OBESITY childhood GMO’s hyperactivity Calcium Sulfite Orthophenyl Phenol
Kipper Brown E212 Potassium Benzoate
Food colorings Gentically Engineered Organisms immune problems changes in major organsinfertility asthma pesticides factory farmed meatsMSGE110 Sunset Yellow #6 Tartrazine Sodium Nitrite Hexamine citric acid E330 or 33 Quinoline
TM
www.goodnewpress.net
Brilliant Scarlet
Polyvinylpyrrolidone Potassium Hydrogen Sulphite Diphenyl, Biphenyl 222 Sodium Bisulfit
Potassium Sulfite
sulfuric acid Brilliant Black E151 Activated Vegetable Carbons
allergic reactions
E102 Tartrazine
E133 Brilliant
Emulsifier
Hyper-activity
Flavour Enhancers E104 Yellow
Glutamic Acid E180 Latol Rubine
E124 Ponceau
weight genetically modified fruits gain and vegetables accelerated aging food intolerance Food Additives
E107 Yellow
aspirin allergies E239 E120 Carmines E150 Carmel E129 Allura mold E123 Amaranth #2 Clarifying Agent E220 Sulphur Dioxide E132 Indigotine Cyclamate E225 E210 Benzoic Acid 211 E221 Sodium Sulfite Potassium Metabisulphite asthma sufferers Sweetener Preservative E211 Sodium Benzoate (Sweeteners) E226
Azorubine
Thickener Norbixin
headaches sugar E536
Glacial
E128 Red
allergic reactions gastrointestinal system
nausea diarrhea E310
Cochineal E12 Stabiliser asthmatic Indigo E227 2G E224 E155 Chocolate
E131 Patent Blue
sulfur/sulfites
growt h r etar dation E102 wth re ardation
E127 Erythrosine #2 E223 Sodium Metabisulfite E216 Propyl P Hydroxybenzonate, Propylparaben E173 Aluminium Cancer E319 TBHQ, Tert E260 Acetic Acid E160b Bixin Carmoisine Potassium Bromate Vaseline Butylhydroquinone E231 E249 Potassium Nitrate E217 Sodium Propyl P Hydroxybenzonate Calcium Hydrogen Sulfite Pigment 203 Potassium E251 Sodium Nitrate E215 Sodium Ethyl Para Hydroxybenzonate
tired
inflammation Potassium Hydrogen Sulfite E228 Potassium Bisulfite Potassium Bisulphite, E421
constipation E236
E142 Acid Brilliant Green
E214 Ethyl Para Hydroxybenzonate E231 E320 Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
insulin regulation
rheumatoid arthritis
E441 food color (Synthetic Antioxidants) H A C E413 Tragacanth (Thickener & Emulsifier) 154 Food Brown E553 & E553b E414 Acacia Gum (Food Stabilizer) 416 Karaya Gum (Laxative, Food Thickener & Emulsifier) 625 MSG 430 Polyxyethylene Stearate (Emulsifier) Butylhydroxytoluene (Synthetic Antioxidants) E432 – E435
E230
E321
Fighting Childhood Poverty/Youth Empowerment
Issue I: PART III: YOUTH - September 22, 2011
Cafeteria Food/ Lunch Programs/Health Issues
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EDITOR’S PAGE SPECIAL PROJECTS JUNO CRISTI PHILIPPINES LAYOUT & DESIGN AD DEVELOPMENT RHONDA VARSANE GOODNEWPRESS.NET IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY
COPYRIGHT © 2011 GOOD NEWS PRESS FOUNDER/EDITOR RHONDA VARSANE EDITOR @GOODNEWPRESS . NET 1-972-948-7657 COVER ART RHONDA VARSANE
“We have listened to the pulse of the world.” The world is interested in change. With the global communities help we, at GoodNewPress.net, have succeeded in publishing our first three magazines. A three part series on YOUTH. In this magazine we start by looking at Cafeteria Food/Lunch Programs and Health Issues. The cover shows many of the illnesses, additives, and reasons for OBESITY, and HEALTH ISSUES in our YOUTH. Since the start of this magazine I have become educated with genetic engineering and genetically modified food. This is a situation which basically one company, Monsanto, is patenting seeds. Exclusive ownership and with the help of the United States government revolving door policy of employing
Monsanto employees and these same employees going back to Monsanto then back to the U.S. government, regulations have little meaning, besides an open door to Monsanto to write their own rules. They have cornered the market and 90% of all U.S. Soy and Corn is genetically engineered with a herbicide Round-Up which self replicates from the protein which stays in the stomach and intestines and which is believed to be the cause of the vass amount of auto-immune disease which have cropped up. I ask all parents to buy Organic and call the number on all products on the packaging to ask if the product has any bio-engineered products in it. I also urge everyone to start a backyard, rooftop garden using heirloom seed. Do not use baby formula without researching the ingredients.
