Over the past several years, my work as a Neighbors Abroad board member has taken me to several of Palo Alto’s Sister Cities. I’ve enjoyed touring historic landmarks and breathtaking vistas, but it’s the people I’ve met along the way that have made these journeys so special. 

One of my most indelible memories of foreign friendship occurred during a 2023 visit to Enschede, our Dutch Sister City,  situated just across the border from Germany. Along with Enschede VP Monica Schreiber, I served as a chaperone for four high school students who won a Neighbors Abroad-sponsored essay contest based on the heroic work of Leendert Overduin, an Enschede pastor who saved hundreds of Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II.

During a welcome ceremony in Enschede’s stunning Art Deco City Hall, Herbert Zwartz, in his mid-nineties but full of vitality, kept the audience in rapt attention with his first-hand account of life as a child who survived the horrors of the occupation through the aid of Pastor Overduin and other members of the Resistance. During his talk, Herbert gently removed a well worn Star of David from his jacket pocket, giving the students a concrete, emotional connection to the past. A few nights later, I found myself seated next to Herbert during dinner as he regaled our small group of five with tales spanning decades and continents. He recalled moving to the American South after WWII and, despite speaking only passable English, was promoted from maintenance worker to manager of a textile factory in just over a month.

His stories radiated hope and optimism, and he nailed every punchline. When I learned of Herbert’s passing last September at the age of 97, my initial sorrow gave way to an appreciation for his remarkable legacy. Herbert showed me the power of human goodness and resilience. As I continue my global travels, I know Herbert’s spirit will guide me as I seek out the meaningful personal connections that come from sharing cultures and reaching across borders. - Ed Fike

Fun (and Quite Remarkable) Fact: Oaxaca’s entire fire truck fleet has been sent by, or facilitated through, the Palo Alto Fire Department.

That says a lot about the long-running ties between our Sister Cities, with fire trucks and equipment having made the journey to Oaxaca for decades. We are building on that tradition through several recent donations, not just of fire equipment, but also medical supplies, and a first for us: sewing machines.

The Palo Alto Fire Department, with our friend Engineer Yovan Sierra leading the effort, recently donated a treasure trove of retired (but still perfectly functional) fire gear, brush-fire tools, tactical equipment, and shelter supplies. See below for more news about Yovan.

Also winging their way to Oaxaca: 75 sewing machines, purchased with Neighbors Abroad funds for women served by partner NGOs in Oaxaca, where sewing can open the door to income and independence. Thanks to the North Hunterdon, New Jersey Rotary Club (of which our board members Ken and Flor Sanchez are members) for funding transportation from New Jersey to Laredo.

Also thanks to longtime Neighbors Abroad member Alan Stivers, who wrangled the logistics behind this ambitious effort, along with board members Sarah Burgess, Flor Sanchez, and Ken Sanchez. Ed Fike, Claire Lauing, Candace Gunther, and Jennifer Kleckner assisted with the packing and shipping. Finally, a big thanks for member Roland Wilhelm for documenting the packing with some great photos.

Hot News: Fire Engineer Yovan Sierra Promoted!

Neighbors Abroad has long facilitated the donation of surplus fire and emergency equipment from the Palo Alto Fire Department to their bombero brothers and sisters in Oaxaca. Engineer Yovan Sierra is our Palo Alto Fire Department liaison and the man who makes it happen, so it was a great honor for some of us to attend his recent promotion and badge pinning ceremony in early February, where his wife and son cheered him on.

Heidelberg, Germany

In February, a group of entrepreneurs-in-training from Schriesheim, Germany (a small town just outside our sister city Heidelberg) came to town for a week-long collaboration with students in Gunn High School’s BEAM program.

BEAM (Business Entrepreneurship & Math) is a hands-on, real-world course in problem solving and business thinking. Co-developed by a former Neighbors Abroad board member, the program has become such a standout that several of our sister cities have embraced it. Heidelberg’s particular brand of enthusiasm has helped turn it into an annual student exchange.

During their week here, the students attended a Super Bowl party, hosted by Gunn BEAM instructor Khoa Dao and his students, shared app development projects with their Gunn counterparts, and experienced other Gunn classes. They also visited the graduate business schools at Stanford and Santa Clara Universities.

Twelve exchange students from our Japanese Sister City Tsuchiura landed in Palo Alto on March 14 to a warm welcome from their Palo Alto buddies and host families, many waving handmade welcome signs. The middle school students have been corresponding since December, so by the time they met in person, new friendships were already taking shape.

The visit also carried a lovely sense of history. One of the Tsuchiura chaperones, Taeko Banno, first came to Palo Alto as an exchange student on the same program 30 years ago. Now a ninth-grade English teacher in Tsuchiura, she returned this spring as a chaperone, a full-circle moment that says a lot about the staying power of this much-loved exchange.

