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The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Traveling abroad to help educate less fortunate

    Christine Jones educates in South Africa

    Christine Jones traveled to Cape Town, South Africa through One Heart Source to help aid in tutoring children in
    English and math, as well as, telling the importance in the future. She will return this summer. 
     Courtesy of Christine Jones

    Though this is the first full week of classes, graduating senior psychology major Christine Jones is already making plans on how she will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa for the second year in a row to help tutor students in math and English through the One Heart Source Program.

    According to oneheartsource.org, their “mission is to build environments within marginalized populations that promote a comprehensive approach to eliminating the gap between those who have access to bettering their lives and those who do not.”

    One of the reasons that Jones is going back to South Africa is because of the incredible experience she had last year, but also to help children with an education they are eager to have.

    “I haven’t experienced anything like it in my life,” said Jones. “Going to another country I’ve done. But, going and putting your heart into a place that has so much hurt really inspired me to go back and help kids who don’t have the education. They are so excited about getting this knowledge from us. We tutor them in math and English and their so excited about what we have to teach them.”

    After tutoring in math and English, the guys and girls are split into two separate groups where they are able to hear encouraging words on the future that they are not use to. 

    “We talk about what [they] want to do with [their] life and how [they] can achieve those goals,” said Jones. “[We tell them] that, ‘You actually can do it’ because they are so used to hearing, ‘You can’t do it.’ You can see a spark in their eye, that they can actually do something in the world.”

    With having done the trip to South Africa last year, Jones has not only been able to learn knowledge that may not be able to be picked up in the classroom, but she also gained the knowledge of how people are working to become better themselves.

    “I think more than anything they [children being tutored] help us realize that there are people striving to be better and all we have to do is care,” said Jones. “I would always encourage going to another country you don’t know because it gives you more knowledge than you could ever get in a classroom. I’m not saying that a classroom isn’t a good thing, but you learn more real world stuff that is going on and you are not trapped in what’s happening in your life because you get to see other people’s problems.”

    For those who may consider the type of trip Jones participated and will be participating in once more, she encourages that one person can make a difference and that any trip abroad would be priceless.

    “Everybody can help change the world,” said Jones. “Just one person caring can lead to a thousand people caring which can lead to a million people caring. All it takes is one person to say, ‘I want to stop this.’ Even if it’s something as simple as tutoring in math and English, helping somebody with water filtration or something like that, there is no amount of money that could compare to the experience that you get. You couldn’t put a price on the knowledge and the experience from going to another country and just helping.” 

    Jones is excited for the trip that she is able to participate in through One Heart Source. 

    “If anyone is interested in going with One Heart Source, they can email [email protected], and I’d love to meet up and chat about the program,” said Jones.

    To learn more about One Heart Source, visit oneheartsource.org. Also, if you would like to donate to Jones for her mission to help with airfare and other expenses, you may donate at gofundme.com/brfx332k.

    Christine Jones

    Christine Jones educates children in Cape Town, South Africa.
    Courtesy of Christine Jones

     

    Christine Jones helping teach in South Africa

    Christine Jones in one of the classes she helps tutor students in English and Math
    during her trip to South Africa with One Heart Source. 
    Courtesy of Christine Jones

     

     

     

     

     

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