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We must demand LABELING. https://www.facebook.com/pages/ M o n s a n t o - Tu m b l e s - D o w n / 200430276674003 This issue has a wonderful Lesson Plan about Homeless Children as we fight Childhood Poverty. And we end this issue with multiply stories and information about YOUTH EMPOWERMENT. Please join us at: http://issuu.com/varsane/docs/ bullypublished and http://issuu.com/ varsane/docs/iipartfinale to see our first two magazines. Our next magazine is a 64 page Special Edition on Monsanto. They, the makers of PCB’s, Dioxin, Agent Orange, Aspartame, Poly-Styrene, DDT, have a horrendous history of HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. muah ~ Rhonda
CAFETERIA FOOD LUNCH PROGRAMS HEALTH ISSUES
Cafeteria Lunch Programs PAGE 5 Fussy Eaters OR Fanatics? PAGE 6 Food FED UP WITH PAGE 8
LUNCH
DOD Takes Steps to Combat Y
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OBESIT
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School Meals PAGE 4
CAFETERIA LUNCH PROGRAMS Maria Rainier
Bon Appétit? Reforming American School Lunches What did your kid have for lunch today? That is the question an anonymous school teacher, “Mrs. Q,” answers on a regular basis on her blog: Fed Up with Lunch: The School Lunch Project. http://fedupwith schoolunch.blogspot.com/ Scientific and socio-political communities have put school lunches under the radar of late due mostly to the high obesity rates among American children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that one out of five kids in the US are obese, which can lead to complications ending ultimately in an early death, including Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
of what foods are considered “normal” by society. French fries, high in unhealthy fats, is acceptable, and a bowl of vegetable which could be healthy are prepared and served bland, unsalted, and unseasoned.
The Call for Change Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign and the Healthy School Lunch program by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) aim to provide school children with more appealing, nutrient-dense, less fattening foods on a daily basis. The change is not an easy one. The popu-
http://www.jamieoliver.com/jfr-beta/pdf/ Jamie-Oliver_Food-Rev-Charter.pdf This is an excellent resource which gives you step by step instructions on how to succeed in preparing and approaching a healthy food program for parents, schools, and school children. Other innovators include Washington State which boasts several healthy cafeteria projects. For example: they provide full organic menus and off-set costs by eliminating dessert (which after time has been embraced). Sustainable vending machines, such as those sponsored by Stonyfield Farm, is another important change. They replaced M&Ms, potato chips, and other empty-calories products with granola bars, soy nuts and drinkable yogurt, and other nutritive snacks. The popularity of these vending machines is undeniable for over nine-hundred schools have applied for them.
The Dark Side of School Lunches Children and parents alike rely on schools to provide nutrition for kids during the day—31 million kids, according to the Obama Administration. Endocrine Today recently reported on a University of Michigan study that found kids who eat school lunches to have a higher probability of being overweight and obese than those who brought their lunches from home. Schools provide high-fat, starchy, and overall unhealthy foods in cafeterias like sugary drinks, fatty meats, and bland vegetables and fruits. This is because they are typically cheaper, unfortunately, this gives kids a distorted view
offers a school food charter at:
lar television chef Jamie Oliver was reduced to tears in his recent efforts to educate Huntington, West Virginia’s (known as the fattest city in the nation) students about healthy eating . The children ate pizza at school for breakfast and could not differentiate between a potato and tomato (see the video here:
Berkeley California has implemented Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Project at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. Having an on campus garden allows students to bring food from garden to table without ever leaving campus. Learn more about Edible Schoolyard here: http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/.
