Day Thirty One: Spring Clean Up!

It's Spring Clean-Up week in Delta. I have a love-hate relationship with clean-up week. I admit that I drive around with one eye looking out for a sidewalk deal, but I'm also amazed by all the junk that ends up curbside. And I mean junk.

There are lots of broken plastic items and electronics (I saw the garbage guys trying to fit an old school 50" TV into their truck). When looking at the heaps of junk, it is a good reminder to me to consider the quality of items that I purchase so they don't end up, broken, on the curb in a couple of years. Spilling on the sidewalks, there are many items that shouldn't be out on the curb- mattresses, building materials, electronics. It makes going for a walk with my little sidewalk scroungers very slow, as they need to stop at every little pile to inspect the "goods".

The part I love about Clean Up week is the element of recycling. Still-good items can find a new home, instead of ending up in the landfill or cluttering up a basement or garage. It's been suggested that communities schedule Curbside Recycling Days more frequently. These days would allow folks to put out still use able furniture, appliances, building materials etc. (although owners would be responsible for hauling them back again). What an easy way to recycle household goods!

With so many people doing renovations there is a lot more waste being produced. The ugly vanity, the hideous light fixture are all deemed trash able. But wait a minute, one person's trash is another's treasure (as seen by the pick-ups loaded to the brim cruising the streets during Clean-Up week). Many of these items can be re-purposed through Habitat For Humanity's ReStore. www.habitat.ca We've used the ReStore for many of our projects around the cabin with great results.

Habitat for Humanity's mission, since 1976, has been to provide safe and affordable housing while partnering with people and businesses in the community. They've been in Canada since 1985 and completed 1,800 homes. Worldwide they've built over 400,000 homes for more than 2 million people! Keep up the great work, habitat! And keep your eyes open for that curbside treasure, or just vist the ReStore!

Day Thirty: Looking at the World with New Eyes & an Empty Stomach!

There are some experiences in life that make us look at the world in a different way. Often these moments come to us spontaneously and unplanned. Perhaps in the form of a chance meeting with a stranger, an image in a photograph or movie, the haunting words of a story or song. Other times it is an intentional experience; a mission trip, helping out at a soup kitchen, an inspiring sermon. No matter how we experience these moments it opens our eyes wider to the world and we are able to "see" things we haven't seen before and to act with compassion.

A "Hunger Banquet" is one of those intentional moments that have moved me. I haven't actually participated in a formal Oxfam Hunger Banquet. Oxfam.ca or actfast.oxfamamerica.org. The Hunger Banquet is set up to reflect in inequities of the world. Nearly 1 billion people go hungry even though there is enough food produced world-wide to feed everyone. At the Hunger Banquet the guests are randomly divided into three groups: a high income group (15%) who eat a delicious and nutritious meal, a middle income group (25%) who eat a simple meal of beans, rice and water, and a low income group (60%) who wait in line for a meager bit of rice and water. An MC then leads the group in some discussion about what life is like for each of the groups and a group discussion follows allowing guests to reflect on their experience.

I've experienced my own version of a hunger banquet. I've staged a similar experience for my students and VBS groups. As the kids enter the space I divide them into three groups- one sits on nice comfortable chairs, one on benches, and another on the floor, many "No fairs" are voiced. I proceed to tell the groups about the approximate world income groups that they represent and areas in the world that might fit into those groups. Then I take various topics: food, water, medical care, transportation, education and give the kids pictures or symbols that reflect the realities for the various groups. For example: For food and water, I give each child in the first group a box of cereal, a juice box and some plastic fruit & veggies, I give the kids in the second group one box of cereal and a jug of water with a few cups, and in the third group I give them some leftover crackers and a bottle of dirty water. I then explain a little bit about the quality of nutrition and how many meals each group would get each day and how they might find their water. For education, I give out notebooks, a textbook and pencils to each child in the first group, a pencil to each child in the second group, and the kids in the third group get a few pencils to share. I then give out pretend money- $1000 to each kid in the first group, $10 to each person in the second group, and loonies to a only couple of the kids in the third group to represent future earning potential.

At the end of the "banquet" the kids in the first group have so many things that their laps are overflowing and many of their items are sitting on the floor around them. Each time I do this activity it is a visual reminder to me of just how much I have. Too much. A reminder of the inequity that exists in the world. Each time, I have a renewed sense of gratitude and eyes that are open a little wider looking for ways to share the bounty of my banquet.

Day Twenty-Nine: "Third World" politically incorrect?

Have you ever wondered where the term, "third-world" came from? Lately, I've noticed that I haven't heard "third-world" being used as often as it used to be. I began to wonder if I've missed some semantic shift and was stuck being politically-incorrect. So I turned to my friend, Wikipedia to find some answers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World

I was surprised to learn that the term originated in the 1950's during the Cold War and referred to the countries that were not aligned with the capitalists countries (first world) nor the communist countries (second world). These countries were often former colonial states and had underdeveloped social, economic and political systems. The French demographer, Alfred Sauvy, who coined the term had said, "...the Third World is nothing, and wants to be something."

