Long break once again

Boy, life has been crazy these past few months.  The in-laws are here from India, big shakeups at work, getting a dog…..but life is good.  I’ve been blessed with great family and friends.

Back to my regularly scheduled posting.  This month’s topic is something I never even would have thought about.  Intestinal worms and de-worming.  I didn’t even realize that this was a thing!  It sounds awful, and again, totally preventable.

We are all familiar with the  pictures of hungry children with large, distended bellies in magazines and late night charitable TV infomercials. Many of those children have been infected with intestinal parasites. Intestinal worms infect 2 billion people around the world, and of these 300 million suffer severe and permanent damage as a result of the parasites, according to the World Health Organization. The worms can consume up to 20% of a child’s nutritional intake everyday, causing severe malnutrition, under-nutrition, and even death.

Planting Peace (www.plantingpeace.org) is an organization that helps to combat intestinal worms. Their website states “From Sudan to the Dominican Republic, Planting Peace is working hard to rid millions of children from parasitic worms. Our largest project in Haiti has already reached 7.9 million children and we continue our efforts to reach many more children. We also are educating people on how to prevent being infected with these parasites and also how to prevent being re-infected once treated. This is an overwhelming task considering the current, substandard living conditions in Haiti and other underdeveloped countries due to poor sanitation, raw sewage, lack of potable drinking water, minimal health care facilities and extreme poverty. However, we believe through treatment and education we can make a huge difference in all impoverished countries.”.

So what kind of impact can one tiny pill have?

PREGNANT WOMEN
The World Health Organization urges poor countries to offer deworming pills to pregnant women after a recent study in Nepal showed a 41% drop in the deaths of infants born to mothers who took the pills before giving birth.

MALNUTRITION
A study in Zanzibar, found that anti-parasite treatment can reduce children’s malnutrition by 62% and reduce anemia by 59%.

MONETARY IMPACT
Deworming school-aged children gives them the potential to earn their way out of poverty. A good example is Japan’s subsequent economic boom due to their successful deworming programs in the 1950s.

EDUCATION
Of the estimated 562 million school-aged children in the developing world, worm infections are estimated to cause around 16 million cases of mental retardation in primary school children and 200 million years of lost primary schooling.

How can you help?  For just $10, Planting Peace can de-worm 1,000 children.  1,000.  That is huge!  Isn’t it worth forgoing Starbucks for a week?

Malaria- Round Two

Charity for this week- Nets for Life

NetsForLife began in 2006, and have programs present in 17 countries in Africa.  It is a partnership of corporations, foundations, nongovernmental groups, and faith-based organizations working to fight malaria. The program partnership includes ExxonMobil, Standard Chartered Bank, the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, Starr International Foundation, the J.C. Flowers Foundation and Episcopal Relief & Development.

How do they work to combat Malaria?

Since 2006, they have worked to distribute over 11 million nets as part of its campaign to fight malaria resulting in less sickness, fewer deaths and stronger communities. Combined with the community education and net monitoring work of over 82,000 trained Malaria Control Agents, these nets have saved the lives of over 100,000 children under five and reduced the number of malaria cases by up to 45% in communities where they are active.  Isn’t that awesome?

Here’s a nice infographic from their website for World Malaria Day 2014:

 

 

Compassion news

While I haven’t received any more letters from the children, I did receive two pastor letters, one from Kajal’s project and one from Sheetal’s project.  I’m going to try to upload them here this weekend.  I felt so bad when I read the one from Sheetal’s project.  In it, the pastor said that they have never had a sponsor visit in the four years that they’ve been in existence.  Hopefully I will change that next year!

 

 

Malaria

The topic for this month is: Malaria.  Here are some facts and stats from the World Health Organization:

1. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. 

2. According to the latest estimates, released in December 2013, there were about 207 million cases of malaria in 2012 (with an uncertainty range of 135 million to 287 million) and an estimated 627 000 deaths (with an uncertainty range of 473 000 to 789 000).

