The Wayfarer Global - April 2022 by SSA Global

APRIL 2022

THE WAYFARER SSA GLOBAL COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

Hiking in the forest , Cover photo by Pia Dey Verma, SSA London & Gatwick, United Kingdom

SSA GLOBAL COMMUNITY FACEBOOK PAGE

TAKE A PEEK! SSA GLOBAL COORDINATOR LETTER - 3 MEET THE SSA GLOBAL BOARD - 4

ARTICLES VOLUNTEERING WITH SSA - 6 MATERNITY² - 9 ALL ABOUT GUYANA - 11 HOLI: FESTIVAL OF COLOURS - 15 A GLIMPSE OF SAUDI ARABIA - 18 WONDERS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM - 23

ACTIVITIES

HI EVERYONE! BY VALERIA BRASILI, NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Once again it has been my pleasure to put together this wonderful mixture of what's up on differents Chapters around the globe. This edition, we have the honour of counting with two contributions done by daughters of two members, who step up to tell us about their feelings and interests. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and look forward to receiving your contributions on our next edition!

CYBERSECURITY SESSIONS - 30 ACTIVITY RAFFLE FOR CANINES 911 -32 THE START OF A NEW SSA CHAPTER - 34

IMPORTANT INFO TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC - 36

TRAVEL STORIES NAMIBIA, ONE HIDDEN AFRICAN GEM - 40 WHY DO WE LOVE TO TRAVEL WITH OUR 3 YOUNG KIDS? - 47 WHILE IN SERBIA -50

RECIPES - 53

2022 BOARDS - 55

WE'RE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS! The Global Board has opened two Call for Applications! SSA North America Area Coordinator SSA Middle East & Asia Area Coordinator The Area Coordinator candidate needs to live in the region and have previous experience in a Local Chapter. For more info please contact Pia Dey Verma, SSA Global Coordinator (pia.ssa.gc@gmail.com) or Valeria Brasili, SSA Global Communications Coordinator (valeria.ssa.gcc@gmail.com) 2

DEAR SSA MEMBERS... BY PIA DEY VERMA, SSA GLOBAL COORDINATOR

Spring is finally here in the little corner of the world that I live in. After the winter months of cold and grey, my heart leaped at the sight of the first daffodil that sprung up. It was small, shy and when it blossomed and it had the happiest buttery yellow colour. Others soon followed and they bloomed – robust, deep yellow and the size of coffee cups. Hyacinths, heather, magnolias, daisies, cherry blossoms…..and so many more flowers that I am yet to learn the names of. As I walked down the village lane, the sun shone and warmed my face. I could hear the birds chirping and saw bees buzzing. I stopped and stared. The beauty of the colours and life all around me held me spellbound. I felt grateful and blessed. For it is a blessing to be able to enjoy the grandeur of nature, to be safe and to be alive. So here is my prayer for all of you. May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be happy. And may the world heal and come back to life. Let it be reborn, with a burst of a thousand colours. Just like Spring. Regards, Pia Dey Verma

MEET THE SSA GLOBAL BOARD

GLOBAL COORDINATOR: PIA DEY VERMA (PIA.SSA.GC@GMAIL.COM)

EX-OFFICIO GLOBAL COORDINATOR: ELSA SCHEFFLER (ELSASCHEFFLERSSA@GMAIL.COM)

GLOBAL BOARD SECRETARY: SHWETA BHAT (SECRETARYSSAGLOBAL@GMAIL.COM)

GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: VALERIA BRASILI (VALERIA.SSA.GCC@GMAIL.COM)

GLOBAL WEBMASTER: ERNA FARIZAN (ERNAFARIZAN@GMAIL.COM)

MEET THE SSA GLOBAL BOARD

AREA COORDINATOR MIDDLE EAST ASIA: IRMA INDRASARI (SSA.MEA.AC@GMAIL.COM)

AREA COORDINATOR NORTH AMERICA: ASTERIA SYLVESTER (ASTERSLY2018@GMAIL.COM)

AREA COORDINATOR - AFRICA: PALLAVI VAID (VAID.PALLAVI@GMAIL.COM)

AREA COORDINATOR EUROPE/RUSSIA: NEDJOUA YAKHLEF (SSA.EUROPE.RUSSIA.AC@GMAIL.COM)

AREA COORDINATOR ASIA/AUSTRALIA: PREETI CHOWDHARY (PREETIKALER83@GMAIL.COM)

AREA COORDINATOR LATIN AMERICA: MARYESTHER LEON (LEONMARYESTHER@GMAIL.COM)

ARTICLES VOLUNTEERING WITH SSA

BY ANDREEA IOAN, SSA ABERDEEN, UNITED KINGDOM

My name is Andreea, I am originally from Romania and I am an SSA member since my first location in Medias, Romania in 2009. I became a Board member in 2012 in Aberdeen and later on in 2014, 2018 and 2019 in Abu Dhabi. I come back to Aberdeen in 2020 pandemic year. On 2022 here I am in the Board again, this time as a Chapter Coordinator. This is my 6th location so far and I am ready for new challenges and new locations. About me… I have a Teaching Degree in Foreign languages (English and French) and my Master in Communication. I speak Romanian, English, French, Italian and Arabic. I have a daughter, Anastasia 8 yo and a boy Benji – a westie dog 1y and a half. I love to take pictures, travel, read, take long walks with my boy and swim with my girl.

Being an SSA member helped me be here today and not give up. Young and away from my family and friends was very challenging. I wanted to give up and go back home so many times, but somehow I found always support in the SSA. All the wonderful ladies that I met created like a big imaginary fence around me, and I started to feel safe and not alone anymore. I felt I was part of something. We all need to belong, to be a part of a community. Is very hard to adapt to every society we live in but is important to have the right support for this. I found in SSA the welcome hug that we need upon our arrival, a shoulder to cry when life was hard, a friend to which I opened my heart to and a warm hand during the most difficult years of pandemic and Covid-19. I cannot imagine my life without SSA as I feel it like a part of me, of who I am. Volunteering in the SSA Board was one of the good things that I have done until now. I have learned a lot, I made so many wonderful friends and it gave me a purpose. We need to take turns, help and support one another, because after all this is what we can do in return for the warm welcome we receive in every location.

Thank you for being here for me the last year! It was an impossible year, somehow worse than the previous one, it felt like it was never ending but here we are…. We were closer than ever, by being an active Chapter and participating in our events online and face to face. We had an amazing 80% attendance! Although I will step down from my position as a Chapter Coordinator I will be an active member and I will continue the SSA mission to help and support every spouse in this location. Is not the location that we are missing when we move out…. But the people we meet and the journey we take together. Our journey is already fantastic and is not finished yet! Thank you! Warm hugs to everyone!

MATERNITY² BY ANTONELA BEBER DAL BO, SSA ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

When life surprises you with more than one baby at a time, you are in crisis mode. There is a real and constant demand of more than one baby of the same age, with the same physiological needs, at the same time. Two babies who cry at the same time, who want to be up in arms, who are hungry or sleepy at the same time, daily tasks are duplicated. They get sick at the same time or one after the other, taking them to medical appointments, birthdays, walks, vacations, everything is double the work but infinitely more complicated. It can be difficult to navigate this intensity that multiple parenting entails. It can also be complex to understand and accompany those who are experiencing it. The demand involved in having more than one baby is absolute. Which is followed by guilt, that bitter taste of feeling divided among the babies, feeling that no one is given enough. Someone always has to wait, give in, resign and it is hard, it ishard for the babies and it is hard for the parents.