In recent years the term has been questioned. I would suggest that "third world" has a negative association with it. It seems to put struggling countries into a lesser category and dooms them to always be disadvantaged. The term "developing countries" is perhaps more accurate. It portrays a more positive outlook. And a positive outlook inspires hope!

Day Twenty-Eight: Making Social and Financial Sense!

It's tax time and I have been procrastinating. Not because I think the CRA will take more than their fair share, in fact, I should be getting a decent tax return. I just hate doing data entry. I have piles of receipts for my home daycare that have been carefully stuffed into folders ready to be sorted and tediously entered into a spreadsheet. Sounds like a lot of fun, right?

I stumbled across a concept that might intrigue the accountants out there. How does an investment that gives a consistent 2% return and no investor has ever lost a penny of principal or interest sound? Pretty impressive. How about if I told you that the investments have helped over 17 million people world-wide? What company could this possibly be? It's not a "company" at all. It's Oikocredit.

Oikocredit is a micro finance cooperative. For 35 years Oikocredit has been giving loans to people in the developing world allowing them to build better lives for themselves and their families. www.oikocredit.org What a great way to empower people and fight poverty!

*On the website there are some great videos which tell the life-changing stories of some recipents. There is also a section with facts about Oikocredit in Western Canada.

Day Twenty Seven: No Such Thing as a Free Education

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."

- Nelson Mandela

*photo courtesy of USAID (Sorry about the formatting, after adding the picture it deleted all the paragraphs, 3 edits later they are still lacking!) Waking up early in the morning, putting on a school uniform and spending the day learning- elbow to elbow with other children is a privilege, a dream. Many organizations, such as the World Bank and UN, recognize the value of free schooling. In fact, the UN has pledged to provide free primary education (FPE) worldwide by 2015. Some studies in Africa, have shown that children who stay in primary school have a 40% less chance of contracting AIDS. Although most Africa countries have free primary education families must still supply their children with a uniform or appropriate clothing and shoes, school supplies or even pay additional feeding or building fees in order for their child to attend school. Once children get to the secondary level school fees apply (an average of $25 per term, with families earning about $30 per month. In Canadian terms, that would be roughly $9,000 per year for a family that earns $60,000) making higher levels of education out of reach for most Africans. For orphans, free schooling aside, education is just not accessible. FPE is provided in all African countries with the exception of the Congo, Chad, Sudan, Angola, Gabon, Cote de Ivorie, and Cameroon. A worthwhile endeavor, it comes with significant challenges. When FPE was introduced there was a lack of planning for physical and personnel resources at the government level. - As enrolments soared the current infrastructure was overburdened. Some areas were able to build new school buildings complete with teacher housing and toilets, some areas just constructed or converted existing buildings into school "structures". - There is usually a severe lack of furniture and school supplies (a lack of basic notebooks and pencils let alone, grade or subject appropriate books). - Class sizes are often reported to be 45:1, 70:1, or even 98:1. - Some countries decided to hired unqualified teachers to meet the demand. Many "teachers" say they took the job just to avoid unemployment, which contributes to a negative public perception of the teaching profession and poor parent-teacher relationships. Contributing to the lack of qualified teachers is the AIDS epidemic which decimated the number of professionals in the mid-2000s. It is also a challenge to pay teachers a decent wage, even the trained ones, and there is often a lack of teacher supervision or opportunities for professional upgrading or development. All of these issues have contributed to a low quality of primary education and an increase in private schools for the rich. Ironically, at the expense of quantity the quality of schooling has decreased and there is a high drop out rate. Thankfully, there are a large number of organizations that help address the critical needs surrounding education in Africa. I looked into the following: - African Children's Trust in Ethiopia (based in the UK, focusing solely on building schools, providing support for vulnerable children, training Ethiopian people to carry on the work in their country) http://www.a-cet.org/ - Education Africa in South Africa http://www.educationafrica.com/ - Education Uganda (a group that trains Ugandan teachers in an interactive teaching model using slates/blackboards which has shown to improve the quality of teaching) http://www.educationuganda.org/ - A US funded education program (supporting teacher training, school supplies, water/sanitation) http://www.usaid.gov/ - Aid for Africa, a program specifically targeting girls and providing scholarships for schooling beyond the primary years www.aidforafrica.org/girls

Education is powerful, but quality education can make a world of difference.

Day Twenty-Six: The Real Heroes of AIDS in Africa

I am so grateful that I have both my mom and mother-in-law close by (as well as dad and father-in-law). They are so helpful taking the girls for special outings, acting as babysitters, and offering their support. I know that if something happened to either myself or Jason the grandparents would take them in a heartbeat. I know my children would be looked after & have many opportunities ahead of them.