3. Approximately half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria.

4. Most deaths occur among children living in Africa where a child dies every minute from malaria.

5. Malaria is preventable and curable

6.  Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduces disease and prevents deaths. It also contributes to reducing malaria transmission. Access to diagnostic testing and treatment should be seen not only as a component of malaria control but as a fundamental right of all populations at risk.

7. Vector control is the main way to reduce malaria transmission at the community level. It is the only intervention that can reduce malaria transmission from very high levels to close to zero. Two forms of vector control are effective in a wide range of circumstances: Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor spraying with residual insecticides.

8. In high-burden settings, malaria can trap families and communities in a downward spiral of poverty, disproportionately affecting marginalized and poor people who cannot afford treatment or who have limited access to health care.

 

I’ve read estimates as high as 1 million people dying from malaria each year.  People are dying from something that is totally preventable and curable.  One child is dying every minute in Africa because of malaria.  Every minute!  And something as simple as providing mosquito nets to families can help dramatically reduce the transmission of malaria. 

What can you do?

Charity of the Week: Compassion International

Compassion has a campaign called Bite Back.  For a donation of $20, a mosquito net, prevention education for a family, access to treatment, and ongoing follow ups will be provided.  $2 of your $20 donation goes to Compassion’s medical assistance fund, which covers treatment for those suffering from malaria episodes.  On their website, you can read stories of families who where helped by Compassion. They have some great resources that you can utilize to help raise awareness in your community.  Go check them out!  🙂

 

 

It’s August already!

Wow!  How is it August already!  Time just keeps getting away from me.

To wrap up for last month, here are some other great charities that work with trafficking victims:

1. Love146

2. International Justice Mission

3. Elijah Rising

4. Free the Slaves

There are also some really great books out there about human trafficking.  These are just a few of the ones that helped to open my eyes.

1.

2.

3.


Full disclosure:  I do have an Amazon Associates account.  If anyone else has other book suggestions, please let me know!  I love to read, and I’m always looking for new books.

August’s topic will be: malaria.  It’s heartbreaking and astounding how many people die because of malaria each year.  Stay tuned for more information on the issue, and what you can do to help!

 

I’m not dead!

Hello everyone!  It’s been insanely busy here over the past week or two, but I promise I’m not dead.  I’m going to put together a nice final entry for July summarizing my topic for the month, as well as posting some more links that I haven’t had the chance to post.

I also received a letter from the pastor at Kajal’s center.  That was an unexpected surprise!  I hope that I’ll hear from the pastors at everyone else’s centers.  I’m also getting ready to put together my packages to send next month.  I think I’m going to have to make another trip to Hobby Lobby or Joanne Fabrics.  I just have waaaay too much fun making these little packets.  It’s amazing what you can find, even with the restrictions that Compassion places on packages.  🙂

Labor Trafficking

This week, I’ll be focusing on foundations and charities that focus on labor trafficking. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there are several types of labor trafficking:

• Bonded labor, or debt bondage, is probably the least known form of labor trafficking today, and yet it is the most widely used method of enslaving people. Victims become bonded laborers when their labor is demanded as a means of repayment for a loan or service in which its terms and conditions have not been defined or in which the value of the victims’ services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt. The value of their work is greater than the original sum of money “borrowed.”
• Forced labor is a situation in which victims are forced to work against their own will, under the threat of violence or some other form of punishment, their freedom is restricted and a degree of ownership is exerted. Forms of forced labor can include domestic servitude; agricultural labor; sweatshop factory labor; janitorial, food service and other service industry labor; and begging.
• Child labor is a form of work that is likely to be hazardous to the health and/or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development of children and can interfere with their education. The International Labor Organization estimates worldwide that there are 246 million exploited children aged between 5 and 17 involved in debt bondage, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, the illegal drug trade, the illegal arms trade and other illicit activities around the world.

Again, this is widespread form of trafficking in India.  I’ve read countless stories of families forced into bonded labor in brick kilns.  At the end of the month, I’m going to list several books that I’ve read over the past few months that deal with this topic in detail.