There will also be external opinions to deal with; an everyday situation, such as going out on the street can be overwhelming. They become the attraction, sometimes with negative comments as well. Some want to take pictures of them and touch them as if they were exhibits. Questions of all kinds and without filter appear. Comparisons are common, believing that because they were born on the same day and have the same parents, they have to be the same physically, emotionally, intellectually, etc. But they are individual human beings with unique personalities, and as parents we must also respond to these individualities. Often the arms or the eyes are not enough, or the patience, everything around seems chaotic, but you keep doing it even when you donot know how.The empathy of the environment, the support network and someone to takeover are fundamental.Being the mother of twins is not worse or better, it is just different. And yes of course there is also love, laughs, kisses, hugs, all multiplied by two. And the most special thing about raising twins is witnessing the unique sibling bond that can only be shared by twins.

ALL ABOUT GUYANA,

THROUGH THE EYES OF MY DAUGHTER BY ARYA R. BHAT, DAUGHTER OF SHWETA BHAT, SSA GUYANA

The day I came to Guyana was a sad day... now each day in Guyana is filled with joy. When I woke up on Saturday, December 2021, I was sad leaving my best friends for over 5 years with whom I shared my best moments. It was the day we were leaving for a new country, new venture. We were

EMPTY HOUSE IN HOUMA, USA BUT OUR HEARTS AND SHIRTS FILLED WITH LOVE

moving to Guyana; a country in South America - I had mixed feelings. We took two flights from New Orleans to Miami and Miami to Georgetown, Guyana. We were traveling with 14 luggages and a puppy. When we reached Guyana, it was 2:00 am and were exhausted.

The company bus came to pick us up and dropped to our guest house. We ate a bit and then slept. We did nothing much on Christmas but, on New Year’s Eve we were invited for a party. I was happy to meet some new friends and we played board games. When we went out shopping groceries, I quickly found out what great architecture Guyana has and what a great diversity this new country had.

I visited my school and it looked nice. This is an American Embassy school. My school has pet turtles. The school has good teachers, lunch is eaten outside. The teachers were warm and welcoming. I was quiet and little bit shy on my first day, but isn’t everyone? As the day progressed, I made some new friends. I was happy. The school that me and my brother go to is pretty good. We have made tons of friends now. There are many classes-yes, but they are sometimes fun. We have after school activities which is an upgrade from the school in Houma which only had one after school activity. Some of the activities are Karate, Poetry and Drama, Book Club, Ping Pong, Photography, Arts and Crafts, and STEM club. I do one after school activity per day for the week. They serve school lunches there but since I am picky eater my mom packs me my own lunch. My brother sometimes gets pizzas and salad but that is pretty much it. In the meanwhile, we took day trips to places in Guyana. Now Guyana has many places where you can have adventures. We went to visit Kaieteurfalls. Kaieteur falls is very majestic. At some points you can see a rainbow in the water. But you better pack sunscreen because over there it is really hot. I enjoyed playing in water in another water fall. We had to go by a small plane to these falls.

ORINDUIK FALLS: WE PLAYED IN WATER

We also visited Blue Lakes where we did kayaking in the blue and black waters, and also jet skied. Kayaking is awesome. You can go through the blue lake and kayak to the blackwater creek. It’s not so bad. Me and my mom kept crashing into trees. Now jet skiing is almost as cool as kayaking. Waitttt, nooo it is even better. I am 10 yrs old and I went on a jet ski by myself (with a lifeguard sitting in the back but still)!

Houses are a pain to talk about. We have been searching for houses for long. Two weeks later we finally found one but the owner had furniture and so do we. The owner though wasn’t ready to take out the furniture. So, we kept looking. My mom used to call 3 different realtors per day. Now we finally found one. This time it has no furniture and we are ready to move in. But the container that has all our stuff still has to get cleared. So yeah. After almost four months, I am little bit glad that we moved to Guyana. I could see there was a fun future ahead of us. See that is why you should come to Guyana and see for yourself.

HOLI: FESTIVAL OF COLOURS BY HIRAL SHAH, SSA HOUSTON, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Holi is the most vibrant festivals of India. Often called the festival of colors, it is now celebrated across the globe. In the northern and rural regions of India, Holi celebrates the beginning of spring harvest. It signals the end of winter hardship and marks the fresh start that spring and planting season will bring. While there are several legends about the origin of why Holi is celebrated and different communities have different stories on it, the message of victory of good over evil remains constant. For many Hindus, celebrating Holi is a way to honor Lord Krishna (the god of love). On the eve of Holi, it is customary to light a bonfire and roasted grains and corn are offered for eating and promoting a feeling of companionship. As per Hindu scriptures, there was a prince called Prahlad (an ardent believer of Lord Vishnu). The powerful and wicked Hiranyakashyap (Prahlad’s father) did not approve of this as he wanted everyone to worship him. Hiranyakashyap’s sister Holika was blessed with a boon of staying unharmed in fire. He asked her to sit on fire with Prahlad in her lap in order to punish him for not worshipping him, but Vishnu.

While Prahlad was saved from this sinister act as he was a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu, Holika was burned to flames as a punishment for misusing her power. This is how the tradition of Holikadahan or Holika bonfire started being practiced to mark the victory of good over evil and thus the name – Holi . The festival also promotes good health. The laziness or tardiness which winter brings needs to be removed with Spring setting in. Colours and music can help one feel rejuvenated. People clean their houses to remove dust and clutter during the festival of colours which also makes them feel positive and optimistic. The second day of Holi is called Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi, or Badi Holi. On this day, people apply colours (called gulal) to one another, party and enjoy. Children and youngsters also play with pichkaris (water guns) and water balloons. Life can get monochromatic and why not add colours to it once in a while. It is said that to experience the best Holi in India, one must go to Uttar Pradesh, and more specifically, to those areas that are closely associated with Lord Krishna like Braj, Mathura, Vrindavan.

Delicacies of Holi Festivals and authentic Indian food go hand in hand in our rich Indian culture. During Holi each part of India has different form of cuisines. The most famous ones are Kachori, Mathi, Samosa, sweeta like Gijjiya, Peda, Ladoo and Burfi. Thandai, a rich and aromatic drink primarily made with almonds, white poppy seeds and melon seeds, and flavored with cardamom, fennel, pepper, saffron and rose petals is a must have in Holi.

A GLIMPSE OF SAUDI ARABIA BY ARIDA PERMATA, SSA AL KHOBAR, SAUDI ARABIA

In March 2022, around 115 ladies gathered for the SSA Coffee Morning in the city of Al Khobar, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. This is the first face-to-face event this year, after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Among us, there are those who have been here for more than five years, there are those who arrived just weeks before the pandemic and some had just arrived before the event. We made new friends and discussed about how much life in Saudi Arabia had changed after the pandemic. My early days in the Kingdom

AL KHOBAR

My two sons and I joined my husband in October 2019. It was autumn, but it was still hot although it was considered milder than the summer in May - August. I had heard a lot about Saudi Arabia, about how life was tough for ladies as we were not allowed to go outside the house unaccompanied,

how we were not allowed to drive. That we always had to wear the "abaya" (a thin black robe) that covered the entire body. How music and cinema entertainment is very difficult to find. Nevertheless we all came with an open mind, and ready to adapt make the best of the places we go. The first thing was to find a school for the kids. Here in the Eastern Province, being an oil and gas province in the kingdom, there are many expatriates that work here and therefore we had a few school options with different curriculum. However, seat availability may be limited, especially if we arrive in the middle of the academic year.

