Ch anges f or New Hope Humani tari an M agazi ne Bringing Compassionate People Around The World Together DECEMBER 2018 VOL 2 I SSUE 12
K RI ST I N VAN BUSUM Founder of Nicaragua's Project Alianza
Welcome Back
Her e i s What You Wi l l Be En j oy i n g i n Thi s I ssue
Kr ist in Van Bu su m is the founder of Project Alianza in Nicaragua which is making a difference in the lives of children and people in rural coffee growing communities. This is our brief but powerful interview she shares with us.
M ak e Th em Lau gh The reason we don't succeed is not that we create big goals and miss them but we create small goals and hit them. Dream big and when people laugh, you will know your vision is big enough.
Th e Glass is Half Fu ll Your perception of a few things becomes your perception of everything. The life you want is a matter of seeing it in your daily experiences.
" On e of Th ese Days" .. ju st ar r ived Your time is now. Your opportunities await you. The value that you can be to the human family is a matter of stepping up. One of these days throttles us down to 10% of what we could be. But no longer!
. ....An d so m u ch m or e f or you in side.. Th is Way In !!
Edit or 's Cor n er
Jim Killon
Recipient of the David Chow Humanitarian Award 2017 As 2018 comes to a close, we celebrate this 21st issue of our magazine with you. Historically, most magazines are out of print after eighteen issues, did you know that? We are proud to bring you an expression of our heart, articles to inspire you in your everyday life and share the progress of humanitarians that are too tenacious to give up wherever they happen to be serving out there in 3rd world environs. In this issue you will read about Kristin Van Busum whose development of Project Alianza is developing the people and children in Nicaragua. I am personally moved to share her story because it was my 2007 trip to Nicaragua that inspired me to decide on humanitarianism as my purpose in life that has been so fulfilling ever since. We have articles designed to motivate and encourage you to become your limitless best in life as part of our magazine this month and a growing part of our focus for you. This will also include Inspire Me Today e-magazine contributor Mary Ellen Ciganovich, whose article about becoming aware adds value to our human experience. During this holiday season, regardless of how you choose to celebrate it, I would encourage you to remember those whose days are going to be empty and hungry. In whatever way you feel most comfortable, kindly reach out to those that life has not been so kind to. Your touch may be the change that encourages a new opportunity and life altering experience by your kindness. How would that feel deep in your heart? 2019 is about to become year that we will be sharing new opportunities, freshly arriving on the heels of a very challenging 2018. I hope you will continue to be part of the humanitarianism that is making our respective parts of the world a better place. Live large my friends, live deliberately.
Jim Killon
Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
Anthony Capra of One for All and All for One is a hero that we rarely hear about. Why is it that bad news grabs headlines and compassionate people like Anthony stay in obscurity?
Your article, "It Ain't Over Until It's Over moved me to tears but also toward a sense of hope. You have shown that the abandonment of your supporters, friends and even a violent attack can not keep someone down if they are determined to pursue their dreams. You will succeed because you are an amazing man. I read this magazine every month and share it with my co-workers too. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for letting us know about altruistic people around the world. It makes me want to be more like them. Gretchen H. Wildwood, New Jersey
Darlene F. Lima Peru
Dear Editor, In your article "What Will We Offer The Next Generation" it seems like whatever we have to offer may be buried in corruption, global crisis conditions, massive impoverishment and a diminishing concern toward the dis-enfranchised among us. Do you actually believe that individuals can make a difference in the face of corporate giants like Big Pharma, the NRA and special interest groups that inhabit the halls of Congress at times more than congresspeople do? Thanks, Fred B. Denton, Texas Fred, I hear you loud and clear. While the world will always be filled with conflicts, corruption and big money interest groups, it is up to us as individuals to change the world in tiny pockets wherever we are. We can be the first domino that tips in creating a better neighborhood, the town and beyond. I am optimistic that the best of us will prevail over the looming situations that make the news. The world today and the future of the children in the next generation will build lives on the ashes of those who oppressed and abused the world we all shared. My optimism is shared by many and if we act selflessly, blind to political or religious stripe but embrace one humanity and compassion universally, it can be a better world. It starts with us, today. Don't keep it bottled up inside, share your thoughts in the Letters to the Editor at cnhmagazine@gmail.com
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Jim K illon
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We are pleased to introduce you to the awe inspiring photography of
Lydia Reznicakova To see mor e of Lydia' s phot ogr aphy go t o her sit e at ht t ps:/ / beaut ifullyt ender .exposur e.co/
" One of Th ese Days" j ust arri v ed YOU GOT THIS! One of these days .... the list is endless. The longer you live the longer the list becomes. Hundreds of promises to yourself, everyone of them starting with, "one of these days". Brilliant ideas die with you if you never launch them.
