Mr. Rikshaw provides technical support and occasional tirades about old Swedish cars and open source software such as Linux or Libre Office. While in the Sandbox, he spent most of his time working directly with the translators and literacy workers, who are all nationals. Although we had to leave the Sandbox unexpectedly in February of 2013 due to security reasons, he has continued his role in the Sandbox by working remotely, first from Minnesota, and now from the Hilltop. He has also been able to spend some much-needed time adapting a Linux-based system geared specifically for our national colleagues in the Sandbox and other places called Wasta-Linux. Now he is working in a similar capacity leading the IT department for our Hilltop team and continuing to develop Wasta-Linux as its use has spread to other global locations of our organization.

 

Mama Hilltop has a background in teaching English as a Second Language. While in the Sandbox, however, Mama Hilltop spent most of her time homeschooling, learning to cook again, and chasing after a new baby. Part of our time there she was also able to teach English to our national colleagues, who needed improved English in order to make better use of resources and get further training. During our year-and-a-half in Minnesota, she did some curriculum development for Logic of English which will benefit our colleagues from the Sandbox and elsewhere. Here in the Hilltop, she is teaching Physics and coordinating the Learning Support department at Bingham Academy, the international school the kids attend.

The Dreamer is currently in 10th grade and loves reading, writing, drawing, and doodling on unusual surfaces. When she isn’t gracing the world with one of her prolific creative endeavors, she can usually be found playing guitar, speed-talking, or careening around the room.

 

 

The Engineer is currently in 7th grade and enjoys building with legos or straws or his mother’s favorite household items, constantly asking random scientific questions, and inventing a plethora of fascinating gadgets. He also loves basketball, football (which is called soccer in America), and scheming of ways to beat his adults at any game he can think of.

 

 

The Monkey, who is 8, enriches our lives with jubilant bouncing, twirling, and chattering, usually all at the same time. Her favorite activities include dressing up as a superhero and defending the universe (you have no idea how many times you and your planet have already been saved from total destruction), and hurling herself into the middle of whatever her siblings might be doing at any given time. In this picture, the Monkey is a cheetah.