MUCH PROPS!

Every month we will begin to give “much props” to our staff, youth interns, volunteer, board members and supporters!  Here’s our very first MUCH PROPS!

Monsoon Project Organically Grown Girls’ Activism Youth Intern: Helen Dao

Helen Dao is one of the six youth interns working with Monsoon since July 2009. She is a 9th grader at East High School. I met Helen last September 2008; she is one of the participants of Monsoon’s after-school program at Hiatt Middle School. Helen always made everyone laugh and was always smiling. She actively participated in the discussions and had excellent questions. In addition to Monsoon’s after-school program, Helen was also one of the members of the Hiatt basketball team. When the Hiatt team had a game at their school, her after-school colleagues attended the game to support her and we found out that Helen is one of those individuals who are too nice to be competitive. She will be the first one to pass the ball to her opponent and will keep on smiling! When Monsoon began its Project Organically Grown’s Girl Activism (POGGA) internship and announced it to the youth, Helen immediately took advantage of the opportunity and applied for the position. At her very first interview, she was very professional and was confident although she was a little nervous. One of the current interns found out that Helen applied for the position and was hesitant in working with her because of her age. But to everyone’s surprise, Helen is dependable and conscientious about her work. She is the youngest among the interns but she leads and works the hardest! Hence, she is now called the “secret/closet” worker for everyone underestimated her skills and her ability to finish her work. Helen has been working with another intern, Megan Say, in planning and implementing to continue the program at Hiatt Middle School and probably to establish programs at the other middle schools. Helen is very dependable and will always include Megan in the decision-making. Again, Helen’s inability to be “competitive” (in a negative way) allows her to work very well with other interns. It is through the work of both interns that Monsoon discovered that the best way to “enter” a school a program or to get the approval of the school principal or administration is to allow the students to contact the school requesting a meeting to discuss establishing an after-school or in-school programs that interest them. Monsoon has been very privilege to work with a youth like Helen Dao! And to conclude, I would like to quote a sentence from one of the Helen’s blog. This quote epitomized the goal of Monsoon’s youth internship program – “When I was in middle school, I was also a part of Monsoon and the activities Mira plan was fun so now I want to take over her job with one of my co-worker Megan Say.”

POGGA Intern Blog: Helen Dao

Helen Dao Week Seven and Eight

While reading the story called I Love You, Dad (unsent letter), I felt really bad how she has to hide stuff from her parent. I mean like I know I do sometimes but like I tell them most of the stuff I do so it isn’t like that I hide everything. Also I relate to her a lot because my parent are also sometime strict. I hate them at time. Sometime I feel trap inside a house like being in jail, but at times my parent lets me out and have fun! They always encourage me to get straight A’s !  or good grades. I also think that my parent are losing trust in me each and every day. They don’t want me to go down the wrong path I guess. They always talking about how I used to be good and smart when I was little. They think that I can be a bad influence toward my little sister and brother, but anyway I don’t really know what to blog about! So later !

The people who work here are really nice and fun to be with. I’m currently working on a project that will be giving positive influence toward middle school students. When I was in middle school, I was also a part of Monsoon and the activities Mira plan was fun so now I want to take over her job with one of my co-worker Megan Say. We had been trying to contact school and plan out schedules. I also had my first meeting with one of the school, and I was really scared even thought I been around those people for three year now. I also have been trying to contact soup kitchens, but most of them need volunteers that are sixteen and older so I couldn’t sign up for volunteering because of ages. Some of my future plans are that I stick with this job till my senior year, because I really love this job. Other plans I have are getting to know kids better because when I grow up, I’m planning to be a pediatrician so this job is kind of a perfect fit because I also work with younger kids than me once a week. I learn that there all sort of violence in the world. I always thought like arguing or fighting is violence but like there’s all type of them. I learn that I need to be careful in this world. I learn a lot of stuff about people getting rape and also harassed by touching. I don’t want to get hurt by someone I don’t know. Well if I tell you guy everything I learn, it would be millions of pages so I’m done for now.