Think about your habits. You pull into a gas station, do you get a dollar 's worth of gas? Of course not, you fill it up. You'll need gas again so why not max out in one stop? When you go to the movies, do you walk out after the opening credits? Of course not, you watch it until the end. Yet people quit in our real lives when things get tough all too often. So many people stop trying at whatever was their dreams as soon as the first obstacle arrives. Why is that? The biggest problem is that once you quit, quitting becomes easier, your new habit. Let's think about new habits that better serve you.
The day your life changes is when "one of these days" arrives. When you decide that enough is enough with excuses, mediocrity and following the person in front of you. Challenges will arrive but so will your courage. Obstacles are guaranteed but so is your tenacity to press past them. This is your new habit which only takes about sixty six days according to researchers. After that it seems natural to follow what is your new habit and it feels unusual when you do anything to the contrary. This is part of living life on your own terms, to live a life that isn't a life half filling your tank or missing the rest of the movie after the credits. Your life comes to you in fifteen minute segments. Use each one with the passion and willingness to see how much you can get out of it.
Some folks might consider total confidence arrogance, (it isn't) but what is the alternative? Being a defeatist, reacting instead of responding to the circumstances that try to beat you down? When you step out and believe in your own abilities, talents and capabilities, even the ones you have yet to become proficient, life becomes something that you experience on your own terms. Creating good habits can be as simple as saying "Thank You!" out loud as your feet hit the floor in the morning. It can be making a decision not to complain about anything at all today. It may be to just do a few warm up exercises that you have been promising yourself to start. Others are already doing this with great results. After all, it is your life, start living it!
Make Them Laug h A Nudge by Jim K illon It's what? So what? Now what? Three quick questions but it is a guideline to get my people There from Here. Motivation has a definite direction. So what? When I created Changes for New Hope, our NGO here in Peru, people asked how many children we were reaching. With just three months under our belt, I said...15. No one laughed or cared. Nine years later that number went to 4000 children. No one laughs now but when I first told them in interviews that this project will be reaching a few thousand kids in destitution they laughed. They scoffed and ridiculed because in 2009 I couldn't even speak Spanish. Now what? Initially, people saw this project as impossible because the "Hows" were not clear yet. Not in 2009. I only envisioned it in my mind and heart and it was enough to motivate me to our current success. The extraordinary became the ordinary. Today, Ancash has the worst number of cases for anemia in all of Peru. A major cause is parasitic micro-organisms, intestinal worms. Changes for New Hope is currently buying and distributing enough parasite medicine to eliminate parasites in... 10,000 children before the end of 2019. People are laughing again, scoffing, calling it impossible. That's how I know the dream is big enough. How big is your dream? Anyone laughing yet? If not, dream bigger! Live large my friends, live deliberately!
Her impressive background includes being a Fulbright Scholar, manager at the RAND Corporation, a global think tank and a TEDx Speaker. Kristin Van Busum is the founder of Project Alianza in Nicaragua which is making a difference in the lives of children and people in rural coffee growing communities. This is our brief but powerful interview she shares with us.
Kr ist in Van Busum of Nicarag ua's
What prompted your interest in Nicaragua and the people there? When was this founded? While working as a Fulbright Scholar in the coffee lands of Nicaragua in 2014, I met hundreds of children who grow up in the isolated coffee lands without the resources or social support network to get to school. Schools are difficult to reach by foot and those that exist are grossly under served. Food or school supplies are never guaranteed, and teachers often lack adequate training. As a result, seven out of ten kids in the Nicaraguan coffee lands will not make it beyond primary school, and many will drop out by third grade. There was a visible need to bring the community together to solve this problem. A one-shot donation or traditional aid program that ?parachutes in?with handouts would not provide the enough support to address the deep-seated complexity of education inequality. Only through intensive, community-based interventions, led by committed and qualified stakeholders would access to education become achievable for children on coffee farms.