Charity of the Week

Polaris Project is a great organization that works to help stop human trafficking worldwide.  A couple of my classmates in college interned with Polaris Project, and I believe a few may have ended up working with them after graduation.  According to their website, their mission and values are:

Mission

Polaris Project is committed to combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery, and to strengthening the anti-trafficking movement through a comprehensive approach.

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Values

Polaris Project is grounded in a set of values and organizational beliefs that provide a foundation for all our programmatic activities. We strive to embody and model these values within the Polaris Project community and within the anti-trafficking movement.

Service

Polaris Project has a culture of deep commitment and service to the mission of our agency and to the people we serve. That commitment and attitude of service drive the sacrifices that our staff and volunteers make to dedicate themselves to our work, to each other, and to our clients. An important component of that attitude of service is humility, a practice that is encouraged and valued in our programmatic work as well as in our organizational culture.

Reality and Impact-Centered

Polaris Project recognizes that we are using extremely limited resources to combat a problem of massive scope and immediate urgency. To minimize this obstacle, we use a strategic framework that focuses on achieving the greatest positive systemic impact possible given our available resources. Our programs are constantly being evaluated and refined against this standard to help ensure we are maximizing our impact and staying focused on our mission.

Polaris Project embraces the complexity around the problem we combat, the solutions that are adopted, and the people and organizations involved. We reject ideological thinking as it is often rigid and insensitive to reality and as ultimately damaging to assisting those in need. We try to appreciate the viewpoints, insights, and lessons of people on all sides of debates, taking what is best to strengthen our ability to serve others most effectively.

Empowerment

Polaris Project uses an empowerment model that helps identify, appreciate, and fully realize the strengths and aspirations of both our clients as well as the grassroots volunteers in the movement. We provide opportunities to show people their own power to transform their lives and the lives of others for the better.

We both embody and celebrate multiculturalism among our clients, staff, and supporters, and cultivate an environment of respect and openness to the diversity within our organization.

We enjoy and actively foster a feeling of family among our clients, staff, and volunteers that enables a greater appreciation and expression of our humanity, while avoiding the de-humanization that can occur with bureaucratization.

Non-Violence and Respect

Polaris Project strives to encourage the practice of non-violence among our staff and volunteers, not only because we believe it is right, but also because we believe it is most effective. The practice of non-violence requires us to first ask how we can be better or help others be better, rather than destructively criticize or support the disempowerment of others or other organizations. It is the ethic that helps protect movements from destructive internal politics and in-fighting, while encouraging self-improvement as organizations, and mutual constructive support and collaboration.

The practice of non-violence reminds us that even those who commit the most heinous acts are human beings, and should be understood and cared about even as their behaviors are condemned and their ability to cause further suffering is curtailed. Humanization of all parties leads to a more realistic understanding of the motivations and experiences underlying the behaviors, and facilitates more effective and comprehensive solutions.

Non-violence as a personal practice among staff and volunteers helps transform the self-defensive reaction to being attacked or criticized into an attitude of love, appreciation, and groundedness. This practice supports growth and openness and helps protect against the risk of burn-out.

Transformative Innovation

Polaris Project values programmatic and strategic innovation, recognizing that what is typical or traditional is not always optimal. We have found that the risk of taking the unbeaten path is usually outweighed by the experience gained, if not by the eventual destination itself. Polaris Project aims to be courageous in the creation of systemic change.

Holistic Approach

Polaris Project is an inclusive organization, serving victims of all forms of human trafficking, and addressing what we feel are all parts of the issue of human trafficking, including the victims, perpetrators, demand, and support structure.

I know it should go without saying, but respect is such a key value to have when working with trafficking victims.  So many of these people have been beaten down and dehumanized that they don’t really know what it is to have a sense of self worth and respect.  And again, education is key!  Many of these workers don’t know that they do have protections under the law, and many don’t have access to news and information to know about what laws are being passed in the government.  These people end up trapped in a vicious cycle that can (and does) extend down through the generations.  Polaris Project works to give these victims a sense of dignity, self worth, and respect. They have some great resources on how to help raise awareness in your community, so go check them out!  Human trafficking happens everywhere, not just in third world countries!