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=oLgmk323H6k In addition to his hit TV show Mr. Oliver
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Let us support these positive changes by getting involved and implementing programs to help our children.
Fussy Eaters Or
FUSSY EATERS OR FOOD FANATICS?
Food Fan
Is there an eating war raging in your life? If there is, you are not alone!
s there an eating war raging in your ife?
FUSSY EATERS OR FOOD FANATICS? As a child I hated peas. I still hate peas. We all have our loves
and hates and food is no exception.
CATCHING FRIES WITH EVERYTHING My grandmother said one of the first words I spoke was chips and apparently I
always demanded chips when I was knee-high. I am British and the traditional dish is fish and chips. Going to the chippie (fish and chip seller) was a delicious delight and savoring those finger-licking oily, salty chips (fries in EAT American parlance) was enough to get me biting at the chomp.
IMAGINATIONS, TOUCHING FAST RUSH In Europe and America, kids and adults alike rush to get their dose of fried food. Fries with TASTEBUDS everything is an eating paradise for legions of people. Kids often take their cue from adults, and just look at the lines at fast-food outlets: there are more adults lining up than kids.
FUSSY EATERS OR CATCHING FOOD FANATICS? IMAGINATIONS, TOUCHING TASTEBUDS
As a child I hated I still hate Where do our peas. food desires and cravings come from? Why do we e all have our loves and make a beeline for McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King? Taste. Fries taste good, and they come in easy-to-eat bitesizes to boot. They catch the imagination of kids because they look like stickmen or soldiers. They are easy to share as well. Here have one!
FRIES WITHEVERYTHING
My grandmother said one of the first FACES And there words IFRIENDLY spoke was chips andisap-
As a ch still hate our lov food is
EAT TO LIVE OR LIVE TO EAT? As a teenager, I loved the five Cs: chips, chocolates, candy, cakes and
cookies. As I chomped my way through many a brown bar of pure succulence, my mother would often pose this question? Do you eat to live or live to eat?
TANTALIZING TEMPTATIONS As children and teenagers our natural inclination is to live to eat, putting
taste sensations first before any considerations of whether the food really has significant nutritional value. Further,
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FAST RUSH
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
that friendly clown (Ronald McDonald) and the affable uncle (Colonel Sanders). Reassuring figures that signal: fun (a clown) and trust (what’s not to trust in a cuddly colonel). They seem to be adults who care and reassure kids that they have the seal of approval from the grown-ups.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
we get mixed messages that put us into a quandary. For example, how many times have we been told that chocolate and coffee are not that good for us, but then there are reports that say it is beneficial because there are antioxidants in them and antioxidants are good for us.
LET THEM EAT CAKE Probably food is one of the most written about topics in the media and behind that cute dish is one of the biggest and most powerful industries, from the smallest homestead to the largest hypermart. Adverts, media articles, and celebrations, from birthdays to Easter, harvest festivals, Thanksgiving and Christmas all contribute to confirm that the love of food is firmly at the center of civilization. You can’t have a proper celebration without special food now can you?
CULTURAL CUES Think Chinese culture and the importance of the reunion dinner on the eve of Lunar New Year and the moooncakes that are central to the mid-autumn festival; think how important Christmas goodies are and how important eating together is for Muslims when they break their fast during the Holy month of Ramadan. Food is a fact of life and kids know this from an early age. You can’t live without food now can you?
EATING PATTERNS At what age do children start to appreciate the concept of healthy and unhealthy eating or the connection between overweight and food consumption? Really I did not until I was an overweight teenager. Attractive food is an allurement for kids and many do not understand that fast food such as fries and burgers have high levels of fat, sugar or salt. Some kids do not know it is potentially unhealthy while some kids do but they find it irresistible and let’s be honest, some food is fun.