MAIN CULTURALCENTER

My husband drove us around during the first few days to look at landmarks such as the downtown area and the main culturalcenter. Surprisingly, I saw a few ladies driving cars, which led me to believe that although difficult, it was possible for ladies to drive.

Most expats live in compounds (housing complex) or flats. There are other Schlumberger families that live in our compound. I remembered not long after the weather was nicer, SSA members who lived in our compound held a potluck coffee morning at our compound’s recreation center. It was very nice to be warm welcomed as a beginner in a new place.The kids go to school by buses and the mothers take turn to be the chaperone. We take care of each other, from simply borrowing ingredients, information sharing, to helping in emergency situations. Especially in the two years of Covid-19 restriction lockdown, we only hadour compound friends. Getting Around If you go to the corniche area near the coast, you will see the Saudis are very active, there are many sportdoers, from jogging, biking to calisthenics. Families go to the corniche area for picnics in the morning and late afternoons, especially in the winter and spring where the temperature is cool (yes, Saudi has four seasons in a year!). People also like to go to restaurants. These places normally segregate the seating area for singles and families. Some even have different entrances for this purpose. The shops also close during prayer times, so it was handy to always have an app that tells the prayer times. The roads in Saudi are smooth and wide. Here, everyone drives cars. Al Khobar is close to Dammam and Dhahran, two crowded cities. Dammam is where the international airport is in this province. People drive cars to get around, or take an Uber and taxi. We

RIYADH

once went on a road trip to Riyadh, the country's capital, is four hours from Al Khobar. You could also crossover the causeway bridge and drive over to Bahrain to enjoy a slightly different city buzz. Many people cross for the weekend, and some even just do a day trip for a quick lunch or dinner there. Qatar is also a fourhour drive and people are already excited to see the 2022 FIFA World Cup there.

Saudi is also home to some UNESCO World Heritage sites, like the Hegra in Al Ula, an old city created by the Nabateans some 3000 years ago, the same civilization that created Petra in Jordan. There is also another site called Ad Diriyah, near Riyadh that is worth visiting. HEGRA, AL ULA

Changes As we recovered from the pandemic, things somehow changed a lot quicker. Nowadays expats (including women) can get a Saudi driver license easier if you already had one from your origin country and expat women are exempted from the abaya rule although we still must dress modestly covering our knees and shoulder. Shops are no longer mandated to close during prayer times, rather, the shop owners are requested to keep the stores open but ensuring employees are given the chance to pray. New cities are being created. Students who studied abroad are now coming back to start their businesses and work back here in Saudi Arabia, bringing a new way of working and living. Just last month, Ithra Cultural Center hosted an international theater performance called "Slava" - this show was sold out since the first day until the last day they performed here, a testament of the kingdom's reception towards art and culture. Just as for any country you would live in, you really just have to make the best of it. I wish you all a healthy and successful 2022, to you and your loved ones.

WONDERS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM BY MISHIKA GARG, DAUGHTER OF ANU GARG, SSA DELHI, INDIA

I gazed at the stars in the sky, lying on my bed looking through my window. There were millions of stars forming shapes and patterns (constellations). I wondered ‘ what lies beyond the night sky? ’ The stars were beautiful but I wanted to explore beyond them. Float in space. I wanted to find incredible things that other people don’t know about. Not only that but I wanted to know the causes, effects and how these things started.

A New Solar System is Born Do you ever wonder how our solar system was formed? Our solar system was formed about 4 billion years ago from a cloud of gas and dust. The cloud collapsed, possibly because of a nearby exploding star (known as the supernova). This caused the materials that were inside the cloud, to flatten like a frisbee.

Eventually, the center got very hot and became a star that now is known as our SUN. As the sun was forming, it collected most of the material in our solar system. Then, the only materials left were the ice, gas, and rocky material, which orbited the sun. The rest of the material that was orbiting the sun, formed into the planets, dwarf planets, moons, and everything else in our solar system. So, now you know how our solar system started, but that’s only the beginning! The Sun The sun is a star. It is the closest star to earth in fact. It is the first thing that was formed in our solar system. According to the book ‘The Solar System by Kenneth Walsh’, people wouldn’t be able to live on Earth without the sun. In my opinion, Kenneth Walsh is correct because the sun gives us heat and we need heat so we don’t freeze. It is also necessary for plants to get sunlight so they can grow.

Did you know, the sun is made of helium and hydrogen? The approximate weight of the sun is 2000 TRILLION TRILLION tonnes (about 300, 000 times heavier than earth). Even though the sun is made of gas, the sun is still very heavy. Gas has weight just like anything else. The atmosphere of the sun is called ‘corona’. The flames are called ‘spicules’. The heat from the sun’s inside, erupts on the surface in patches (called ’granules’) and gigantic arcs of hot gasses (called ‘solar prominences’). The inside of the sun is 15 million degrees celsius and the surface of the sun is 6000 degrees celsius. Halfway between the core and the surface, the sun is as dense as water. With all this evidence, you can see that the sun isn’t a normal star. It is a special star. Planets around the sun There are eight planets in our solar system which all orbit the sun. The closest planet to the sun is Mercury. Mercury is the smallest of the planets circling around the sun. It is the second hottest planet in our solar system despite being the closest planet to the sun. Mercury is between 45 and 69 million km away from the sun. Mercury has the fastest orbit and one orbit takes just about 88 earth days.

The next planet after Mercury is Venus. Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Venus is hotter because of the black clouds. These black clouds suck up the heat outside of the planet which makes Venus hotter. Venus shines like a star. It can be seen just after sunset and just before sunrise. Earth and Venus are about the same size. Venus is Earth’s neighbor which means Earth is next. Earth is the only planet with life on it. Now, let’s go to the next planet, Mars. Mars is known as the red planet. Almost all the water on Mars is frozen into ice. Mars is the name of the roman god of war. The Greeks called the planet Ares (name of the Greek war god). Mars is the same god as Ares except roman. The war god is named after Mars because of the color red which is like blood in WAR. Next is Jupiter. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter has no surface for spacecraft to land on because it is made of hydrogen and helium gas. The Greeks originally named the planet ‘Zeus’ after the king of gods. Jupiter was roman name for Zeus. Then is Saturn. Saturn has rings around the planet. The rings are made of chunks of ice, dust and tiny rocks that orbit the planet around its equator. Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system. Saturn is also not solid but is made of gases and liquids. The second last planet is Uranus. Uranus tilts so far on its side that Uranus seems to roll around the sun. It tilts 98 degrees so it’s equator runs vertically. Uranus has rings just like Saturn.

Finally, the last planet is Neptune. Neptune is so far from the sun that its orbit lasts 164.79 Earth years. Neptune is a blue planet but unlike Uranus, which is perfectly blue, Neptune has white clouds. These are all the planets in our solar system! There used to be a ninth planet called Pluto, but later astronomers discovered that Pluto is actually a dwarf planet.

