by International Samaritan | Apr 25, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
Over the last few weeks, you may have read in these Weekend Reflections about how the Resurrection is being celebrated across the world, from bringing food to the elderly in Ethiopia to flower-filled streets in Guatemala to fasts in Jamaica. Last Saturday, even a... by International Samaritan | Apr 17, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
In Jamaica, the Easter season starts with a public holiday on Ash Wednesday. For our program director in Jamaica, Sonja Robinson, and her family, that Ash Wednesday church service is the first of many they’ll attend during Lent. “It’s a very religious time for us,”... by International Samaritan | Apr 10, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
In my home in Guatemala, Holy Week doesn’t start on the calendar, it begins with a scent. My mom always says her favorite childhood memory of Holy Week, Semana Santa, is the smell of corozo and incense. It’s a fragrance found in streets adorned in purple and... by International Samaritan | Apr 3, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
Zenebe grew up with his parents, aunt, sister, and brothers in a one-room rented home. They had to walk to a community bathroom. They didn’t have beds, so they spread cardboard on the floor to sleep on. Despite their extremely limited finances, Easter was always a... by International Samaritan | Mar 20, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
Growing up, Sonia would wake in the early morning hours, and instead of heading to school, she’d walk for about 45 minutes to get to the city landfill. Day after day, sunshine or rain, she was at the garbage dump in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, collecting all kinds... by International Samaritan | Mar 14, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
Villa Guadalupe is home to more than 1,000 people. This area was once part of the capital city’s dumpsite, and it is where our Samaritan Scholars and their families live. Most of the parents of our scholars previously earned their living by working at the open-air... by International Samaritan | Mar 6, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
In the heart of Apartama, a neighborhood next to a city garbage dump in Ethiopia, one woman stands as a beacon of hope, strength, and constant care—Yeshi. Her presence is not just felt but deeply respected, a rare feat in a patriarchal society where women’s leadership... by International Samaritan | Feb 21, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
Clothes were becoming a big deal for me as a sixth grader at St. Scholastica on Detroit’s northwest side in the early 1980s. Our school had gone from mostly white to mostly black over the previous two years, and I was doing my best to keep pace. I let go of my Gordon... by International Samaritan | Feb 17, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
Making friends is very noble. Maintaining the friendship despite all odds is loyalty. The story of Regina and Sarah epitomizes true friendship, showcasing the essence of “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” Regina and Sarah have been neighbors and... by International Samaritan | Feb 7, 2025 | Weekend Reflections
“A lot of our Samaritan Scholars have had to grow up too quickly,” said our Program Director in Jamaica, Sonja Robinson. “They haven’t had the opportunity to just be children without responsibilities.” These students are growing up in Riverton, in an area known for...