CULINARY CRUCADERS Some cartoon and children’s characters do reinforce the idea of better eating: spinach for strength (Popeye) and Bananas in Pajamas but the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street has his hand in the cookie jar far too much.
THE WAY FORWARD In the UK, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has spent time crusading and leading the call for healthier school lunches. However, healthy options have to be as tasty as the unhealthy options and that is no mean feat. Role models in the form of parents and society in general would certainly be supportive. BLESS YOUR FOOD B: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so get a good start. Balance and moderation are key to healthy eating. Bone up on nutrition knowledge and do your best to improve the nutritional values of your food intake, because food should be a blessing.
L: Lunch and dinner complete the trilogy of main meals that one should eat daily. E: Eat the best food that you can afford and eat nutritious, tasty food. S: Select the healthiest food and set your sights on fresh. S: Simple food options are often the healthiest. Y: Your mental and physical health are equally important, so eat happily and reasonably healthily. O: Options are yours, but do opt for the tastiest, healthiest options. U: Unhealthy dishes harm sometimes more deeply than we realize, so bone up on your food knowledge and set a good example.
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fed up with LUNCH Titanium Spork Awards are given monthly to people working towards better school lunches in the best way they know how. The readers of the BLOG, “Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project” nominate recipients then vote. http://fedupwithschool lunch.blogspot.com/
While school food has been a big piece of my life for many years, this year, 2011, I’m feeling called to a bigger, even more scary issue. The combination of climate
Years later, they now realize my prediction was not so crazy after all. Today, as I read about the floods in Australia, last summer’s record heat in Moscow and massive flood-
http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/
Dr. Susan Rubin I want to thank you so very much to all of you who voted for me to receive the September Titanium Spork award. It feels good to be recognized for the work I’ve done with raising awareness of the school food issue. Having more than a decade under my belt doing this work, I guess you could say I’m an elder in the school food movement. It’s not a glitzy or glamorous position to be in, but it is worthwhile and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I don’t have a salary, Better School Food is an all volunteer 501c3 organization. My work as a school food activist has been very idealistic and altruistic. I never got a book deal, or even a day’s worth of pay, for the Two Angry Moms movie that featured my work. What I did receive was satisfaction of knowing that I inspired and supported people across the country to take a stand for children’s health.
change/ peak oil and economic instability will impact everything. Especially everything we eat. I am extremely concerned that food security will be a far bigger issue than childhood obesity in the years to come. It is my lot in life to be ahead of the curve. I remember trying to convince school administrators that declining children’s health and childhood obesity would be front page news and could bankrupt our healthcare system. I was one of the few people speaking publicly about these unpleasant topics.
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ing in Pakistan and so many other instances of “global weirding”, I realize that this weather will ultimately impact our food supply. Last year as I wondered why the heck BP would drill for oil 2 miles underneath the gulf of Mexico, and now as I watch oil prices climb above $90 a barrel, I ask myself at which point our food system will collapse? Our food system is heavily dependent upon easy, cheap fossil fuel, but the oil left in the earth is no longer easy to get and no longer cheap. continued on page 9
continued from page 8
Just like with school food, I now see the writing on the wall: We have to create a smaller, diverse and more
kid’s future. What can you do to take the next step to help pave the way for a more food secure system that will nourish them?
Mrs Q blogged about. Download the curriculum, buy the DVD and create a school or community event to share the info. Read and/or watch: The No Impact Man (link:http:// noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/ ) Get involved with your local Slow Food chapter. (link: http:/ /www.slowfoodusa.org/ ) They are working towards a food system that is good, clean and fair. Start a Slow Food in Schools project in your school or community.
resilient food supply. To create that better food system, we need to raise the Food IQ. This is not about calories, fat grams and carbs, it never really was. Nutrition has been a distraction from the really important piece: We’ve gotten too disconnected from real food and where it comes from. We need a garden in every school for more reasons than obesity. Gardens are the answer to our current and future problems.