Exploring You’ve heard about the solar system, but do you know how we know this stuff? We have people in space and on earth who are studying all this! Astronomers are space explorers who study space from Earth. Astronauts are space explorers who study space from space. Astronomers use telescopes, computers, and spacecraft to gather and analyse information about space.

Telescopes used to be really (very, very) simple, but they have come a long way. Now, telescopes are really powerful and large! Scientists send telescopes to see far away objects. In 1990, the world’s most powerful telescope was launched into Earth’s orbit. The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered many galaxies and even revealed astonishing images of things we have never seen before. Astronomers also use spacecraft such as; orbiter spacecraft, atmospheric spacecraft, lander spacecraft, and rover spacecraft. Landers and rovers are sent to the surface of planets to collect and then bring back materials for astronomy. Computers are used to store and process information sent from the telescopes, satellites, and spacecraft. Computers are also used to control telescopes and spacecraft. These are some tools that astronomers use to study space and beyond space.

You know so much stuff now about the solar system that we live in! All of this has happened outside our planet earth! You should be really proud of yourself for everything that you’ve learned about space. But you might/should be wondering ‘ am I interested in exploring space? ’ You should really consider being an astronomer now that you know so much. You could also be an astronaut and explore space from space itself! Or you might want to write or teach about the solar system and beyond. Maybe you want to do something else. It’s your choice!

ACTIVITIES CYBERSECURITY SESSIONS

BY PAULINE EWEN, SSA ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The SSA committee have organised many interesting, social and fun, one-off events during the time I have lived in Abu Dhabi. This time I was invited to participate in a monthly online training programme for Cybersecurity provided by the I.T. department of Schlumberger. This offered a convenient opportunity to update my I.T. knowledge. Some of the topics covered were Safe passwords, Social Media Awareness, Phishing Risks & Tips, Home Digital Security and Mobile Device Security. All of them very useful and I now have more confidence on how to protect myself and family online. At the end of each session we did a fun interactive quiz to test the knowledge gained that day. Thanks to Hasib and SLB for delivering the course.

N.B. During the sessions I made notes to be able to refer back to. I was unable to join one of the sessions but would have liked to receive the information I had missed. I would suggest that for future sessions it would be helpful if a document was sent to participants electronically, summarising the previous days' content.

ACTIVITY RAFFLE FOR CANINOS 911 BY SSA VILLAHERMOSA, MEXICO

The charity committee of the SSA Villahermosa aims to promote help to the most needy and during the year a program was carried out to support several foundations. On this occasion we will talk about the raffle done to support the Dog Shelter 911. The winner would win an Air Fryer and we are happy to say that all the members of the SSA Villahermosa participated very actively in support of this noble cause.

The proceeds from this raffle were used to purchase the material required by the Caninos 911 association, which included cleaning and painting materials for the shelter maintenance.

Caninos 911 is a non-profit association, founded on May 21st, 2015, whose objective and purpose is to shelter puppies rescued from the streets in extreme situations of abandonment and abuse. Made up of a group of people who voluntarily work with commitment, responsibility and dedication to fulfill a common goal: love and respect for pets. For more information, you can visit the following website

THE START OF A NEW SSA CHAPTER BY TAYYABA TAHIR, SSA GEORGETOWN, GUYANA

My story of SSA Guyana starts when I moved to Guyana in December 2021 and heard from my husband's friend that SSA global secretary is moving to Guyana in a few days. We were hopeful that in this underdeveloped country we now have something to look forward to. On New Year’s Eve, we had a small get together by the community pool. With myself there were four other ladies and we decided to make a WhatsApp group called SSA Guyana . I created it and this was the start or as I would call it the ‘soft launch’ of SSA Guyana. All four of us started addding our friends and spouses we knew. In a month we were a total of 25 and decided to meet, plan and elect the SSA local Chapter board members.

Our first unofficial meeting was in Ramada, where only 7 ladies showed up. We talked about SSA and common difficulties that we all face living in Georgetown, Guyana. All of us went home and talked to our husbands about SSA. This led to the managing director talking to HR and the official invitation to join SSA was sent to all the employee. The next meeting was hosted by MD’s wife at her house where HR was invited as well. That day all the board members were elected and preparations for the official launch started. On women’s day, the SSA Guyana Chapter one officially started and about 30 spouses attended the event. The event was a great success, HR manager talked about emotional intelligence, we had a great chatty lunch and the event was closed with a raffle round in which 3 spouses won a spa coupon. Sadly i wasn’t one of them but there is always a next time. For which me and all the spouses are looking forward to!

IMPORTANT INFO TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY DR. SHEFALI SINGH, SSA PUNE, INDIA

Happy and healthy living requires not only physical wellbeing but also mental wellbeing. Mental health is a state of psychological well-being or an absence of mental illness. It affects how we feel, think, and act. A good mental health helps in deciding how we cope with stress, how we respond to others, and how we make choices. A small amount of stress is helpful and motivating but continuous high-stress levels can harm our mental and physical health. Taking care of our mental well-being in this era of pandemic is very crucial. EASY WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING PANDEMIC: Plan and Prioritize Although it’s tempting to stay curled up in bed but creating new routines can be helpful and keeps you motivated. Write down your tasks, prioritize your tasks and plan your day. Maintain a daily routine during lockdown. Be active and stay focussed towards your goals.

Tips: Maintain a journal, listen to a podcast, go for a walk, exercise, cook a healthy meal, talk to your friends and family members and spread positivity.

Start your day well It can be tempting to reach for your phone or switch on the news first thing in the morning but starting the day with a simple mindfulness exercise is very beneficial.

Tips: Sit quietly in your bed/sofa or any silent and comfortable place. Observe the patterned curtains, the blue sky, or even just a showpiece kept on the table. Listen things you can hear: the sound of a car passing by, a singing bird, or the hum of your boiler. Finally, feel the things in contact with your body: the cool breeze, the warmth of your morning cup of tea, or even the fur of your dog.

Getting ready for bed Good quality sleep makes a big difference in how you feel. But feeling worried or anxious can make getting to sleep difficult.

Tips: Set up your sleep time, avoid screens prior to sleep time, avoid caffeine before bed, keep a gap of at least 2-3 hours in between your dinner and bedtime.

Stay informed, not overloaded Media/social media is overloaded with information, some is right but lot of it is misleading. Hearing upsetting or anxiety–provoking news triggers a stress-response in our bodies. Keeping informed is important but managing your social media and information intake will make a big difference to how you feel. Tip-Try to minimize the amount of time you spend listening, watching or reading about the outbreak. Turn to one or two reliable sources for news and check them just once or twice a day to stay informed. If feelings of anxiety spring up in your day, try a breathing technique, such as Box Breathing. Box breathing is a quick, easy and can be done anywhere. Inhale deeply for a count of 4 through your nose. Hold your breath for 4 breathe out completely through your mouth, for a count of 4, and hold your empty breath for 4. Then repeat 4 times. Box breathing provides several benefits. It positively affects emotions and mental-wellbeing, improves cognitive clarity, energy and focus. Box breathing also helps relieve stress and improves mood. It can also help cure insomnia by calming your nervous system before bed at night.