POGGA Intern: Jessa Marfal Thoughts

This week Mira gave us the story, “I Love you, Dad (An Unsent Letter)”, some parts of it really hit home for me. Especially where she talks about her father pressuring her to do well in school and getting in trouble when her grades dropped, unlike Grace, I know my parents are doing it because they love me. I also feel like I have a better relationship with my father and my mother because of this. Part of this may be because my mother is from the United States, and didn’t have the traditional customs that come from being an immigrant. It doesn’t make me think any less of her though, because she had many different struggles growing up as a child in America, that she learned from, and taught her children to learn from. I really think that Grace was so focused on seeing what her parents didn’t let her do or what her parents didn’t do for her that it blinded her from seeing what they did for her and how they loved her and wanted her to do well. Although her father’s approach was a bit tough, you can clearly see that he only wanted the best for her. If he really didn’t love her, he wouldn’t care what she did, or who she turned out to be as an adult. I believe that there was proof of his love, and in the end I think Grace finally realized that.

Very recently a member of my community has passed away. Upon hearing the news, I was completely shocked. I didn’t see that coming at all. This made me realize that life is just too short and you can’t ever really be sure when it is going to end. It’s too short to spend your time arguing with people; instead you should be doing what you love and surrounding yourself with the people you love. There isn’t enough time to spend your life obsessing over whom you hate and who you want to fight and all that nonsense, you should spend your life working toward a better future for yourself and your family. I’ve done a lot of thinking about my life, and I’ve come up with a question everyone should ask themselves, “If I died tomorrow, would I be happy with where I’m at and what I’ve done in my life?”

I have been informed this week that I have been selected to be part of the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council. I am extremely excited about this, I think this will really open up a window for me to make a real change. What I would like to do with the council is create a campaign within the schools of Iowa, that would explain to kids, mainly high school age or middle school age, why it is so important to go to school and get a good education. A lot of kids don’t realize how important school really is. Most of them think that they don’t need to go to class because they aren’t going to be a rocket scientist. What I hear from kids at my school a lot is that they are going to be a “famous rapper one day”, or just “hustle on the streets.” Most of them don’t realize that unless they have a true musical talent, they aren’t going to be recognized. Even if they do have true talent, a lot of people don’t get recognized. As far as the “hustling on the streets” that won’t get anyone anywhere besides jail. I think kids need to see the other side of skipping school all the time and exactly where that will get you. Also, students don’t realize that in other parts of the world, kids in 3^rd world countries start working at a very young age. They would do ANYTHING to go to school. For them, as well as everyone else in the world, knowledge is power. This is what the students that skip and drop out need to realize.

API Youth Council Co-Chair Blog on Weekly readings….

Grace Song by Tony Thonesavanh, API Youth Council Co-Chair

The article that I just read is about a girl whose parents emigrated from Korea and her struggles with her parents and everything. In the article is a letter that Gina wrote to her father because he has liver cancer and she wants to give it to him before he passes away.

In the letter, Gina talks about how she had the trouble of living with Eastern and Western cultures together. Also she talks about how her father pressured her into doing the best in school so that she could become a lawyer. Eventually she got sick of the pressure and started rebelling against her father. She would experiment with cigarettes and alcohol. She would also date behind his back and hang out with the wrong crowd. He got so sick of it that he kicked her out of the house and she ran away. When her mother found out where she was staying at, she asked Gina to come back and she agreed. Her mother told her about how Gina was destroying her father because whenever he would come home, he would drink liquor to soothe the pain. He would continue to drink even with the condition of his liver. Sometimes she believes that it’s her fault that her father has liver cancer but she says it’s pointless to dwell on the past. In the end, Gina and her mother take care of her father so that he is healthy for tomorrow.

I love this story because it makes me wonder how my parents feel whenever I go out a lot or how they work so hard for the things that I overlook. I love my parents so much. I usually don’t do anything wrong but I just feel that they deserve way more of me. I know of so many kids that over look their parents work and they just walk all over them sometimes. This story just makes me want to give my mom a hug and a kiss when I get home.