Here are a few ideas: Check out the: Nourish curriculum (link:http:// nourishlife.org/curriculum.html ) that
The more kids and teachers who can learn how easy (and fun) it is to grow food, the better chance we’ll have of feeding ourselves locally in the years ahead as climate change becomes obvious and fossil fuels become even more expensive and not so readily available. I know that may sound crazy, just like childhood obesity did 10+ years ago when I talked to school administrators. As a reader of Mrs Q’s blog, I already know you care about our
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Get growing! Grow some herbs in a sunny window. Dig up part of your lawn and grow some veggies. Join a community garden, support your local farmer. Thank you again, MrsQ and your readers for the lovely spork! It will bring a smile to my face every time I use it.
DOD Takes Steps to Combat
Y OBE SIT
Childhood By Elaine Wilson American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, The Defense generation and the economic Department has joined forces health and security of our nation is with the nation to combat a childhood obesity epidemic that not only is a matter of health or nutrition, but also is a national security issue, a Pentagon official said. "When the nation as a whole lacks in this issue, it's pervasive," Barbara Thompson, co-chair of DOD's working group to combat obesity, told American Forces Press Service, noting obesity's impact on everything from recruiting to the nation's health system. Today, First Lady Michelle Obama marked the oneyear anniversary of her "Let's Move" campaign, a nationwide initiative to promote making healthy food choices and increasing physical activity within homes, schools and communities. The aim, Obama has said, is to solve America's childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. "The physical and emotional health of an entire
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at stake," Obama said at the Let's continued on page 11
continued from page 10
Move launch last year. America's childhood obesity rates
have tripled in the past 30 years, according to the Let's Move website. Today, nearly one in three American children and about one
in four military children are overweight or obese. This issue has a tremendous impact on the health system, and from a military stand-
point, it can affect everything from recruiting and retention to the force's ability to fight, said Thompson, who also serves as the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy, children and youth. Thompson cited a report called "Too Fat to Fight," which states that 75 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24 are unable to join the military for various reasons, with being overweight or obese the leading medical cause. "When you take into account that 50 percent of military youth enter the military or consider entering the military, that's a huge pool we need to be focused on," Thompson said. Spurred on by the first lady's efforts, the Defense Department formed a childhood obesity workcontinued on page 12
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continued from page 11
ing group in August, with a committee of nearly 30 helping professionals from a variety of military backgrounds and expertise, Thompson said. The group includes pediatricians, family medicine physicians, dietitians, nurses, public health professionals, military and civilian personnel experts, family and child and youth professionals, and representatives from the Defense Commissary what we can do Agency, the Department of De- as a department to fense Education Activity, and mo- help our families rale, welfare and recreation. make the right choices for their To tackle a daunting task, the group families," she divided into four subcommittees: added. nutrition and health for children from birth to age 18, the Military They've already Health System, food and fitness made considerenvironments and education and able progress, strategic communications. Thompson noted. With the Army takThe committee then set out on a ing the lead, offimission to improve the health cials are creating and nutrition of military families, s t a n d a r d i z e d Thompson said. menus for child development cen"We're developing a strategic action ters to ensure the plan that cuts across the DOD's centers are meetfood environment," she explained. ing children's nu"We have to look at our food courts, tritional needs. our school menus, how physically They're also friendly is the installation so chilworking with vendren can walk to school and bike dors who supply to school to increase their physithe centers' food cal activity, for example. to ensure they're "It's a very comprehensive look at
continued on page 13
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continued from page 12
getting the freshest vegetables, lower-fat cuts of meat and less processed food laden with fats, salt and sugar. Since children receive about two-
healthy lifestyles," she said. Additionally, the committee is working to develop community gardens, healthy cooking classes and classes on the relationship between finances and food. Eating at home,
creased the sales of fresh fruits and vegetables, she noted. Additionally, the department is working to offer more healthy choices in vending machines, schools, dining facilities, clubs, bowling centers, food courts, and any other on-base locale that offers food, she said. These changes not only will affect children in the short term with better stamina and well-being, but also will have a significant impact on their long-term health, Public Health Service Cmdr. (Dr.) Aileen Buckler, working group co-chair and TRICARE population health physician, told American Forces Press Service. When a child is overweight or obese, particularly obese, she explained, they're at a much higher risk of cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, as well as increased blood sugars, which can lead to higher rates of Type 2 diacontinued on page 14
thirds of their daily nutrition requirement while in military child care centers, these efforts are poised to have a significant impact, Thompson said, also noting that military youth and child development centers serve about 700,000 military youth on any given day. "It's a wonderful opportunity to impact the way they think about
for example, generally is less expensive than eating out, Thompson said. Thompson also cited progress within the civilian sector that the military can adopt. The first lady is working with a major "super store" chain to reduce the number of products high in fat, salt and sugar and to boost the number of fruits and vegetables it offers, she explained, and commissary officials are looking into this as well. Commissaries already have in-
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continued from page 13
betes at younger ages than what was seen in the past. Weight issues often follow children through the years, Buckler noted.
