Since I started working on One Globe Kids some three plus years ago, I have traveled to 7 countries and spent time with 14 incredible children and their families. I have hired four translators, spent 104 hours in airplanes, and filled five and a half pages in my passport. I have recorded 24 different children, each one narrating one of the real international stories in their own voice and language.
I have discovered the joy of an Israeli breakfast and Indonesian street noodles. I have taken photos walking down a mountain, from the back of a moving motorcycle in central Java, and surrounded by children in the hills outside of Bujumbura. I have learned how to write the word peace in Arabic and Hebrew, how to fly a kite without falling off a mud wall in a rice paddy (well, I almost learned that – next time, I’ll know better), and how set up a market stand on Queen’s Day.
I pumped breast milk five times per day in Haiti to keep up my supply for eight-month old Wim, who was home with his father, brother, and grandmother. I waddled around Israel and Palestine, answering many, many inquiries about my then seven-month bump, now known as our sweet third son, Jos. Our whole family got to visit the Source du Nil (Source of the Nile) with Jenissa and her family in the hills of Burundi.
Oh, what an adventure-filled journey this has been, for me and so many others! As I look back, I’m in awe that we’ve come so far. And as I look forward, I see only more opportunities for adventure, learning, and fun.
An adventure with friends
One Globe Kids would not exist without the open minds and hearts of the children and families who chose to participate and be featured in it thus far.
Lars, Floor, Jenissa, Aji, Luna, Lucian, Valdo, Gabou, Maya, Asher, Bara’a, Laith, and Larasti: Your sharing has enriched the lives of everyone who reads One Globe Kids. You have made new friendships feel more possible than ever before – friendships that can bridge social, cultural, religious, and economic differences, paving the way for a new type of global, social interaction. Thank you.
Likewise, the One Globe Kids stories would not be available without the generosity and talent of all of the child narrators, who made each story more accessible by recording it in English, French or Dutch.
Aniyah, Pauline, Julie, Noah, Sam, François, Liam, Théodore, Ties, Lars, Finn, Thibault, Hugues, Rido, Antonin, Akisa, Lithiane, Taira, Marit, Sharon, Nani, Luna, Valentine, and Irene: Thank you for sharing your time, your reading and language skills, and your desire to help the world feel like a familiar place.
And I’ll already say Thank You to all those who join One Globe Kids in the future. We look forward to meeting you!
Stay Globe Smart, Anne Glick
