Sad To Say Goodbye

Sadly we have reached the end of our times as fellows, but we're so honored to have worked with the wonderful volunteers we've met this year. Throughout the past 8 months we've developed a Faith, MDG, and Malaria curriculum that is currently being used in the Theory of Knowledge classes of IB schools across the country. Through this curriculum, students have devoted hundreds of their CAS (creative, action, service) hours to working on malaria advocacy and fundraising. Students have also been inspired to write their Extended Essays, the culmination of their IB Diploma Programme, on new approaches to malaria eradication in Africa. We founded the Women's Interfaith Circle, which explores women's empowerment throughout the world. They've made sandwiches for a women's shelter, watched the inspiring movie Pray the Devil Back to Hell, celebrated Purim and discussed the bravery of Esther, held an interfaith seder for Passover, and formed an event around the new movie A Powerful Noise. Throughout the past 6 months women of a variety of faiths have turned from strangers into friends. They have learned about each other's religions and celebrated the power of women as a force for good in the world. Lastly, our university friends have taken the initiative to learn about each others faiths through site visits and dialogues, and have begun their plans for November and April events in the coming year.

We are so proud of the impact we have had and the hard work and dedication we have found in our volunteers. The enthusiasm of strangers willing to help us in our journey has also been completely gratifying.

We'd also like to thank the many people we've met across the world as we embarked on this journey: the Center for Social Concern in Malawi and our friends in Lilongwe, Mangochi, Salima, and Nkhotakhota, and the many people we met and worked with in Chicago, Florida, and the UK.

Lastly, we are grateful to have been able to use this year to explore both our own faiths and each other's faith deeply and personally.

Thank you once again to all those who have helped make this year possible.