eYs Magazine Summer 2021 by eYs Magazine

GREEN HEARTS DIGNITY The March to Sustainability

The Triumphs of Two Women by MARSHA CASPER COOK Up Close with KATERINA STOJANOVSKA DESKOVSKA Producer, Journalist & Humanitarian

CONTENT

eYs Youth

6 Editor’s Note

10 Gift Global Initiative

14 eYs Child Kwabea

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8 eYs Child Chloe

12 Humanitarian

16 Tokens of Life Uganda

MENTOR

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: eYs Magazine are a group of determined individuals, who are inspired and empowered to share kindness, through our positive vibes and support. We encourage, help and motivate others and support local communities and charities to prosper and grow. eYs Magazine is committed to our purpose and people-centred ethos, reinvesting back into our future generations and the opportunity of a global online platform connecting to experts from all walks of life. We support charity, community and organisations in their development as a publishing platform.

GYMHA

ENVIRONMENT

THE WRITTEN WORD

LAW SOCIETY

COVER STORY

Thank you to Katerina Stojanovska Deskovska for allowing eYs Magazine to publish the images used in the cover story.

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DISCLAIMER

eYs Magazine has made constant care to make sure that the content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher and editor. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. eYs Magazine cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this website, publication and errors or for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers. All content in eYs Magazine may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of eYs Magazine. It’s contributors cannot accept any liability for reader discontent arising from the editorial features. eYs Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit this material before publishing. eYs Magazine cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to provided materials. We accept no liability for misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages. In this publication, you might find links to websites, third-party content and advertising. By using our website, you acknowledge that and agree that eYs Magazine cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for the content of other websites, advertisements and other resources. By using this site, you agree to all terms and conditions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy, you may contact us. 3 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

eYs YOUTH

KRISTINA APOSTOLOSKA

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EDITOR’S NOTE

2021…W

e are alive and made it through the challenges we all faced in the Year of the Ox, as we prepare for the Year of the Tiger. COVID-19 created turmoil throughout Earth. It shook humanity to oblivion. Our world turned upside down, inside out and life as we once knew it - now a distant memory. Fortunately, the lessons learned in 2020 helped shape the path for a stronger and united world. For me personally, 2021 was a year to step back and take time to reflect on life as I knew it. How I fit in the myriad of change and adapt to a diversified pandemic culture at home, socially and professionally. GROWTH … became an essential part of my personal life routine and transition from past to present and future. A mother of two young adults who are about to turn 18 and 21 in early 2022 – two major milestones in the Siderovski household, I couldn’t help but feel so much gratitude for the positive journey in this chaos. The past (almost) two years have given me the chance to STOP and bond with my young adults. I couldn’t help but think how different our path could have been in this fast-paced world if it wasn’t for the locked down period and the opportunity to see what’s Infront of me - my home, my husband, and my children and not necessarily in that order. Sounds crazy, but true, It made me realise how much I took for granted, as unintentional as it may have been, it helped me remain grounded and re-focus on the beauty, life really has on offer. While we all complained to our politicians, how we could have done things better, how we should have learned from trial and error of 2020 suddenly we all became experts on how life should be. The reality of it all is that we can never truly be prepared enough given the consistency of uncertainties this Pandemic has proven. However, one thing for sure is that we are more equipped with research and the knowledge to set a precedence on perfecting and adapting to the new norm. In line with the shock of being stationed in our abodes, we quickly learned just how materialism became a faded trend. Retail therapy although conveniently at the click of a button was redirected to feel good purchases for our health and well-being. I am now a proud recovering shoe-cholic and have resisted the temptation for expanding my red bottoms. I am chuffed. Socialising became an event with our children, and if we were lucky enough, we shared a wine or two on zoom with our friends and family. Social media was our virtual lifeline as we remained in touch with our human counterparts and shared daily our emotional rollercoaster. We even sacrificed, our freedom for travel and to experience new adventures as we eagerly wait to tick off that bucket list in the name of being safe and keeping our loved ones alive - a new discipline that has taught us resilience and an understanding just how precious life is. Especially, for the elderly and young, as well as the immunocompromised. Most importantly, the key component that became the focus word for 2021 was ‘KINDNESS!”

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Random acts of kindness are so important and change the lives of many who are doing it tough, Simple, baby gestures that help us all remain grounded and appreciate the little things in life – to LIVE, LAUGH, and PAY IT FORWARD always. We can all create a positive impact in any environment and strengthen the core for self-awareness, our motivation levels, appreciating empathy and our social skills. Our EQ is undoubtedly a valuable tool to utilise in adversity and enhances not only our leadership abilities and teamwork effectiveness but also our resilience. As humans we are social and wired for connection. The more we can build positive relationships and develop cooperative connections, the more enriched our lives are. Our purpose is to celebrate the joy others bring in our life and appreciate the steppingstones along the way for a better today. No matter what we are going through and how tough the challenges we face, KINDNESS MATTERS! Live each minute with a purpose, create each second with a vision and work each moment with a promise. Remember to take time out to yourself and be grateful. We need to accept that we can’t always be in control and that life has its path. Remain positive and don’t let fear and uncertainty become your master. You hold the key to your well-being and it’s up to us to make life magical for all of us. I am grateful for my family, friends and the eYs Team for making 2021 magical for me. We end the year with the 14th edition of eYs Magazine and thank all the individuals featured for being the special, caring people they are and the change we all wish to see, Our cover feature, Katerina Stojanovska Deskovska a humanitarian and television host and producer from Skopje, R of Macedonia. Clare treats our readers with an interview with Kim Chan as Marsha Casper Cook talks to two amazing women about Breast Cancer. The edition is filled with heartfelt and inspiring stories of triumph and the gift of giving, On behalf of eYs Magazine, we wish all our readers a safe and happy season filled with lots of love and joy. Merry Christmas to all and Season’s Greetings!

With Love

Jasmina Siderovski CEO and Editor-in-Chief eYs Magazine

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GIFT GLOBAL INITIATIVE

SPORTS FOR SOLAR – A DIPLOMACY INITIATIVE

n 2018, GIFT Global Initiative launched its Global Diplomacy Initiative called Sports for Solar with the aim of educating children about our Environment through the powerful medium of Sports, simultaneously strengthening diplomatic ties between countries by engaging government participation in this unique initiative. In partnership with the UAE embassy in Pretoria, GIFT completed two successful events reaching 4000 households in Soweto, South Africa the settlement which was once home to Nelson Mandela. Prior to this initiative, these 4000 families lived in extreme poverty without sanitation or power. The water looks filthy, and the streets were filled with excrement. Connecting such shantytowns to the electricity grid has been extremely timeconsuming, and costly. This partnership initiative between GIFT and the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Pretoria has not

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only helped these families access cheap, portable, and clean power to alleviate poverty and increase their quality of life but has done so with year round sports education for the children. GIFT adopted A World Clean Energy Initiative that aims at providing 100,000 households access to low-cost portable solar energy. This clean energy initiative will expand access to Low-cost, Durable and Portable Solar Lights to low-income communities across 20 countries. Ms. Manna Dabholkar, CEO of GIFT said, “We

invite corporate brands and government embassies to join us on this unique journey of lighting up 100000 households in some of the roughest areas of our planet. For the embassies, this wonderful diplomacy initiative will bridge the gap between the host country and the home country, using

sports to build peace and strengthen relationship between countries. Increased capital availability to support social impact prevention and early interventions initiatives can reduce future spending on government remedial programs. For corporations, there is not a better way to increase shareholder value than through socially conscious PR and developing brand loyalty through social impact campaigns such as Sports for Solar.” GIFT’s unique value adds lies in its Media Wing that adds brand value, positive PR as well as High-Definition Content customized specially for their government as well as corporate partners by their 14 Time Emmy Nominated GIFT Media team. They provide Socially Conscious marketing and advertising content to their donors to increase their shareholder value, build customer loyalty and shine a spotlight on the company’s social cause. Afterall, Millennials report a greater willingness to pay more for socially responsible products and services. 81% of the millennials also want their favorite companies to make public declaration of their corporate citizenship. Mr. Keith Kirkwood, Chairman of GIFT said, “Sports for Solar is part of our Diplomacy Initiative and a great example of a successful Private Public Partnership! GIFT puts together Sports events where children compete as a team to win. At the end of the tournament, which typically lasts an entire day, all participants go

home with portable solar lights, bringing light to their household, in many places lighting up these communities for the first time. Socially conscious and generous brands such as the tennis giant Babolat see a value in Sports for Solar. Together, we are not only lighting up communities but also introducing and advancing sports such as Tennis and Soccer that could benefit immensely from tapping into large pools of talent in poor communities. This unique program could herald an improved outlook and increased awareness about climate change in every part of our world.” For some years now the states of the Persian Gulf have been betting on sport, especially soccer, as a way of asserting a new kind of global presence: cosmopolitan, enlightened, balancing ideas of tradition with their own versions of modernity, in other words projecting soft power. But soccer is just one element in a strategy which includes massive investment in education and culture to strengthen diplomatic ties. Socially conscious brands such as the tennis giant Babolat and visionary leaders of countries like the United Arab Emirates see tremendous value in Sports for Solar. Together, we are not only lighting up communities but also introducing and advancing sports such as Tennis and Soccer that could benefit immensely from tapping into large pools of talent in poor communities.

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HUMANITARIAN

RAISE HOPE FOUNDATION UGANDA.

itaire Andrew, 25 years old is a teacher by profession and from Uganda.

He is currently working as the CEO of Raise Hope Foundation Uganda and is a fellow of Teach for Uganda - an organization that works to eliminate education Inequities amongst children. A YALI AFRICA WIDE ONLINE COHORT ONE ALUMNI, and a teacher leader.

RAISE HOPE FOUNDATION UGANDA. Raise Hope Foundation Uganda is a community-based organization in the Iganga Municipality, of Uganda. Its major objective is to develop a family centred environment that can provide information, support, advocacy and networking for families and communities. VISION To enable all children, youth and people reach their optimum potential so that maximum function is achieved, deformity prevented or reduced, and the effects of the disabilities minimised so that they may overcome many of their barriers that they and their families face. Mission. Orphans, street kids and abandoned kids are in the increase in this area due to poverty, divorce, polygamy, accidents, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS. Therefore, there’s great need to form a platform for both children, youths and all people in the community who are the victims of the circumstances arising in Busoga region.

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ACHIEVEMENTS RHFU have operated for three years and have managed to: •

Reach out to the vulnerable with mattresses, food relief amidst COVID-19, clothes etc.

•

Successfully registered the organization and given a Certificate of Registration from the District Headquarters.

•

Have managed to reach out to children with scholastic materials and the necessary basic needs.

•

Empowered women with microbusinesses to attain selfsustainable development so that they are able to provide basic needs to the people.

Where did you get your inspiration from?

Facebook group: Raise Hope Foundation Uganda.

A pastor took me off street to his home. He gave me education and everything I needed in Life. So, I do this charity work as debt being paid. I’m paying back to the community.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ kitaire-andrew-864b38182

I also I would love to see young children smile and education for all children irrespective of their background, everyone needs equitable and quality education. I would love to see a self-sustainable community where young women and men are able to earn a living and pay school fees and the necessary basic needs for children hence attaining good standards of living. How to reach to us: Email: kitaireandrew@gmail.com WhatsApp: +256706307405 Facebook account: Andrew Katwa

For DONATIONS. Western Union, Money gram, World Remitly International Transfer, Send Wave information: Name: Kitaire Andrew Country: Uganda Contact: +256706307405 I call upon volunteers, sponsors, and donors to join me in this cause so that we can help the African child, families, and people in the community. Also, there’s room for volunteering, for more information reach me out to those contacts.

Facebook page: Raise Hope Foundation Uganda

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eYs CHILD

HAYDEN KWABEA AUNTIE

ur eYs Child Ambassador, Hayden Kwabea Auntie has been busy involved in several campaigns. In 2020 Hayden Kwabea was the face in the mask-up a child campaign, which was instituted to donate over one million nose masks to children below 18 years old. The campaign is still ongoing, with 30, 000 nose masks donated so far.

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Currently, Hayden Kwabea Auntie is involved in the ‘My Body is My Body’ campaign which is an initiative by the Global Goodwill Ambassadors to fight all sought of abuse against children. As Hayden is still a child, she will continue to engage in campaigns in the interest of children. Let’s support the children, for they are the future.

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TOKEN OF LIFE UGANDA

MULIA FOUNDATION; CHANGING LIVES THROUGH MUSIC Story by Christopher Mukasa

“MULIA Troop preparing to perform at the visit of Prime Minister for Buganda Kingdom at Nakisunga Sub Conty”

r. Rogers Sserunjogi a Ugandan and Humanitarian, is the Founder of Music for Life Africa Foundation located in Nakisunga Sub County Mukono District - Uganda. Music for Life Africa Foundation has existed since 2014 and has uplifted many young talents. His organization uses music to identify young children’s interests nurture, direct and mentor them into various talent and skills across music, education and agriculture

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to give direction to their future baselining from their childhood. Mr Roger Sserunjogi is passionate about farming and music. Away from that, he is also a father and a community developer. Music for Life Africa envisions in using music to mentor African rural children to focus on the interests of the children’s future talents, careers and more importantly keeping them close to their culture and origin.

In my interaction with him, he stated that “when everyone in their capacity uses their ability and talents in uplift communities and children, the African continent will have a better future.’’ He believes that Africa and all talented children can make it to the heights if given an independent opportunity to take over its responsibilities and it only needs capacity building, support and guidance.

BACKGROUND OF MULIA FOUNDATION Music For Life Africa Foundation (MULIA) is a registered Community Based Organization with a long-term plan of Establishing a youth cultural, musical and educational centre in Uganda that promotes various skills focusing in Sectors of Education, Culture Preservation, Music, Information and Communications Technology Integration (ICT) with target groups of Youth and kids in collaboration with their parents. He believes that such startups that cut across all sectors can bring change to our continent Africa. Mr. Rogers Sserunjogi further believes that giving chances to any human to do things his or her own way without influence can bring much progress and results. He believes that failure is not the end of life, but trying again brings ideas to life once given more chances. Ever trying and never giving up is his way of life. He gives a challenge to everyone to try starting something that they have done in their area to give opportunities of development to new ideas and developments in new areas. In so doing, more people in different parts of the world will be empowered.