Studies show that about 85 percent of children ages 10 to 15 who were overweight became obese by age 25, she said. And children who are obese before age 8 are more likely to have more severe obesity as an adult, which can lead to greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and even infertility, she added.
are working on a policy memo aimed at helping pediatricians, family physicians and civilian health care providers properly diagnose overweight and obe-
said. The committee has gathered an inventory of current service programs to learn from effective practices with an aim to expand those programs across
the department, she said. But the department can't accomplish this alone, Thompson noted. "It takes a village to make good They're also evaluating civilian and change," she said. "We need to military toolkits on childhood bring the message to the imporobesity so they can develop a tant adults in their lives. And as standardized toolkit for military adults, we need to be good role and civilian providers, she models for our children." added. This will ensure they reach the widest scope of chil- Thompson summed up a healthy dren, including those of National family goal with the aid of a few To keep these health issues from Guard and Reserve families. numbers: five-two-one-zero. snowballing, Buckler's Military People, she explained, should Health System subcommittee is Along with new initiatives, the com- aim for five servings of fruits and taking action within health care mittee is taking current, effective vegetables a day, two hours or offices nationwide. Members programs into account, Thompson continued on page 15 sity in children, track trends and offer parents ideas of how they can help at home.
PAGE 14
very passionate and committed to making positive changes," she said. Thompson said the group plans to publish a full report with the group's progress and recommendations in the spring.
continued from page 14
less of screen time, one hour of physical activity and zero sugary drinks. About 40 percent of children's calories are empty ones. It is a real concern they're not getting enough vitamins and fiber," she said.
Meanwhile, for more information on a healthy lifestyle, people can visit a service health and wellness facility, check in with a base fitness center or visit the Let's Move campaign website: http://www.letsmove.gov or Military OneSource at: http://militaryonesource.com.
The working group is factoring in the additional challenges military families face, Buckler noted, such as multiple deployments and frequent moves. During a deployment, for example, the at-home parent may find it more difficult to find time to shop for healthy foods or take children to physical activities such as soccer or basketball, she said. "It probably makes eating healthy and getting activity into your life harder," she acknowledged. But military parents can take smaller steps toward change to start, she noted. They can choose skim milk instead of whole or reduced-fat milk or take a family walk or bike ride after dinner rather than turning on the TV. "You can go play kickball or throw a ball around," she suggested. "The goal is to get out of the house, get moving and away from the TV�. Thompson said she's optimistic about the changes that have occurred and what is yet to come. "The committee's members are
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School Meals
As well as providing vital nourishment, school meals act as a safety net for poor families and also help keep children in school.
girls, who otherwise may never be given the opportunity to learn.
Among the poor, there is often not enough food at home, and most schools in developing countries lack canteens or cafeterias. School meals are a good way to channel vital nourishment to poor children. Having a full stomach also helps them to concentrate better on their lessons.
World Food Program (WFP)’s school meal programs work towards achieving several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The programs directly address the goals of reducing hunger by half, achieving universal primary education and of achieving gender parity in education — all by 2015.
