WLHS Senior Bridges Gap For Those Less Fortunate

Summer is coming into its twilight days of the year and with school looming around the corner students soak in the last rays of sun and ready themselves for the daily routine and a new school year. While kids and parents start their back to school shopping, West Linn High School senior Oliver Muggli is preparing himself for the experience of a lifetime as he ventures to East Africa to the western villages of Tanzania. This trip is no last minute vacation, but more so a mission to better the lives of those less fortunate, all courtesy of Africa Bridge.

Raised in Tanzania, Africa Bridge founder and Purpose Prize winner Barry Childs began this organization after returning to the country only to find the land devastated by HIV/AIDS, something had to be done. From there on, Childs began his mission of starting an economic organization built around the concept of teaching villages to be self sustainable and fight child poverty.

What started as a fun school project has now transformed into a major pursuit for Muggli. In his fourth grade class, Muggli and his peers adopted the Africa Bridge project and went on to raise over $2,000 for the organization and kept in contact with the children, through a pen pal system, with whom the profits benefitted. Since then, Africa Bridge has become an important part of Muggli’s life.

As a student representative, Muggli attends board meetings to discuss new issues and questions regarding the progression of current projects. Simply put, they “assist the villages and communities by solving African problems with African solutions.” All of this is possible through a program of Africa Bridge’s called This Is My Village. The first step, and point of emphasis, in this five year program begins by listening to the children and engaging with the community so that a healthy partnership can be established.

Muggli’s two week trip begins September 29th where he will make his first stop in Tanzania’s capital, Dodoma, accompanied by former superintendent Roger Woehl and wife Jeannie Woehl. After a night in Dodoma, Muggli will travel to nature preserves and plantations, but the majority of his time will be spent in villages, two hours drive from the Africa Bridge offices in Tukuyu, filming the progress and meeting with villagers.

When asked what he was looking forward to the most, there was no hiding Muggli’s enthusiasm. “I’m really excited to see the faces of the kids and the inner workings of the project...to see the impact of our work!”

The journey is planned to end October 11th but Muggli doesn’t plan on this being his only visit. “I want this to be part of my life, I would love to go back regularly.” His parents might not favor the idea of regular stops to Tanzania, as they are still “taking this in stride,” but Muggli says they have been supportive ever since he took on this passion. Hopefully his teachers are as understanding as his parents are with all of the work he will be missing.

          Africa Bride is funded purely by donations which help purchase materials that go towards schools, crops, and healthcare services. Donations can be made through their website at africabridge.org and all amounts are greatly appreciated.