Education Program: Using music, they are able to bring closer the vulnerable children and youths to join the programs, this has helped the foundation shape up the children so that they focus on their education. The program involves working together with parents to support some of the children with education needs including school requirements and half support of school fees to some of them through use of the raised funds from the music performances that they make. They are also working with 60 children who are directly supported and over 200 that come over for social activities as well as using the community library, music instruments and sports activities. Community Library and Adult Education: Marko Lukooya Memorial Community Library has contributed towards the education of many people in their community, there are over 1000 books borrowed from the library by children, youths, community adults and schools. The community llibrary servers over 1500 people including schools and community members in the villages they are serving.

THE FOUNDATION BELIEFS At Music For Life, we believe that our daily struggles, accomplishments and celebrations can be fitted in music. Music inspires, brings life, no matter the situation in our life. Music catalyzes and enhance the lives of the youth involved in our program. It allows them to explore and create community solutions towards challenges, explore their cultural identity, express their creativity, and raise funds to assist with their education and talents development hence introducing them to various opportunities. Since 2014, the Foundation is on the frontline to empower vulnerable local children and youths through developing a platform where their talents in various life skills can be identified and supported as a way of preparing them for the future depending on their ability. WHAT THEY ARE DOING?

“Students Learning computer skills in the computer lab” The agriculture program: This is on of the starting points for hands on and life skills for the children and youths that MULIA foundation works with. Over the past 2 years they have been preparing their minds to start farming since it is a great venture for income generating and its not a punishment rather an activity where they can get money and also learn more about farming skills through their home gardens and local poultry farms. 70 youths and children are direct beneficiaries of the program, and 200 families are indirect beneficiaries from this program.

“Community Children reading their books at Mako Lukooya Memorial Community Library” 17 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

“Harvest from the home gardens” Talent Development and Trainings They have provided a number of trainings across music, dance, drama, and comedy. The kids and youths, who are averagely 12 years of age, have been developing their abilities to perform everything from traditional and cultural performances to international creative dances. 48 weekends of the year are fully utilized in both trainings and performances at events hence cultivating band, identifying talents among the rural kids and youths who might not be having a platform to ignite their potential.

“MULIA Troop welcoming visitors at Herona Hospital – Kisoga” Mulia Youth Centre Construction: MULIA foundation embarked on construction of a musical social centre hub since June 2018. The building is intended to accommodate indoor trainings, youth programs, a computer lab, a community library to fire up reading and writing culture among the youths and children not forgetting the parents themselves, hosting administrative offices to fuel office work, storage for all instruments. The outdoor will host most of youth social activities like volleyball, netball among others.

“Brass band training for girls”

“Harvest from the home gardens” Mulia Charity Concert: The MULIA charity concert is one of the initiatives for sustainability employed by the Foundation to raise funds near the end of each year. Supplementing the funds collected from the other performances throughout the year, Earnings from the charity concert support the education for MULIA kids in the following year on top of well wishers who support their education program.

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Community tourism is part of the foundation plans where urban youths and children can have a weekend at Mulia Foundation and experience village life that is full of life, with fresh air, exploring African living life, cooking traditional food, visiting gardens and eating fresh fruits. This gives a sense of environmental protection and appreciating all life styles.

THE FUTURE PLANS? MULIA foundation is making efforts of embracing all African cultures to be preserved through music. This is being done by collecting at least 2 cultural dances across all African countries and maintaining them among the performances they do from Uganda at the foundation centre. As other countries might be losing their culture, MULIA Foundation stands to safe guard them. The Mulia foundation is looking forward to move around the world show casing the African culture through perforce by the youth. This will make the world be aware of how Africa have preserved its culture for million years. On top of that, all funds received will be used to support the education of youths and children from rural areas and strengthen the cultural preservation in Africa. Rogers argues the government of Uganda to create cultural and musical

centres across the country to make it possible have the future citizens of the country grow with discipline as well as adding on value to the music industry of the country. HOW YOU CAN JOIN? To all musicians and instrumentalists all over the world, here is a platform where you can share your cultures through music and drama. You can join the MULIA kids and youths in their annual concert, follow them on their social media pages to know what they are upto and running, pay a visit at their music center and inspire the youths. Website: https://www.music4lifeafrica.org Email: muliafoundation90@gmail.com

“Musical Centre at completion”

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MENTOR

DR JOHN HARRISON Education Influencer, Philosopher, Polymath, Writer, Humanitarian, and a Counselor

HARRISON speaks ………. “Fasting ignites divinity in us” – Part 1

asting is not dieting. Dieting helps, you shed those extra pounds of your body and get into good physical shape whereas fasting helps you get rid of vices, and thus get into good spiritual shape. Dieting should only happen under medical advice, and fasting should always happen when God and his spirit lead you. Only then will both be beneficial. Jesus began his earthly ministry with 40 days fast. What is your preparation? The extraordinary 40 days fast at the beginning of his ministry was for much more than his own work. It prepared him for bigger and greater things that were ahead of him. People who thirst and hunger for the fullness of God are the ones who fast more. Fasting is one of the most pristine and pious forms of prayer. It cleanses our soul, our spirit, and our body of the desires of the flesh. Fasting is tested by temptation. Fasting is an act of strict discipline and sacrifice when we give up something that our heart desires. During fasting, we convey to God that it is him that we desire most and nothing else. This sort of a fasting connects us with God and brings us closer to him. It gives us the strength to overcome our weaknesses through the grace of God. Fasting has power through prayer to heal emotional, mental, physical sicknesses, and generational bondages and curses. The heart that motivates fasting is meant to be a

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heart of God. It thirsts and hungers for God. Fasting is an act of prayer for supremacy of God in all things. Through fasting our reconciliation with God is accomplished. Our bondage to sin is broken. Our enemy is put to naught. Fasting tests us where our heart is. What controls us? What do we value and trust? Fasting reveals our heart to God. Fasting is God’s testing and healing ground. Fasting is a periodic and sometimes decisive declaration that we would rather feast at the God’s table in the kingdom of heaven than feed on the finest delicacies of the world. What do we desire the most? Whom do we desire the most? What and who is our biggest and greatest treasure? A person who fasts surely does know the answers to all these questions. Fasting if we conceive of it truly, must not be confined to the question of food and drink; but should really be to abstain from bodily functions which should be controlled. Anything can stand in the way of true discipleship, not just evil, not just food but anything. It is surprising to see that some of the greatest competitors for our devotion and affection for God are some of his most precious gifts (as they keep us away from spending time with him). When one observes a fast they should always ask themselves these five questions:

1. Is it God given? 2. Are my motives right? 3. For what specific needs am I fasting? 4. For what results am I fasting? 5. Am I determined to minister to the Lord while I’m fasting? The main motive of fasting is to worship God, to draw close to him. To bring joy and pleasure to him. Fasting is a spiritual act which signifies our helplessness and hope in God. God has always promised to come to the help of those who seek him diligently and depend on him as their biggest treasure. Let us start depending on God and not ourselves. He is the way, the truth and the life. When God created fish, he spoke to the sea. When God created trees, he spoke to the earth. Similarly when he created man, he spoke to himself and said, “let us make man in our own image and likeness”. When fish is removed from water, it dies. Remove a tree from earth, it will die. Same way if we disconnect from God, we will perish, only the flesh will be left in us and it will not qualify us for eternity. God is our natural environment. We are created to live in his presence. We must remain connected to him because only in him there is life. Remain rooted in your environment, through fasting and prayer.

Dr. John Harrison MA in Education, MBA, Doctorate in Divinity (Education Influencer, Philosopher, Polymath, Writer, Humanitarian, and a Counselor) Feel free to write to him or connect with him on: Email: dr.johnharrison@yahoo.co.in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-john-harrison-8675b6120

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GYMHA

GLOBAL YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS (GYMHA) INC. CREATING A WORLD WITHOUT STIGMA By Dr David David

ore than half of people with mental illness don’t receive help for their disorders. Often, people avoid or delay seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. That’s because stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness is still very much a problem. People with mental illness are marginalized in various ways. But no matter the degree of subtleness or obviousness, it could lead to harm. Stigma often comes from lack of understanding or fear. Inaccurate or misleading media representations of mental illness contribute to these factors. A review of studies on stigma shows that while the public may accept the medical or genetic nature of a mental health disorder and the need for treatment, many people still have a negative view of those with mental illness. Stigma not only directly affects individuals with mental illness, but also their family members and loved ones.

reason GYMHA provides awareness and empower people with the right information on mental health. Awareness also eliminates stigma amongst the people. When people are aware of their limitations and strengths, stigma naturally disappears. Stigma is the opinions and thoughts of the community which shames the mentally ill. Global Youth Mental Health Awareness, GYMHA, through her network of trained psychologists, mental health experts and healthcare advocates assist to create a community which accepts those who are “different.” Attitudes and behaviours move a community into either a positive or negative trend. If there is a negative trend, then the implications may cause a combination of denial and hatred. Therefore, GYMHA empowers the global community with programs and strategies that raise awareness on mental health issues.

GYMHA helps in creating awareness of mental health issues and providing avenues to address and eradicate them. GYMHA’s vision was developed in response to the growing need to communicate and engage with professionals to tackle the issues associated with mental health.

GYMHA advocates making mental health issue a priority because of the high rate of mental crises in the world today, which in most cases lead to loss of lives. Many think the mentally ill are lazy or just making things up. There is also the attitude that these people are crazy, possessed by demons, violent, out of control or dangerous. These are negative labels that have been attached due to the lack of awareness. GYMHA believes the more awareness to normalise mental health, the less the loss of lives.

Quite a number of people do not access mental health services because they are unaware of how to or where to get help. Lack of access can be due to misinformation about where to go or difficulty due to cultural or language barriers. That’s the

For GYMHA, awareness is key for understanding what mental health is, and how families can receive the help they need. Public knowledge is important in accessing community resources. Lack of awareness of mental health is not just

Global Youth Mental Health Awareness, GYMHA Incorporated, was established with a mission to Empower. Everyone should have someone to turn to in support of their mental health.

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“their” problem, it is a community problem. Global Youth Mental Health Awareness encourages the global community to be well informed about mental health issues as a way of life. To increase your knowledge on mental health issues, Global Youth Mental Health Awareness warmly welcomes you to the amazing GYMHA family. You can join GYMHA as a volunteer; attend health fairs, resource fairs, summits and more. Talk to someone about this article and ask them to share it with someone else. Join GYMHA to start a domino effect for awareness on mental health. Don’t be scared to talk about it. You can get more information about the resources and services offered in GYMHA. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Global-Youth-Mental-Health-AwarenessGYMHA-318074815739705/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/…/ global-youth-mental-health-awa…/… Twitter: https://twitter.com/GymhaOrg https://www.globalgoodwillambassadors. org/ YouTube channel: https:// youtube.com/channel/ UCQwrExehjRgmYgQcMBkQWUw Email: jude@gymha.org Phone number: +61481857086 Or visit the website: www.gymha.org

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ENVIRONMENT

THE MARCH TO SUSTAINABILITY By Marco Piemonte (Founder of Greenden ltd and Green Heart Dignity movement, and GGA Italy Director - marco@greenden.it)

eptember 11, 2021: the March to sustainability took place in Tarvisio (Italy), an event that wants to face the widespread “illiteracy” about the environmental topic, and properly discuss the 17 Sustainable Goals defined by the United Nations to better face three kinds of poverty “Intellectual, Food and Energy”, an event destined to become a stage for companies that we like to define EcoAngels for their Eco-Actions. It is a special day, a sort of party for sustainability, where seniors, adults, teenagers, and children share and enjoy moments of sustainability. The event was conceived by Marco Piemonte (Founder of Greenden ltd and Green Heart Dignity Movement, and director of GGA Italy) and co-organized in its second edition by Dario Ruggiero (founder of Long-Term Economy, and GGA Italy and Europe Chair), Arianna

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Geronzi, and Domenico Di Rosa (founders of Fashioning communicate fashion). The day of the event included several activities: Forest Bathing, presentation of the film MyPlanetFirst, Fashioning Show, Ventriloque show and treasure hunt. About 100 people attended the event with the presence of the mayor of Tarvisio, Renzo Zanette and Paolo Molinari, city councillor and internationally renowned researcher.

It all started in June, when Marco and Dario, after completing the one-year MyPlanetFirst project, decided to coorganize the second edition of the Sustainability March. Dario, who loved the event format from the very first time, was thrilled. Both decided to include a fashion show in the event, and for this reason they invited Domenico Di Rosa and Arianna Geronzi (they met online during a previous event) to organize that module of the event. It was really a race to sponsorships and to get the resources needed for the event. After waves of sweat, 10 September arrived and Dario (in train), Domenico and Arianna (by car) reached Marco in Tarvisio. The place (a typical mountain place) was spectacular, with clean air and full of trees and stars. After a quick dinner, they went to bed, ready to manage the next day’s event. At 9 o’clock many people were ready to do the Forest

Bathing with the expert Giulia Terlicher. At 10.30 everyone was ready for a wine aperitif. After that the works started with Marco, Dario, and Paolo Molinari (council member of Tarvisio) who gave their speeches, together with some of the sponsors. Afterward, the time came for the fashioning shows with 10 models wearing clothes made in a sustainable way by some little Italian brands. Then the lunch. After that, it was the turn of a fantastic show offered by the Italian Ventriloquists Association, with a great charismatic performance by the well-known Samuel Barletti (AVI President, and wellknown television personality, among the first and still most popular modern ventriloquists) and his disciple Peter Svetina. It was so exciting to watch how they give life (thanks to their special technique of speaking) to not-living creatures. After some dialogues with the students and teachers of the Brignoli school in Gradisca d’Isonzo and the Backman one in Tarvisio, the Treasure hunt was postponed to a future day. These are the words of one of the teachers (…): “the students enjoyed the event very much, and after it they feel much more prepared about the 17 SDGs of the UN”.

