ESU’s Budding Humanitarian

BY RACHEL VOWCICEFSKI
Copy Editor in Chief

For those who do not know David Good, he is a Biology graduate student at East Stroudsburg University and has a unique past. His father is an anthropologist who studied and lived with the Amazonian tribe known as the Yanomami, and his mother is a native Yanomami. While living with the tribe, Good’s father fell in love with and married a wonderful Yanomami woman and brought her back to the U.S. to have his son, Good, delivered in a U.S. hospital.

She lived in the U.S. for a few years and eventually went back to her family in the Amazon.

Good always wanted to go back to Venezuela to visit his mother, and in 2011 he did just that. After living in the jungle with his Yanomami family for a few weeks, Good returned home and realized how important his tribe and all other tribes like the Yanomami are to the world.

When talking about his family, Good expressed his mission to be part of a global effort to help indigenous groups cope with their modern day struggles.
To aid in his effort to assist these indigenous tribes Good has started a donation drive at ESU. His donation drive will consist of both monetary and good donations. Good will be taking these donations down to the Yanomami and to other tribes.

From March 9, 2013 until March 16, Good will be visiting another tribe like the Yanomami in Costa Rica called the Cabecar.  Like the tribe in Venezuela, the Cabecar are indigenous people, however, they are isolated by muddy trails up the Chirropó Mountain.

The Vos Que Clama Mission has been taking care of the tribe, bringing them the medical attention and modern necessities like clothing and medicine.

Good contacted one of the missionaries after learning about the Cabecar, seeking to help these indeginous people. After explaining his own history the Voz Que Clama Mission offered to host Good’s trip to meet the Cabecar.

Along with Dr. Kirsten Morigeau David will be staying with the mission and venturing into the Costa Rican mountains to visit the Cabecar and distribute medicine and much-needed items collected in the states and in the cities of Costa Rica.

In an effort to collect goods and to create a bridge of goodwill from our fortunate country to the less fortunate indigenous, boxes for donations will be placed throughout ESU dorms and in the Science and Technology building. Additionally, the Biology Club and the Marine Biology Club will be holding bake sales where part of the proceeds will be donated to David’s cause. They will also be taking monetary and donations of items at their tables. Look for the Biology Club bake sale on February 19.

Items to donate:

Practical clothing like cotton shorts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, jeans, long skirts, underwear, and socks of all sizes. Remember children’s clothing is highly needed, especially underwear and socks in all sizes. Toothbrushes and toothpaste, twin/full size blankets, soccer balls, and baby clothes are also needed.

In conjunction with the Stroud Courier David will be starting a blog to keep ESU up to date with his adventures in South America. More information will also follow this article on the indeginous tribes of the world and how you can get involved in sending aid or bringing aid to these amazing people.

If you would like to learn more about David and his quest or would like to provide direct donations you can contact him at
dag4194@live.esu.edu.

From the Pocono Mountains to the remote Chirripo we would like to create a bridge of friendship and awareness, and with your help we can.

Email Rachel at:
rmv4520@live.esu.edu