Voices for Humanity

World Water Day

2009-03-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Every March 22nd, World Water Day helps raise awareness about the global water crisis that deprives 1.2 billion people of clean water, and jeopardizes the health of 2.5 billion people who lack basic sanitation. It's a time to discuss global water issues and remember the many people who do not have access to water.

Did you know that 1 in 6 of us around the world does not have access to safe, clean water? Can you imagine going a day without water? Or seeing a child die from diarrhea because he or she only had dirty water to drink?

Water is life. It is as simple as that. Let’s take a moment on March 22nd to think about ways we can create our own action in assisting in this global crisis. My favorite organization is PlayPumps International, their mission is to help improve the lives of children and their families by providing easy access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and offering play equipment to millions across Africa. For as little as $6 –you can provides a child with access to clean water for up to ten years. There is no reason not to HELP! Check them out at www.playpumps.org

Yesterday, I received a check from Kelly, Marina, Roy Meyer and their friends who raised money in their neighborhood to support the lives of children in Africa who have been stripped of their basic rights. They asked us to use these funds in ways that can assist in helping to lift people out of poverty. Their gift will now provide over 30 children with clean water for 10 years. We are so proud of them and thank them for their continued commitment to social change.

Peace,
Voices for Humanity

Today, the remaking of America has begun!

2009-01-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Today, the world is witnessing history, the birth of a new era. It was a deeply moving and inspirational day for most of us around the world. President Barack Obama a man of enormous skill and talent told the world he intends to reach out across race, religion and culture to unify all of us as we find a new way forward in the remaking of America.

For his part, Obama has said that the journey ahead would be tough and the battle will not be fought by himself alone but by himself and the American people. We are all required to be part of this great task... to make this country great again! I know we are all up to this job!

Watching his speech he projected confidence, he was forceful, and he gave one of the most confident and inspirational speeches I have ever heard. I am so full of pride for my country and pray for the unity of this country and the world.

“Yes We Can, Yes We Can, Yes We Can in creating the kind of country our children and our grandchildren can thrive in.” President Obama 1/20/2009

Peace,
Voices For Humanity

Celebrate life on World AIDS Day

2008-11-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

Celebrate life on World AIDS Day

Tomorrow, December 1 is World AIDS Day; a time to celebrate the many lives saved by HIV prevention and treatment programs. It also serves as a reminder that we all must do much more—as individuals, communities, and as world citizens—to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Across the globe some 33 million people are living with HIV and every day nearly 7,500 new infections occur. In its “2008 Report on Global AIDS Epidemic,” UNAIDS said the rate of new infections has gone down in several countries but this “favorable” trend has been “partially offset” by increases in new infections in other nations.

Let’s observe World AIDS Day with a celebration of life, because the people who were once dying are now living and thriving members of society. For more than 25 years, the world community has witnessed the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. Until recently, many wondered whether prevention, treatment and care could ever be successfully in resource-limited settings where HIV was once a death sentence. Just over five years ago, only 50,000 people living with HIV in all of sub-Saharan Africa were receiving antiretroviral treatment. Today an estimated 3 million people are now receiving antiretroviral treatment in low and middle-income countries.
In 2003, President George W. Bush launched the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to combat global HIV/AIDS – the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history. Through PEPFAR, the U.S. Government has already provided $18.8 billion in HIV/AIDS funding, and the U.S. Congress has authorized up to $48 billion for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria over the next five years. Something positive I tend to focus on as I happily bid goodbye to Bush.

There are many success stories resulting from the tireless work of many organizations responding to this pandemic. Most of the organizations I have listed below I have had the privilege of seeing first hand their transformational work when I was on the ground in Africa. The others, new relationships with NGO’s I have admired and have had the pleasure of meeting over the last year. I hope to welcome them into the Voices for Humanity community and spread their message to you in more detail in the upcoming months.