API Youth Council Co-Chair Blog: Spirituality Issue

by: Tony Thonesavanh, API Youth Council Co-Chair

I came into the office today and since I haven’t been here for two weeks, I’d thought saying hi to Mira would be cool. She asked me about how my bible camp was and how it made me a better person. I offered the idea of me writing it in a blog so here it is.

Recently, I have started going to church and started becoming more religious. I wanted to grow more spiritually. I heard that this camp called CBLI (Central Bible Leadership Institute) would be good for me since there would be people my age around me. I decided to go since I wanted to learn more and also my girlfriend is a lifeguard there so I could see her more since she lives so far away.

Camp was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I met so many friends and had so many laughs. We even had a 50’s dance one night but the whole point of camp isn’t for friends but it is to become a better Christian. A lot of the things that they taught make me want to become a better person. Stuff like how we shouldn’t be easy to criticism and that we should be resilient. Also how we should fight bad habits that keep us away from God such as drinking, drugs, pornography, and lying. Ever since I’ve left camp, I’ve been trying my hardest to fight these temptations and I think I’m becoming a better person because of these. One of the things that CBLI taught was leadership. I feel like I can lead people a lot better now whether it is at presentations of facilitating or just during class. I’d say it made a better person spiritually and mentally.

Yes! Week Six! POGGA Interns’ Blog!

Jessa Marfal Week Six

This is the end of the 6th week we have been working here at Monsoon. I feel pretty accomplished with what I have done so far. I am now starting to feel the pressure of getting everything done with all the projects we have going on. I still have to find a sponsor for my group at North and I also have to find people to submit recipes for our cookbook. I’m not really worried about the cookbook thing, but I am pretty worried about finding a sponsor. Ms.Romo has told me she has someone in mind, but there is always the possibility that that person won’t be open to doing it. Also, I’m worried about when the time comes; only a few students will join the group. I’m not sure if some students will be open to the idea. But as long as some students join I think I will be alright.

Helen Dao Week Six

Hey! I been working here for more than a month, and I really learn a lot from it already. I had my first meeting with another person this week. First I thought that I wasn’t going to be nervous because I see that person around for my all my junior high school year. Well I really never talk to her unless I needed to pay a school bill, buy a new planner, and see if my bus is coming or not. Anyways my experience was frightening; I thought it wasn’t going to go well because Mira and I couldn’t find where Mrs.Westercamp was, and I completely forgot what to say. Well then I left a note for her to reschedule another time to meet and also I left my business card there. After a while we walk out the office and I saw a signed saying office near the cafeteria. I showed Mira so then we try to find it and we did. Also we found Mrs.Westercamp!  Well I finally greet her and told her about the program, Megan and I are creating. I can tell that she was glad that I attended Hiatt. Well I was pretty scared to talk to her. I thought I was going to die in there! I didn’t want to look bad! I was so glad Mira was there to help me out because she ask question that I didn’t have an answer to. Now I know I really need to prepare for my next meeting! I need to get out of my shy side! I need to ask myself question and answer them. I think I learn a lot from that meeting! I can’t to wait for another one! Ha

POGGA Interns Blog Entry! Week Five!

Jessa Marfal Week Five

This week I really had no idea what to write about, so I went on CNN.com and looked for a video to write about. I found a great video, very close to monsoon; a man hit a woman over a game of monopoly. It’s really the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in a while.  His neighbor even said “well I guess he takes his monopoly pretty seriously” and then chuckles. I really don’t think that this appropriate. Obviously something so simple can get this man angry, so how is this funny? If I were in this situation, I think I would like to have the man mentally evaluated, and make him take anger management, hitting women for any reason isn’t cool.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/js/2.0/video/evp/module.js?loc=dom&vid=/video/crime/2009/07/31/monopoly.lawsuit.WDIV