 

Fantastic Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  Here’s the rundown on today’s charity Rahab’s Rope:

Rahab’s Rope’s mission/vision statement is as follows:

“Our Mission:The mission of Rahab’s Rope is to give hope and opportunity to women and girls that are at risk or have been forced into the commercial sex trade of India. We provide a safe and loving environment that will enable them to grow and develop both physically and spiritually.

Our Vision: Our vision is to see lives transformed by God’s love in action. We reveal His love in a way that an individual can see, understand, and respond to in faith. God allows us to facilitate the process by which each woman in our care is first provided for emotionally, physically, and spiritually, then provided with basic education and training in vocational skills and eventually enabled to re-enter her community in a positive and contributing way. We equip each woman to reach out to her community and create a current of positive change.”

Rahab’s Rope works in four cities in India: Goa, Bangalore, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Again, they provide vocational and educational opportunities for women who cannot go back to their homes, as they will be shunned by their family and friends for being a prostitute, whether they chose that life or not.

 

The issue of human trafficking in India is huge, and unfortunately, despite all of the laws being passed, will probably remain an issue for a long time.  Lack of education and job opportunities are a big risk factor for a woman or child being sold into slavery (one of the reasons I also love Compassion , since these are things they work to provide for sponsored children and their families.  They have a strong presence in India *wink wink*).  And the caste system also plays a big role.  Dalits perform the lowest of low jobs, and are looked down upon by their “betters”.  There are very slim chances that a Dalit can rise above their station in life and make a better life for themselves (this is slooooooowly changing).  So, until people stand up and take notice, human trafficking will continue to remain a problem for India and its citizens.

 

 

 

Ooopsies!

Whoops, I missed yesterday’s post! Shame on me!

Compassion Update

I received a letter from Berihan recently.  She’s one of my correspondent children.  She lives with her mother, and loves to eat macaroni!  I’ll have to share the story of how my husband proposed to me (which involves mac and cheese, one of my favorite foods).  She asked me to pray that she becomes a better student so that she can become a doctor when she grows up.  I have two potential doctors in my little family now!  I’m going to do my best to encourage all of my children to follow their dreams and work hard.  I will do whatever I can to see that they achieve those dreams!

I’m trying to send cute little packages every other month, which means that I need to start getting next month’s packages together!  Last month I sent Hello Kitty folders filled with coloring pages, a handwritten letter, some woven paper bracelets and a matchbook style notebook from Walmart in it.  I also found some awesome glittery stickers to send.  What girl doesn’t like glittery stickers?  I also sent Sheetal a birthday card, as her birthday is coming up in August.  I sent it a bit early because I wanted to make sure it got there in time.

Charity of the day

My charity for today (which is really for Wednesday) is Sari Bari.   On their website, Sari Bari provides the following vision statement:

“Sari Bari seeks the sustainable restoration of red light communities and the prevention of the exploitation of women and children in the commercial sex trade.

What restoration means to us

Sari Bari does not rescue women, but rather seeks restoration for those who have been trafficked or held in the sex trade by poverty and lack of empowerment. Approximately 65 percent of women in the red light areas no longer qualify for legal action in the form of rescue. While they were likely first trafficked in their teen years, many are now middle-aged and are trapped by circumstances that have bound them since childhood.

What prevention means to us

Helping to prevent new girls from being trafficked into the sex trade is the most effective way to combat sexual slavery. We hope to offer high-risk girls an opportunity to life-giving education and work that will protect them from ever entering the sex trade. To meet this goal, Sari Bari has located its third production site in a village that is a high trafficking area of India. Young women ages 17-25 and living in poverty are offered jobs at this site.

Additionally, up to 20 percent of Sari Bari jobs at our locations within the city are given to at-risk women who live in the red-light districts. These are usually daughters of women currently in the sex trade, who are uneducated and at a high-risk of being lured or forced into prostitution.”

Educational and vocational opportunities are so critical for these women.  Many of these women were trafficked at such a young age that they may have never had the chance to even attend school.