Tsuchiura co-VP Evelyn Shimazaki, who has skillfully coordinated the exchange for several years, says a huge number of people on both sides of the Pacific make the program possible. "Just a few of them include Saki Matayoshi, Japanese teacher at JLS and Greene, who worked with us to market the program to parents and students at Back to School night. She also hosted the chaperones in her classroom and included their participation in her lessons. I'd also like to thank JLS Principal Chris Grierson, JLS Assistant Principal Sarah Pierce, Greene Principal Courtney Carlomagno and Greene Assistant Principal Mimi Kwon for their warm hospitality in hosting the Tsuchiura students and chaperones."

This year, Evelyn was delighted to share program planning duties with our new co-VP for Tsuchiura, Lydia Kou, former Palo Alto mayor and city councilmember.

The Tsuchiura students spent time shadowing their Palo Alto buddies for a real taste of middle school life here. They also got a behind-the-scenes look at Palo Alto civic life, enjoyed outings to San Francisco, visited Silicon Valley landmarks including Google and Stanford, and even squeezed in an overnight adventure in Yosemite.

Please join us in welcoming Candace Gunther to the Neighbors Abroad Board of Directors. 

Candace has built a multi-track career spanning programming, systems design, and management consulting, working with companies in both manufacturing and commercial real estate. And as if that weren’t enough, she also owned and ran her own antiques and art business for 25 years, which feels like the kind of experience that makes a person exceptionally fluent in the language of culture and connections.

Candace entered the world of real estate in 2007, and she and her photographer-husband Roland Wilhelm have been working together in real estate ever since. 

Candace is joining Neighbors Abroad as Co–Vice President for Albi, France, alongside Jennifer Kleckner, and the role is especially meaningful to her given her French maternal heritage. We’re thrilled to have her on board!

In mid-March, a Neighbors Abroad delegation headed to Narok, Kenya, and surrounding communities to visit Palo Alto's first Friendship City, which also happens to be the first branch of the Neighbors Abroad family tree on the African continent. The trip was organized by Narok VP Barb Mackraz. Pictured here: Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu, Barb Mackraz, and Neighbors Abroad board member Sarah Burgess.

The delegation spent time deepening relationships with partners in the region, learning from local communities, and exploring future collaborations.

One especially happy milestone: the opening of a new library at Ololchura Primary School, a project of the Oliveseed Foundation, one of Barb’s nonprofits. 

The group also met with Narok County leaders to continue conversations that began when county representatives visited Palo Alto last year. From there, they visited Maasai Mara University and the Maasai Mara Conservancies Headquarters to learn more about education, conservation, and community-led stewardship in the region.

As always, the most meaningful moments were the most personal. Delegates spent time with Maasai women and families in their homes, learning about daily life and the rich tradition of Maasai beadwork, one of the most striking and expressive parts of the culture.

And yes, there were safaris too. The group explored both the Maasai Mara National Reserve and community-owned conservancies, taking in the astonishing wildlife and landscapes that make the region unforgettable.

Other delegates included a much appreciated donor to the new library in Narok, Karen Drucker, along with board members Bruce McLeod, Nodelyn Smith, and Claire Lauing, as well as Neighbors Abroad members Sue Correll, Ron Valencia, Carla Befera, and Doug Smith. And, as always, center stage was Amos Kipeen (pictured here), director of Oliveseed Kenya, and Barb's close collaborator.

A big thank-you to Palo Alto City Council Member and former Mayor Pat Burt for his many years as the liaison between City Council and Neighbors Abroad. Pat is pictured above, on the left, with Dr. Eckart Würzner, Heidelberg's Mayor. 

Because we work so closely with the city, this role really matters, and Pat helped bring us into a new era of cooperation, connection, and plenty of Sister City fun. He has been a terrific partner, bridge builder, and friend to Neighbors Abroad, and we’re deeply grateful. 

Now, as Pat passes the passport, we’re delighted to welcome Councilmember George Lu, pictured here, who will take up the mantle. Get ready, George! 

Some partnerships just make sense: Peanut butter and jelly. Bikes and the Netherlands. Photography and Sister Cities.

That’s why the growing friendship between Neighbors Abroad and the Palo Alto Camera Club feels so natural. After all, photography is a language that needs no translation.

Over the past year, that connection has really come into focus (we couldn’t resist), beginning with a rich collaboration between the Camera Club and Fotoclub de Zoeker, its counterpart in Enschede — and now expanding to a budding partnership with Albi, France's aptly named photo club, Albimage (more on that soon).

The Palo Alto Camera Club’s Annual Competition just wrapped up and we wanted to share some of the highlights. More than 700 images were submitted, spanning print and digital entries, with awards given in roughly 10 categories for each format. 

We’re proud to spotlight several winners who were active in our recent Enschede photographer exchange: Camera Club co-presidents Bob Fisher and Sue Borg, along with new-ish member of both Neighbors Abroad and the Camera Club, Roland Wilhelm — yes, that Roland, whose wife Candace just joined the Neighbors Abroad board. See photos above and below.