Megan Say Week Five

Everybody has rough days and nights, but always know that you can make it through to a better day. This week has been a rough week, one of the roughest weeks I’ve ever had. I don’t like to cry, but you can’t always hold it in for too long. Seeing family members go through different stages in their life is something you have to help them get through. Supporting and being there will always make it better. My families been on a rollercoaster this week.  I have never had so many things happen with my family in one week from cancer, heart attack, pregnancy problems, surgery, etc. It’s irregular for something so sudden to happen between a family in one week. Just knowing that I have my family and friends to help me through always helps. Even being there for the patient feels better than anything. So I just wanted to let you know that whenever there are tough times, you can always make it through the day and night…

Helen Dao Week Five

Well I was reading Then and Now : Finding my voice by Elaine H. Kim, I thought this story was really interested because I can also relate to this story. My mom also love fortune teller. She reads about them all the times. Well how she say how a lot of people die in the war; that part made me think a lot and felt sad because my grandpa die in the war too. I never got to see him!  I also relate to this story because I wanted to be a cheerleader, and my mom was like it going to be hard because your asian and you don’t have the body. Ahha! I also been call chink and people be like are you Chinese? That gets me so mad. I also think a lot had change because now every color gets along. I think it cool how we can be enemy and then be close. I also think that now people just cares about whatever happen to them. It not like everybody problem. Well this story really got to me, These are the type of story I like to read. I really thought it was sad when she said she wish she was something else and wanted like blonde hair and big blue eyes and hope no one see her parent. I wouldn’t want to change one thing about me. I love the way I am and I love my mom! She the best you can ever ask for. Well that all I have to say; bye byee

API Youth Council Co-Chair: Blog Entry

Reading: Lost in the Fray

by Tony Thonesavanh, API Youth Council Co-Chair

I can’t believe that I’m running on only a couple hours of sleep. I wish I could have slept in today but I’m going to be gone for two weeks for camp and Chicago so I have to come in to work to make up the hours that I will miss when I’m gone. It is kind of nice coming in to work on a Tuesday though because none of my co-workers are here which means I have time to get stuff done. I would get stuff done but I wouldn’t get as much as I should when they’re here. Enough of my intro though, I’ll write about what I’m supposed to write about.

I looked through the stacks of papers that Mira gave us to read and I saw this article about Cambodian street gangs in America. Of course it caught my attention because I like to watch Gangland on History Channel. The story is titled “Lost in the Fray” and it talks about how Cambodian gangs came to be. When Cambodian refugees came over to America, they could not afford to live anywhere other than the rundown neighborhoods where gangs existed. Cambodian youth were bullied and physically beaten because they were different by other youth of gangs. The youth that were being beaten decided to form a pack to fend off these gangs but slowly they began to resemble the gangs that they were protecting themselves from.

I find the article so amazing because it talks about the reasons why the youth join a gang. They not only join in for protection, but also for belonging. The article talks about since the youth pick up on the American culture faster than their parents; it creates a barrier between them. Also there are language issues since the youth preferably like to speak English rather than their native language.  These barriers create a need of belonging within the youth and one way of attaining this is joining a gang. The perks of joining a gang are belonging in a group, meeting women, and making money. However the risks outweigh the perks. Living the gang lifestyle can possibly result in either death or jail.

It even talks about how Cambodian gangs will turn on each other simply because one wants to be seen tougher than the other. The poem in the beginning talks about how a Cambodian gang member is killing another Cambodian, as the Khmer Rouge did. Gang rivalries can spark by something ridiculous such as two members of a different gang fighting over a single girl. One could be beaten up if they are caught at the wrong place, even if they are Cambodian. It just shocks me how originally, the gangs were created to prevent violence but now they are the ones that create it.

However on the last page of the article, it shows that hope exists for these gang members. Earlier in the article, it talks about how the gangs have a loose structure which means that the gang members can retire and progress their lives if they wanted to. One member said that he was considering it because he knows that gang life will get him nowhere. The gang member’s mentor, who has a wife and kid, was asked “Are you going to let your son become a gang member?” and he replied “No. He’s a college boy.” That quote shows that even though there are gangs, there is hope for the future.