It is always important to take care of the mind but it can be difficult to do so in the midst of a pandemic. For many of us, it have triggered fear, anxiety and instability. It’s crucial to understand how you feel right now and also that there are practical & safe ways of helping you deal with these emotions. Try all the above mentioned easy and effective steps and make them a part of your daily routine and you’ll soon see the positive changes in your Mental WellBeing. Stay Safe

TRAVEL STORIES NAMIBIA, ONE HIDDEN AFRICAN GEM BY PALLAVI VAID, SSA ACCRA, GHANA

“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa” John Hemingway. I’ve been living in Africa for almost 8 years now and after having done trips to some African countries during these years I cannot agree more. Africa is something different, something special. Since the pandemic started, traveling for us was limited only to our home country India and Dubai, because it was on the way and open for tourists from Ghana. However, this year, some Covid-19 meassures concessions were given to us and the travel bug started itching badly. But with most of embassies offering long waiting times for Visa it was getting even more restless. Then Namibia came to our rescue! We got the Visa in two days after submitting our application. Yes!

10 Days of rendezvous with nature, adventure and awesomeness The trip started with a long wait at the airport because the car we rented was not ready and they had to arrange for another one. “ Not a very good start to the trip ” I thought to myself. But with car keys in hands we hit the roads and we were in for a surprise: open green fields with panoramic view of mountains, Ah! This is going to be a great trip.

As soon as we entered Windhoek, its Capital, it even got better. Such a quaint, quiet yet vibrant city. If someone asks me Windhoek can definitely qualify to be a younger sibling to Cape Town without the cape and ocean view, although very beautiful.

Our next day started with the drive towards Mariental. After 30 minutes to an hour drive we were in for a surprise, the concrete tar roads were over, suddenly we had dusty gravel road, though smooth yet deserted. We drove on these roads for the next 7 days of our trip. The roads, when we say deserted, we actually mean DESERTED. With no sight of any other motor vehicle for next 100 Miles, just us and the empty tar-concrete less gravel roads. At a point, we were even worried if we were on the right route but you know in our mind we had this motto ‘Google baba knows it all’, and sure it does. Anyway, we were kind of prepared for it thanks to Youtube and vloggers who visited Namibia and made it easier for newbies like us to get ready for what’s in store.

The lodges/resorts in Namibia will put so many top notch 7 stars to a shame. What views, what impeccable service and food that your tongue can never forget the taste of. Our evening was booked for the Sunset safari. A chance encounter with Cheetahs, plenty of zebras, ostriches, wilder beasts, springboks.

Evening tea/snacks in middle of wilderness with a view of Giraffes grazing in setting sun. We had our villa next to the pond and we were lucky to witness a rhino couple visiting the pond to satiate their thirst very close to our villa. Scary! It indeed was but nonetheless magnificent and surreal experience. The third day was our drive towards Sossussvlei and our hotel or should I say the fort ‘Le Mirage’. The route needless to say was scenic, rustic and full of raw nature. It had hues of gold, green, brown, yellowish rust. Once we arrived it was a scene one can never forget.

The selling point for us for this hotel was the view but more than that was the room with no roof. Yes! Open roof top room. We were lucky to spend one night there with a view of starry night. The view was out of the world and so was the feeling.

Next day was our trip to world famous red Namib dunes. The Deathvlei which was a surreal experience. We got to climb the Dune 45. Fun fact: Namib is the oldest desert, around 15 Million years old!

From Namib desert (Naukluft National Park Namibia), the drive to Sandwich harbour was one of a kind experience. Since it was high tide, the ocean was in full rage. The sandy beach road to reach the harbour was eaten away by the raging waves, we had to turn back and our guide "Mr. Hans" (who is around 65 years old) was not ready to give up on it and took us through the high and low dunes, so we did get our taste of slow dune bashing as well. There was a pont I felt that we should go back, we were in middle of a desert with a crazy enthusiastic guide and one side we had just raging ocean. But thanks to Mr. Hans what we experienced was something very very special. We did see some seals, Jackals, Oryx, Springboks and Kudus on our way to Sandwich harbor. So it was one wild safari on dunes next to the ocean.

We spent two nights in the coastal area, one in Walvis bay and one in Swakopmund. We visited the ship wreck around skelton coast and seal colony at ‘Cape Cross’. Around thousands of seals, it was a view to hold but to be honest, we couldn’t spend more than 5 minutes there, the smell and noise of baby seals finding their mothers was unbearable.

We had 2 nights planned in Etosha so were excited about the wild experience. We did safari in Tanzania and South Africa so we were looking forward to it. The guide for our safari did inform us that this one is unlike any you did before and as it was a rainy season so it is foolish to expect animals out in open. And he was right. It was kind of frustrating to spend 5 hours of safari and seeing just few animals. We did see a family of elephants, few giraffes, zebras, kudus, springboks, wilder beasts, zebras, ostriches, some exotic birds but no lions, cheetahs, leopards which are usually plenty there. So our luck with big 5 was limited to elephants only.

After two days of wild safari we head back to Windhoek for a night stay and our flight back home. The whole experience was unlike any we had/did before. So many pictures taken, so many memories made yet it felt like the time was not enough, it's never enough. It was some place out of your imagination, a dreamland. One raw, rustic, yet to be explored country called Namibia. Wish to go back there again, Soon! Not my words but an echo of my thoughts: Africa ❤️ You can view a landscape and believe you have witnessed the hand of God. You can watch the slow lope of a lioness and forget to breathe. You marvel at the tripod of a giraffe bent to water. There is no place quite like the continent of Africa. From its scorching deserts to its untamed savannahs and its bustling cities, it captivates with its sights, scents, sounds, and tastes. A magical place like no other. Don’t let the media or the thoughts of others influence your view and impressions of Africa. It’s a wild, beautiful, raw, dynamic place. That you have to see and experience for yourself 🙂 Trust me on this one, guys.

WHY DO WE LOVE TO TRAVEL WITH OUR 3 YOUNG KIDS? BY CLEIDE JEANE RIBEIRO BACELAR, SSA ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

I am writing this text during our 2-week trip to Europe with our 3 children (5, 13 and 15 years old) and I would like to share with you why we love to travel with them. Of course, travelling with kids will always be challenging and it does not matter if it is your first with just one kid or your fifth with 5 kids. The most important thing is never being scared, it will be worth every single moment. Our children have been well-traveled since babies and probably because of this, they are always up for adventure and new experiences. We love to show them the world while they can learn how to travel. Yes, they can learn a lot when we let them take some action according to their ages. First, travel teaches children to be patient waiting the travel day, waiting to board, waiting to deplane, waiting for luggage and how to spend the time while waiting. When they are young, we will have to teach them this and support them through it and then when they are older, they will already know what to do.

I am undoubtedly a trip planner love; I really love to search about the destination and plan carefully our itinerary. However, how many times did we have to change or adjust our plans? And it is all good. When they are older, they can take part in this and it will teach them to be flexible, to relax and follow the flow. Teach them to search about a destination, about the weather, find activities they will be interested in doing. They will be ready to go to any city in the world and discover it efficiently. Teach them what to pack, how to pack, and when they are older, let them pack for themselves. Each time less supervision will be required, and this is going to save a lot of effort and time. For us, vacation means an escape from our daily routines. For a couple of days or even weeks, we are free to do everything we want. No pressure, no rules. And every day while travelling is dedicated to do something fun together

and we call this “our adventures creating family memories and stories to tell”. And we love to tell them. We also love to take photos together. And they have a lot of fun making hilarious faces or gestures in the pictures. Who said we must get a perfect picture? We just need to be how we are: funny, gracious, and always happy being together.