In this spirit, on World AIDS Day 2008, let’s join together in celebrating life! I salute these organizations and invite you to join hands with them and strongly encourage you to support them in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Together, you have always shown that strong partnerships enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Let’s make extraordinary things happen today-World AIDS DAY December 1, 2008.

http://projecthopeforafrica.org/
http://www.mamamaria.org/index.htm
http://www.aliveandkicking.org.uk/
http://www.wwo.org/
http://www.globalcampsafrica.org/
http://www.grassrootsoccer.org/
http://www.46664.com/

Peace,
Voices for Humanity

America Stands Proud

2008-11-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a wonderful article I read this morning from the Vancouver Sun. It’s about this historic election and how we can marvel as a nation as so many of us voted with our hearts and our conscience to elect our next president Barack Obama. It is truly a new world!

Americans move a step closer to post-racial society

Barack Obama has moved America a step closer to the post-racial society he envisions and the dream proposed four decades ago by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Obama's election has signaled to millions of white, black and brown Americans, as well as millions of others in countries still dealing with their colonial histories, that skin color does not exclude a person from being chosen to hold the most powerful office in the world.
It showed that Americans are now color blind enough that they no longer say one thing and do another in the privacy of the voting booth as they did in 1982 when Tom Bradley, the former mayor of Los Angeles, was expected to become governor of California, but didn't.
The election of Obama showed that race no longer takes precedence over more important considerations such as economic policy, character or competence.
Of course, real discrimination still exists. It was only a few weeks ago that two neo-Nazi skinheads were arrested after plotting to kill Obama and 88 other African-Americans (14 by beheading).
Republicans used coded language to play on race and draw votes away from Obama after they had driven both the Latino and Arab-Americans away because of their immigration policies.
But it didn't work and, for the first time since 1964 when Democratic president Lyndon Johnson forced desegregation, voters in some of the so-called red states in the south turned their backs on the Republicans.
Still, race matters in the United States largely because of what Obama calls his country's "original sin" - slavery. Its legacy is in the statistics. African-Americans are more likely to be poor, badly educated, badly housed and come from single-parent families than other Americans. Their babies are more likely to die; their young men more likely to die violently.
But Obama seems comfortable in his skin. He is not that stereotype of angry, African-American leader. He is truly African and American, part black and part white. His past didn't include either poverty or privilege. He grew up in Hawaii, where one in five residents is of mixed race. His life is not one of disappointment, but of ground-breaking success.
As an Illinois senator, Obama is neither an outsider nor a Washington insider. His unprecedented fundraising from individuals has left him largely unbeholden to corporations or even African-American group interests.
If he seems at ease with middle-aged, white guys, who are the most likely to say that they would never vote for a black president, how could he not be? Obama's middle-class, Caucasian grandparents influenced him at least as much as the angry Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Obama also provides a generational break. After four terms of baby boomers in the White House and set against 72-year-old John McCain, Obama attracted new and younger voters. The language he uses is different and so is the technology. He not only spoke about change, he text-messaged it to more than four million people desperate for leadership in difficult times.
It would be enough to expect him to be an interlocutor between the angry and excluded on both sides of the American color divide, the person to resolve the legacies of slavery and finish the business of the civil rights movement.
But there are also expectations that he'll end (in victory) the wars that George W. Bush started, restore the economy, fix health care, put a roof over everyone's head and a cooked chicken (real or tofu) in every oven.
And those are only some of the great and, possibly crushing, hopes now resting on the thin, elegantly clad shoulders of Barack Hussein Obama, the first African-American president.

Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun columnist

The Girl Effect

2008-10-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

There are 600 million adolescent girls in the developing world and they
are ready, willing, and able to end poverty.

It's called The Girl Effect.

A web site and a typographical movie was created by the Nike Foundation and NoVo Foundation to educate people about the positive impact educating and empowering girls can have on a community. I recommend you take a couple minutes to watch this beautiful video about the powerful social & economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate in their society. It’s a pretty compelling experience, enjoy!