POGGA & API Youth Council Intern Blog

Jessa Marfal Week Four

Today, July 24th I was walking to work because my brother had a doctor’s appointment down the street and I couldn’t get a ride.  I didn’t really think I was that big of a deal since it was only like a mile and would take just a few minutes.    As I was walking along Ingersoll, there was a couple standing by a bus stop arguing. I was quite sure what they were arguing about, that was their business. But then the woman left her baby in its stroller to yell at the man.  I was just shocked, it is extremely hot outside for a child that young to be just sitting there outside, and she turned her back to the baby. He could have gotten out of that stroller and walked out into traffic. Both those things don’t bother me as much as what happened next, as I walked past the stroller and the baby, the child reached out his hand to me and smiled. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to get away from the situation.  I felt terrible; I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t just take the lady’s baby,  and I didn’t really know what to say to her, I didn’t know what she would do. It just really eats me up inside that I couldn’t do anything to help this child.

After that whole incident, on the next block, I walked past this guy sitting outside of an apartment smoking. I didn’t really think anything of it and I just walked past him. Once I did that, I heard him say “damn” referring to me. I felt extremely uncomfortable and just hurried up and got to work. It is extremely sad that a girl cannot walk to work without being subjected to sexual harassment. That’s exactly what I felt it was, I found it very creepy that he said that about me, he doesn’t know me, I don’t know him, and I didn’t have any intensions of saying anything to him. He was obviously much older than me, and he had no reason to say anything to me. The sad part is, some girls actually like when that happens, I’ve heard girls say “yeah I like it when cars honk at me when I’m walking, it raises my self esteem!” I’m not sure if this was in a joking manner or not, but when they say things like that, it makes it ok for it to happen, when it really is not.

Megan Say Week Four

Our training we had during the weekend was really fun and relaxing. I was really focused on the topics we talked about. The topics were about domestic violence and sexual assault. Something that happen everyday in life. I thought it was great to just talk about it because some people don’t really talk about what goes on in the community. I think it’s such a good idea if we had more people involved in these situations because it is a big deal. A big deal people hide or have silence about it. The sessions we had were great. I could relate to them within the media and all around us. So I just want to let everyone know that they could always come to talk about it around us. We would actually like to hear it. But the training was great! I would do it again.

Helen Dao Week Four

So, the three day training was fun. I learn a lot about domestic violence and sexual assault. I really enjoy the activities we did. The best activity was the step in step out thing. We did that in school before so I really thought it was fun. I also like watching those video. I thought it was really interesting about dad, uncle, and etc abusing little girl like my age. Now I feel like I’m lucky because it never happen to me. I feel sad for them girl out there who getting touch. I want to make a change and stop that. I thought it was really sad when she say that she try telling her mom but they wouldn’t believe her because her dad was a hero in the community but no one saw the bad part of him yet. I was like wth? Ha I think that she could have gone to talk to the counselor about it and maybe it is better if the counselor told her mom or something. Well another part I like was talking about rape, I thought that section was pretty fun to talk about.  Ha’ training was awesome. Looking forward to more with you hosting it

Sopheavy Bunhoeun Week Three

The past couple of days, I’ve realize a lot, from the people I loved and from people I was close too. You can’t always trust people that you think you know won’t do anything to hurt you. But I had to find out the bad way. It sucks to have this feeling. I don’t know what to do. After what I’ve found out, I’ve completely changed, I always have anger build up inside of me. I’m always mad, I’m always just not in the mood for anything, I’ll try to put a smile on my face but it’s just not easy for me. Because deep down, I’m tearing apart like literally….tearing apart.

Tony Thonesavanh Week Four

Training

Training. When that word came out of Mira’s mouth, my happiness meter went below zero.  The last training thing I went to was horrible. I’m sorry but the people that hosted the training for advocacy could not keep me interested. At least this time it was Mira training us.

The first day was just us learning the basics of domestic violence and privileges and stuff. It was pretty simple. I think I might’ve hogged all the food though. Anyways the training was actually sort of interesting because this training had input from all of us instead of people in the background just being quiet. We wrapped up pretty early since we wanted to be out.