The Vice President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional Council, Stefano Mazzolini, closed the event with this short speech: “What you are doing, what you are doing Marco to make this territory a pool of sustainable projects must be welcome, and supported, and we hope that the Region is one of the first (if not the best) to run a track which is that of renewable energy since one thing the event focuses on is one of the most unfortunate poverty, “energy poverty”. We believe in renewables such as hydrogen and it is precisely on this energy vector that we want to work together. Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the most innovative regions in Italy in this sense, but I also believe in Europe. Therefore, I thank all those participants who came to this territory of the Val Canale to take part to this event. “

It was a great day, a great day where people from every age class shared their moments of sustainability. The event format can be replicated in other regions of Italy or in other places of the world. Please contact Marco or Dario for more information. The event is also a way to include the company sponsors in a wider project that wants to give birth to a market for sustainable products through an e-commerce platform that put together USA, Italian, Indian and Australian companies in one economic and environmentally sustainable corridor.

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THE WRITTEN WORD

THE POWER OF TRUTH By Maja Damjanovska Momiroska “Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with people the same happiness.”- Khalil Gibran “There is nothing more ancient than the truth.”- Rene Descartes

Does humanity love the truth? Truth is a multidimensional liberating force that purifies us and pulls us out of the clutches of the unknown to plunge us into real safeness. We are increasingly witnessing situations that represent the creation of a world in which to flee from the truth is wise, and to insist on it is a complete loss. Such a world, built on a negative sensitivity to the truth, massively produces untruths and lies, surrounded by hypocrisy. We do not want to see and accept such a world. Mankind has no choice but to face the truth and choose it, even though the lie sometimes smiles sweeter. There are countless examples around us where lying has been a deadly element for people and situations. False testimony in court destroys human lives. Justice is satisfied only with truth. False representations create a completely different picture of wrong conclusions. Not telling the truth undermines one’s destiny. Our inner world is only ours, but it gathers influence from this, the common, the real. Our inner, mental world is nurtured and developed by daily watering the desire for truth, as opposed to the alluring face of falsehoods. Is the majority unprepared to hear the truth about the facts, or about themselves? Do we need to produce fake news and believe in it, with distorted understandings, for the sake of success and fame? No matter how miserable we feel on the path to truth, in the end, discovering it gradually and in layers, approaching in every aspect and sincere will, is the only goal and force for the progress of the world and the satisfaction of our souls. Sometimes it is difficult to face everything around us so that we can deal with the things that push us back. What regresses and destroys my, yours, our world? Is it global warming, poverty, irresponsibility, envy, fake news? To look the problem straight in the eye and face the truth is a step forward. Taking action and reaching out to the voice for help to people and nature is a new concept of thought that should lead us unequivocally.

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George Orwell said: “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” That is why today the universe expects us to win many battles in which we must win by helping each other. The truth was a central theme of ancient philosophers. The conventional approach in analysing current situations is needed and necessary as never before. This approach implies that nothing else is acceptable, no other half-truth (or half-lie, anyway) is better than purifying through the crystal-clear image of truth. In the last few years, various social upheavals have occurred and significantly changed our daily lives. Therefore, we needed

to learn how to turn our backs on the relativization and fabrication of fake news that hinders world progress. By creating untruths and false news, the brakes on progress in all areas that need to be recovered are significantly touched. In the Corona period, we learned many lessons, both personal and social. Climate change and other natural disasters facing the world have awakened us to act here and now. The production of fake news that aims to hinder the progress of society is, in a way, another catastrophe that we must confront. If we try to leave the world and throw the blame on objective elements and turn boldly to ourselves, then what do we see? The subjective approach to what we accept and serve to our environment constitutes our well-being. Is our truth real and solid or loose and transparent? We need to be

stricter with ourselves and what we seek, reading nonsense. The world is global, real and independent of us, but we, as one of its links, can begin to change it, starting with the change of our mindset. Taking advantage of easy access to information and changing the global setting for its availability through all types of media has led to the danger of being flooded with lies, untruths and fake news. False news, as the greatest enemy, weighs on the shoulders of global society, destroying great heights and truths. Changing the mindset globally is not easy. But changing your approach to interpreting and creating fake news will lighten our darkness. It can blossom our garden. Let’s look at each other in the eye and spread our voice to burst the bubble. Why reality is the foundation, the step

towards liberation, the cause of gravity. The universe is thirsty for truth, for us to be unyielding. There is a link, a part of the whole, that stretches between the truth and what we believe in. And that is our knowledge. When we decide to step out of all zones, not just the most comfortable, and when the world decides to strive to open a new perspective on truth, new perspectives on humanity will open up. Cognition begins with the removal of illusions and prejudices. It means to see all reality in its nudity, to break through the surface with a critical and active effort to get as close to the truth as possible. The world needs us, honest and real, as we were created.

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LAW SOCIETY

FASHION IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE By Bojana Bogojevic

very year, on the fourth Friday in November, an unusual discount is organized all over the world: The well-known Black Friday. History of Black Friday At the end of the 19th century, the then American president, Abraham Lincoln, named the last Thursday in November a national holiday, Thanksgiving. On the first Friday after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping activities start and the most profitable days for traders come. As the sellers wanted the previously realized large income to be repeated from year to year, they came up with the idea to call that day a holiday of shopping. That’s how Black Friday came to be – the first Friday after Thanksgiving. I assure you our planet is in desperate need to green Friday. What about FASHION FOOTPRINT? The clothes we all buy and wear have very often to majority of consumers unknown ecological and social footprint. but the good news is, it is avoidable. It is highly important to understand how your simplest T- shirt can cause a huge environmental impact by generating big amounts of CO2. Fashion became a huge enemy to climate change. We are already facing draught ad it’s consequences but what about information that for producing simplest shirt of 250grams it is estimated we need about 2,900 litres of water, and for cotton bud ( which are unhealthy to use according to otolaryngologists) we need 4 litres. Are you surprised? I was. I was very proud I stopped using cotton

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buds long ago according to medical advice of specialist mentioned above. The scariest information is that every single stage of the production process creates amount of waste. If we want to contribute to sustainable fashion we shall avoid fast fashion. According to UNCTAD around 93 billion cubic metres of water , which for your information is enough to meet the needs of five million people - is used by the fashion industry annually, and around half a million tons of microfibre, which is the equivalent of 3 million barrels of oil, is now being dumped into the ocean every year. Pollution doesn’t end at the factory. As it is mentioned above every single stage of the production process adds to pollution. Fashion industry is responsible for more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Please do calculate and learn your fashion footprint : https://www.fashionfootprint.org/ If we want to help our planet in fight against climate change consumers and fashion companies must act together. We always have to have on our mind this : •

2,000 gallons of water needed to make one pair of jeans;

•

93 billion cubic metres of water, enough for 5 million people to survive, is used by the fashion industry every year;

•

Fashion industry produces 20 % of global wastewater;

•

Clothing and footwear production is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions;

•

Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned.

Remember over-consumptiot slowly but surely leads to extinction. It is important to know, where majority see waste there is environmentally sustainable business to others. So, before you next buy think carefully. Our single act can contribute to climate change. We shall avoid buying on a whim and buy responsibly. Our planet needs every act of our help. New pair of jeans can be bought even in secondhand store. There is no shame in reusing old things we all have in our wardrobe. Almost everything can have a new purpose. We can do it wisely and you will see it is very buget friendly.

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COVER STORY

KATERINA STOJANOVSKA DESKOVSKA Producer, Journalist, Author and Television Personality Story by JASMINA SIDEROVSKI

edia has become the agent of social change which helped and supported women’s empowerment in various aspects such as mobilizing the attention of the global community towards women’s rights and challenging discrimination and stereotypes across the globe. It assumes a role in activism by enabling the powerless to voice widely shared grievances and organise unequally distributed resources. A framework for media empowerment is offered with implications for the mobilising practices of grassroots leaders and organisations. A platform for society to be more aware of world issues, Many people use their voices every day—to talk to people, to communicate their needs and wants—but the idea of ‘voice’ goes much deeper. Having a voice gives an individual agency and power, and a way to express his or her beliefs Positive role models influence our actions and motivate us to strive to uncover our true potentials and overcome our weaknesses. Having them pushes us to make the most of our life. Role models are a must for self-improvement because we must have a standard to strive for or compare ourselves with. in the entertainment industry, to play roles as leaders or professionals, or even as women who work for a living set up

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the foundation for being good role models, and their work, to the highest standards. They respect people’s time, work and boundaries, and always look for ways to improve. Help us balance an appreciation of acceptable social action. Media influencers are an important part of this information network. They inform their followers of new products, new developments, and even breaking the news. Unlike advertisements that are designed to inform, the information that comes from individual influencers is organic and trusted. Katerina Stojanovska Deskovska is a perfect example of grace and beauty and a great role model to all her followers in Skopje, R of Macedonia. She is the epitome of positive work ethic, representation and leadership as a producer, host, and television host. Katerina upholds austere professionalism, dedication, and motivation. Her passion for humanitarian contributions is reflected through the good work of Filigrani and Euro Fest. A talented, driven and intellectually astute woman always empowering others to make an impact in our world. A true humanitarian in every sense of the word. Katerina stands out in her field because of her unique and in-depth understanding of branding and how to convey a brand message at a glance. Her experience and insight are a great inspiration to

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any person seeking to pursue a path in media entertainment. Her skills are an important asset as a professional - who takes the time to get to know each client so she can give practical guidance to ensure the segment achieves the desired result. Katerina is admired by the whole television network and is known as a vibrant personality who appreciates a good laugh and an important story. Her austere professionalism is her signature and talent who has embedded a legacy in the industry. Katerina, can you tell our readers about your life? I was born in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. My father Boris was born and raised in Dracevo and still, live there with my mother Verica (Serbian) their whole life. My sister Valentina is two years older than me. We both attended St Kliment Ohridski in our Primary years and High School at Braka Miladinovci in Dracevo. Growing up our childhood years were carefree and surrounded by our loved ones. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Majoring in Management and attended further studies for Speaker at the Macedonia Radio Television – MRTV. Is there a particular moment that stands out to you? During my traineeship with MRTV as a speaker under the leadership of Branka Stankovska, I was selected one of five women out of 500 students to further study and work in State television. You are a successful journalist, television presenter and producer. What are the most important lessons learned along the way in this industry? Originally, I worked as a presenter of a television program and then as the host of a game show. ‘Tri po Tri, Da se Znae da se Ima.’ After that, I was the Producer and Author of another Television morning show ‘Versku Kalendar Muzicki Magazin.’ Also,m “Nesto plus so Kate,’ a weekly program on MRTV featuring, horticulture, portraits, fashion, beauty, health and well-being, and morning cafes with licenses in their homes. 32 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

Is there any helpful advice you would like to offer to someone else who might be interested in following the same path? Be ambitious and determined! What are the three aspects you have learned about yourself in media? Three characteristics define who I am. Accuracy and Efficiency - especially for an event I am always early and eagerly wait for the crew, Responsibility and Accountability – Integrity is of utmost importance and ensuring that responsibility and accountability for any project I am working on. Never Give Up – Where there is a will there is always a way. Nothing is impossible. Are there any special moments in your career that have had a huge impact on your life? I have been recognised and achieved many awards in my 27 years of television experience, Some of these include: - Filigrani, Eurofest, Kaneo Fest - Ohrid, Serenade - Bitola, Goce Fest, - ARM Concerts and more Is there a challenge in your journey that stands out that may inspire others? I hosted numerous humanitarian concerts for Orphans in the Balkans on the coast of Bulgaria where I also hosted ‘Pirin Folk’ in Macedonian which was streamed live on their National Television Station. I have also hosted many concerts in Germany, where I always insisted my husband Zoran attend with me. We just celebrated 27 years of marriage in November 2021.

Who is someone you admire, and why? My inspiration is Branka Stankovska. She is an amazing leader who supports Macedonian speech. What do you consider to be some of your greatest achievements? I Co-Founded with Kostadin Kostadinovski the two festivals - Filigrani in folk music and - Euro Fest Tell me three things you can’t stand? Smokers and cigarettes, alcohol, and being late are my biggest dislikes. Do you have other skills or talents that most people do not know about? I am an avid reader. I love books. My sister Valentina is a qualified Librarian, and she is always passing over some great titles and new novels for me to read.

Who looks after your on-camera makeup? Zaneta Dzafer always looks after my oncamera make-up and events I am hosting. Lila is our Salon Diva. My husband Zoran is a professional photographer and cameraman. And my son Andrej who is an IT professional looks after all my technical needs. What are some humanitarian causes that you care about and support or play a role in? As a TV host, I organize a lot of humanitarian events! I host as a humanitarian and help organize New Year concerts like ‘Uzun,’ a fundraiser for the sick – more recently the case for Momo Nikolovski, Janko Uzunov, and Todor Proeski. On behalf of eYs Magazine, we wish Katerina all the best and wish her all the best in the television industry. Thank you for taking the time to let our readers get up close and personal in the life of a Media Role Model Personality.

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eYs YOUTH

KRISTINA APOSTOLOSKA

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NEW ZEALAND WOMEN IN FOCUS

KIM CHAN, THE SUSTAINABLE FLORIST AND EVENT STYLIST. By Clare Erasmus

‘Where flowers bloom so does hope’ - Lady Bird Johnson

’ve known Kim Chan for several years and have always been intrigued by her beautiful floral creations and extravaganzas, her ability to transform venues into fragrant floral fiestas and her strong sense of ethical integrity. Kim is no ordinary guru of floristry, she has sustainability at the heart of all her creations, as she skillfully creates beautiful masterpieces and prepares events with distinction. The History of Kim Chan As a young girl growing up, Kim was always creative and artistic and was struck by the beauty of flowers one day as she passed by a flower shop.