Philanthropy and Your Child

2008-06-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Long summer days are just a few weeks away, and soon our weekends will be filled with swimming, picnicking, bicycle riding, amusement parks, and many more wonderful occasions to spend time with family and friends. School might be out but that doesn’t mean our kids can’t think about pressing social issues and become change makers, particularly against the backdrop of the global, humanitarian tragedies that have dominated the headlines for the past few months.

It’s never too early to introduce our children to the important role of youth in fostering positive change. Our children, who are among the leaders of tomorrow, have opportunities to play a part as partners for positive social change, taking control of issues which affect them, and working for the betterment of society as a whole. Therefore it’s important that they have a sense of social responsibility about what’s happening around them.

Perhaps your kids think that they’re too young to make a difference? Many students think that no one will listen to them. The truth is young people around the world are actively demonstrating their power to promote peace and global understanding. There are many ways they can raise awareness about important issues in their local community and there has never been a more pressing time to pitch in and assist in the well-being of poor children around the world by raising funds.

Five years ago I founded my organization Voices for Humanity to provide grassroots initiatives and resources for young people working on social change. I was motivated by my concerns for the world’s most vulnerable children and inspired by the compassion of the most privileged.

Voices for Humanity is an event production, fund-raising organization dedicated to fostering cross-cultural awareness and social responsibility among young people in NYC, while supporting communities in need. Our meaningful service projects have enable youth and their families to impact the world on a global scale by empowering them to be positive agents for change. My vision is to enrich the lives and minds of young people, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of social leaders while reducing poverty and inequity around the world. While all VFH events are fun, they are a catalyst to inspire and empower the youngest members of society to create meaningful and innovative ways to voice their opinions and take action for national and international causes. Many organizations exist that are truly transforming lives and the simplest ideas usually are the best.

Here are a few examples: Just selling $6 worth of lemonade in front of your apartment building or beach house can provide clean water for a community. If your budding philanthropist gets really motivated and earns $18 they can provide water jugs for three families.

We all know our kids like to talk on the phone – why not turn their chatting into phone time for soldiers oversees? By collecting used and old cell phones and sending them to Cell Phones for Soldiers, each donated phone provides an hour of talk time for soldiers abroad.

Need some ideas for your child’s allowance? Just 10 cents buys one school meal for a child in the developing world. Donate $20 and your child will provide one child with a school lunch for an entire year with the food for education program. Give up buying a new game boy cartridge and your $40 provides school uniforms as well as much-needed school books for four kids for a year.

If you are seeking resources, tools, and approaches that will educate your kids about global poverty and ways that they can take action in their community or in developing countries please feel free to check out Voices for Humanity or email me at ddolphin2@gmail.com.

Wishing all of you a wonderful summer.

Even the smallest light shines through in the darkness

Camp Sizanani

2008-04-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

Youth are and will remain a significant share of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population for many years to come. The failure to provide opportunities for this large generation will have enormous economic, cultural, political and social consequences! Engaging youth fully in the region’s development is thus, not a matter of choice, but rather an imperative.

I just returned from an amazing 2 weeks in South Africa where I saw first hand how Global Camps Africa is supporting the well-being of young people and transforming youth development in South Africa. The organization is committed to empowering children through leadership and life skills building through a multi- dimensional 10 day “summer camp” experience. The camp, which is named Camp Sizanani, is located on a private boarding school campus outside of Johannesburg in the Magaliesburg Mountain area. Sizanani, is Zulu for “help each other,” and four to six times a year up to 140 children affected by HIV/AIDS will be able to experience the wonders of camp and take part in some serious fun. One of the camps motto’s was serious fun… and FUN was an understatement! The minute these children bounded off the bus the air was filled with exuberance, enthusiasm and camaraderie that was intoxicating and pervaded the entire camp experience.