And one of the things that Sari Bari does for these women is that on someone’s first day at a Sari Bari facility, they are given a birthday celebration. The staff gathers around on these special days to celebrate and encourage the new women as they take their first step toward freedom and a new life. Their mukti (freedom) birthday is marked and the staff and women continue to celebrate it yearly with cake and a community celebration. How beautiful is that?

Go visit Sari Bari to learn more!   🙂

Manic Monday

India, oh India. What a wild, wonderful, beautiful, heartbreaking place. I apologize in advance to anyone reading my blog. The majority of my posts are probably going to be about India, and charities working in India, because…well…India is where my heart is. I’ll do my best to spread the charity/information joy around, but you know what they say…go with what you know.

Sex Trafficking

Trafficking women and children for sexual exploitation is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. This, despite the fact international law and the laws of 134 countries criminalize sex trafficking.
According to statistics from Equality Now, at least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. About 2 million children are exploited every year in the global commercial sex trade. Almost 6 in 10 identified trafficking survivors were trafficked for sexual exploitation. Women and girls make up 98% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

In India, the average age of a girl entering the sex trade is eleven. Many who enter kidnapped, lured with promises of jobs in the city or sold by their own friends or family into sexual slavery. It is estimated that there are more than 3 million women and girls enslaved in India’s sex trade, according to the International Princess Project.

What can we do?

One great charity that I’ve come across is The International Princess Project. According to their website, “International Princess Project’s mission is to create pathways to freedom for women escaping the ravages of sex slavery to achieve lives of hope and dignity.

We do this by partnering with indigenous organizations to establish micro-enterprise sewing centers that offer these women and girls a fresh start and place to heal. When a woman becomes part of an IPP sewing center, she learns a new trade [sewing] and practices refining her craftsmanship by producing quality sleep & loungewear called PUNJAMMIES™. The finished product is then exported to the US and sold online to countries all over the world with proceeds coming back to benefit each of the sewing centers. Each pair of PUNJAMMIES™ is named after a woman in one of our sewing centers so when you wear PUNJAMMIES™, you are wearing a message of HOPE for others like the women who lovingly stitched your loungewear.”

This is an awesome company, if I do say so myself. They do excellent work in the areas that their centers operate in, and I hope that they will be able to open more in the future. I can personally attest that their Punjammies are super comfortable. I’ve got two pairs that I’ve just about worn out, and I’ve given them as gifts to several family members and friends. *Disclaimer- no they didn’t ask me to review their product. I’m sure that they’re probably not even aware that this blog exists. I just love their product and what they do!*

Here is their website http://intlprincess.org/ Go check them out!

I’ll be giving an update on my Compassion Children on Wednesday. I received a letter today from one of my children!

Compassion Joys for June

Oh, second post in one day!  As I was browsing through some blogs that I read, I came across something called “Compassion Joys” at Compassion Family In a nutshell, we’re supposed to write about the ways that being a part of the Compassion Ministry has blessed you each month.  I love this idea, and I’m going to try to participate each month.

New Children!

I added two new children to my little “Compassion Family”:

Berihan and Nazrawit

 

These two beautiful little girls are my  new correspondent children from Ethiopia.  I love that Compassion has this option for people that cannot afford to sponsor children.  I love to write letters, and if they can bring a little bit of joy into someone’s life, even better!

Letters!

Kajal and Sheetal

I received my introductory letters from Kajal and Sheetal in June!  Kajal’s letter was a “fill in the blank” letter.  I learned that she loves the color yellow, and she loves cricket!  I’ve been trying to learn the ins and outs of cricket, so maybe she can explain it better than my husband could LOL.  She also drew me a picture called “Jesus Love” that I’m going to try to upload once I unpack my scanner.  It is wonderful!  Sheetal also had a “fill in the blank” form, but she included a little extra note on the back.  She says that she wants to become a doctor some day, and that she will pray for me and my family.  I’ve asked both of the girls if it would be ok if I practice writing in Hindi when I handwrite letters to them, because I’ve been trying to learn.  It’s taking me a while, but Rosetta Stone is my best friend LOL!

I’m hoping that I will get letters from Berihan and Nazrawit next month.  I don’t know a whole lot about Ethiopia, so I’m excited to hear what it’s like!