alberta sweetgrass

Thank you to Alberta Sweetgrass for featuring me in your newspaper! 

http://www.ammsa.com/publications/alberta-sweetgrass/college-student-focus-efforts-back-home

So blessed to be able to inspire others! 

SETF Awards!

I Just wanted to post a photo from when I spoke at the Samson Education Trust Fund Awards last weekend . I am so very honored to have been asked to speak, and I was grateful for another opportunity to grow and become a better Speaker. 

Thank you to my Dad & Mom for supporting me through out the Internship, as well as having my Sisters Jennifer, Jessica, Allyson & Heather, as well as Barb to come and be my little cheer leaders. Thanks Heather for being the photographer and video editor! 

Also, thank you to every one in attendance, including Mayor Stephan Mandell from Edmonton, for all of the amazing positive comments. I am so very blessed to have all of your support. 

Some days, I can't beleive, how many doors this Internship has opened for me. 

"I MAY BE BENT, BUT NOT BROKEN, EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, BECAUSE IF THE CREATOR BRINGS YOU TO IT, HE WILL BRING YOU THROUGH IT" 

Leading the Way

Dave Douglas has featured me in his leadership Book.

 

So very blessed, to be featured in a book.

 

Here is the link for viewing, or for purchase.

 

Enjoy, Book name is "Leading the Way"

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ACMUQ7S

 

 

 

been awhile..

Some time has passed since I've reintegrated back into life in Canada. I feel like I am at the point in my journey where I am able to fully talk about my experiences in Zambia. 

It was incredibly difficult to try to comprehend everything I've been through in the past year. When I first came home, and all the questions, were questions, I could not answer. 

Indeed, it was extremely emotional, I was tested beyond what I thought I was capable of, in terms of my fears of going into the unknown. 

I have tried many times to sit down, and write my stories, but my stories were all over the place, and it was to emotional to write about a place I had grown to love and call home.

As an Indigenous person, I have this connection to my family, my peoples, and my land, that is indescribable. It was so hard for me to be away, from all of the familiar. It was difficult to communicate to home, because it was unbearable to hear how life was moving on without me in Canada. 

I learned that I will always have two or maybe even three homes, and multiple families. I have brothers and sisters in Zambia and Fiji and all over Canada. 

The biggest gift this internship could have given me, was to bring me closer to my faith and my culture. I put my trust in the Creator to guide me and show me what I needed to see, and to create friendships with other Indigenous cultures around the world. 

I just wanted to update you on some of the things I have been up to since my last update, I have been fundraising to provide clean water for school children in Zambia and for the Women for Change Organization where I interned. If you are interested in donating, I have a bake sale scheduled for November for the Samson Community.

and, I have been asked to be a guest speaker, at the Second Annual First Nations Sustainability Conference along side Wab Kinew, host of the 8th Fire Series in February 2013 in Edmonton. If you are interested in attending or supporting, please email me at dennehya@mymail.macewan.ca 

and, the Samson Education Trust Fund has asked me to speak at the annual awards nights to honor our community members in their educational journey next month. 

The best part of it all, has been the large number of youth who have reached out to me, in terms of advice for exploring the world, and pursuing their education. 

spideys and other random thoughts

I'm not sure if I wrote about this before, but I think of this Zambia-Africa experience, as a ripple effect.

Think of a pond, and this internship as a Rock.

All of these opportunities rippling out as an effect of the rock being dropped in a pond, is kind of what I am experiencing now.

I am so blessed with the doors that have opened for me. I feel I am now a catalyst in empowering youth in my community.

I had to laugh, going through my journals of when I was in Africa. Usually I am very emotionally affected when I read them. Sometimes I laugh, and sometimes I cry.

There is something amazing that happened to me every day when I was there. Living with four other interns, it was always a fun- adventerous time. I read a journal entry last night, where we tarantala trapping, and there was one in our kitchen! The biggest and fastest one I seen in Zambia, and we made a video to document us trying to catch it. I remember being so afraid, and my friends laughing at me for being such a scaredy cat.
 
Made me laugh, and feel nastalgic, and I really think about how great it was as an experience. I highly recommend for all ages to step out of your comfort zone, and leap into new challenges. Even when your scared. The Creator will never give you anything you can't handle.

This quote brought me strength every day in difficult situations...

 

"There may not be good days, but there is good in every day"

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On the note of spiders, I remember my most scaredy cat moment....I had come home from using the Internet cafe at Arcades Mall, and to my surprise, I was the only one home. I was exhausted, it was a long day in the office, and I came in my room and turned the light on, releived to find we had electricty that day.

On the corner of my eye, I seen some legs sticking out from under the bed.

My heart skipped about 8 beats. I knew exactly what these legs were from.

I set my back pack down, while keeping my distance, I looked closer, Sure enough, these hairy thick spotted legs were from...you guessed, a tarantala.

Instantly I was panicked, because I was the only one home, and the legs were poking out from under my bed. I started sweating and couldn't move. I could see it under the bed, but I felt itchy, like they were crawling on me. Even tho it wasn't moving.

What was I going to do? I was the only one home and I needed to sleep. My amigos were out and about. I called my roomies, to come home, I said I had a "situation" and they needed to help me. So Shay Shay and Coco Speed home as fast as they can to save me.

Thankfully the Creator answered my prayers, and Nathan my other roomie came back to save the day. Tarantala= Gonzo! I still apologize to the Creator for all the spideys who had to perish while I was in Zambia.

My co-workers in Zambia could never fully understand why I was so afraid of spiders. They would laugh, and tell me, I needed more exposure to them so I wouldn'd be afraid anymore. Not this girl. Incurable fear of Arachnids.

I have about 40 other stories like this, where spiders threw my whole homeostasis off, but I had amazing room mates who always were understanding. Some of my roomies were afraid of rats, this is where I could show off, because I wasn't afraid of rats. We were a great team despite everything we been through together.

I know these special people who I got to live with in Zambia including Rohan our on the ground program coordinator added to the experience and the success of all of staying the entire four months.

These interns will always have a special place in my heart, because I will never forget Zambia, and the people who made the experience what it is. To my roomies, I thank you! Without you, I would have gone home the first day at the YWCA where we were chasing out toonie size spideys. Love our crazy team. Ro, Coco, Shay Shay, Rexx & Nate Bomb.

youth symposium

Today, was my First Public Speaking in my community about my Africa Internship.

I presented to many youth from the Four Nations in Post Secondary, as well as high school, about my experience and how it had changed me as a person, and how I found my purpose in life.

My hope was for for one person to be inspired by my efforts to make changes in our own community, as well as the international community.

Thank you to Lenora, Ember, and Darlene for allowing me to have this opportunity. Special Thank you to Levi who made my presentation possible. Hai Hai

Wetaskiwin Times Story

Thanks again Nicole for writing the story on my internship in Zambia. The response from so many people is amazing! Couldn't have done it without your help!

http://www.wetaskiwintimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3597641