International Programs Officer Julia Mergendoller has just returned from a two-week sojourn in Bolivia and Argentina, where she oversaw the progress of an FSD-led Global Service Trip (GST) on the ground in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Julia spent the first leg of her journey with the FSD site team in Salta, Argentina, where she met new Program Director Victoria "Vicky" Valle. Vicky and her Salta team were busy with preparations to welcome summer session interns, who will be involved in programs in the environmental sustainability, youth development and education, healthcare, and microfinance sectors.

Julia spent nearly two weeks in Cochabamba where she consulted with Program Director Mauricio Ramirez Parra. Mauricio is spearheading a team of Masters of Art Therapy students from NYU in a revelatory—if unconventional—approach to interacting with disabled students and hospitalized children.

Hailing from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, the students and their department head, Ikuko Acosta, partnered with NGOs CERECO and Movimiento Sonrisa to conduct art therapy activities with their beneficiaries. With CERECO, they harnessed art as a means of combating feelings of distress, isolation, and apprehension in developmentally disabled schoolchildren. The schoolchildren used art as a form of communication and psychological expression, and the NYU students trained the staff in the art therapy techniques, which were novel approaches to the NGO. “The school staff were open to learning new educative and communicative techniques, and I feel they will incorporate these activities into their curriculum,” Julia said.

The team also conducted work with NGO Movimiento Sonrisa in a hospital for chronically ill children, where the young patients often have problems communicating because they speak the indigenous dialect Quechua, while the hospital staff speaks Spanish. Julia reports that “art helped to transcend and dissolve intercultural barriers between the patients and the staff, as well as with the GST team, who found that they were increasingly able to communicate with the patients throughout their three-week stay.” Julia also noted the “excitement of seeing the balance between the short-term benefits of the activities with the children and the sustainable outcomes with the partner organizations.”

Among FSD's other work in Bolivia, Julia observed FSD's progress with partner NGO Instituto para el Desarollo Humano--Institute for Human Development (IDH) to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention in local communities. FSD Interns are currently working with IDH's communications team to strengthen HIV transmission and prevention awareness messaging. Furthermore, they are supporting IDH’s work at the organization's clinic and within the local schools to teach community members about reproductive health, and to de-stigmatize and facilitate dialogue about gender and sexual minorities.

Upon her return, Julia reported a great deal of positive feedback from her stay in Bolivia. The near palpable dedication and optimism from the Site Teams inspire hope for the continuation of FSD's efforts toward sustainable development in Bolivia.

FSD has long provided meaningful internships at our San Francisco headquarters. This year, our highly competitive program has attracted a sterling group of students seeking to hone their skills in international development, nonprofit management, and related fields. Meet this summer’s interns, who have already begun to contribute in significant ways:

Samera Edwards graduated from San Francisco State University in June, receiving her Bachelors degree in International Relations with summa cum laude distinction and departmental honors. As executive assistant to Mireille Cronin Mather, Samera supports work in partnerships, grant-seeking, and overall logistical and administrative support. After studying sustainable development, she is heartened to experience diverse aspects of FSD, including partnerships, financial decisions and by our hallmark community focus.

Marisa Endicott, a senior majoring in global studies with a focus in Latin American studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is compiling and editing field work reports to be used in internal and external communications alike. This internship is helping her pursue and narrow her interest in international development and teaching her more about effective communication, preparing her for future studies in professional communication.

Lucas Coffee is a recent graduate of George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs with a major in International Development and specialization in Latin American Affairs. As a public relations intern, he enjoys working with like-minded, progressive, and accomplished professionals.

Daniel Simpson graduated from San Francisco State University in 2011 with a degree in International Relations. He has been coordinating outreach to current interns and recent alumni to see how their experiences have helped their communities and themselves. This internship allows Daniel to pursue his interest in microfinance, and has given him a better understanding of not only how non-profits work domestically, but how their work can affect communities abroad.

Sonya Egoian, a sophomore studying Narrative Studies, Political Science, and French at the University of Southern California, is facilitating philanthropic press and media outreach for FSD's Communications Department. This internship allows her to increase her literary and written versatility and explore the relevant and growing sector of sustainable development.