These beautiful and gifted children are given an opportunity to just be kids and have fun. The endless days were filled with opportunities to participate in: sports and adventure- where the kids got to experience the power of sports and play as an effective tool for teambuilding and health. They created masterpieces in many forms in the Arts and Crafts studio. They let their creative juices flow in front of a live audience in Theater and Drumming. If there was a talent scout in the audience many of them would be going straight to HOLLYWOOD! They were taught about nutrition and the important foods our body’s needs to grow and develop in Nutrition. They swam everyday and most of them learned to swim for the first time- many of the children had never been in a pool or saw water before arriving at camp. I was honored to be assigned a swimming councilor and to be part of the amazing transformations that took place in the pool was nothing short of a miracle! Other daily activities included camp fires, evening skits, games and lots of singing and dancing. The activities, although fun, were catalysts to instill some much needed confidence and acclaim. The hope is that they come away from this experience believing in themselves and what they can accomplish.

The SERIOUS fun component to camp was an extremely cohesive life skills class. The educational classes providing much needed knowledge, as well as a safe arena for children to discuss AIDS/HIV, prevention, stigma, sexuality and gender relations openly. These discussions are all tailored to the different ages and genders of the campers. Phil Lilienthal the founder of Global Camps Africa believes we must use every tool to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS and Global Camps Africa has armed over 3,000 children that have come through the doors of Camp Sizanani with life saving, vital, information. Away from the pristine beauty of the Malesberg Mountains, I was reminded that almost half of all deaths in South Africa, and a staggering 71% of deaths among those aged between 15 and 49, are caused by AIDS. By the end of 2005, there were five and a half million people living with HIV in South Africa, and almost 1,000 AIDS deaths occurring every day. The prevalence of misinformation about AIDS in South Africa has not only hampered efforts to increase access to treatment, but has also created a climate of confusion in which prejudice towards people living with HIV thrives. It is clear that AIDS is having a devastating impact on South Africa! Thankfully organizations like Global Camps Africa are around providing much needed resources and tools that will provide the youth of South Africa a real opportunity for a healthy and informed life. I invite you to see first hand the transformational work they are doing at http://www.globalcampsafrica.org/content/view/15/84/

I want to thank all the vocellies (counselors) and the campers for welcoming me and Spikiri (my son’s appointed Zulu name) into their lives and hearts. I am still in such awe at all the camper’s spirit, strength, and brilliance. Their potential was illuminated at every activity and every interaction I was blessed to have with them. On the last night of camp at the closing bonfire I was thinking back to the initial bonfire we had only 9 nights earlier, and how far we had all come…. I remembered looking at these bright, smiling, joyful faces waiting to be fed with knowledge and love- a basic right that is unfortunately, so often missing from their daily lives. Tonight, I was looking at the future leaders of South Africa: these children had changed…. They were prouder, they walked taller, they knew they were loved and worthy of being loved. They were confident that they could, and would succeed: first for themselves, then for their families, then for their communities. The future of South Africa is brighter today because of these children, Global Camps Africa and the amazing vocellies. We are honored to have been part of this life changing few weeks.
We wish you all Ubuntu.

We are off to South Africa!

2008-03-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

We are off to South Africa!

Voices for Humanity is traveling today to South Africa with Global Camps Africa, A non-profit organization founded by Phil Lilienthal. Founded as a joint venture between WorldCamps, a non-profit American camping organization, and HIVSA, a South African foundation that provides care and services to HIV-affected individuals, Camp Sizanani is a residential camp offered free of charge to children aged 9 through 16 whose lives have been affected by HIV. "Sizanani" is Zulu for "help each other". Six camps are held each year for a total of ten days, bringing together up to 130 children and 30-35 counselors. The children range from 10-15 years old and are largely from the Soweto area. Camp Sizanani is situated in the small village of Magaliesburg, a one-hour drive west of Johannesburg The camp offers a haven for disadvantaged children, most of whom come from Soweto, Johannesburg’s enormous township, to which black Africans were banished during South Africa’s apartheid.