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“I started in flowers when I was about 20. I walked past a flower shop with flowers spilling out of the shop, and that was it. I called the shop owner for 3 months every day (or nearly) until he gave me a job. I was always quite crafty-arty and creative but until that day didn’t really pay too much attention to flowers.” Kim Chan Kim Chan’s Philosophy Kim Chan personalises her creations and events by getting to know her clients and unlocking their rationale for the event and the message they aim to convey. Taking the time to gain a deep understanding of her clients, Kim is then able to really understand the ‘essence of purpose’ for her clients. She creates amazing moments that are cherished for years

environment and the precious resources for generations to come. Sustainable Floristry There is no doubt that Kim is a leader in her industry and what sets her apart is her passion for caring for the environment, our world. Kim Chan is at the forefront of sustainable floristry. This is borne out of her experiences across the world and her genuine love of nature and the environment. As such, Kim is an active member of the Sustainable Tourism Network, with a vision to reducing her business carbon footprint in Aotearoa. Ever mindful of the impact on the environment, her business is committed to reducing, reusing and recycling. With a committed focus on sustainability, Kim invites her clients to join her and the team on their journey to reduce, reuse, recycle, repair and research new and innovative ways to drive sustainability. Why and How does Sustainable Floristry work?

to come. Central to Kim’s business philosophy is taking into consideration the environment and sustainability.

“We consider the environment and take care to tread lightly and where we can reuse, repair and recycle.” Kim Chan Through meaningful conversations with her clients, Kim is able to meet their requirements. She acknowledges that like many other sectors, there is a growing understanding and acknowledgement to work more sustainably, to care for the

Kim knows that the floristry industry has historically contributed to plastic pollution and high carbon emissions. So just how do Kim and her team effect change?

“I think it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of our beautiful planet. Having lived in Hong Kong where there was no space for storage and huge events this made me super mindful of what we were doing and why.” Kim Chan Naked Bouquets The naked bouquet is just one of the ways that Kim Chan Florist and Event Stylists help make the change. These are beautiful elegant bouquets that are wrapped in newspaper

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and tied with twine and this is what makes the bouquet compostable and allows florists to work harmoniously with nature. Reuse and Recycle Another really important part of her drive to be sustainable is to reuse and recycle flowers. She achieves this by taking floral arrangements after events and delivers them to a wide variety of places to enjoy them for a full round of life and pleasure. Some of these places are preschools, hospitals, hospices, rest homes, offices or other places of your choice. This allows the blooms to be enjoyed for their full lifetime. Kim has clear communication with her clients and she recalls that some brides have opted to have their flowers taken to police and emergency services to say thank you to our essential workers for the marvellous jobs that they all do to keep our community safe. Fresh and Artificial Flowers Kim loves to work with both fresh and artificial flowers and is able to maximise the beauty out of both. Having spent part of her working career in Hong Kong, Kim points out,

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“Coming back to NZ, I felt uneasy about using the range of seasonal fresh locally grown flowers in events and weddings. I knew there were wonderful life-like artificial blooms available. I was also able to create something really beautiful for a more affordable price, so I guess that is where it really all started. This really worked well and satisfied my need to create real beauty regardless of the budget.” Kim Chan Florist and Event Stylist appreciates that everyone loves the fragrance of crisp and fresh flowers and is really realistic about the environments of the events that she sets up. On some occasions, event spaces are too warm and the blooms wilt rapidly. This could eventuate in using too many blooms unnecessarily. Kim’s solution to this is to mix fresh with artificial and the result is gorgeous, with arrangements bold and beautiful, strong and long-lasting! The use of artificial flowers also works favourably when creating hanging floral displays, ensuring the safety of overhanging plants and thus avoiding hazards. The artificial floral arrangements don’t require water, which means a reduction in water consumption.

Recycling Vases Repurposed vases are another way that Kim leads in her sustainable floristry. Not only do repurposed vases help the environment, but they can also increase the longevity of the floral creations. Being able to recycle those unwanted vases means less plastic is used for wrapping! Reduce Waste and nonCompostables Moving away from the traditional use of floral oasis, Kim and her team prefer to deliver flowers using naked bouquets or through using repurposed vases. She also prefers to use reusable velcro rather than zip ties that can only be used once. The team also ensure that all cuttings, stems and left-overs from flower arrangements are composted, giving back to the earth. Kim and her team always aim to take the sustainable option wherever possible. Sourcing Local Flowers Supporting local growers, Kim sources most of her flowers right here in New Zealand. Where and when required to use international products she always ensures that they are ethically grown and harvested. Bee Hives are yet another way that Kim works with environment, with her own local beehive on top of workshop, she loves that bees are her partners with plant life. She harvests her honey and the products available to go with her dream floral bouquets.

the her her are

Kim Chan, we admire you for being a leader in your field and for leading from the front with your sustainable direction. You encourage others to do the same. You educate your

clients on how to extend the life of the beautiful bouquets you create and how to make sustainable choices when purchasing. Every business and client you work with knows how you care about the environment and you continue to share the message about looking after our world. You display pure ethical integrity, and you are consistent and uncompromising in your adherence to strong moral and ethical principles. We recognise and respect you and your team for ensuring that the work that you do is ethical and that the process you follow to create your floral extravaganzas and the products is environmentally friendly.

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WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

LINDA HANSEN OF FUND DUEL: WHY THIS GAMIFED FUNDRAISING PLATFORM IS A GAME CHANGER By Jules Lavallee

Fund Duel is all about giving back. Tell us about the platform. Fund Duel is the most breakthrough technology in global virtual fundraising for the past ten years. Fund Duel is the online solution for organizations, projects, and causes to raise more money and awareness for their cause because the platform capitalizes on social media sharing and exponentially reaches a vast online audience. Fund Duel makes fundraising fun, exciting, and interactive with its builtin gamification protocols. The most important aspect of each live/ virtual campaign is the use of powerful team captains that engage their employees, fans, spectators, and followers to join a great video and photo-based challenge. Team captains can be a mix of individuals, corporate partners, celebrities, leaders of government, media personalities, schools, churches, divisions of company, etc…. The mission of the company is to bless this planet and solve major global problems by engaging parties from all sectors to get involved, and they are realizing this mission one “duel” at a time. We want to bring attention to diseases, environmental problems, hunger, education, clean water, and many more issues. We invite the reading audience not to just read this article, and leave positive actions to others, but we invite you to act!!! Share your background and how it led you to launch Fund Duel. I have a Ph.D and have a Social Science background. For my dissertation,

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I researched the neurochemical and psycho-social motivation system of humans in negative and positive directions. I realized that our rising generation is consumed with technology and are often addicted to “self- absorbed” social media posting. All major social media platforms benefit monetarily from these addictive behaviors. An inordinate amount of time is spent viewing and sharing content on laptops and cell phones. I along with my daughter and cofounder, Jasmine Toomalatai, believed that we could create a technology that would engender a major shift in this behavior by rewarding and encouraging individuals to share selfies that reflect compassion for others rather than self. These types of posts we call “elsies,” because the sharing on social media is centered on empathy for those that are suffering or in need of help. Additionally, the gamification of the Fund Duel platform is replete with all the neurochemical and psychological rewards that inspire humans to engage in a cause.

These rewards are found in the competition and winning prizes which is what motivates sports teams and businesses to perform well.

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Another layer of reward comes from Oxytocin a mammalian bonding neurochemical that rewards us when we connect with others on social media and when we fulfill a greater purpose of doing good to others. Our platform also rewards users with humor and other video content that is emotive and tugs at the heartstrings. Finally, another layer of motivation comes from sharing content that highlights the unique talents of all individuals in all areas of human creativity. We follow the model of YouTube in championing all creators of wonderful content. What makes Fund Duel unique? Fund Duel is a game-changer and making major shifts in the giving world. We are democratizing fundraising by engaging the masses to get involved in the giving and sharing process. The traditional model of philanthropy has been a privilege of wealthy individuals who are invited to exclusive galas and golf tournaments to raise money for charities. Corporate sponsorship has traditionally been the exclusive opportunity of the C-Suite to cut sponsorship checks. Fund Duel has opened the floodgates for the participation of the masses and all levels of society to get involved. The goal is to transform the whole corporate philanthropy model. For instance, imagine the potential of corporations such as McDonalds to create a Fund Duel with all their stores by inviting customers and employees to join a fun photo-video-based challenge to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Houses. The campaign would be fun and global and have a huge impact while offering McDonalds great PR and visibility across all social media platforms. This is just one possibility there are so many others. Many charities have raised over $100,000 +. Share your successful campaigns. The magic of Fund Duel is its capacity to assist small and large organizations to expand their donor base and create an incredible number of views and social awareness for their cause. I will highlight two small organizations championed by two stellar women.

Another hero is Tori Plennes who decided to abandon the typical, traditional gala to raise money for her cause that services special needs children, Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Foundation. She decided this traditional way to fundraise had significant costs in time and money. Without doing a live or virtual event with all the headaches associated with doing these types of events, Tori decided to utilize our powerful platform with amazing success. After 30 days of a Fund Duel campaign, she raised $ 301,000 and was thrilled. Her team captains were groups of supporters and 5 companies from her hometown of Jackson Hole, Wyoming who received great visibility as their brand was shared by all participants. Tori sees Fund Duel as the online answer to fundraising. She observes the trends and finds that the old clunky forms of fundraising require too much effort and bandwidth. Here are the results of her campaign: https://www.fundduel.com/index.php/duel/642

Brittany Williams was the sole organizer of a campaign for Brylan’s Feat Foundation, a cause that raises money for medical supplies for families of children with a rare and incurable disease called Lymphedema. She activated friends to be team captains as well as a few companies. With 27 team captains she raised $85,010.00 in 30 days. She did not have deep resources nor celebrity influencers, but she galvanized grassroots efforts to engage 500 donors. The remarkable analytics demonstrated that this campaign went to 18 countries and had over 6,000 page views. These statistics are stunning.

Take us through the steps of a campaign.

https://www.fundduel.com/index.php/duel/687

Third, get some sponsored prizes to motivate teams to beat out the

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The most important first step when putting together a Fund Duel is reaching out to us and consult with our team on how to put together a campaign: www.fundduel.com.start Secondly, find great supporters such as companies within your sphere of influence to be team captains. They are the most influential people that will help champion your campaign. This fun video explains the role of a team captain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM-coHWY3Oo&amp;t=3s

competition and win a prize. It is important to have a fun challenge and a community that cares about your cause that will join and share the challenge. The St Jude Miami campaign is a great example of using all the great tools of Fund Duel: https://www.fundduel.com/index.php/ duel/565 Fund Duel is a grassroots organization. What have you learned over the past year? I have learned that with the pandemic of COVID-19 and subsequent variants, many organizations folded and closed their doors while others adapted and found new virtual ways to raise money. We were grateful that we could be an elegant solution for so many causes to raise more revenues and awareness for their causes with virtual events embedded on our campaign pages. Even though we are a young company without a huge marketing budget, we have advanced to the point where we have partners all over the world and have some magnificent campaigns on the horizon. Our Fund Duel family has grown organically, and I love our committed ambassadors and evangelists. Celebrities and Influencers have joined Fund Duel. Why is the platform a stage for fans/followers? We are so excited to announce that we are partnering with Ron Deshay, a former producer of American Idol, who was involved with the three shows of American Idol Gives. He was impressed with our platform because of the engagement of fan-bases of celebrities in a similar fashion that American Idol activated the television audience to vote on their favorite singer. Ron has an amazing initiative called “A Better World Project,” and will use Fund Duel as the platform to raise money for major celebrities and corporations as the team captains. The live and live-streamed two -day concert that will be televised on a major network will have a global audience. During this event, any fan of any celebrity or employee of any company can join the challenge by uploading a photo or video and as a result can get donations on their video and share on social media.

Any individual who joins the challenge or donates will be eligible for amazing prizes including experiences to meet their favorite celebrity. What is your vision for 2022? We are planning to be present at the World Economic Forum to champion a great cause, The Homeless Entrepreneur that spotlights the issues of homelessness around the world. We plan to work with our Fund Duel partner in Brazil, Getro Silva and his impressive team in engaging at least sixteen soccer (football) leagues in campaigns to benefit many charities in Brazil. Our goal is to partner with many global organizations that make sustainable improvements in the lives of suffering populations, including refugees all over

the world. The potentials are limitless and we are thrilled to be a staple of fundraising at sporting events, corporate conferences, music festivals, film festivals, and a staple for start-ups and great projects to advance their work. www.fundduel.com

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

THE TRIUMPHS OF TWO WOMEN By Marsha Casper Cook

Grace B. Charrier

hen a woman or man is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, their life is changed forever. We all know someone that has been touched with Cancer, but what we don’t always know is how their life changes the very moment they hear the words “you have breast cancer.” Only they know what those words mean and how they are affected from that day forward Upon receiving the diagnosis, having a dedicated team helping you find the right course of action is the most important element of your treatment. Every case is unique, and for that reason, this story is about two women, Carol Solomon Proesel and Grace B. Charrier, who fought the battle and won. Their victory wasn’t easy but they are both alive and well to share some of the more important issues that only Breast Cancer Survivors can speak to. Every Survivor has their own story. I know both of these women and honor their triumphs. October is Breast Cancer awareness month, but Cancer knows no time. Cancer knows no race or religion. Cancer knows no age or lifestyle. Cancer can happen to anyone at any time and no one is immune. Early detection is the best protection. Skipping your mammogram may cost you your life. According to the World Health Organization, Breast Cancer became the most common cancer globally as of 2021. 44 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

Carol Solomon Proesel Carol Solomon Proesel Carol Solomon Proesel has been happily married for over 51 yrs. She has been blessed with a fantastic daughter and 2 teenage grandsons. Her life revolves around her family, and she is a terrific mother and grandmother. Before moving to Florida, she lived in Chicago where she trained at Edgewater Hospital to become a Medical Technologist. After her training, she went on to work at several Chicagoland Hospitals, and then for private physicians. While living in Florida, she changed her career, operating and owning a Pet Grooming business for 40 years with her husband. She is a 14-year Breast Cancer Survivor, and has been the guest host for several years on Michigan Avenue Media Podcasts during the month of October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She has always been an advocate for early detection and the importance of mammograms. She is thankful for having an outstanding team that helped her every step of the way and continues helping women as well as men adjust to their new life after Breast Cancer. What is the most important advice you can give women concerning yearly Mammograms? And did you have any warning signs?