Is this problem unique to Nicaragua? There are four million children ? FOUR MILLION ? across the world who grow up on coffee farms without access to a fundamental education. Without education, their best options are joining the drug trade, migrating across borders, and joining gangs. Education is the long-term solution to stop cyclical poverty, the root cause of these social problems that impact all of us. We?re all part of the problem and can be part of the solution. What does your project do and who benefits from your efforts? In simple terms, Project Alianza exists to give children on coffee farms a future beyond the fields. We do this by providing education. All Project Alianza schools begin with a building that is safe and accessible with toilets, water and have access to a kitchen. Through alliances with large estate farms and local partners, we?ve been able to drastically reduce the cost of land and materials. Our next step is focus on providing schooling inputs ? we hire teachers, provide training, and purchase books and supplies. Once the school is safe, and the fundamentals are in place, we focus on elevating learning in our classrooms. Our tailored curriculum focuses on literacy, health and hygiene, environmental sustainability, and gender equality. We?re also piloting innovative and high pact programs like self-guided digital learning and support the ongoing education and advanced degrees of our staff and educators. What are some of the accomplishments that you have achieved so far? We have helped provide education to over 2000 children in Nicaragua. When we build a new school, we see enrollments rates increase up to 20%. Our literacy programs, that encourage comprehension and critical thinking over the standard rote learning methods, have improved reading comprehension among students. 70% of our students were reading at grade level compared to the standard 30% we?d expect in a rural, public school. More broadly, teachers engage in professional development opportunities, parents report greater satisfaction and trust with the education system on a whole. We know that when we teach a child to read or practice better hygiene ? her changed behaviors are positively impacting her friends; she becomes a role model for her younger siblings, and perhaps more importantly, her parents. Education has immeasurable impacts beyond the classroom. Cont'd >>
Why is education such an important aspect of your project? Education is the core of our work because we believe it is the great equalizer. You may have heard that when you educate a girl, you transform a nation. Here?s how that works: An educated girl, educates her immediate family, challenges the status quo of the community, inspires her town, and becomes a voice for her nation. Educated girls will have fewer children and they will be healthier, better stewards of the land, and are more likely to invest in their children?s education. When we build a new school and provide literacy programs and guarantee a preschool teacher, we see attendance rates increase ? we see more girls going to school. On a whole, we've seen children read their first words, proudly wear their first school uniform, and celebrate their first commencement. We've seen kids master word games on a tablet that have never owned their own notebook or pencil. We've seen possibility where there once was none. What are the three important lessons you?ve learned as leader of a social impact organization? First, programs don?t change people. People change people. I?ve learned a social mission cannot thrive without a team of innovators, believers, and doers who share a vision for a better tomorrow. Second, I?ve learned the critical importance of being an ally rather than leading in the way we?ve traditionally defined it in the United States. We need to stop imposing ivory-tower based solutions. We need to stop irrelevant metrics and benchmarks developed in irrelevant cultural contexts. We need to be better listeners. Period. Lastly, I?ve begun to think less in statistics and more in stories. I?ve had to find a practical balance between my head and heart to do this job well. So much of our impact can?t be captured quantitatively, and many of our strategic decisions and partnerships are based on intuition. It?s been uncomfortable journey, but with experience, it gets easier, and I become better.
Has the international community responded enthusiastically with support? Yes, we?ve had a solidarity movement across borders, especially among coffee companies and coffee aficionados. Just last month, we held a round table discussion in El Salvador with coffee farmers and roasters, leaders of women?s farm associations, a sociologist, a technologist, among others. We offer any willing participant a seat at the table, and we?re happy to see they?re occupied. What are some of the obstacles currently happening in Nicaragua? Nicaragua has been filled with uncertainty and instability since anti-government protests began on April 18. Throughout the country, political and civil unrest has been ongoing, violence and looting occur daily, and road barricades have isolated entire cities and communities. Over 200,000 people have lost their jobs and 6.2 million Nicaraguans are at risk of falling deeper into poverty. Education is the pillar of security and stability for communities experiencing great uncertainty. Access to quality and consistent schooling helps children feel safe and protected. Most students in Project Alianza schools live in extreme poverty and are the first to become literate in their families. Families we serve survive on less than a dollar a day and the changing climate has been creating more uncertainty with the coffee harvest and reducing family income. We've always understood the importance of education in poor, under served communities facing many challenges. That?s why we will continue supporting and protecting children as they continue their education during this time of political unrest. How can the international community get involved with the project? Considering the political landscape of Nicaragua, there has been an interesting movement towards ?No-Go Galas? and ?No-Go Giving?. Foundations and NGOs have scaled back on organizing high-profile galas and hosting foreign visitors to invest more into urgent needs and programs on the ground. Right now, more than ever, the Nicaraguan people need your solidarity and investment. Any tax-deductible dollar you give to Project Alianza is invested back into community-led education that transforms lives and communities. Simply put, GIVE.