In countries where school attendance is low, the promise of at least one nutritious meal each day boosts enrolment and promotes regular attendance. Parents are motivated to send their children to school instead of keeping them at home to work or care for siblings. In the poorest parts of the world, a school meal programs can double primary school enrolment in one year. Among the key beneficiaries are
Health Interventions
School meals contribute over the long term to combating poverty but it also helps to reduce disease. It provides a platform for directly addressing child health and nutrition, for example through deworming schemes. It can also be a platform for other health interventions.
How does it work?
of a mid-morning snack or a nutritious breakfast of porridge. WFP uses fortified food to ensure that children get the micronutrients they need. Studies show that diet and nutrition play a critical role in physical and intellectual development. However something more is needed to attract the poorest girls to school. In its “take-home rations” projects, WFP provides basic food items, often including a sack of rice and a can of cooking oil, to families who send their daughters to school. Auli Grant from facebook says,"It saddens me so much to know that there are so many human beings in the world who don't have enough to eat. It's unimaginable to so many of us but unfortunately it's a reality for many. So if you could just donate a small amount to alleviate the World Hunger.
WFP school meals can take the form Please go to WFP www.wfpusa.org
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FIGHTING CHILDHOOD POVERTY
One BY One
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Lesson Plan: STREET
CHILDREN
PAGE 22
DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD PAGE 33
STOP PAGE 35
CHILDHOOD POVERTY PAGE 17
R H O N D A V A R S A N E
One By One
accompanied with smell and sound. I still reach for the phone to call mom; my inner clock still goes off at the exact time of past-shared activities. I count my blessings I did not experience the loss of my entire family. Can you imagine losing your brother, sister, parents and your child all at one time? This
time has been difficult for me. A loss of this magnitude is unbearable but even this does not compare to the generations wiped out in Africa. Families lose breadwinners and children lose parents due to poverty. Think how HIV/Aids causes a domino effect which devastates entire communities. Economies crippled by poverty, debt, poor
My pet died. I walk to the food dish and my stomach turns as I realize I will never feed him again. Reminders are everywhere. The sounds I hear, the places I go, everything brings back memories. Every dog reminds me of Spot; even every cat reminds me of Spot. Spot left me feeling deeply aware of a hole in my heart, and then my mother died. I had a chance to become close to her during her illness, which helped heal wounds from a childhood not meant for a child. So many feelings, so many thoughts along with lingering questions like, what if... so many ‘what if’s’.
health and unfair trade policies are further burdened. Statistics are boring so let‘s give them a face. In Africa it is not uncommon for each state to have half a million, to a million kids, who are orphans from HIV/aids. Each of these numbers represents one child; a son, a daughter, a sister, a brother. Keep in mind each of these children have lost at least one parent. How much pain can one child endure? How does this pain affect the future? Multiply this loss by over 15,370,000. Over fifteen million three hundred and seventy
The dynamics of the family structure immediately changed. The woman who brought me into this world is gone. Regardless of the relationship, I reach out to ‘mother’ when things go wrong. The matriarch is the strength and glue of the family, although it may be invisible. Like Spot, when I hear my mom’s name a lifetime of images pop-up, BOOM, 3D, in front of my eyes, Technicolor
continued on page 19
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thousand orphans. Ninty-five percent of the world’s orphans live in the continent of Africa. Does a child understand why they are alone? Their parent is now gone. Who explains what is happening, what to expect, or what hope there is for a future? Is each day spent wondering, “Is this the day I will see my father’s face?” The pain of the young spending their entire existence without the security, direction and love of a parent is overwhelming, but, HIV/Aid’s is preventable.
which lives within them. There are twenty-five million three hundred thousand orphans, listings (hits) on the Internet’s World Wide Web (WWW) as I enter ‘orphans’, this number could be overwhelming. Given that women have been clearly asking for protective methods they can use, however, political and economic concerns, combined with historically powerful
ernment officials’ on the internet. You can then contact them by letter, phone or e-mail with your concerns and your interest in making a difference. Often times it is difficult to see the size of a number, even for our government officials, let me help with the use of a comparison. The total population of the following cities is close to the six million orphans in Africa.
