The Niger Delta grabbed our hearts, and pretty soon we knew we were called to go beyond documenting a story. As important as it was to be witnesses and reporters, we were moved to do something more – to help make a difference in the lives of the people who had become our Nigerian family.

So, Sweet Crude is more than a movie. For us, it is a very personal connection with a people in need. It’s a vehicle for awareness and education. A call to action. And, we hope, a catalyst for change.

The Volunteers
Projects

Microcredit has emerged as one of the most hopeful ways to address world poverty. Sweet Crude volunteers Kendra Thornbury and Leslye Wood have teamed up with two other Global Citizen Journey alums to start a microlending program for the women of Oporoza and surrounding communities. The program will be administered by Warri-based Erikpo Community Bank. Kendra and Leslye were able to seal the deal in person while in Nigeria in August, and the group of four donated the funds to get the project started. Read more.

The healthcare needs in the Delta are staggering. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and hard to know how to help. But when we met a young girl who had been severely burned in a fire a year ago and had never received any medical care, we knew we had to start somewhere. We raised enough money among our group to bring Esther and her mother to Warri, the closest city, for a medical consultation. Sweet Crude volunteer Kendra Thornbury took the lead on seeing this commitment through. Read her story.

The Niger Delta has found a special place in the hearts of many teenagers in the Marysville, Washington area. Sweet Crude volunteer Ryan Hauck is a social studies teacher and department chair at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. He’s created a “sister school” link between his students and those in the Niger Delta village of Oporoza. Ryan feels this is a great opportunity for students clear across the globe to learn more about each other’s cultures – to recognize that our lives are more interconnected than we realize, our similarities outweigh our differences, and ordinary citizens can have a positive impact on the lives of others. Take a look at the many projects Ryan’s students have passionately taken on.

Ryan has also been working with Oporoza teachers on professional development in curriculum, methods of teaching, using diverse resources and assessment practices. He even spent his spring break there.

Ryan was named World Educator for 2007 by the World Affairs Council for these efforts.

In the Niger Delta, education is a priceless resource and provides a pillar of hope for the future. But in Nigeria, public education is not free, and once students reach the secondary level, the cost sometimes makes attending school impossible. Sweet Crude volunteers Tammi Sims, Ryan Hauck and Leslye Wood initiated a project to help. To date, scholarships have been set up for three local students. Joseph and Sandra will be able to complete all five years of their secondary school education, and Raphael was able to complete his entrance exams and enroll in college.