To learn more, check out the website at www.projectalianza,org Consider making a generous contribution
Wr it e For Us Wh et h er you ar e a special per son ... or an aver age per son ... Ever ybody h as a st or y t o sh ar e, som et h in g t h at you k n ow t h at ot h er s w ou ld ben ef it f r om h ear in g. So let 's h ear it ! Wr it e t o u s an d sh ar e you r br illian ce... Sen d you r t h ou gh t s, com m en t s, you r f eelin gs or r an t s t o u s at cn h m agazin e@gm ail.com
What Did Yo u Mis s In o ur Pr evio us Is s ues o f t he Chang es f o r New Ho pe Humanit ar ian Mag az ine?
Enjoy Every Issue of Changes for New Hope Humanitarian Magazine at Issuu.com Absolutely Free! Commentaries, Articles That Will Rebuild Your Life, Photography From Places You Need To Know About, Feel Good Stories and Heroes In The Field Around The World That Are Making Your World Better.
What we ar e accomplishing wit h t his magazine?
1. To recognize humanitarians and like minded individuals for their selfless work in the field. 2. To raise awareness for their projects by sharing their stories and projects with the world. Hopefully this will encourage fund raising efforts and support. 3. To draw corporate sponsorship to our program for mutual benefit. Corporate PR can be enhanced by their association. Funding will support the projects throughout the world that meet criteria we believe is critical. 4. To develop an alliance among individuals to share ideas, challenges, "how to" support and stories of progress. To be there for each other in good times and bad. We are no longer alone. 5. To provide independent credibility to individuals leading projects for their further development. 6. To give you a platform and a forum for your ideas and thoughts. What you have learned, you can share. 7. To provide transparency for NGOs so that donors and sponsors understand that each partner is fully vetted and contribution can be sent with confidence. 8. To melt the indifference and apathy in the world that enables suffering in 3rd world countries to continue. 9. To present nominated NGO leaders with a humanitarian award for their selfless service toward the disadvantaged, under-served and destitute. 10. To ultimately alleviate the desperation, the destitution and suffering that countless thousands endure which we encounter each day and restore human dignity, compassion in action and well being for everyone.
Becom e Aw ar e
M ar y Ellen Cigan ovich is an educator, author and inspirational speaker. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of six. She went on to attend the University of Georgia and graduated Magna cum Laude in Education. The teachings in her book, Healing Words, Life lessons to Inspire, are words Mary Ellen lives by daily.
Before you can achieve peace or happiness in your life, you must become aware of yourself. This is never an easy task as it is much easier to recognize the errors of others rather than take responsibility for our own errors. You must become aware of what you say and how you say it. The words you choose, your tone of voice, the expression in your face and eyes. You must become aware of what you do and how you do it. Always pay attention to details, as these are the little things that will make a BIG difference. Honor your word and the promises you make by always keeping them. Be on time as this shows respect to others and lets other people know you respect yourself. Learn proper manners and language as these are important parts of a civilized society. At the same time, stand up for yourself. Say ?yes? when you mean ?yes? and ?no? when you mean ?no?. Never pay any attention to gossip as this type of talk is far away from the peace you seek. Honor yourself by taking time for YOU every day ? whether in a quiet setting of meditation, a walk, reading, exercising, going for a run, a massage, a manicure, a gentle bubble bath or listening to music. Whatever works for you.
Become aware of your motives, judgments, assumptions, and fears. Question anything you do with a motive behind it. Do things for others simply because it is the right thing to do and you want to do it. When you judge someone else, you are actually judging yourself. Ninety-nine percent of all assumptions are false and your fears will come to pass so you can learn from them. Become aware of what you focus on because ?what you focus on expands and what you think about happens.? See your life as you want it to be and not as it is, putting your thoughts and energies toward achieving this life you want. For a living, always do what you love to do! If you do what you love to do, money will naturally be a reward to you from sharing this love with the world. Become aware of all the ?life choices? you make. Your life is always a reflection of the choices you have made up to that moment, so stop giving yourself reasons for not having the life you desire. Make a decision to get the results you want from life. The only thing that makes a ?human? different from any other species is the God-given ability to choose. Yet we allow our ego to become involved and choose for us. Or, we decide not to make any choice at all ? taking the easy way out so we will not have to take responsibility for this choice. ?No choice? is still a choice! Make the decision to become aware and make the choices that will turn your life into the life you want to have. You have been blessed with the ability to choose. Use it wisely, all the while teaching your children this same lesson. For more information, please visit askmaryellen.com .
