More than 700 students participated in 60 InterVarsity staff-led summer projects all around the globe. Now, as the summer draws to a close and students prepare for the beginning of fall classes, they are reflecting on their experiences and considering new directions.
Andrew Ong, an engineering major at Northwestern University near Chicago, went to Cairo, Egypt to help tutor English at the Boy’s Recycling Center. “Boys come here to recycle, to engage in music and drama, and to learn Arabic, English, and computer skills,” he said.
But the recycling center had a dilemma. They were trying to figure out how to recycle Tetra Pak, the plastic-covered cardboard typically made into juice boxes. To Andrew and fellow Northwestern student Olisa Ojeh, the challenge was reminiscent of one of their classes, where engineering students are presented with a problem and given a whole semester to find a solution. “It’s one of the most dreaded classes we take,” he said.
Ultimately Andrew & Olisa realized that they didn’t have the resources to properly resolve the problem, which was a disappointment. But they were able to produce some recycling bins out of Tetra Pak. And, Andrew says he learned this summer that “God is working in the most desperate and poor areas of the world.” Working with his new friends at the Boy’s Recycling Center has given him a hunger to do more with inner city youth, whether it involves his engineering skills or not. You can read more about the Global Urban Trek in Cairo.
The Daily Northwestern also did an article.