When I think of 14 million AIDS orphans I can't imagine the burden on the family members left behind. It is often the grandmothers who end up raising the children. They are often in poor health, not able to work, and living on meager resources. Their child raising days are behind them, yet they graciously make lunches, mend clothes and take on more household duties. They are the true heroes of the AIDS crisis and victims at the same time.

Now consider the story of Monica Odour. She lives in Busia, Kenya on the border of Uganda. In 1996, she felt called to invite 6 orphaned street children to live in her home. She had 6 children of her own at the time and was trying to run her own business too. Nonetheless, the word began to spread and more orphaned children arrived. Soon she became known as "Mama Orphan". Today, Monica has 100 orphaned children in her care. She has not only opened her home but her average sized property now houses a "dormitory"/the main house, a dining hall with kitchen and a small "school" building. Monica still has some of her own children living at "home" & the grown children help with day to day needs of the orphanage. What great love and compassion she and her family have for Kenyan orphans. kenyanorphans.org

For Mama it is a struggle to put food on the table, clothe the children, pay for their schooling & pay for needed medical care. Within Kenya there is a stigma placed on AIDS orphans and many schools don't even want to take orphans. She often needs to find a new school for the children (as well as have uniforms made & even then they are turned away). Still, Mama perseveres & with a lot of prayer & support from the Kenyan Orphan Children Foundation she is providing not only food, shelter and an education for 100 orphaned children but love, care and a place to call home.

Day Twenty Five: The Wrong Type of Sex Ed = No Funding!

While researching AIDS, I came across "the world's most popular AIDS website"- AVERT.org. It is full of AIDS facts, news, and videos from around the world. I found a thought-provoking article about HIV prevention and sex education. The full article is here: www.avert.org/abstinence.htm

Sex Education has been a hotly debated since sex "education" became a part of the school curriculum. The parties divide themselves into two camps, Abstinence Based (i.e. Aspire, Love Waits) vs. a Comprehensive approach. Recently, programs combining the two have been developed, an "abstinence plus" approach (seen in programs such as Reducing the Risk and APAUSE- Added Power and Understanding in Sex Education). So what do sex education approaches have to do with AIDS in Africa?

Since 2003 PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) has given $18 billion dollars to addresss the international HIV/AIDS crisis. If you were paying attention to the date you would notice that it was George W. Bush and the Republican administration that initiated the PEPFAR organization. President Bush was also synonymous with Abstinence Education programs. Put two and two together and one would conclude that a majority of PEPFAR money goes to countries that promote abstinence-only (i.e. Uganda, Botswana, South Africa). That is exactly the criticism facing PEPFAR. (Of course, President Obama will have a different agenda since he's cut federal funding in the US for abstinence-only programs in favour of a more comprehensive approach.)

Eighteen billion dollars can't be argued with. A lot of lives have been saved with this money. The PEPFAR organization has been a significant contributor in preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and virtually eliminating it in the US. However, funding based on the sex ed program "du jour" in favour with the current presidential administration leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The pragmatic voice in the back of my head considers that in order to save lives a sex education program must be used, and that comes with it's own set of values, tied to the values of those who are the source of funds. Then again, perhaps I'm just too naive to expect a humanitarian program to consider human needs and lives over being politically correct.

Day Twenty-Four: AIDS: A Death Sentence

It seems that we all know someone who has been affected by cancer. My prayers goes out to those battling cancer as well as their families and friends. And my heart goes to those who have lost someone dear to them to cancer. I don't want to diminish the grief and impact cancer has. But can I say the same of AIDS? To be honest, I don't know anyone, personally, who has died from AIDS.

When I look at AIDS in Africa I am stunned by the inequity of the situation. Here are a few AIDS facts (2010, Stephen Lewis Foundation & 2011,UNAIDS):

- 33.3 million people in the world are infected with HIV/AIDS, 68% are in Africa! Ninety percent of affected children in the world live in Africa!

- In 2008, there were 2 million AIDS related deaths world-wide, 1.4 million were in sub-Saharan Africa! (Roughly, 76%)

- In Africa alone, EVERY DAY 5700 people die of AIDS (~1400 children) & EVERY DAY there are 6800 new cases of HIV/AIDS (~1500 children)! (*To put the number above into perspective, on the Titanic- 1500 people lost their lives, on 9/11 5000 people lost their lives. Every day in Africa, a major tragedy is occurring.)

- 1 in 20 adults in sub-Saharan Africa are affected by HIV (60% are women, most aged 15-24).

- There were 14.1 million AIDS orphans in 2008 (*children who have lost lost 1 or both parents), there are only 8 million children in Canada. (Today the # is estimated to be close to 18 million orphans).