I am a firm believer in early detection and Mammograms. I have had fibrous breasts for many years and am diligent in having mammograms. I felt a lump that was unusual and a mammogram confirmed my suspicions After receiving your diagnosis, what steps did you immediately take? Upon a mammogram and ultrasound X-ray, I met with my surgeon and we discussed my options. Then I met with my oncologist to further discuss my treatment. After receiving your diagnosis, what were your options, and what was your decision on the best course of action? I was advised by my surgeon to remove my cancerous breast. The tumor was too large for a lumpectomy. Since I had dense fibrous breasts, I thought about it and decided to have a Bilateral Mastectomy or to remove both breasts. It was not an easy decision, but I felt it was right for me. I also chose not to have reconstruction surgery (even though) I was only 56 years old because I didn’t care about breasts anymore. Only thoughts were to beat this cancer and survive. Do you have any regrets as to your decision at this time? I have never regretted my decision to handle my treatment and not have implants put in. It was actually a very freeing moment for me. How important is nutrition during and after your diagnosis? Eating properly has always been important to me, and especially during receiving chemo. My chemo nurses gave me sound advice as to what I should eat, and also the importance of exercise. Sweet potatoes, green vegetables, and blueberries were big for me. AND lots of water. How long did it take you to resume your normal life, and did you find it difficult to adjust to your new lifestyle? For me, resuming a normal life was easy. I had the usual hair loss and brittle nails, but I never had fatigue. I was cautious around

other people because I was susceptible to germs, but it never stopped me. 3 days after my Bilateral Mastectomy, I was out shopping. I never felt the need to adjust. I just respected my body and moved on. What is your advice to others who face the journey into the light? And how important is the right attitude? My mantra has always been POSITIVE ATTITUDE. Never ‘why me’, just ‘okay, it is me’, and move on. Everyone has a different journey, but if you can focus on the positive, it helps you and others in the same situation. I used to visit others in the treatment rooms and cheer them on. We were all in the same boat, but encouraging words from others who were going through the same thing, helped them and me.

Grace B. Charrier Grace is of African origin and a resident in Brooklyn, New York. She became a mental health advocate in 2013. During this time, she was extremely active and fully immersed in high-impact advocacy with Member States at the United Nations, where she and her team worked tirelessly.

Grace became a cancer advocate by circumstance after being traumatized by a Stage 3 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer diagnosis in 2016. She never set out to become a global patient leader, she was discovered just by speaking her truth, and consistently sharing important content about her experience with breast cancer, and information about other cancers whenever and wherever she could because as she always harps, “all cancers matter.” Now considered an ‘expert by experience’, she presents on global stages alongside respected individuals and rockstars in the healthcare space. As a global patient leader, Grace wears many hats and is involved in several initiatives and projects. Suffice it to say, she has her hands full in cancer awareness, advocacy, and public policy, and serves on the panels of several national and international organizations. The opportunity to share her story and to raise awareness about the power of the patient voice through her social media platforms allows her to be a source of inspiration, and a good resource for those going through any tough diagnosis, such as cancer, any other chronic illness, or any overwhelming challenge.

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Grace also published her “un-put-downable” memoir “IMPOSSICANT!” at the peak of the pandemic and launched it on her birthday last year. Since then, it has received awesome recommendations and 5-star reviews. She shares her upbeat and fast-paced story about her breast cancer journey with so much faith, humor, and gratitude. What is the most important advice you can give women concerning yearly Mammograms? Do not delay having a mammogram, biopsy, or whatever it will take to ensure you are in the clear. In my case, it took an invasive biopsy for a definite diagnosis. Two earlier mammograms had proved inconclusive. Demand a screening, even if you are said to be ‘too young’, ‘not at risk’, or if you feel something is not right. Men have breast cancer too and they must be aware too. Having a genetic testing can prevent getting cancer just by knowing your genes, especially if there is a family history. Did you have any warning signs before you went for your Mammogram? I had no warning signs whatsoever. A terrible fall in my bathroom led to my breast cancer diagnosis. I refer to the fall as “the divine fall” because had it not occurred, I was a ticking bomb just waiting to explode. According to the textbooks, one must look out for symptoms, and since I had no itch, no pain, no pinch, or discharge, which are the usual symptoms, there was no way I could know anything was amiss. How wrong I was.

Grace sits on Patient Advisory Boards and her several affiliations include, but are not limited to, the following: •

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

•

Merck

•

Blue Note Therapeutics

•

WEGO Health

•

Fight Cancer Global

•

Rare Patient Voice

•

Advocates for Collaborative Education

•

Lead Delegate, eYs SDGs World Council for SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing)

Asides the many hats she wears, Grace hosts an engaging talk show: Cancer Convos with Grace B. where she invites experts and stakeholders in the cancer and overarching healthcare space to share their evidence-backed insights on several topics. She speaks passionately to just about anyone who will listen since cancer awareness, health literacy, and communication are her strengths. Whatever she can do to make a difference, and to inspire humanity, she is all in. Her traumatizing breast cancer experience is her WHY.

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How did you decide your course of action after receiving your diagnosis? As traumatizing and emotionally draining as it was, I resolved not to fight the process. I mentally conditioned myself to receive everything that came my way and go with the flow. I had countless meetings with my amazing medical team, and was actively involved in shared decision-making about the chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation processes. I asked a series of questions and educated myself on what to expect from all the treatments, and their side-effects. My team of specialists were always on the same page which heightened my confidence and positivity for healing, recovery, and survivorship. I was well-prepared and at peace with what was to come. How important is it to have a team in your corner from diagnosis to treatment to recovery? Nothing beats having a team or support system, but I tell patients that sometimes you just need one or two trustworthy persons in your corner to keep you sane, and assure you everything is going to be all right. This is crucial. For the other stuff you did prediagnosis: banking, shopping, cooking, household runs, those are important, but become secondary. Your support team can get those chores taken care of for you. Your mental health and wellbeing become top priority, and lending their shoulder for you to cry on is a BIG deal.

What is your advice to others who face the journey into the light?

After your decision on your course of action, did it change your femininity? My priority was to stay alive by getting on with the matter at hand, so the issue of my femininity was the last thing on my mind. Everything I had lost on my journey in terms of weight, hair, skin, fingernails, eyelashes, pieces of flesh, I knew would grow back and heal with time, but I could never have another life if I did not fight to keep the one life I had been blessed with. That was paramount and of the very essence. Thankfully, my femininity has been taken up several notches ever since my healing, and most important, my mental health, happiness, and humor are firmly on point. How important is it to have a good partner while you are recovering? Many chronic illnesses have proven to be acid tests for relationships. It is at times like these one gets to know the strength of whatever relationship one is in. Sadly, I know of separations and divorces that have happened because of a chronic illness. Believe me, you would be surprised that there is truly a thin line between love and hate. The patient is already dealing with so much, and does not need a toxic environment while going through the madness of a diagnosis. Therefore, it is better to call it quits or stay far away from a friend, spouse, partner, or blood relative who considers you a liability, than remain in a one-sided relationship and feel more vulnerable than ever before which could prove detrimental to the healing and recovery process. How important was having good mental health and the right attitude during your recovery? Acknowledge. Embrace. Deal. Overcome. These were the four steps I took at the time. It was my own way of dealing with my breast cancer journey. No one knows me more than ME. I went through a great deal of introspection to come up with this method, and it worked for me and my mental health. The moment I acknowledged

that there was a problem, the lighter my load became, and overcoming gradually became a done deal. How has your Podcast, Cancer Convos with Grace B, and writing your book, IMPOSSICANT, helped you as well as others through the darkness? Creating content and launching my YouTube show Cancer Convos with Grace B. has been a purifying and cleansing experience. My guests are distinguished and seasoned medical professionals with evidence-based insights, and I also host cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to share the patient experience and perspective. There is a constant need to encourage, support, and reiterate that there is light at the end of the tunnel if there is early detection and valid information. The tagline for my show is “Demystifying Cancer.” I break cancer down into bitesized pieces of information, and share hope and positivity in the process. Cancer should not be a death sentence as it was years ago. Publishing my memoir IMPOSSICANT has given me so much fulfillment as I receive emails daily from formidable readers and buyers of my book thanking me for the humor and inspiration I share in my quirky, inspirational cancer tales. My platforms have enabled me to collaborate, form friendships, and bond with rockstars in the global healthcare space and others. In addition, they have afforded me amazing opportunities to use my spaces of influence and contribution to finding health solutions and ensuring that the patient voice is and remains at the table.

There is light at the end of the tunnel if there is valid information and early detection. In addition, being a part of the ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel’ community is extremely important while battling cancer or any other chronic illness. Esprit de corps, if you will. Besides a solid medical team and support system, I attest to the fact that faith, positivity, and laughter lead to better outcomes. To anyone reading this, in facing the journey into the light, do ensure you receive unlimited doses of all three. Links for Grace https://www.amazon.com/dp/ B089VM74R7 https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracecharrier-021b03143/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCoicS9_zeq5owu7nluE1HjQ https://www.facebook.com/ cancerconvoswithgraceb/ Links for Marsha www.marshacaspercook.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ michigan-avenue-media-podcast/ id1375404913 www.michiganavenuemedia.com

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THE ARTS

CYCLES MOTHER AND CHILD By Maya Apostoloska

inally, I can have a proper shower. All my children are sleeping now.

The last days have been busy for me, and I also have an infection in my eye. Last Friday, after I dropped off my children at school, I went to buy more diapers for my two youngest children. They had used all the reserves in three days because of their upset stomachs. I had no sleep at all, checking them constantly and changing diapers and bedsheets during the nights. I also felt a sorrowful pain in my left eye and had no time to check it out. In the shop where I bought the diapers, my friend Asta advised me to take my eye seriously as it looked swollen and smaller than the other eye. I had no time for that now. Where am I going to find time for that? But if I feel no good, I cannot take care of the children. So, I parked in front of the apothecary, who then asked me for a prescription for the eye drops. I called my GP and organised it quickly. Unfortunately, it didn’t help. After my shower tonight, I applied for the second time today, drops of my breast milk in the eye. It felt very sticky. I have been breastfeeding for the last eight years. I breastfed my three children for approximately two and a half years each. My youngest for three and a half years so far. We only stopped a week ago and still have that need to hug and be very close to each other, though. 48 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

I am happy I didn’t stop him earlier. I also wouldn’t be able to use the mother’s milk in my eye. After two applications, my eye miraculously healed. Reflecting at a point in my life when the canvas on the open-cinema stage had fallen, I was very critical, and several people rushed to help. I thought about how important it was to react humanly to things and am less judgemental these days. I feel more. Asta had reacted humanly toward me and reminded me I should take care of myself as well. Motherhood; is the experience of having or raising a child. It has the same effect of adventure and spontaneity as childbirth, and every mother is a heroine in my eyes. Being a mother has taught me the purest lessons in my life. My children are my universe. My children were conceived with a lot of complications and suffered during my pregnancy. I kept them to take care of them. I will grow and protect them until one day I leave them alone to stand on their own two feet and let them get up and walk through their life on their own. I promised that when I let them go, I will make sure they know I will always be here for them. I will always have their mind and heart with me. Upbringing children requires time and nerves, and especially dedication and patience. As I get older, I slowly realise how much

truth there is in that: it is not just about doing things you need to know how to enjoy them. It’s like when someone asks me if the painting is finished or not. It’s not about that; it’s about the enjoyment I have while painting multiple series on one canvas. I learned that it’s not about what I completed that is important, but the feeling of satisfaction when things finished. Slowly, I become more aware of how much I have learned to live and work in a hurry. How the stress of getting things done as soon as possible has crippled and made me dependent on the time I am supposedly available. Living in a big city, these are the conditions I am governed by. I cannot buy time nor extend it, but that does not mean that I am just running through life without building memories.

When I visit the village of my In-laws, the race for time is non-existent. There is something magical there. A vision that I imagine living when I get older, my art, the mountains, fresh air, smell of cows, a vegetable garden, many flowers, and eternal peace. I remember my parents always told me not to hurry when I was doing something. I was a very impatient child, and today, I am the opposite. Very patient and calm. I do things differently, maybe slower, but with greater satisfaction. I have realised that I am the master of time. In this modern century, the children grow surrounded by and together with technology as well. It seems parents arrange activities after school and weekends for their children to avoid chaos at home

because of a busy workday at work, right? And they want a quiet weekend, right? I have the same feeling when children in the restaurant stare at the cell phones just to be quiet. This is not the way how to teach your child good manners and happens daily. For the sake of a moment of peace and our sanity, we are not animating the child; or teaching them from our heart. I am especially careful with all electronic devices when it involves my children. Parents ask me what are my children doing if they do not watch TV? Simple, they do art and crafts together with me, bake cookies, have arguments, cry, laugh and are learning to live a normal life. I do not want to steal the childhood of my children.

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DECORATE

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WHITE By Pamela Dalseno LOU LOU LIVING

ow is everyone? I do hope life has been kind to you. The spring of 2021 is upon us here in Nth Qld, Australia and it yet it really feels like summer. The tropics quickly take on that balmy feel very early. The time and our climate is feeling right to style up our homes, maybe it’s time to give them a fresh new look as this can certainly give more light to our mood and energy and give us enjoyment ahead. The Covid -019 Pandemic is not letting go and we all more than ever are spending more time in our homes. I believe that home beautification sales have soared. From my experience in home styling over the many years there is a favourite ahead of all colours to choose and that is WHITE. It is an amazing base colour to use when painting, choosing and purchasing furniture. Please don’t think that’s simple to choose as there are countless shades of neutral shades of white offering. The thing is how to choose which WHITE! The right WHITE for your needs. Pure white is rarely used and to elaborate on that there is so many tints available. Testing for the exact colour of white on perhaps some swatches with some sample pots of paint and comparing them with a piece of pure white paper may give you ease in selection. Just be sure it’s exactly as you are wanting.