Katie Schiff, a junior double-majoring in Peace and Conflict Studies and Sociology at the UC Berkeley, is implementing a corporate outreach program to build corporate partnerships with international companies in order to fund FSD's many different projects. Here, she is able to learn about the operations of an international NGO while fine-tuning her own skills as a critical thinker, communicator, and philanthropist.

Timothy Madera is a senior at San Francisco State University, and will be graduating in the fall with a BA in International Relations (focusing on global development, specifically in the areas of literacy and education) and a minor in Political Science. He is looking forward to enhancing his skills in grant research and fundraising, while bringing his own passion for development to the table.

Rahel Daniel, pursuing a B.A. in International Studies with a concentration on Politics and Security/Development at the University of North Texas, is monitoring the progress and accomplishments of current and past projects and compiling them for the purpose of pitching to prospective funding sources. Interning with the FSD has brought to life all the concepts and sectors of development her coursework entails while also facilitating her first step in forging a career in the alleviation of extreme poverty.

Bianca Taylor received her B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies with a minor in French at the University of California, Berkeley. She is compiling intern narratives, archiving past and current project videos and photos, and devising social media strategies to strengthen FSD's presence in the online community. The opportunity to share the stories of FSD's projects and successes allows Bianca to learn about sustainability in international development on the job, while connecting with others who are interested in getting involved.

Cory Jarman is a graduate of the University of Arizona and is currently working on a Masters of Arts in International Studies at the University of San Francisco. At FSD, Cory is translating the documentation for the International Programs office. Cory hopes to complete his thesis this fall, conducting primary research from the SF office and documenting the attitudes for funding biodiversity conservation projects of indigenous populations in developing countries.

Claire Evans is a recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley in Urban Studies and Society & Environment. As a grants research intern, Claire is reaching out to foundations to secure funding for FSD's wide range of projects. With a background in development theory and local CBOs, she is excited to learn more about the practice of internationally-based development organizations such as FSD.

Katie Markle, a graduate of Carleton College with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology, is researching potential partnerships with youth development organizations in the Bay Area and providing logistical and administrative support. Serving as an executive assistant intern at FSD is an exciting opportunity to learn about and contribute toward the inner workings of an international NGO.

Rachael Massonne, a recent graduate from SUNY Geneseo with a B.A. in International Relations and the Developing World, is a grants administration intern. Her internship entails documenting, reviewing and administering grants proposed by interns working abroad. By helping discern what suffices as an appropriate use of grant money, Rachael is gaining valuable insights on the difference between a top-down and a grassroots approach to development.

Judy Noh, a junior majoring in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, is helping to expand FSD's contact database, specifically that of university newspapers. This will help FSD to reach a wider range of students for both our SF office and our intern abroad programs. Interning at FSD has helped Judy to reconcile two sectors of interest--marketing and international affairs.

Erin Midkiff, a graduate of the University of Arizona with a BS in Environmental and Water Resource Economics, organizes the intern grant review process. With a passion for social justice and economic development, she hopes her internship with FSD will be the launch pad to a career in a related humanitarian endeavor.

Daniel Metcalf, a senior majoring in biological engineering at Cornell University, is connecting students with FSD programs through online posting on university websites. Highly involved in university activities himself, Dan hopes to reach other students who share a common interest in sustainable initiatives. Given his career interest in global community development, Dan is excited to get involved in communications and programs at FSD.

We proudly announce our Summer donations drive, dedicated to furthering our work worldwide—and to developing the next generation of sustainable approaches in the communities we serve. Our alumni have traditionally donated generously mid-year; this summer, we look forward to our most successful campaign ever.
Donate today!

It’s official: FSD’s online funding promotion begins on July 2nd. We are honored to have been selected for this highly competitive program, whose proceeds will go to funding our JUMA Ventures’ low income youths’ Global Service Trip to Nicaragua this month. If we reach $650 in total contributions, all monies go to this worthy endeavor, called out as a “Good Cause” by Groupon’s philanthropic team. Sign up for Groupon and pledge your $10 today or by July 8th!