For children of affluent countries, overnight camp is a form of enrichment, an added dimension to life. For South African children, camp can mean the difference between life and death. Living in a country with the largest HIV-infected population in the world, many children don’t expect to reach adulthood. This camp offer them new possibilities, give them the tools they need to cope and provide them with leadership skills and knowledge to make a difference in their lives and in their communities.

They are more than just a camp.
They are changing lives as they fight the war on HIV/AIDS.
We will be in touch from South Africa!
Hambani kahle

The Miniature Earth

2008-03-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

This video is incredible, moving, informative and inspiring! I invite you to watch it… you will be transformed!

We are truly living in an unbalanced world!! Please set aside your egos, your religious opinions, your race and listen to the cries of the world. We can all be social entrepreneurs and create a better world for everyone.

Peace

2008-02-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

Let your kids be ambassadors of love this Valentines Day!

Want to do something kind for those in need this Valentines Day and just can't think of what to do? You're in luck!Voices for Humanity is having a Valentines Day community service event. Drop by and create a Valentines Day card for a Samburu child. There will also be an exhibition of paintings made at the Arts workshop by the nomadic Samburu children of northern Kenya.

Valentine's Day has always been a time to show how much you care. I hope you will join me and my family in sharing your heart, not just with the people closest to you, but also with these amazing children. We will be supplying the cards and the cookies, bring your creativity!

Date: February 14th
RSVP- None needed, just show up!

If you can’t make the event and would like to be included, send your V- Day cards or donations no later that February 25. Donations would also be greatly appreciated. Every dollar raised as part of this event will be going to strengthen Ol Malo Trust’s children’s programs A few dollars will have a direct impact on the lives of these children.

$1 donation will purchase one tin used outside every school, to enable the Samburu children to wash their hands and faces preventing eye infections and blinding trachoma. A $5 donation goes to purchase one shuka - or traditional Samburu clothing. A $10 donation goes to purchase 3 school tablets for children to do their school work. A $20 donation buys a cooking pot for the school, will be used to feed 100 children each day. A $50 donation will support one child in the Art workshop program per year. $100 provides food for 50 people for one week.

What comes from the heart goes to the heart

Ol Malo Charitable Trust- http://www.olmalo.org/index.php is an organization that works tireless to improve the lives of the Samburu people of Northern Kenya and to create economic sustainability for the community. At the heart of their projects is the Sampiripiri Arts Workshop where children come and paint, have fun and are kept healthy. On the day they attend the Art Workshop each child is fed, receives a medical check-up, and goes home with a box of food to last until the following week. We will have an exhibition of these amazing children’s paintings available to view and purchase at our event. The of the art work of the samburu children have been exhibited and sold in major cities around the world

Voices for Humanity- http://www.voicesforhumanity.com/ is an organization dedicated to fostering cross-cultural awareness and social responsibility in young people while supporting communities in need. We invite you to attend an event and use your voice to change a life, to change your life, to change the world.

What is Eaten in One Week

2008-01-31T10:35:00.000-08:00

What is eaten in one week
This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting e-mails I've received. It's usually impolite to invite yourself to someone's house for dinner, but that's exactly what photographer Peter Menzel and writer Faith D'Aluisio did for their new book, Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. The husband-and-wife team invited themselves for meals with 30 different families in 24 countries. They snacked on deep-fried starfish in downtown Beijing; ate freshly killed walrus in Cap Hope, Greenland; tasted congealed porridge at a refugee camp in the Darfur province of Sudan; and noshed on nachos and pizza in Raleigh, N.C. Menzel and D'Aluisio say they wanted to see how migration, growing wealth, and globalization--the increasing cultural and economic integration of world cultures--have affected people's traditional diets. Each chapter of the book features a photograph of a family with a week's worth of food, plus details about the food and what it cost. Eight of those photos are featured in this special report. Look carefully at the images. What kinds of foods are pictured? How might geography, religion, politics, and culture affect the families' diets? How do theirs compare with yours? What a great reminder for us to count our blessings, pay attention to what we consume and continue the fight against HUNGER!