I woke up the next morning at 9:30, when the training started at 9. I hurried and drove as fast as I could just to make it to the building. I got in around 10AM and as soon as I got there they started asking around what we wanted for lunch so I didn’t think I missed that much. We got into domestic violence and the effects and causes of it. Just listening to it made me realize how good I have it because there are people out there that are beaten and sexually assaulted. I’m even luckier to be a guy because they were talking about how guys usually don’t have to fear walking alone at night while girls do. I thought the whole privilege thingy was interesting. Also we did this thing with Helen where whenever there was something shameful that happened to her, we covered her with a blanket. Eventually it covered her so much that whenever she tried to speak, we couldn’t hear her. I thought that was a cool way to put in visual terms. After that, we did a thing where when something good happened to her, we would remove the blankets of shame. I thought that it was really cool because even though bad things can happen to you, there is always hope. Oh did I mention we ate from Thai Flavors? It was good.

The next day was Sunday and it was so awkward because usually I go to church on Sunday but I went to training instead. The training was a bit better since we had more activities. I can’t think of them at the top of my head but they were cool. We had Gateway Market come in and drop off sandwiches for us and for some reason I can’t really remember anything from Sunday except that I slept on the couch.

POGGA Blog Week Three

Jessa Marfal Week Three

After reading “Listening to the Small Voice Speaking the Truth: Grassroots Organizing and the Legacy of our Movement” by Glenn Omatsu, it really got me thinking about where exactly it is that I want to go with my life. Obviously, I’m going to finish high school, but then what? I’m for sure going to college, but I’m not sure what for. My family would love for me to be a doctor, but I don’t really think I could deal with the whole, life in your hands thing. I have thought about social work, but I don’t know if that is going to be enough. Then there is always becoming a lawyer, which is slightly more appealing to me.  I want to do something that helps people, and at the same time, changes the things in society. I don’t really know where to start to figure out what I want to do. I think that being here at Monsoon is really going to help me figure out. We are exposed to so many different things here daily, that I’m sure I will eventually find something for me.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2009/07/14/pn.babysitter.sex.cnn

So I found this video on CNN, and I found this disgusting. It makes no sense to me at all as to why this 28-year-old woman would even be remotely attracted to a 14-year-old boy, someone HALF her age! People like this make no sense to me at all, they obviously have some sort of mental problems, but what makes no sense to me is how if this woman asked the mother for permission, she still allowed contact from this woman. The mother put her son in this situation, and that’s definitely not ok.  This needs to obviously be looked into more.

Helen Dao Week Three

This is my third week of work. Time goes by so quick. Well I’m really into planning these event now. They are so fun to think about.  I’m really looking forward to this. Well I remember the first week of work I was really quiet and I didn’t talk that much. Now I’m glad I made friend. They make me laugh a lot. Ha it so fun here. Well let’s see I just read a article that called Listening to the small voice Speaking the truth : well I really don’t get it that much. The words are so hard to understand. But the story is about a dude name Glenn Omatsu and he talk about how he got to where he at now. I really found it interesting but I rather hear story about women. Haha well lets see I’m working on flyer for API Session. They turning out pretty good, also I’m listening to music. Well that all for now.

Sopheavy Bunhoeun Week Three

How are you my dear? Haha, sorry I sound all hyper and stuff but I am just in a good mood. Wow! Anyways work has been giving me my space that I needed from everything that’s going on outside. I love it here, when im at work, everything is out of the blue for me. I love it. I don’t need to worry about drama or whatever. But I took your advice about deneil and im doing just great without him. I know that I’m going to be better than any other girl he talks too so I shouldn’t even get jealous or whatever because I know that he would know too. I’ll let him have fun but he can’t find anybody like me. (: not to sound conceited or anything. Hah.

Enough of him, but the story you gave us to read gives me questions in my head. How do you even become an activism? To where he is going with this story, he says that people influence him to challenge himself, figuring new ways, if I tried to find someone that would do that for me, I would love them to death. Because honestly, the only people that influence me is my parents and sisters. I would always want a friend or something because nowadays, people out there are just fake and full of lies. It’s hard to trust people and find a really good friend.