Seeing the world through travel with kids is priceless and allows them to experience and learn about different lifestyles, cuisines, environments, cultures, geographical and historical facts. This educational value of travelling with kids is priceless. It shows them that although we are different in many ways, we need to be kind and respectful to each other everywhere. There is only one thing more exciting and rewarding to me than start a trip to see and explore the world together and this is when they say: “I would love to travel by myself when I have age to do it”, or “I would love to travel around the world with my kids as we have done”. Hearing it fills my heart with joy and makes it all worthwhile.

WHILE IN SERBIA BY IRMA INDRASARI, SSA ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Serbia, landlocked country in Southeast Europe, located in the Balkan Peninsula and Pannonian Plain. Serbia is where the continental and Mediterranean climates meet. Serbia is a blend of cultures, with many places to enjoy and also it has the most scenic spots around. After checking all the information from the SERBIA tourism website, we decided very quickly to choose Serbia as our holiday destination. And for some countries entering Serbia does not require VISA, which made us happy and stress less, we just had to book flight tickets and hotels. While in Serbia, We visited Belgrade, Zlatibor and Novisad. Let's start with Belgrade: Belgrade is the capital city of Serbia and is one of the oldest European cities as it has always been at the crossroad of different civilizations. Built at the confluence of the Sava and Danube river, Belgrade is rightly known as “The gate of Balkans “ and "the Doors to Central Europe". Nowadays, Belgrade is a city with new spirits of urban design: many young, creative people can be seen hanging around, there are planty of spots to have fun and it is also becoming an icon for the new era of culture and design of art.

We have visited 3 spots in Belgrade during our visit. These were: The Belgrade Fortress, The Old city center or KrezMihalova and The new city center.

Let it Snow… Zlatibor The mountain is crystal clear, the beauty of forest landscape and thrilling Tornik Skiing. After 3 hours of driving we reached Zlatibor, one of the best and longest panoramic view captured from the Gold Gondola Ride. This panoramic lift connects the center of Zlatibor with the ski center of Tornik, around 9 KM long!

Lovely Strolling from Novi Sad Another beautiful city that you should visit while in Serbia is Novi Sad. This is a northern city, on the banks of the Danube River. Standing atop a riverside bluff, much of Petrovaradin Fortresses dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries with an iconic clock tower and a network of tunnels. Across the river is the old quarter, Stari Grad, site of the Gothic Revival Name of Mary Church and neo-Renaissance City Hall.

RECIPES MAPO TOFU

BY ASTERIA SYLVESTER, SSA HOUSTON, USA

Ingredients : 500 grams firm white tofu (soy bean curd), cut into small squares (2x2 cm) 250 grams minced lean beef 2 tbs vegetable oil 3 tbs minced garlic 3 tbs minced ginger 750 ml water 5 tbs of minced onion leaves 2 tbs chilli oil 1 tbs beef paste 1 tbs fish sauce 1 tbs chilli powder 5 tbs soy sauce 1 tbs maizena mixed with 3 tbs water salt, pepper and sugar to taste

Steps 1. Infused Tofu : boil 500 ml water, pour in 3 tbs soya sauce and tofu, cooked for three minutes, then drained. Set aside. 2. Drizzle 2 tbs oil in a wok, heat it up then stir fry minced beef with beef paste until fragrant. 3. Put ginger and garlic into the minced beef, combine together. 4. Mix in chili oil, chili powder, fish sauce, and 2 tbs soy sauce into the minced beef. 5. Pour 250 ml of water into the mixture. 6. Combine the infused tofu to the mixture. 7. Mix well. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and sugar to taste. 8. Put in the maizena mixture. 9. Put in the onion leaves. Mix well. 10. Done. Serve this main dish with white rice.

NEW BOARDS SSA ALGERIA

Chapter Coordinator: NADIA BOUDIA, nadia_roumane@yahoo.com Treasurer: NACIMA CHERCHALI, nboudia@slb.com Welcome Coordinator: MERIEM DAHMANI, Meriem.tahari@outlook.com Activities Coordinator: SOUHIR MERABET, msouhir@yahoo.fr

AFR ICA

SSA PORT GENTIL, GABON

Chapter Coordinator: ELEANOR VICTORIA WEAVER, eleanor.weaver92@gmail.com Secretary: FLORA ZANFACK, florawamba@gmail.com Treasurer: SYNTHIA NDOMBI, sobiang5@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: CHRISTELLE SEMO, christmerl@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: MELYNA NZIGOU, melynam@yahoo.fr Activities Coordinator: HOUDA TAYEBI, houdtayebi@gmail.com Website Coordinator: DESIREE ATTA, ghandourdesiree@yahoo.fr

SSA LAGOS, NIGERIA Chapter Coordinator: IHUOMA AJAYI, ihuwobara@yahoo.com Secretary: JOLOMI WILBERT, Temidede@yahoo.com Treasurer: TEMILOLA BABATOPE, temmybabs2006@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: ERICKA IMAFIDON HSE Coordinator: EUPHRASIE TRAORE, edjake01@outlook.com Activities Coordinator: DAISY OYAWOYE, aidaisy2000@yahoo.com Communications Coordinator: OBEHI ANETOR, obehi15@yahoo.com Charity Coordinator: KEMI OLAGUNJU, kemkayc@yahoo.com

AFR ICA

SSA ANGOLA

Chapter Coordinator: THERESE ATEBA Secretary: ELENA BIANCHI Treasurer: MARTINE YEKEL Activities Coordinator: ZAMILA AISHA

SSA BUCHAREST, ROMANIA Chapter Coordinator: DIANA SGUERRA, ssabucharestchaptercoordinator@gmail.com Secretary: JESUS ARAMBULA Treasurer: ANNY LIM, ssabucharesttreasurer@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: KATHERINE DEL RIO, welcome.ssabucharest@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: JUDY JANJIRA NOINUAL, ssabucharesthse@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: OLGA KRAVCHENKO, activities.ssabucharest@gmail.com Website Coordinator: GEE AW/ REEMA, ssabucharest@gmail.com

EUR OPE

SSA LONDON & GATWICK, UK

Chapter Coordinator: JO HENSON, jo.henson1@gmail.com Secretary: DANA BEN HASONA, d_hassuna@yahoo.com Treasurer: YENNY BRITO DE GHENEIM, ybritod@hotmail.com Welcome Coordinator: ELSA MORENO, elsalmoreno@gmail.com / MIRIELLE BOUCHACRA-RAHAL, mireille_bc@hotmail.com HSE Coordinator: AROOJ RAJA, aroojr.omer@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: ILSE MCCANN, duijndamie@hotmail.com / HEBA ELENANY, heba.ayman.489@gmail.com / FATMA KERMOUD, foutioua@hotmail.com Communications Coordinator: AMARA GOEL, amarachhin@gmail.com