Germany : The Melander family of BargteheideFood expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States : The Revis family of North CarolinaFood expenditure for one week: $341.98

Italy : The Manzo family of SicilyFood expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Mexico : The Casales family of CuernavacaFood expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-JeziornaFood expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt : The Ahmed family of CairoFood expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador : The Ayme family of TingoFood expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan : The Namgay family of Shingkhey VillageFood expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad : The Aboubakar family of Breidjing CampFood expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

In Honor of Martin Luther King

2008-01-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Each year, on the third Monday in January, people in the United States pause to honor the life and dreams of Martin Luther King Jr. I hope that we will take the time to teach our children about Dr. King’s legacy of tolerance, equality, and respect. Although many people see this, and other holidays as "a day without work," or "a day to hang out with friends," let’s use this day as “A Day On, Not A Day Off!" The holiday is an occasion for joy and celebration for his life and his work toward nonviolent social change in America and the world.

To honor this legacy let’s use Dr. King's nonviolent strategy to help guide our lives not just today but everyday.

I asked some of the children that support Voices for Humanity to share with me some of their dreams for the future. This questionnaire was filled out by an 8 year old boy who aspires to be a baseball/philanthropist when he grows up! I think he is going to be an amazing global citizen! Enjoy!

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16,1963

Questionnaire Directions: Create your own "I Have a Dream Too!" speech

I have a dream that one day the world will-
the wars will stop and we will all live in peace

I have a dream that one day-
People will use words not guns for peace

I have a dream that one day-
That doctors will find a cure for cancer and AIDS

I have a dream that-
All my friends in Africa will not have to go to bed hungry

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day-
All the children around the world will have a chance to be educated and their spirits will be lifted.
I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day-
Their will be peace in Africa and around the world

This is my hope and faith.

With this faith we will be able to-
Have a world of peace and no poverty

This will be the day when-
I will be so happy and feel like the world is coming together.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing the words, "Free at last! Free at last!, we are free at last!" Excerpt from Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream." speech.

The Gift of a Toy

2007-12-23T15:46:00.001-08:00

The holiday season is upon us and parents are rushing about frenetically as the countdown till the 25th begins. Christmas may be the first holiday that comes to mind this time of year, but families around the world are also gathering together to celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Muslims holiday Eid. Many of us are paying a hefty $50 in extra shipping to guarantee the Dance Dance Revolution game and the Ripstik arrives safely for the big day. Others have loitered for hours inside our favorite Apple Store as the stock boy’s frantically tag the last box of IPod Touch.

I was pushed into the holiday frenzy yesterday as I was walking past a video game system store and witnessed first hand the time, attention, and love us parents spend on the perfect toy. There were about 30 adults all standing outside the store apparently waiting for something.... men in suits pecking away at their blackberry's, a woman trying to bribe her fidgety kid with candy at 11:00 in the morning just to stay calm. Had I stumbled upon a crowd gathering with hopes of purchasing a new block of Miley Sirus tickets about to go on sale? Was this an angry mob about to expose the latest recall of Chinese-made toys? Of course, I was curious about the commotion… then, I heard someone talking about the Nintendo Wii. So, that was the missing link to this puzzle. It was like Santa himself was going to swoop down from the North Pole with 10 Wii games for the lucky few (oh, they must have been on the “Good” list.) All I could think about was the expression on the UPS guy's face when he saw the mob of parents awaiting his arrival…. He better have that box of Wii's or he is definitely going to be on the “Naughty” list! I didn't have the heart to wait and find out how it ended. It couldn't have been good!