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The colour white has been such a popular choice in request for upstyling of furniture by Lou Lou Living. I do declare it was tricky to find the exact white to offer which would suit and blend with many other colours and the styling of homes of others. As a stylist I feel I have nailed it and what I call the LLL white has been a popular choice. Most modern interiors are usually brilliant white, where bright whites won’t work in traditional homes so a warmer hue of white is more suited. My own home is more earthy and traditional in construction and so it needs a warmer fresh and subdued white however a very modern home build will require one that is more bright and cool. It just seems to work better that way. There are also things to consider about how light fills your space too whether it be natural or artificial light. Light globes can throw such a different light into your space. White is not just white as it can certainly vary.

In our home the white of our painted furniture by Lou Lou Living of course is a warmer white which I describe as a light stone coloured white. It works well with our natural slate floors and the use of natural stained timbers of the construction. Our walls are mostly white except for a feature wall. This white is one I have used in our last two homes as the build of both of them being more rustic and traditional. Overall our home presents as a very neutral colour scheme, it’s definitely relaxing, charming and comfortable which is our desire. I love the lived in look of styling where you can sit relax, look out at to the view of our tropical gardens which we are fortunate to have and feel blessed. There is no fight against the colours of the beautiful tropical foliage outdoors, so WHITE is perfect. Coastal, Hamptons, City Chic homes all look fabulous with interiors in whites as do many more styles of homes. In using white it allows for accessories to create the mood of how your home will style. Add your botanicals, add your cushions, add your throws and your treasure and before you know it that white you have chosen as your base colour is alive with love for your space.

The trick with using white in your home or space is that it firstly gives the optical illusion of having more space. It is a known fact it does just that. This will also be achieved if your furniture is of a lighter colour and particularly if it is larger pieces of furniture that are in the white tones. Once upon a time our home furniture was all natural timber, stained and polished but much has changed since once upon a time and we love our variation of white now to suit our spaces. Time ahead is all a balance of our own input of love and care within our surroundings. Have you now thought of your own and any changes that you feel might just suit for you?

Wishing you wellness in health and happiness ahead for the remainder of 2021, keep safe and let us all look forward to 2022 being more improved in many ways of love, health and success for all of us. Love, Pamela D. xx

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CREATE

THE POETRY OF PORTRAITURE By Anita Rachelle Roe

elcome to the final edition of EYS Magazine for 2021. At this exact moment, I am asking myself where the year has gone, and what a year it has been! I am so fortunate that the light restrictions here in Queensland haven’t had much of an impact on day to day life, however it has been a trying time for small businesses with most of us experiencing a massive drop in sales over the last eighteen months or so. Saying that, it has been an intensely creative time for me personally and creatively. I have released some new jewellery collections that truly absorbed my heart and enjoyed extra photo shoot sessions with creatives and like-minded people. In particular, my recent home studio portrait session with a dear friend and her sister, may just be my favourite so far. Utilising another of my latest backdrops and jewellery collections for a glamour style studio shoot was refreshing and I absolutely love the results. 52 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

When your contributors share the same passion, it truly is reflected in the results. I felt so passionate about this last collaboration that it led me to invite my model sisters Kaitlin Lee and Bianca Hall to be paid ambassadors for my brand. I tuned in to a recent podcast for jewellery designers which suggested involving real women to represent your brand and it truly made sense. Sometimes a vision can seem too unrealistic. Working with Kaitlin and Bianca is an absolute dream. We have best friends, an aspiring model and a beautiful Mother of two with realistic lives and dreams of their own. There are seventeen years of friendship between us and I never thought I would see the day that we would be creatively working together, growing our confidence and reaching for our personal goals. It really doesn’t get any better than this and I cannot wait to see where our journey takes us.

silk tassels and neutral toned beading. The mixed media works well together. I took Samantha Wills novel, “of gold and dust” along with me to a recent photo shoot as a support of my newfound inspiration for this collection. I do believe that reading Samantha’s journey inspired me to get out of my own way and focus on my passion.

Rachel’s Beauty provided glamorous style make-up once again and I love the contrast and unique style she creates for each individual. The handcrafted jewellery featured in my home studio shoot consists of a very unique new beaded fringe collection as well as some incredible sparkling Aurora and Swarovski crystal pieces. I have teamed up with a family owned handcrafted jewellery business in Israel who makes the bases for my latest rings and bracelets. The beaded fringe collection is an exciting new range that has absorbed most of my free time of late. Once I started, I simply could not stop. About seven years ago, I ordered a huge spool of rhinestone cup chain and never knew what to do with it. Ideas came and went, but did not eventuate into anything. I had been staring at that spool for so long, then the ideas came out of nowhere and kept flowing. I particularly love my “Sahara Collection” which incorporates the sparkling rhinestones, feature crystals, gold findings,

Each piece of jewellery is a unique, original piece of wearable art and no two pieces are identical. I Love the idea that my latest jewellery is uniquely mine. There are no ready made pendants or factory mass produced elements. Even the ring bases are handcrafted and take several weeks to complete. I hand pick the genuine crystals and embed them with care. It is nice to collaborate with other passionate handcrafters who believe in quality pieces.

I used to wonder what it meant to “live your dream” and now I know. I have a fulfilling part-time job which provides me with time to devote to my personal passions and goals. As this is the last edition of EYS for 2021, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a joyous Christmas and New Year. May health and happiness bless your doorstep and keep you safe.

Thank you for supporting this incredible magazine and my journey. See you in 2022.

Models: Kaitlin Lee and Bianca Hall Make-up: Rachel Dodt - Rachel’s Beauty Toowoomba Jewellery: Rachelle Roe Studio Jewellery Designer Photography: Rachelle Roe Studio Photographer Novel: “of gold and dust” - Samantha Wills Website: www.rachelleroe.com.au

As ambassadors, Kaitlin and Bianca will road test various jewellery for quality and endurance, providing me with feedback along the way so that I can ensure my clients will be happy with their purchase. I am extremely honoured to combine my love for portrait photography and jewellery designing. There is something truly magical about photographing my jewellery and beautiful friends at the same time and it gives us the opportunity to catch up with each other, share our latest news, have a laugh and a glass of bubbly to celebrate whatever takes our fancy. Seeing their beautiful smiles down the lens and capturing their spirit and personality is priceless, then I get to live it all over again as I work on the images from our sessions. 53 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

INSPIRE

I WANT TO LEAVE. I WANT TO STAY. By Cosette Awad

“T

hey say you are not a tree, don’t stay at the same place.” It’s a saying that I never questioned. Belonging has never been a thing for me, since I was a kid I used to tell my mother “I was born on the wrong side of the world.” I always wanted to be anywhere but here. The thing about belonging in my personal humble opinion is about the place where you feel safe, where you collect beautiful memories and where you cherish the best moments of your life. The place where I was born, held the most painful memories, childhood traumas, tears, pain and loss. I tried to remember the moments of happiness I felt in this torn land I was born in, I found out that I could count them on one hand. 54 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

So I decided to collect what’s left of the hope I have for what’s coming next, and pack my things and leave to a place I can call home forever. Years ago, as soon as I got a chance I packed my bags and left, started over 3 times and I never regret it once. Not belonging gave me a sense of freedom, made me love the place I traveled to, and made a home wherever I go. I’m not saying that belonging is a bad thing, some people have roots planted where they are, where they were born, they are satisfied by the way they are living, and have unconditional love for their motherland and they refuse to leave, and they endure whatever fate brings them.

With everything going on in the world now many people all over the world are considering that where they live is hell, but with mixed feelings of “I want to leave. I want to stay.” Reem Ibrahim To belong, a quest I never ceased yet. I was born and raised in my beloved country, Lebanon. Lebanese by blood, by attachment, and by beliefs. I was raised to appreciate everything surrounding me, people, nature, school, even the chaos. I believed I belong there, I mean everything and everyone I love is there, my family, my friends, nature that I love.

But then I grew up. I witnessed how different I was compared to the people around me. How I appreciate the human and how they appreciate his sect, and his political ideologies. I witnessed how corrupted my country is, how I can’t achieve my dreams and my goals as long as I’m not a follower of a political party. Discrimination, and lots of it. All that, and I still had hopes. I and people who share the same ideas as me are able to make a change. I had this dream of the new Lebanon in me that kept me going and trying to seek the sense of belonging in that dream we shared. Change was near, change was real. Boom a sudden call to wake up, the 4th of August 2020 at 6:08 Pm. The Beirut’s port explosion. A year later, nothing, yes nothing has changed, no one was punished and people were forgotten. Currency decline, no electricity, no water, nothing... People are numbed. A sudden rush in me, I need to flee this tragedy, I don’t belong here. I left my country seeking that sense of belonging in a foreign nation. In a place where I have no loved ones, where I don’t resemble the people and can’t speak their language. And despite all that I felt like a human, I was treated like one. I know I can achieve my goals as far as I am working hard following them. I know that no one will treat me badly because I don’t share their same ideas or beliefs. I still don’t know if I can say I belong to this new place or not. Or if I will ever fit in here. But I know, I belong to my dreams, to my goals and to the hope that I will embrace my loved ones again in a place where a human is treated as a human just that. Lilianny Oliveira Hamad “...If you ask me if I want to live in any other place or go back to my country, I will answer you, definitely no”.

I wrote this approximately one year ago regarding my connection to Lebanon, a beautiful country that, unfortunately, collapsed due to lack of patriotism, care and a lot of corruption. Being part of a family that never settle in one place, I always had the need of feeling that I belong somewhere. I don’t feel the connection with my own mother land and I thought I would achieve this by living where I got married and my daughter was born, which is Lebanon. I’ve been thinking about what future me and my family can have here. Never expected to see this country hit rock bottom and as it did, so my enthusiasm for it. The beauty still there, the magic didn’t fade, but people just gave up. Some left or are planning to leave, others succumbed to the system of denial. Human rights basically doesn’t apply, basic needs are not basic anymore but considered luxury. Our heads keep on spinning around the idea that to leave is the best option because a simple trip to the grocery shop makes you depressed. You may say it’s like we are giving

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up...and you know what, yes it is. Giving up on been worried all the time! Emotionally, we are drained and as much as it kills to fly away, this now is the only thought. It’s a turmoil of feelings, and believe me when I say, would be much easier decision if it wasn’t Lebanon! I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m throwing a last card of hope, knowing that the probability of it is very low and if you ask me now if I want to live in any other place, I will answer you, definitely (not easy) yes. Manal Al Rahi I believe in everything freedom. Freedom of thought. Freedom of speech. Freedom of expression. Freedom of life. Financial freedom. Freedom in all its aspect is a human right, and should be accessible to all. This also stretches to freedom of travel and setting a life in any geographical location I, or you, wish to choose. From a very young age, even before being exposed to the western world and to the European culture, I questioned all the restrictions

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that were imposed on us as a small society, and specifically as women. Being Lebanese, a female, with parents born in rural areas who chose to live in Riyadh meant one thing: your life is dictated for you. Where you live, what you study, how to talk, walk, what to eat, how to dress, where to live and yes, even what to think. And then there was little me, who believed in everything freedom from the day I was born. At the young age of 12 or 13, I remember catching myself thinking: how come I need a passport to travel? Why can’t I just pack my bags and leave? The thought of having imaginary borders and lines created by human beings and calling them “countries” is still, to this day, a ridiculous and an outrageous concept. Growing up reading and watching Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days made me daydream of rolling a small globe and landing my finger on what would be my next destination. Travel worry free and border free. As you can see, or read more likely, I was never born to conform into the rules they dictated on us. Not only by our parents or family, but by this entire system and matrix that is separating us and discriminating us in any way you could think imaginable.

I don’t believe in physical roots. This notion of patriotism is alien to my understanding and logic. Roots are built through your spiritual path, not on a piece of land; and on this earth, as human beings, we have to learn to experience the physical and the materialistic aspect of this planet. This includes breaking free from the limitations of belonging to one place, and shedding blood defending something they told you is yours. Since the dawn of man, history is filled with wars to enslave, weaken, invade and imprison people, making them believe they belong to one country. One single land! So much blood was shed and countless souls and generations were wasted to construct a system that is dividing us and doesn’t serve us. It is a shame that to this day, in 2021, we, as humans, are still enforcing laws, all part of a political power game, that stops us from living were we really wish to be. “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” Charlotte Bronte. I believe in freedom. I believe we are citizens not only of this world, but of this universe entirely. I am a global citizen, I belong to this world. My sense of belonging is in The Universe.

It’s so unfair to be forced to choose between staying among your tribe, arguing with and teasing your parents and then having coffee with them, and your dreams and ambitions; between your land, sea, and sun and your right to food, housing, and medicine... It’s so unfair to be forced to choose between a crazy Sunday afternoon with your nephews and nieces and your right for the least certainty a human being can get in order to thrive, to feel ok and to be able to work their dreams into reality… It’s so unfair that kids talk about how expensive life became! About the dollar rate in the black market! That they think power cuts everywhere in the world as it does here! There is too much darkness here, on the streets and in my heart… It feels guilty over here, towards the others because it happens that I am more fortunate, towards my parents who like all parents deserve a calmer, better retirement… and towards my future self who is eager for an opportunity to shine, to travel the world, to own a house… No, I’m not a coward, I demonstrated back in 2015 for a solution to the waste crisis and we were attacked, I demonstrated in the revolution, and people have divided once again, like every time…

Mirna Naddour

I close my eyes and try to find a moment of peace that might bring some clarity with it…

How to leave a Homeland

It’s so hard to decide…

Here I am, sitting by your sea, watching your sunsets and thinking about leaving you…

To leave or not to leave? …

Forgive me for I’m losing hope in you, Forgive me for I’m thinking to leave, If I stay I’ll hate you and if I leave my love for you would be my forever spell. I would always think when I’ll be back to your streets, your villages, my village, my beloved big family Imagining myself becoming a video call unable to hug my nephews and nieces whenever I want to and for how long they let me (yes I do exaggerate sometimes), makes things even worse… You may be thinking I betrayed you, you may want me to stay and fight for you, but how would a dying soul fight?... They took everything from us: our hope, our basic rights, our union, our safety, our sanity… they took your light and your kids away from you…

We are orphans here with no accountable government to protect us, to help us and Beirut heal from the cold case of the port explosion, to lift us out of poverty and the absurd we drowned in. To leave or not to leave… To leave for freedom, security, certainty, dreams…or not to leave for family, memories, roots… To not leave and start to hate the things you love or to leave and miss them to pieces… Model: Rita Sayah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rita.sayah Director of photography: Omar Adawiyeh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adawieh_photography Photographer: Omar Adawiyeh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adawieh_photography

They killed us all on August 4th and are killing us more and more every day.

