Sassalope on South African Safari!


Funding for: Tuition including food and lodging.

about my venture

Welcome to my journey!  I love to travel and I love to learn and this summer I get to do both when I travel to South Africa with People to People as a student ambassador with high school students from all over the US.  In Cape town we will explore Robben Island with a former political detainee, spend a day in a local school helping with projects, and so some community service projects in the community. In Johannesburg we get to visit the Mandela family home (and I don't know why I am so excited about that but I just read a book about him and I can't wait!), visit the Apartheid Museum, and join a drumming circle and play games with a local elementary school. And then... safari! I will have the opportunity to see a lion breeding program and then spend a few nights around a campfire listening for and watching for lions and cheetahs and elephants and rhinos! For an animal lover like me, this is really exciting!

I can't decide which part of this I am most excited about - I love the idea of working with students from S. Africa to do service projects and I love the idea of getting to learn about Apartheid and Nelson Mandela.  And I can't wait to sleep out in a land where animals we only see in the zoo roam free!

I think this trip will change my life and my view of the world, but it turns out changing your life isn't cheap! I am working hard to raise my tuition through babysitting, yard work, and gift wrapping, but if you'd like to donate to help me on my journey, I've set up this site to make that possible. Even small amounts add up (or so my mom keeps telling me). But don't worry - if you can't donate now, I'll still post pictures on my blog (http://tulenchick.blogspot.com/) so you can travel along with me!

xoxo Ashley

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    days to go

    $711.00

    funded of $2,500.00

    $1,789.00

    still needed

  • 29% funded

  • 14 peers have backed this project.
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  • elevator pitch

    Donations help me afford this amazing chance to learn about a new culture and new people and traditions.

  • backer rewards

  • Postcard Patron

    At this level you will receive a postcard from South Africa - mailed FROM South Africa!

    2 backers

    $15.00+ pledge

  • Wupperthal Well-Wisher

    At this level you will receive Roobios, organic teas from South Africa AND a postcard. The Wupperthal Rooibos Tea Cooperative is 1 of only 2 organizations in the world who produce rooibos tea that is both organic and fair trade certified. The red bush plant (rooibos in Afrikaans) is cultivated only in South Africa. The 170 small farmer members of the Wupperthal Rooibos Tea Cooperative are determined to preserve the culture of their ancestors.

    4 backers

    $35.00+ pledge

  • Bead Backer

    At this level you will receive a gift made of beads from BeadforLife AND a postcard. BeadforLife sponsors Community Development projects in health, vocational training for impoverished youth, affordable housing, and business development in Africa with fair trade payment to the local artisans and 100% reinvestment in the community.

    1 backers

    $50.00+ pledge

  • Birdhouse Benefactor

    At this level you will receive a birdhouse handcrafted by an artisan of Prescraft in Africa. Prescraft has enabled hundreds of disadvantaged handicraft producers to sell their products within the Fair Trade market and become self-reliant with apprenticeships for disadvantaged youth to learn from skilled artisans, access to a fund to cover the cost of education, healthcare, and housing and advances to purchase raw materials for their handcrafts.

    0 backers

    $75.00+ pledge

  • Service Sponsor

    For $100 you will can choose one gift from above, a postcard from South Africa, AND I will donate two hours of time to the Humane Society, The Oregon Food Bank, or Zenger Farm - your choice.

    1 backers

    $100.00+ pledge

  • Dream Maker

    For a $250 donation you will receive the postcard, the beads, the tea, a birdhouse, AND I will donate 4 hours to the organization of your choice (located in Portland please).

    1 backers

    $250.00+ pledge
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about entrepreneur

Ashley Stiles

I'm Ashley. Or Sassalope. Or Sassy. Or Lope. Or Mas Ashley. Or Bokie. Or sometimes just... me. I'm in school which I like except the parts that I don't. I love my school, Science & Spanish, tolerate social studies and language arts, and couldn't complain if there was never another algebraic equation in my life. I love my martial art, Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen, my classmates, instructors, and teacher and am a brown sash training for a black belt somewhere in my future. I have a half-sister, a sorta brother, and 3 kinda cousins, 3 urban chickens, one ridiculously cute dog, one nearly hairless cat, and one mom. Oh... and I have a serious travel bug.