Safely back in my house, I thought about an article I had read, and wanted to share it with all of you dedicated toy shoppers; I hope after you read this article you will realize that all the long lines you stood in, the heavy bags and boxes that you carried, and the high credit card bills that will unfortunately come in January, will amass the biggest and brightest smiles along with hours of innocent joyful play! Read on and discover a place where your kid’s unwanted puzzles or unloved dolls can have a second life as well as contribute to transforming the development of another child! Enjoy the Holidays!... Go out and enjoy the spirit of giving. When Polly Pocket is done collecting dust on a shelf or the Pirates of the Caribbean game is relegated to the I-don't-play-with-those-toys- anymore shelf, you and your kids can email me at VFH and I will make sure your selfless gift will continue to be loved and treasured by a child just as lucky as yours!

Wishing you a Joyous and Peaceful Holiday Season

In South African slums, lives lifted by a chance to play
The nation's 140 toy libraries are also a key development tool for children.

By Danna Harman Staff writer of The CSM
from the December 20, 2007 edition

Alexandra, South Africa - There are no Barbie dolls here. No plastic fire engines. No LEGO sets. In this township racked by AIDS deaths and crushing poverty, buying your kid a toy is not a priority – not even at Christmas. In shack after musty, dark shack, one finds almost nothing – a jar of peanut butter here, a chipped crockery set there. Kids sit around listlessly watching music videos. But 8-year-old Lesand Lengwati now has a haven. On the second floor of the Alexandra community center, squashed between the food pantry and the HIV testing clinic, is a small room lined with shelves of mostly secondhand toys. Lesand's mother died of AIDS. Her father was shot by the police. But one day, her grandmother, who works as a maid, took Lesand to the center for bread. And that's when the child discovered a place that would change her life: The toy library.

There are toy libraries in cities around the world, set up to serve the poor. In South Africa, there are 140 and counting. The government partially funds them, and sees toys as critical to the development of children, indeed, the health of its society. "Many children in our country ... have never enjoyed childhood; instead, they have taken on the responsibilities of adults and ... they are often left vulnerable, becoming early victims to crime and drugs. Toy libraries can serve as an antidote to many of these social problems and play can help in the healing process," said Ngw Botha, deputy minister of arts And culture, in an October speech.

In Alexandra, the five-year-old toy library is not just transforming lives of its 149 members, but also the librarians who work here. Like Lesand, Precious Mathe serendipitously stumbled upon the toy library. Two years ago, while taking her daughter Mpho to visit an aunt in Alexandra, Ms. Mathe came to the local clinic to take an HIV test. The week before she first saw the library, Mathe's church pastor had preached: "If there is something you want in life, you must go out and find it.' She remembers those words well, because it was what made her walk in that day and inquire about volunteering. "[As a child,] I had no toys at home. We were poor and my father stayed with another woman and had other children," she says. "I used to pray that someone would take me to McDonald's and I could get one of those little plastic rhinos that came with the food. I think," adds Mathe in a whisper, "that my life would have been different if I had had toys."

She is a shy woman, and whispers a lot. When she was younger, Mathe dreamed of becoming a social worker or a nurse. She didn't know anyone who did those sorts of things, but she would see the girls in white and blue dresses from the ancillary health care course at the mall, where she worked as a cashier at a fast-food fried-chicken stall. "One day I had to confront [my fears] and ask them about the course because I was so interested," she says. She took a second job folding laundry, so she could enroll in a caregivers course. She never got her certificate because she could only afford the first semester. Instead, she got a new job cleaning convention centers. But she still dreamed of doing something, as she says, "more special."

These days, Mathe and Lesand meet almost daily at the library, Mathe is now the librarian. Lesand is, quite possibly, the township's most enthusiastic card-carrying toy-library member.
"Today, I would like to borrow ..." The little girl clasps her hands behind her tattered red wool sweater, squints as she assesses her choices and leans in, conspiratorial-like, toward Mathe, "a puzzle!" An excellent choice, replies the librarian. "Kids need stimulation. But many kids are so disadvantaged that they have nothing before setting foot in grade school. The vast majority don't go to preschool. The playgrounds are abysmal," says Cynthia Morrison, president of South Africa's toy library association, noting that problems such as poor language and social skills start with a paucity of early stimulation.

