This video is linked to Jocelyn's blog (L.A.) and it made her son who is recovering from back surgery to correct his spine smile which was a huge breakthrough for them after this extremely intensive surgery and recovery time. If it can make him smile, it will make you smile and probably laugh out lot a few times just because :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
ALERTNET EXPRESSO: Your daily shot of humanitarian news
Yep! This headline is what I get to wake up every morning to: "ALERTNET EXPRESSO: Your daily shot of humanitarian news." Though I don't have the time I wish I had everyday to soak myself up in the crises that are affecting our children around the world, I do try to stay up to date with the most volatile situations - and most specifically in Ethiopia. Along with this news is a daily quote from a humanitarian worker or news reporter in an affected region. Today it was about Ethiopia. I wish I could write more but I'll just simply leave you with the quote:
Quote of the day:
"Tea in Ethiopia is drunk very sweet, and this cup contained the very last of the community's sugar - and while they were starving, they gave it to me."Rob McNeil, on a trip to Ethiopia for Oxfam, describing his experiences in some of the regions worst-hit by drought.
Audio Slideshow: Please watch this also, featured on the BBC Today about those starving in Ethiopia: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7522000/7522795.stm
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dancing Star!!
That's right, I have a dance star as a daughter :) I was just notified by Maeza at Kechene that Beamluk entered a dance contest and won!!! She was so excited and received candy as a prize (which I'm sure she enjoyed even more).
This is just too cute and had me smiling from ear to ear. Apparently the dancing gene can skip biological genes ;) I was telling everyone early on that I knew she was a dancer or maybe even a gymnast as she just loves to climb on anything and everything and is very successful at it - not to mention the natural grace she so easily has mastered.
I wish I had a picture to post of me dancing at the age and also one of her, but I'll have to wait and continue to be patient for that opportunity, (I'll try to post one of me later).
I'm trying to get more details and I'll post them if I can get them.
This is just too cute and had me smiling from ear to ear. Apparently the dancing gene can skip biological genes ;) I was telling everyone early on that I knew she was a dancer or maybe even a gymnast as she just loves to climb on anything and everything and is very successful at it - not to mention the natural grace she so easily has mastered.
I wish I had a picture to post of me dancing at the age and also one of her, but I'll have to wait and continue to be patient for that opportunity, (I'll try to post one of me later).
I'm trying to get more details and I'll post them if I can get them.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours
No, there isn't something wrong with the title of this post. Last night, this was the 30 minute news story on Nightline. It's disgusting, and though we would hope that this is a unique scenerio - that child slavery doesn't affect many children - it is estimated that there are 27 million people enslaved today. This is more than at any other time on earth.
Please, I beg you to watch the footage. It only takes a 1/2 hour out of your day but you can't help to be moved into action after watching just how easy it is to "buy a child." I attended a conference on international child trafficking in Minneapolis a few years back - all I can imagine is, is this were my child and I ask myself - What would I do?
This news story really hit home as I am working on creating an organization in Ethiopia to provide for girl-mothers who have been trafficked or forced into early child marriage and impregnated by their captors. It's in the works and I hope when I return to Ethiopia I'll be able to get the ball rolling faster than working on this on the sidelines in Minnesota.
In some regions in Ethiopia, particularly the North, the average girl is married by 14, with some being married as young as 7 years - marrying much older men. In fact, in these regions 80% of girls in the area are married by age 15. Due to their resulting early pregnancies these girls are 6 times more likely to die in child birth (already at 1 in 12 lifetime risk in Ethiopia) and experiencing obstructed births resulting in fistula.
Very briefly, these are the services we hope to provide:
-24 hour emergency and counseling hotline
-counseling
-safe shelter
-maternal, prenatal and neonatal health care
-family foster care for girl mothers and children
-skilled labor training
-employment assistance
-micro-credit
-daycare
If you'd like to learn more about this program please just let me know!! It's going to take a lot to get this up and running as it is a VERY ambitious program but with concerned people joining together with their varied backgrounds, strengths, and amazing hearts it is certainly possible. This is the first program for the new NGO "All Our Children International Outreach" for which I am a founding board member.
Link to view the episode - also provides information on how you can get involved:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=5326508&page=1
Please, I beg you to watch the footage. It only takes a 1/2 hour out of your day but you can't help to be moved into action after watching just how easy it is to "buy a child." I attended a conference on international child trafficking in Minneapolis a few years back - all I can imagine is, is this were my child and I ask myself - What would I do?
This news story really hit home as I am working on creating an organization in Ethiopia to provide for girl-mothers who have been trafficked or forced into early child marriage and impregnated by their captors. It's in the works and I hope when I return to Ethiopia I'll be able to get the ball rolling faster than working on this on the sidelines in Minnesota.
In some regions in Ethiopia, particularly the North, the average girl is married by 14, with some being married as young as 7 years - marrying much older men. In fact, in these regions 80% of girls in the area are married by age 15. Due to their resulting early pregnancies these girls are 6 times more likely to die in child birth (already at 1 in 12 lifetime risk in Ethiopia) and experiencing obstructed births resulting in fistula.
Very briefly, these are the services we hope to provide:
-24 hour emergency and counseling hotline
-counseling
-safe shelter
-maternal, prenatal and neonatal health care
-family foster care for girl mothers and children
-skilled labor training
-employment assistance
-micro-credit
-daycare
If you'd like to learn more about this program please just let me know!! It's going to take a lot to get this up and running as it is a VERY ambitious program but with concerned people joining together with their varied backgrounds, strengths, and amazing hearts it is certainly possible. This is the first program for the new NGO "All Our Children International Outreach" for which I am a founding board member.
Link to view the episode - also provides information on how you can get involved:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=5326508&page=1
Updated Photos :)
Hello! So I finally was able to get a new photo of Beamluk and some of the girls :) It's so amazing how much she has grown but I'm so happy to receive these photos!!!!!!!! The photos are from Maeza's 17th birthday party! It's amazing that at 17 she's almost done with her first year at nursing school :) And to think 1 1/2 years ago, she didn't know much English, but now is thriving in her English-only medical courses. It's amazing the perseverance of children or should I say young adults who are forced into adulthood too early.
So that's my princess in a jersey below!!!
So that's my princess in a jersey below!!!
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