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SO TELL ME …

ABOUT PSYCHIC MEDIUMSHIP By Natalie O’Connor

Thank you for joining us, Elissa. Could you briefly describe who you are and what you do? Hi, my name’s Elissa Markovska, and I am a psychic medium. I connect to people that have passed over. I connect to spirit. I can see them, or feel their message. I just pass on messages to people from their loved ones that have passed over. What is a psychic medium? I can only speak for myself as to what I do. Mediumship, is connecting to spirit, I feel it brings a lot of healing to people. People pass over and their loved ones, sometimes are left with unresolved issues. Just to be able to pass on that message that, hey, we’re still here. We’re watching you. It brings healing and comfort to know that their loved ones are still watching over them. They haven’t really gone. I do believe that we’re just all energy. Once we pass over, the energy of that person that was here, is still there. We can’t see them, but they’re still around. What is the difference between psychic and Mediumship? Mediumship is connecting to the other side, but you still tell the future by connecting to the ones that have passed, which is what psychics do – they tell the future. I give them messages from their loved ones. So, they tell me about their loved one’s future. I’m just the medium in between the two worlds. I get the message and I pass it over. Its talking about the past, the present and the future, because if you don’t say anything about the past of the person, if you don’t give evidence, how does the client know that you’re really connecting to them? It is giving information about what they look like, or what happened, or what was, or where they live. They give me the information about the past, so that people can know that is them. That is what I do – psychic mediumship. Whereas I feel psychics connect to the person’s aura. We all have an aura, and psychics pick up intuitively on the aura of the person, and they give messages that way. They’re not necessarily a medium, they don’t necessarily connect to loved ones, they’re just picking up on their client’s intuition and picking up the person’s aura.

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I can imagine you bring a lot of comfort to people, knowing that their loved ones are still safe and happy? Yes. That’s what my clients really want to know. It’s interesting to see that we have issues here, but once they pass over, they’re not interested in the material things, it’s more about the wellbeing of their loved one, or their happiness rather than materialistic things. Once they pass over, it’s all love. So whatever issues they have here, they leave them behind.

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It’s amazing to see, I find it time and time again, if you weren’t a good parent or weren’t present with your child, and then it’s like karma, they end up being your angel, your guardian angel, or looking after you. How did this journey for you start in psychic mediumship? The first time I saw spirit, I was five years old, but I didn’t know what it was. I know now, but at the time I jumped in my parents’ bed. I could clearly see the shadow of a man. I still remember, even though it was a long time ago. My grandmother was a medium, so that’s all she used to talk to me about that. A spirit lives on, we don’t die, and how she used to see them. My outings as a little girl, was at the cemetery with her. Where I grew up, in Macedonia, they used to bring food to the cemetery and talk to the dead. I would remember pinching her food and just going around to all of the graves in the cemetery and just talking to them. So, it was a normal thing for me because of my grandmother. Was your grandmother teaching you how to connect, how to talk to spirit or was she just telling you, her experiences? She was just letting me know the things that I have now read in books. Our soul lives on, we reincarnate, we don’t die. We have a contract about our life before we come here. Our life is mapped out. She told me about her experiences. I didn’t take this up until later in my life, I guess all my knowledge still stayed with me. When I was reading books on mediumship, I thought wow, this is everything that she used to tell me. It kind of came back. I haven’t done much training as a medium, it was kind of natural for me. It sounds like your grandma was an amazing teacher. Did you do a lot of training as a child? My grandmother would teach me by simply talking to me. I lived in a different city to her, so three months at a time during the school holidays, I used to spend time with her. I used to sleep in her bed, and that’s all she talked about. The funny thing is, I was never afraid of spirits or the dead. I always wanted to find out more, but when she’d take her teeth out, and I’d go, “Ahh!” That’s what frightened me! Oh, poor grandma. That sounds like you had a beautiful relationship with her and that connecting with spirit was passed down from grandma to granddaughter. Well, yes. I feel I’m honoring her by doing this work, because she couldn’t do it. She used to have ladies in the back of her house, or she used to hide to do this work.

So, it is your passion? Or why do you feel the calling to do what you do? It’s my passion, but I feel it was my purpose. It’s what I came on earth to do. There’s a lot of people maybe that don’t find their purpose. I was lucky enough to. I just feel this is what I was born to do. This is what I came on earth to do. Even though it took me a long time to do it, I was avoiding it. I didn’t want to be doing it. But once I started, I knew that it was my purpose. What do you wish people would know about psychic mediumship? I just wish, some people would be more open-minded, because there’s a lot of people suffering. People do suffer, and I just feel they really don’t need to suffer so much. I do what I do for my clients healing and to relieve suffering. Once they know that their loved one is not really dead, that they’re not gone. They just can’t see them, but that they are watching over them, and that love between the spirit world and here never ever dies, it just relieves a lot more suffering. If someone had never been to a psychic medium, what would you say to them, what would be a typical consultation with yourself? I would explain what I do. Now a days I get a lot of repeat clients. They know me, so they come for the mediumship, but at the beginning I would explain that I connect to spirit and that’s how I get my messages. I just explain to them before I start. Do you see, feel, or hear spirit? All of them. I feel, I can see them, because I described them. So, I see them, I hear them, and also sometimes it’s just a knowing. I just know who it is. It’s like they use all my senses. That’s what the spiritual world does. They use all your senses, wherever they can get through, they get through, in whichever way. I suspect it can be quite overwhelming at times where spirit can just come to you. Are you able to tune that out, when you’re not working? Oh definitely. Yes. If I don’t switch it off, then I wouldn’t be able to function, or I wouldn’t be able to do this work, because it does take a lot. It’s like operating on a different vibration frequency. I need to look after myself and switch off. What are the things that you do to switch off and to look after yourself? I do a lot of bush walking. I really try to look after myself with my diet and I do meditation.

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Is your work taxing or draining? It can be draining. I mean, I’ve been doing this now full-time for about 10 years, and I can’t do as much as I was doing. I know my limit. I know what I can and can’t do, and that’s what I follow. Otherwise, I would have been burnt out by now, and wouldn’t be able to do it at all. It’s just a matter of learning what works for each individual. Is that something you’ve learned over time, or is that something your grandma would teach you as well? That’s something I learned the hard way for myself. Has there been a situation where you just couldn’t get in contact with anyone on the other side? Never. When I first started, that was my fear. I used to go, “What if no one comes?” I mean, I carried on like that for years. Then I thought, what am I worried about? There’s always somebody that comes. You have a strong passion for what you do and for being of service to others. I don’t do this for myself. It is to be of service. That’s why I think you’ve actually got to do it for the right intention. The intention of just pure love, and you do it for the love of the work and the respect of the client. There’s no other intention for me, than that. I can imagine you would be bringing a lot of families and friends back together with the work that you do. Reuniting them and letting them know that they’re safe and they’re loved, and just bringing that love back together, once someone’s past. Yes. I see this especially when someone has committed suicide. There’s a lot of unanswered questions, the why and how, and what could I have done? I really like bringing those spirits through, because

I think if your son or daughter has committed suicide, that’s a never-ending pain, or it would be always questioned, why did they do it? I’ve seen the pain of losing them doesn’t go away, but they’re more at peace, because they don’t feel as guilty as they know that they’re okay. There’s a lot of myths about suicide that they go somewhere else, or they go to hell, but I don’t believe that. I still believe that when we exit this world, it doesn’t matter in which manner, we’re just meant to go. Just to let them know that they’re okay, it’s okay, that you couldn’t have stopped it. I can just see a lot of relief with those cases. I saw a YouTube video with you doing a reading at an event. A man came through who was the husband of a lady in the audience. He was telling her that she’s been going out a lot after he’s passed. A lot of holidays and such. All of her friends started laughing. She replied with “Yep. I’m on holidays next month.” It’s so nice to see that the humor still comes through. There’s a lot of that, and that’s what I love. I do love that part of it, because it’s not all doom and gloom, because they are funny from up there. Is there anything else that you’d like to share about what you do with people? I guess, just to let people know that their loved ones can see them and they do watch over them, and they really can assist in their life. They can assist in making things happen. Just because they’re on the other side, they are still very much a part of your family, and they can assist in helping with you here. So, if we wanted to, we could still talk to them, even though we’re just talking into an empty room? Would they hear that? They hear and can see you. Yes, you can ask for things, because they tell me that, they tell me ‘my family talk to me, they chat to me’. So, they actually know, if you are talking to them, they would know that.

Could you even ask for a sign to know that they are there? Yes, I used to do that all the time to my grandmother. I would ask her, ‘which way should I go? If you can’t tell me, just let me dream about it’. Then I would dream about the answer of what I was asking about. So yes, you can ask them. So, we can connect, and if we need more clarification, we can always come and see you? That’s correct. You can do this yourself but sometimes seeing someone, like myself, who is not connected to either of you can be easier, as there is no emotional connection and it can be easier to receive their message instead of second guessing what you believe they are telling you. If someone was interested in learning more, where is a good place to start? Are there good books out there? Yes. I’ve nearly finished my book. I’ll be having a book published soon. It explains a lot about mediumship and about my work. But that’s not as yet published. I will also be running workshops again shortly. Where would be the best place for people to reach you? Just on my Facebook page, Elissa-Psychic Medium. Thank you, Elissa, for your time and sharing your story with us. Thank you for having me.

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LIFE COACH

THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING OTHERS By Debbie Kemp

Please offer your support As we approach the end of 2021, I feel the pull to write an article for anyone who is struggling. I’d like to think of it as an awareness piece… as a reminder. I know that different parts of the world are at different stages of ‘living with covid’. As an Australian contributor to eYs Magazine, I’m currently in the process of what the media is calling ‘our path to freedom’. This is a staged process of the Australian and State Governments allowing Australians to enjoy certain social liberties under specific conditions. Yes, by definition it’s a somewhat ironic concept, but let’s move on. I hope that our readers outside of Australia can relate in some way to where we are at, and that this article creates awareness for

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someone you know, someone who might be dealing with challenging times of any kind. By the time this article is in print, many Australians will have enjoyed what is being coined ‘Freedom Day’. There is excitement about restaurants and clubs being open to the public, and excitement that people can finally gather in groups once again. I truly hope a lot of people get out and about and enjoy themselves. I hope that families and friends come together after way too long, and that loneliness turns to joy for many. But the empath in me knows that this won’t be the case for everyone. I’d like to bring awareness to the fact that there will be people who continue

to struggle, despite the media’s focus on ‘freedom’. I don’t wish for this article to dull anyone’s excitement, I’d prefer that it serve as a reminder for us to check in on our friends and neighbours and others in our community, and as a plea for widespread compassion and acceptance. There will be small business owners who haven’t generated an income in months, some who’ve gone into debt, who need to spend significant money to reopen. These small business owners may feel less free than ever before and may not feel like doing anything social. They’ll likely be too busy, cutting as many costs as possible by doing the work themselves, and doing their best to understand and manage the Government’s ever-changing small business regulations. Please offer these people your support.

There will be parents who’ve spent months juggling their jobs with home learning, and who’ve become utterly exhausted by the big emotions of their children competing with the demands of their job. They may not have a strong support system and may be resigned to the belief that freedom just isn’t a feeling they can access. They’ll likely be busy catching up on their paid work, their home responsibilities, and the new procedures involved in their children’s schooling. They might even prefer a nap to a night out. Please offer these people your support. There will be people who’ve long suffered the debilitating effects of anxiety, who’ve spent many years developing social skills and resilience, and who’ve recently spent several months inside their own home with very little social interaction. These people will almost certainly experience a regression in their social confidence and might do their best to continue to retreat. Anxiety is such a growing disorder in all age groups, yet it can be incredibly silent or even secret. A busy social environment might send an anxious person into a world of panic, so it is important that people with anxiety are offered opportunities to connect in a way that works for them… a way that feels supportive. Please offer these people your support. There will be people who are unable to participate in society’s ‘newfound social freedoms’ because they can’t or won’t meet the conditions that have been laid down by Governments. For some, anxiety will absolutely be a contributing factor. For others, a fragile health condition may make a specific medical procedure more risky. Society tends to assume that a medical exemption would cover anyone with a relevant health condition, but a quick glance at the government’s form tells another story, and some people are left to make a choice between one risk and another. Please offer these people your support. What might be a fun, exciting and joyful time for some, will always be a challenging, confronting, and difficult time for others. Such is life.

need a hand? Why not ask a parent if you can take their kids for an afternoon? Why not offer to bring coffee to someone who isn’t able to or doesn’t feel good about going out?

That said, how comforting it can be for those going through a difficult time, to be supported by the people around them. Grand gestures aren’t necessary, some kind words and a hug can make all the difference. Also, why not ask your friend in business if they

Let us not forget our differences as we move forward. Let us remember to take care of each other. Let us be accepting and understanding, compassionate and kind. Let us offer and receive support. Let us give and receive love.