Most toy libraries here are government-private partnerships. In the case of the Alexandra library, the British construction company Turner & Townsend and a local nonprofit group help buy new toys and coordinate secondhand donations. Ms. Morrison serves as a mentor to many of the new librarians and helps, organizing toy library conferences and seminars, and helping to secure funding for new projects. "I have been hijacked by toy libraries," she jokes, "because I have seen what they can do." Lesand and Mathe choose a puzzle of two children on a unicycle. They count out the 100 pastel-colored pieces together, to make sure they are all there. In fact, there are only 96 original pieces, but Mathe has made four duplicate pieces from cardboard – a regular procedure here.

What started as a volunteer job is now a full-time job for Mathe as the chief toy librarian. Her work involves everything from patching up dolls' eyes to disinfecting building blocks to tracking down overdue xylophones. Her $233-a-month salary goes toward her bus fare, her daughter's school fees, and food. Mathe also gives money to her mother and her jailed brother's family – and, if she can, puts a few coins away for a rainy day. She was diagnosed as HIV positive.
"Now I am even more grateful I found this work," she says. "Otherwise, I might have died cleaning convention centers."

Borrowers pay yearly membership fees of 16 cents, and are each allowed two toys for two weeks. Lesand's second choice today is a children's book. Her grandfather at home can't read to her as he is illiterate, but, a top English student herself, she can slowly make out the words. And she likes the pictures. The book is "Sarah and the Circus," and, according to the inscription on the first page, it was custom made, once upon a time, for a little girl named Sarah, in Chicago, on her fifth birthday. Who knows how, exactly, it made its way to the shelves here. Maybe it was given to a charity. Maybe it was left behind on a family safari to Africa. Lesand doesn't mind or care. For these two weeks, it's hers. She meticulously signs her name on the library card, clasps her puzzle, gives a pleased Mathe a hug, and skips out to play.

For more information on Active Learning & libraries South Africa

http://www.activelearninglibraries.org.za/

2007-12-11T09:52:00.000-08:00

Want to be the one that gives the most impressive gift this holiday season. Few things these little pack such a wallop! For $10 these animal bracelets will be a gift that your family and friends will remember. They make a great stocking stuffer and 100% of the proceeds go to support Mama Maria Kenya. Their programs are providing hot meals and life saving drugs to the women and children at the Mama Maria Kenya clinic. Bracelets available at their web site. http://www.mamamaria.org/index.htm

The founder of Mama Maria, Peter Kithene, is himself an orphan from the small village of Muhuru Bay, Kenya. It is due to his own life experiences that Peter created Mama Maria, a full service program which trains, employs, and aids the disenfranchised of rural African villages through feeding programs, educational forums, scholarships for the handicapped, and above all, full-service health care. Peter was just honored by CNN Heroes in the Medical Marvels category. CNN highlighted everyday people’s outstanding achievements for mankind. To everyone’s great surprise (okay, mostly Peter’s), he rose to the top of over 7,000 nominees from 93 countries and was selected as the most outstanding hero in the Medical Marvel category at an all star event last week in NYC hosted by Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour. I had the honor of meeting Peter last week while he was in NYC receiving his award this was great honor for an amazing man!
Help support this remarkable charity, every dollar counts!

. For $2 they can provide food for 17 orphans
· $10 will save eight children from Malaria
. $10 they can provide vaccinations for 20 babies
· $20 will provide an emergency ambulance ride to a hospital for a women suffering from childbirth complication
· For $99 a day they can treat 35 patients and employ 20 people a day

Thanks for reading this blog and allowing me to share my support for Peter and Mama Maria Kenya with all of you.

Peace,
Voices for Humanity