SSA STANVANGER, NORWAY Chapter Coordinator: MAYAR ATTIA, ssa.stavanger.lc@gmail.com Secretary: MARCELLA Treasurer: LUCIELLA Welcome Coordinator: ADIYA HSE Coordinator: HEIDY INFANT Activities Coordinator: BIANCA AND JULIANA PUMBO

EUR OPE

SSA PARIS, FRANCE

Chapter Coordinator: IVAN MORENO AUMAITRE, ssaparis.coordinator@gmail.com Secretary: NAILA SHAMSI, ssaparis.secretary1@gmail.com Treasurer: KIM ROSS, ssaparis.treasurer@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: CONSUELO MAINIER, ssaparis.welcome@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: DARRYL PERRY, ssaparis.hse@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: GEORGINA CORONA, ssaparis.activity@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: TANIA VAILLANT ssaparis.communication@gmail.com Website Coordinator: TANIA VAILLANT, ssaparis.communication@gmail.com

SSA ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND Chapter Coordinator: LUISA CABREL Secretary: ZAHRA YALLAOUI Treasurer: LAURA CRUZ Welcome Coordinator: PATY VAZQUEZ / MARIA FERNANDA ROMERO ZARAZUA HSE Coordinator: LARA ALMASRI Activities Coordinator: REHAM KARRAM Communications Coordinator: LUDMILLA WOOD / AMY SCHNEIDER

EUR OPE 59

SSA BOGOTA, COLOMBIA Chapter Coordinator: ANGELICA AYALA, coordinadorassabogota@gmail.com Secretary: MARIANGELA CASTAGNINO, secretary.ssa.bogota@gmail.com Treasurer: JENNIFER PEREZ, treasury.ssa.bogota@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: SANDY ALVAREZ, welcome.ssa.bogota@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: WILMER GARCIA, hse.ssa.bogota@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: ASHRAF PASHA/LEIDY MARIN, activities.ssa.bogota@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: ESTEFANIA ESPINOSA, communications.ssa.bogota@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: SARAY PUELLO/KARINA MORAN, charity.ssa.bogota@gmail.com

LATIN AMER ICA

SSA MEXICO DF, MEXICO

Chapter Coordinator: YAJAIRA BONILLA, ssamexicodf@gmail.com Treasurer: AURA JARAMILLO, ssadftreasurer@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: SANDRA GARCIA, ssadfwelcome@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: DANIELA MOCCAGATTA, ssadfhse@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: DANIELA GALBAN, danielagalban@hotmail.com Communications Coordinator: ZOJAILLA ORTIZ, zojailla@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: OLGA BASHBUSH, poeva@aol.com

SSA CIUDAD DEL CARMEN, MEXICO Chapter Coordinator: ALLIANE ANGELICA TICANTE RAYGOZA, ssa.carmen@gmail.com Secretary: MA. DEL CARMEN JIMENEZ CASANOVA, ssacarmensecretary@gmail.com Treasurer: MA. DODY SANTAMARIA HERNANDEZ, ssacarmenfinance@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: NOEMI CHAN MALDONADO, ada-luna30@hotmail.com HSE Coordinator: ABIGAIL VAZQUEZ RODRIGUEZ, ssacarmenhse@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: KARLA ERICA MORAN SAENZ, karlasaenz31@hotmal.com Communications Coordinator: LUZ ADRIANA NUÑEZ ARRELLANO, luzhappy@hotmail.com Charity Coordinator: BEATRIZ VERONICA HERNANDEZ PEÑA, verodoopies@gmail.com / YEISLY CARRERO MORENO, ssacarmencharity@gmail.com

LATIN AMER ICA

SSA VILLAHERMOSA, MEXICO

Chapter Coordinator: IRINA GARAEVA, Ssavillahermosa@gmail.com Secretary: GABRIELA CASTRO, lgabriela.castrob@hotmail.com Treasurer: ANA DEL C PEÑA HERNANDEZ, kapehe@hotmail.com Welcome Coordinator: DONA GOSWAMI, donagoswami83@gmail.com / ROBERTA CUNHA VASCONCELLOS DE RESENDE, robertacvr@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: MARIA DE JESUS GUZMAN HERNANDEZ, ghzmary@hotmail.com

Activities Coordinator: LUZ ADRIANA NUÑEZ, luzhappy@hotmail.com / MARIELA TREVIÑO BERNAL, mayegtb@hotmail.com Communications Coordinator: MARTA MARIA DE LA O COLLADO, martha.delaoc@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: GABRIELA DEL CARMEN GOMEZ ARIAS, gaby.gomez2207@gmail.com / AILA LAURA ORTEGA MORALES, lauraortega1@gmail.com / MARISOL BARQUIN GORIS

LATIN AMER ICA

SSA QUITO, ECUADOR

Chapter Coordinator: ALEJANDRO ROSAS, ssa.quito.coordinacion@gmail.com Secretary: ANGELICA CANAS, angelicamctrg@gmail.com Treasurer: VERONICA BARRERA / CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, ssa.quito.tesoreria@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: NEIDA UZCATEGUI, ssa.quito.bienvenidas@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: YOSMAR SIMOZA, ssa.quito.hse@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: KATHERINE GARAY / AURA ORTIZ / MARLENE CUADROS, ssa.quito.actividades@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: TATIANA MEJIA, ssa.quito.comunicaciones@gmail.com Website Coordinator: SOPHIATUDIEN HARAHAP, ssa.quito.comunicaciones@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: ADRIANA SANABRIA, ssa.quito.obrassociales@gmail.com

SSA RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL Chapter Coordinator and Activity Coordinator: NATALIA NILSSON, ssa.rio.coordinator@gmail.com / ssa.rio.activities@gmail.com Treasurer: MIYUKI NISHIZAKI, ssa.rio.treasury@gmail.com Welcome and Communications Coordinator: PATRICIA BONILLA, ssa.rio.welcome@gmail.com / ssa.rio.communications@gmail.com HSE Coordinator: GABRIELA PEREZ, ssa.rio.hse@gmail.com

LATIN AMER ICA

SSA MACAE, BRAZIL

Chapter Coordinator and Welcome Coordinator: DAIANE BIERHALZ ELERT, ssa.macae.rj@gmail.com / elert.daiane@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: SIMONE TORRES VIEIRA POIANI, sipoiani@hotmail.com / GISLAINE PATRICIA PORCINELI, porcineli@yahoo.com.br Charity Coordinator: JUDITE LIMA, juditelima0102@gmail.com

SSA TAUBATE, BRAZIL

Chapter Coordinator and Activity Coordinator: BARBARA GODIM, ssataubate@gmail.com Treasurer and Welcome Coordinator: MELISSA VIANA, melissacorteszarria@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: JESSICA ELSTON, jessica_jardon@hotmail.com

SSA BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA Chapter Coordinator: CAROLINA IGLESIAS, ssa_b.a_slb@outlook.es Treasurer: BELKYS MACHADO MORALES, ssa.ba.treasurer@outlook.com HSE and Charity Coordinator: MARIA BELEN MORETTO, morettomariabelen@gmail.com