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FEATURE

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTY DURING LOCKDOWN By Toli Papadopoulos

OTE: I am not a psychologist and don’t have any formal training in mental health. However, I am motivated by improving the lives of young people through better well-being and mental health practices. I am a journalist by trade (currently I work in communications in the public sector) and so my natural inclination is one of curiosity: i.e how do we build a better self? I believe mental health is like a muscle, we can exercise it and build strength. While our genes or experiences can make us prone to chronic issues, we have the power to build our mental muscles through healthy lifestyle practices. These practices are adjuncts and not an alternative to talking to a mental health professional and/ or considering medications supervised by a medical professional when required. As I write this article, Melbourne is in the depths of its sixth lockdown – the impacts of which perforate through our society. While the necessity of locking down has proven to save lives and reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 (which can have severe long-term health impacts), there is undoubtedly a significant impact on mental health. Unemployment, feelings of isolation and loneliness, loss of hope and despair for the future are all real and not insignificant impacts on our society. In this vein, many of us have become tired and fatigued with the checking the daily news and have begrudgingly accepted that it will be a number of weeks before sufficient vaccine coverage allows the lockdown to be lifted. But how do we cope with broader uncertainties and how can we make the best of a difficult situation? It’s important to note that we all experience suffering to varying degrees and our individual situation will vary. Some people might not know when their next pay check is coming – you might own a business and operating under lockdown conditions isn’t feasible. Others suffer more complex inequalities of which I cannot even begin to understand. The following tips may be of assistance to you in dealing with the feeling of uncertainty that lockdown and COVID-19 bring.

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Ask yourself – how do I want to remember how I dealt with this experience? If I look at my own experience – I have always prided myself on the notion of resilience. However, when things are going well, it’s easy for us to look our circumstances and say ‘if things ever get rough’ I am sure that I could deal with them or the old adage ‘life is full of ups and downs’. But when those downs actually come, it’s certainly easier said than done. Remind yourself of a better time when you made those assurances, ask yourself: how do I want to remember myself during this experience? You may find the idea of being resilient or living up to your true sense of self has a self-motivating factor. What resources do I have right now and how can I use them? What is something you can do right now that would help position you for a better future. Maybe it’s establishing healthier habits or a more regular exercise routine. Is there a professional development

course you can enrol in (Coursera or FutureLearn have a variety of free courses) to help develop your skills or support a better you?

Remember a time when you were hiking or walking through spectacular scenery and you saw those sprawling mountains or greenery. How did you feel in that moment? This is the exact same feeling – one of insignificance, yet a feeling of solace.

Look to better your mental health Regardless of whether we identify as ‘stressed’, ‘anxious’ or ‘depressed’, talking to a clinical psychologist regularly can provide space and perspective from your thoughts. As mentioned above, it can be beneficial to think of your mental health like muscles that can be built. Talking to a professional may help you unlock a self-awareness you weren’t fully conscious of and you might find there are unhelpful patterns of thinking and feeling that are hindering aspects of your life. Staying ahead of the curve can also mitigate the risk of worsening mental health down the track and also help build patterns of resilience. Likewise, you might want to consider mindfulness meditation, which has a variety of benefits in reducing stress and may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression to the same degree as antidepressants for some people. A regular exercise routine can also have similar benefits. Find some exercise or activity that suits you, whether it be tennis, running, boxing or Zumba. Explore philosophy and/or spirituality Socrates the Greek philosopher said ‘An unexamined life is not worth living’. Introspections helps us in our pursuit of wisdom and can provide perspective and space from our situation. For me, as a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and was born of Greek

Here’s a list of books you might find useful (and in my top four):

background. The meaning I experienced in my life was often with my family enjoying the little things. I distinctly remember sitting with my grandparents in their front yard in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran just watching people pass on the street. Together, it was as if we were watching the world go by and feeling a sense of calm and serenity. When I think of this situation, it reminds me of a simple time and I remember life as a series of experiences and the various phases we move through in and out of. My grandparents have now passed away but these experiences and their memory lives on in my being. Likewise, exploring some of the many literary works on philosophy or spirituality can provide you with perspective or meaning to your experience. Stoicism for example focuses on the dichotomy of influence and control and remembering through our mortality that everything is ephemeral. Realising how little control we have over things in the universe can re-orientate us and make some of our routine desires (whether it be a higher salary, new relationship or otherwise) feel insignificant.

Reading self-help books, philosophy or other relevant literature can often help provide valuable tips in dealing with your problems. That doesn’t mean they are a silver bullet, and although you may feel excited reading them in the moment, you have to put the tips into practice, which takes time, patience and occasional frustration. Remember, sometimes you have to take a step back as you take two steps forward and that mental health is not always a linear experience. The following books are ones that I have found useful: 1. Meditations – Marcus Aurelias 2. The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle 3. Flourish – Martin Seligman 4. Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E. Frankl Conclusion Nobody knows what tomorrow brings and lockdowns will have different impacts on everyone. While we might not have control over our circumstances, we might find that when we truly reflect and look around – there are many things we can control. Toli Papadopoulos is a Media and Communications professional with experience in journalism, public service and integrated marketing. You can add him on LinkedIn if you’d like to connect further.

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FEATURE

GET TO KNOW ME Edith Wanyonyi Who is Edith Wanyonyi

Joblessness is also one thing that has been challenging but I’m always that person who looks for opportunities including volunteering opportunities where I can add value and sharpen my skills.

I am a Kenyan youth, born and raised in Kenya. A graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Community Development and Masters in Counseling Psychology. I am a Humanitarian worker, volunteering with Global Goodwill Ambassadors and Advocacy Manager at Global Youth Mental Health Awareness, Australia (GYMHA).

If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?

I am a Mental Health Advocate and I also create content around mental health awareness on all my social media platforms. Why are you so passionate about Mental Health? Mental health is underrated yet there is no health without mental health. It is impossible to be productive when you are mentally unwell. A few years ago, I was in a state of depression after suffering a major loss. I literally had lost interest and meaning of life. Unfortunately, I battled this alone until I reached a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. To cut the story short I sought therapy and after a number of sessions my situation really improved. I embarked on this journey of creating awareness to end stigma and also because I believe that nobody deserves to go through pain alone. What has been your work experience ? I have worked with diverse groups in the community (children, youth, women, refugees.) as a Social Worker and Counseling Psychologist. My experience has been fulfilling and eye-opening. I will be lying if I say that I’ve not faced challenges but the fact that I can put a smile on someone’s face and make a difference is what motivates me. Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? 66 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

I would tell myself to focus. As a young person you tend to lose focus sometimes on things that aren’t that important at that time like relationships. The truth is that these things will always be there at there’s a time for everything. It is never that serious.

I am introverted. I may appear like an extrovert, but I love my alone time: that’s when I focus on my inner thoughts and ideas and to recharge. I don’t like crowds. I enjoy spending my time with one or two people.

What makes you feel accomplished?

Name your biggest strength and your biggest weakness? How has each served you as you fulfill your purpose?

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

My biggest strength is that I am passionate and committed. I tend to give my all in everything that I set my mind to do and that explains my passion for mental health. My biggest weakness is that I am a feeler. I deeply feel other people’s pain and struggles and that has in the past caused me to have compassion fatigue but I’ve slowly learnt how to separate my needs from those of others and to fill my cup first. What has been the most difficult season in your life? How did you get through it? When I lost my father. I mean, that really took a toll on my mental health, and I had a lot of setbacks in life but I was able to get help through therapy and meaningful friendships.

I always feel accomplished when I make a positive impact on someone’s life. U believe that is my purpose; to win for humanity.

I see myself as a family woman. I cherish family. I have always thought of starting a foundation that supports mental health especially for the less privileged who cannot access treatment. I’m also looking forward to building my career and become the best Psychologist the world has had. What’s your parting shot and where can people find you? Always remember that you are responsible for your mental health so do all you can to protect it and it’s never too late to do what you’ve always wanted to do. People can find me on all my social media platforms as Edith Wanyonyi (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter) or email me; edithwanyonyi3@gmail.com.

FEATURE

CYBER PEACE A KEY TO ACHIEVE SUSTAIBALE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (2030) JOSHUA OGBONNA UCHENNA Founder/CEO, Cyber Peace Advocacy

he role of cyber space in achieving Sustainable Development Goals is worth giving full attention as ICT has become an important fabric in different sectors of world economy. The world is a sea of economic opportunities in virtually every sector, and the continents’ youthful population has an enormous opportunity in this digital era and hence the need for the world to make digitally enabled socio-economic development a high priority. Peace in the cyber space is a driving force for innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth. Innovations and digitalization are stimulating job creation and contributing to addressing poverty, reducing inequality, facilitating the delivery of goods and services, and contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. As more and more people are using cyberspace, there are bound to be cybercrimes committed by the users in different forms with full or partial intentional awareness, negligence of cyber integrity and lack of cyber education. The cyber space is being threatened with different forms of cybercrimes on daily basis. This is a hindrance to trust in online business, smooth communication, data privacy, online education and a lot more. Since the cyber space has become a backbone to reliable communication around the globe, it demands tranquility. A study by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) shows that more than half of the world population is currently online. According to the report, 51.2 per cent of individuals, equivalent to

3.9 billion people, were using the Internet at the end of 2018. This is a significant step towards a more inclusive global information society but also an important need for increased cyber protection. According to the ITU Connect 2030, there will be 70 per cent Internet penetration by 2023, increasing the need for a more cyber-secure space. The same study shows the global average cost of a data breach was up 6.4 per cent in 2018. Also at the same time due to the boost in the use of ICTs, the projected cybercrime cost will be an estimated USD 2 trillion by the end of 2019. The recent Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid-19) geometrically pushed over 75% of the terrestrial transactions and activities to the cyber space. This calls for collaborative effort by the government of countries, United Nations, Continental Unions, states, public, private and corporate social sectors in active advocacy against cybercrime. This can be achieved through the implementation of cyber legislations, data and information protection laws, inclusion of cyber peace education in curriculum of schools, cyber security sensitization and awareness programs in communities and villages, female inclusion in cyber entrepreneurship and promotion of technological innovation and creativity. More so, developing countries cannot make sustainable progress if the cyber space within their jurisdiction is threatened. The threat would affect their economic development as developed countries would lose confidence and trust in online transactions with their citizens. African continent for instance is lagging behind in terms of full engagement on the cyber space when compared with

developed continents like North and South America and Europe. More attention should be given to them for sustainable cyber peace in the cyber space to enable African countries meets the African Union 2030 Agenda and UN 2030 Agenda. This is because, African youths are getting abreast with cyber activities and more resources should be channeled to make them innovative and creative in the positive perspective. In summary, a healthy transaction would better the relationship between countries of the world and strengthen multilateral transactions for economic development. The world must rise up to create a sustainable peace in the cyber space. All hands must be on deck to inculcate good cyber values and ethics to the younger generation who will thrive in cyber activities.

67 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

FEATURE

MEET DR. DAVID DAVID, A NIGERIAN MULTIPOTENTIALITE

r David David, a Nigerian multipotentialite, was born on the 26th of December 1984. As a writer, his works include fiction (poetry, plays, and novels) and nonfiction. He is one of the most prominent voices attracting a new generation of readers to African literature with scores of literary works to his credit. David is the Director of Information and Communication at the Global Youth Mental Health Australia, GYMHA. He is the Nigerian Representative Coordinator at the World Organisation for Human Rights and Peace. He is the Founder/CEO of READS Campaign Africa, an International Organisation leading the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa with the aim of ending child labour and fighting for the rights and wellbeing of children through short and educative stories, and poetry that offers a timely solution to environmental and societal crimes committed against children. Dr David David is the Founder/DG of Nigerian Books of Record Research Centre, the sole researcher of Nigerian Books of Record (NBR), first Encyclopaedia of Nigerian excellent records. David is the Founder/CEO of Rekordbreakers Platforms; Nigeria’s leading distributor of indie e-books. He holds a PhD from the prestigious Shield of Faith Bible College, California USA. He is a Fellow of several professional institutes with numerous awards and accolades both locally and internationally.

68 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

FEATURE

DEEPSHIKHA TRIPATHI CEO/ Founder at Prayas Life Coach, Counseling Psychologist NLP, EFT & TFT Master Practitioner CBT, REBT Practitioner, Graphologist.

‘L

affordable Charges. So that majority of people who need psychological support or professional help can approach and get the muchneeded help.

iving is a gift, and we must make the best of it, every day of our lives’ with this thought and with the support and encouragement of my loved ones I started my incredible journey of infusing happiness and instilling purpose in lives. I am die heart passionate about helping people and adding value to their lives through my services. I had always the desire deep down in my heart to contribute my bit to this world and make it a better place to live in and leave a Legacy behind. I am into counseling, coaching, and healing from nearly more than five years and through my services impacted thousands of people across the globe and it’s rewarding indeed when people thank me with their heartfelt gratitude. Years back I was very much clear about what I wanted to do. For me life is not just about confining and constricting oneself within narrow boundaries which usually includes just job, home, family, friends, and society in which you live. Instead, it’s about how you are contributing your bit to make this world a better place to live in and how you are creating that impact and constantly adding value to yourself as well others.

With the vision of Infusing happiness in lives and mission of and uplifting people and adding value to their lives I started working on actualizing my dreams through founding my own organization which provides world class psychological services at global level and the core purpose behind finding Prayas (The Endeavour) was providing access to a wide range of Psychological Support Services at

Specifically, from the onset of Covid-19 Pandemic majority of people suffered from stress, anxiety, and depression. And in due course, Prayas (The Endeavour) was founded last year amidst the onset of Covid-19 Pandemic with the mission of instilling hope and happiness in the times of adversity and uncertainty through making Psychological Support services accessible as well affordable at global level. Ample of awareness programs, training sessions, counseling and coaching has been delivered through Prayas so that people can deal effectively with the adversity and uncertainty arisen due to pandemic and help people to build resilience through thick and thin. Connect with me for counseling/coaching/ healing/mentoring/training sessions deep.shikha.trip7@gmail.com prayas.healingyou@gmail.com

69 | eYs Magazine, Summer 2021

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eYs Magazine Summer 2021

Articles inside

DEEPSHIKHA TRIPATHI

Dr David David