises that they receive more than they can ever give. We see this happen every day in Nicaragua, and the classroom is no exception. As soon as volunteers arrive they practice their Spanish with the locals, learning from the very people that they came to serve.

Color My World has noticed how important this is, and has hired one of the local mothers to teach Spanish to the volunteers each week, focusing on just one of the many things that the volunteers learn from the people of Nicaragua.

What is the result of the Color My World Education Program? For everyone to be changed as a result, the volunteer and the local by learning from each other.

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives”Robert M. Hutchings

Donate to help keep our education programs operating in Nicaragua!

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The post Color My World’s Education Program appeared first on Color My World.

Color My World is going to build a school!

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The kids in the slums used to attend school in a building that was charging them high rent, they have been kicked out of the building and they currently don’t have a place to go to school but we have secured a piece of land that eventually could become a school.

They are currently meeting in a tent.

“Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and empowerment and yields important development benefits. Yet millions of children and adults remain deprived of educational opportunities, many as a result of poverty. (UN Education, Scientific and Cultural organization).

The cost of the new school for 1200 feet would cost approximately $5000.00 and it costs roughly $600.00 a month or $7200.00 a year to fund the school and keep it running!

Our Color My World Partner on the ground Maqbool Masih will be heading up the development and program with his wife Asma Naz.

Will you help us raise the money and make this a reality?

The post Help us Build the Color My World Pakistan School appeared first on Color My World.