SSA NEUQUEN, ARGENTINA

LATIN AMER ICA

Chapter Coordinator: ALEJANDRA BERNAL ROSALES, ssaneuquen.ar@gmail.com OR alejandrajbernalr@gmail.com Secretary: ROXANA STOICA, stoica.roxanaeln@gmail.com Treasurer: DISMARY PEREZ PARRA, dismaryperez@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: FRANCISCA YANEZ, yanezrivero@hotmail.com Activities Coordinator: CAMILA CONTIN, camilacontin@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: MARI CARMEN PEÑAHERRERA, maripenaherrera16@gmail.com / MARIA GRACIA VILLASMIL, mariagraciasvillasmil@hotmail.com

SSA PUNE, INDIA Chapter Coordinator: ANJU KALRA Treasurer: SWARNLATA DUSAD Welcome Coordinator: ZELMA MACHADO Activities Coordinator: PRAMILA GRACY PINTO Communications Coordinator: PALLAVI VAHI / NEERAJA AMBATI Charity Coordinator: BHARATHI RAVINDRA

SSA MUMBAI, INDIA Chapter Coordinator: PRITHA BHATTACHARYA Secretary: UVRAVASHI NAYYAR Treasurer: SHILPA ZACARIA Welcome Coordinator: SHEILA ANCI / NIKI SANDHU HSE Coordinator: SHILPA BHARAT Activities Coordinator: ADITI GOSWAMI / ARITRI BANERJEE Communications Coordinator: PRIYA SAMSON Website Coordinator: PRAPTI DEVLIYAL

AS IA

SSA HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA Chapter Coordinator: KERRI BREMNER, ssahouston.chaptercoordinator@gmail.com Secretary: LUANA DOORNBOSCH-KOOISTRA Treasurer: LAURIA ZION Welcome Coordinator: RUXANDRA VILAU / STEPHANE RIBEIRO HSE Coordinator: YEMI ONERHIME Activities Coordinator: BARBARA JOOSVANDEWALLE Database Coordinator: TANIA HUAMAN Newsletter Editor: MIHAELA VARIU Social Media Coordinator: HIRAL SHAH Charity Coordinator: ANGIE GOOCH / NAYARA PASTI Special Events Coordinator: ANANTHA RUSUM

NOR TH AME RICA

SSA MIDLAND, TEXAS, USA

Chapter Coordinator: JERE STEWART, Agentjerestewart@gmail.com Treasurer: TRACY DODDS, ssa.midland.charities@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: AMY BENNET / ORRMAY ROMANO Activities Coordinator: JENNIFER COLLINS / MELANIE BROWN

SSA HOUMA, LUISIANA, USA

Chapter Coordinator: FOREST JACKSON Secretary: MICHELLE COTTON Treasurer: MORIAH VAN HOVEN Charity Coordinator: ELLY REED

SSA OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, USA Chapter Coordinator, Secretary and Welcome Coordinator: NATALIE FULTON, natalia.fulton@outlook.com Treasurer and Communications and Activities Coordinator: SANAH ALBAN

NOR TH AME RICA

SSA ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, USA

Chapter Coordinator: ASHTON SMITH Treasurer: KATYA RYAN Welcome Coordinator: SARAS YOGYANTININGTYAS

SSA ST. JOHN, VIRGIN ISLANDS, USA

Interim Chapter Coordinator: NORAN HANAFI, Noranh@outlook.com Treasurer: RACHEAL KAUR, Rachealfnkaur@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: MARGERIE CORREA

SSA KELLYVILLE,OKLAHOMA, USA

Chapter Coordinator: SRUTI NAYARANAN, sruti.nayaranan@gmail.com Treasurer: TATIANA BUTRIM Activities Coordinator: JEANNE HAJENGA

SSA FLORENCE, KENTUCKY, USA Interim Chapter Coordinator: SVETLANA

SSA TRINIDAD, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Interim Chapter Coordinator: PAULA RINCON

SSA GUYANA Chapter Coordinator: YENNIFER FRANCO, ssaguyana@gmail.com Treasurer: RENICA PARIAG Welcome Coordinator: MARISA GAVILANES Activities Coordinator: LAYLLA Communications Coordinator: TAYABBA TAHIR Charity Coordinator: PAOLA SALAZAR Website Coordinator: MEENAKSHI KALRA

NOR TH AME RICA 68

SSA MUSCAT Chapter Coordinator: MARIE MARTIRETI, marie.martinetti@gmail.com OR ssamuscat@gmail.com Treasurer: AZZA SID AHMED, azza_aburedha@hotmail.com Welcome Coordinator: BEENISH SHAHID, benniq@msn.com / LILIYA KARAMSHINA, lilbkin@mail.ru Activities Coordinator: RENAD FATHI, renadfathi8@gmail.com / SOFIA RODRIGUEZ, sofiasrc@gmail.com

MIDD LE EAST

SSA BAHRAIN

Chapter Coordinator: SWATI GARG, Khusboo49@gmail.com OR ssabahrain@gmail.com Treasurer: ALIYEVA FARAH, farah.evendieva@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: EDITH ISABEL KUKUL, ikukul@hotmail.com Activities Coordinator: GISETTE CAMACHO, Gisettecamacho@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: ALIYEVA FARAH, farah.evendieva@gmail.com

SSA ISLAMABAD Chapter Coordinator: MEHWISH ZAURAYZE, smehwish1@hotmail.com Treasurer: JAVERIA FAROOQ, Javeriafarooq1990@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: HIRA DANISH, hirazahoor@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: ABEERA ZAHID, Zahid.abeerah@gmail.com

SSA KUWAIT Chapter Coordinator: RASHA AZAB, rasharaafat@gmail.com OR ssakuwait@gmail.com Treasurer: NATALIA ZYRYANOV, azryanov2@mail.ru OR treasurer.ssakuwait@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: ZHANNA MUKASHEVA, activities.ssakuwait@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: KIRTI DUBEY, kirti1903@gmail.com OR ssakuwait@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: RENU GROVER, renuchhabra291988@gmail.com OR charity.ssakuwait@gmail.com

MIDD LE EAST

SSA AL KHOBAR

Chapter Coordinator: ASHA SAWH, asha.dindial@gmail.com Secretary: ASHA SAWH, asha.dindial@gmail.com Treasurer: RABAIUL WASIF, rabailwasif88@gmail.com Welcome Coordinator: ARELI NARVAEZ, arel807@hotmai.com / EMAN KAMEL, eman.atriby@gmail.com / ANA KAREN CASTILLA, karencastillo1689@gmail.com Activities Coordinator: SARAH HARDY, sarahhardy757@yahoo.com / ALINA ALDAGULOVA, gerda-86@mail.ru / AOIBHEANN HUGHES, awe083@gmail.com Communications Coordinator: ARIDA PERMATA, bawangku@gmail.com Charity Coordinator: RISKA WAHYU FIBRIANA, riskasudarmaji@gmail.com

A BIG SHOUT-OUT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR TAKING A MOMENT TO COLLABORATE ON THIS EDITION OF THE WAYFARER WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM ALL OF YOU IN THE FUTURE! REMEMBER TO STAY IN TOUCH THROUGH OUR FACEBOOK GROUP "SSA GLOBAL COMMUNITY" AND REFER IT TO OTHER MEMBERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE HERE TO HELP! FOR COMMENTS OR ANY FEEDBACK PLEASE EMAIL: VALERIA.SSA.GCC@GMAIL.COM