For a visual punch, check out the video at the Stephen Lewis Foundation site entitled "Diagnosis". www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/diagnosis.mpg

It is clear from these numbers that everyone in Africa (specifically sub-Saharan Africa) can say that they know someone who has died from AIDS. That they personally, have been affected. Like the "Diagnosis" PSA describes, an HIV/AIDS diagnosis is essentially a death sentence. In "wealthy" countries anti-HIV drugs are commonplace and significantly improve the quality and "quantity" of life for someone who is HIV positive. The ethical question of drug companies making anti-HIV drugs widely available to Africa is an issue I won't tackle today. Nonetheless, the AIDS epidemic requires significant funds to create a level playing field in the area of drug accessibility. The Canadian-based Stephen Lewis Foundation http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/ takes on fundraising as well as providing support for public education, grief counselling, and the basis necessities for orphans and grandmothers (the unsung AIDS heroes).

There is hope. Since the peak of HIV infections in the mid-90's to the peak of AIDS related deaths from 2000 to 2005, many sub-Saharan countries are reporting a decrease in persons affected with HIV/AIDS. It will still take a lot of money, education and activism to "turn the tide" on HIV/AIDS in Africa. www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/whatyoucando.htm And a long, long time before people in sub-Saharan Africa can say they have not been personally affected by AIDS.

Day Twenty-Three: Failed Again!

So here I am again, in the wee hours of Sunday (ok, 9:30pm isn't quite the wee hours but I'm feeling that tired!). I missed another day of blog posting. I actually thought of skipping "Day Twenty-Three". I've even thought about wrapping up the whole blog thing & forgetting about the 2nd half of lent. It comes down to commitment. Commitment to anything is hard work & will inevitably hit a rough patch. Exercising. Dieting. Marriage. Giving up a bad habit. Blog writing.

When looking for some inspiration where should one turn to? Wikipedia of course! Wikipedia defines personal commitment as: interaction dominated by obligations. These obligations may be mutual, or self-imposed, or explicitly stated, or may not. Distinction is often made between commitment as a member of an organization (such as a sporting team, a religion, or as an employee), and a personal commitment, which is often a pledge or promise to ones' self for personal growth.

No personal growth can come when we take the easy route. I suppose I would have been more tempted to skip a day or give up if I hadn't had the blog online. So thank you facebook "friends" and others for keeping me accountable and on track (even if I this is a day behind). At the end of Lent I will be able to say that I did have "forty days of links for hope and inspiration". Forty days of links, yes. Hope and inspiration, you can decide for yourself. For me, I've not only been on a journey inspiring both my heart and mind, but also exploring perseverance, commitment and even personal growth.

Someone once said, "There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses." No excuses. Day Twenty-Three done.

And for those technical folk, I didn't actually include a link. So here's one for you: it is a link to a cute Tortoise & Hare story produced by a group of school children in Bristol, UK. We all know the story- slow and steady wins the race! (Brilliant that the story is painstakingly done in clay-mation & I love the accents to boot!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX58CTA_VQE

Day Twenty-Two: Cravings!

Lent is all about cravings. The hankering for just a nibble of chocolate, a sip of a Starbucks latte or the latest Jack Donaghy insult from an episode of 30 Rock. The cravings pick a fight with our self-determination yet remind us of the sacrifice we've made.

I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the Worldvision 30 Hour Famine is being held on April 8-9th, in the middle of Lent! Did you know that the 30 Hour Famine is the largest youth fundraiser in Canada? Last year, over 100,000 teens participated. http://www.famine.ca/

As a teen, I fondly remember participating in the 30 Hour Famine. It was a big sleepover with lots of fun activities and yet, by the time the 30 hours was up, I was literally famished! Usually, there would be a pizza "banquet" at the end of the event to satiate any hunger pangs. The feeling of being really hungry was short-lived but did give a tangible experience to identify with those who live all day and night never feeling full.

These days, when I feel hungry I get grumpy. Really grumpy. Some might even call it- HANGRY! In those hangry moments I have a short-temper, I can't be reasoned with (or think rationally) yet, there is usually an easy solution. A walk to the fridge, a stop at a drive-thru, or a snack from the purse. When my children are hungry they resemble wild, drunk animals (Disclaimer: I've never actually induced or witnessed wild, drunk animals. It is merely hyperbole.) They make strange whining noises, they claw at one another and run around crashing into things. There is no doubt that hunger is an unpleasant experience. Living with hunger has many consequences and is tied to issues of lack of sanitary water, access to healthcare, and education.

So, try to track down a teen participating in this year's famine. You will have the choice to direct your tax deductible donation towards; food & nutrition, education, water or child protection. And if you can't find a participant you could always buy a snazzy ethically crafted t-shirt from the website or donate on-line! And the next time you are HANGRY and are able to satiate those hunger pains, take a moment to be grateful and consider those who are not as fortunate.