Bef ore Long..... You'l l Bel ong.... You want to know why?
Have you ever seen a t elevision sh ow of people w at ch in g a t elevision sh ow ? M e n eit h er . We are wired in our DNA to be part of something bigger, greater and more productive for the benefit of humanity than ourselves alone. Those "feel good" chemicals in your brain, serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine surge through your body when we are doing things for the benefit of others. Whether helping a neighbor, paying the toll for the car behind you or showing up at a soup kitchen to volunteer. We are wired to do good for the benefit of our human family and feeling good feels ...well.. pretty damn good, wouldn't you agree? Ou r en t ir e exist en ce is m ot ivat ed by t w o dr iver s; avoidin g pain an d r eceivin g pleasu r e. Regardless if it is burning your lips on a red hot crack pipe or finishing a marathon, feeling good is what our brains seek. Our sense of morality is a conditioned response. One thing is for sure, life was never meant to be a zero sum game (someone wins at the expense of someone else losing) Those who do just enough to get by, just enough not to get fired, divorced, incarcerated or censured, live half lives. I write often about being limitless, expand your horizons out in every direction and together, as a team, partnered toward this journey called life. We can create that world, for ourselves and help those who can't quite get their on their own. We only get one shot at a great and fulfilling life. I'm ready as soon as you are. Ready to take the leap? w w w.ch an gesf or n ew h ope or w r it e t o u s at cn h m agazin e@gm ail.com
Doing Good Feels Great
Did you know that if you decided to dedicate just 1% of your day for the benefit of someone else that's just 14 minutes?
A path y i s h umani ty's most prof ound h umi l i ati on
Join u s in ou r pr ogr ess an d devel opm en t to br in g sol u tion s to th ose wh o wou l dn 't h ave a ch an ce with ou t u s. W e can al l be h er oes.. Now is your tim e. Th is is a Social M ovem en t! Lear n h ow at www.ch an gesfor n ewh ope.com
Changes for New Hope is a registered NGO, non-profit organization with the Peruvian government since 2010. Our focus is to help children living in destitution and inadequacies in the Andean region. This magazine is expanding that focus to partner with other NGOs and their leaders around the world. The project creator is Jim Killon, an American born humanitarian, author/writer, exhibited artist, and life enhancement speaker.
His writings, articles and publications can be seen on The Good Men Project, Living in Peru magazine, Inspire Me Today, as well as self publishing: "A Gringo in Peru-A Story of Compassion in Action," "Living Large- Living Deliberately" "The Changes That You Deserve" .
and the recently published "Infringe Me?" Jim Killon is a 2017 recipient of The David Chow Humanitarian Award . He is available for speaking engagements and interviews. For more information, contact him through our email at cn h m agazin e@gm ail.com Changes for New Hope is a 100% donation supported NGO project and is not affiliated with any religious or political organization.
The Fin al Tho ught
I want to share with you, our wonderful readers, my gratitude in this final issue for 2018. As you read the articles we share, you may see a shift from just sharing 3rd world conditions and our struggles for solutions to also include articles of health and well being, self esteem building, motivation and encouragement toward your own limitlessness. This is because the issues facing kids in Peru, Kenya, Nicaragua or Haiti are intrinsically the same as people in developed nations. What has worked to create a new life for them can enhance your life too! As a humanitarian, I feel compelled to create content that will boost you into a new level of your own humanity and help you to break out of the orbit of ordinary. More than "Feel Good" cheer leading, I
hope to engage with you and share what we have developed as a re-wiring of our brains, attitudes and habits with tremendous results. New habits = A new life. To that end, in early 2019, I am launching a YouTube channel to give you free content that I have been using and teaching here for years with fantastic success. At sixty two years old now, I acknowledge that I have a lot more yesterdays than I do tomorrows and I will not let my song die on my lips. I will be sharing details shortly so get ready, get excited, we sure are here. My dream is to bring you a little closer to being the person you have always wanted to become. Let's have a great 2019! Live large my friends, live deliberately!
Ch anges f or New Hope Humani tari an M agazi ne
Be sure to check out our website at w w w.ch an gesf or n ew h ope.com