The balanced promotion of the following behaviors is commonly known as the “ABC” approach. “A” for abstinence (or delayed sexual initiation among youth), “B” for being faithful (or reduction in number of sexual partners), and “C” for correct and consistent condom use, especially for casual sexual activity and other high-risk situations. Political leadership and community involvement is the key. As individuals we can do our part as we work toward this positive change. In my own experience the moment-by-moment development of ‘self’ is built layer by layer through interactions and experiences, orphans have wide gaps, missing pieces. These gaps and missing pieces fill with emotions, emotions based on a lack of an experience rather than an experience. The orphan may not recognize what ‘is missing, until they discover it in someone else. On the other hand, they may recognize it as unnamed aches
patterns of gender discrimination and neglect of women's sexuality, must be viewed as the main obstacles to the development and distribution of methods women can control. (http://ajph.apha publications.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/7/1042)
Chart Of Population
You can contact your government leaders by searching under ‘gov-
Houston,TX
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New York, 8,214,426
New
York
Los Angeles, CA
3,792,621
Chicago,IL
2,695,598 2,099,451 continued on page 20
continued from page 19
Visualize the cities’ population match the numbers of orphaned children of Africa .Visualize and ask yourself who cares for them, who pays for their care, who educates them and who helps them when they are sick? Most importantly, who loves them?
as we make this a reality and make a difference ‘One by One’. Nelson Mandela wrote, “Poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings...” This
is
true,
remarkable
Does this affect us? Is this our problem? How does HIV/Aid’s affect the international community? Because poverty and HIV/Aid’s is colorblind, it infects and affects all ages, religions, nationalities, and crosses all borders. We find through utilization of all ages, religions, and nationalities we have a world solution freed from borders. This diverse problem has now turned into a diverse solution. The United Nations as part of the Millennium Development Goals has pledged to achieve certain results by 2015. These goals include, reducing by half, the amount of world’s people whose income is less than one dollar a day. Visualize policy makers, faith and non-faith leaders, along with people from every walk of life, coming together for this common cause, an issue of the heart,
changes are taking place. Now it is up to us to support and assure the realization of promises made by former President Bush, “To spread a vision of hope, the United States is determined to help nations that are struggling with poverty. We are committed to the Millennium Development Goals. This is an ambitious
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agenda that includes cutting poverty and hunger in half, ensuring that every boy and girl in the world has primary education, and halting the spread of AIDSall by 2015.” Stop and think about the last time you were hungry? What is the longest you have ever had to wait before you ate? Was it because you did not have any food? For there to be health, there must be food and water. One in seven people around the world go to bed hungry; one in seven people have no access to clean water for drinking, cooking or washing. This is devastating if you are well, can you imagine how the problem might seem if you have HIV/AIDS. In rural Zimbabwe, Africa, when families can afford to eat two meals breakfast is at 11:00 A.M. and consists of cornmeal porridge with one teaspoon of sugar. Dinner is cornmeal paste with pinto beans, or collard greens, or pumpkin leaves. “It is easy enough to tell the poor to accept their poverty as God’s will when you yourself have warm clothes and plenty of food and medical care and a roof over your head and no worry about the rent. But if you want continued on page 21
increase funding and pass bills focused on diminishing this epidemic.” Today 104,000,000 African children cannot go to grade school because orphaned or their parents cannot work due to illness. Having no income, these parents cannot provide the needed uniforms, fees or books that are required. As people receive food, clean water and are treated with needed medicine they heal.
Healing brings hope.
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state of Texas.
them to believe you - try to share some of their poverty and see if
Hope brings the changes needed to work. Work then brings the money needed to care for themselves and their children. This self-sufficiency brings self-esteem bringing about growth and change in attitude. As the attitude changes so does the community. Then the community prospers.
The African numbers includes
Amnesty International states in
Let hope be contagious you can accept it as God’s will yourself!” Thomas Merton
young and old, male and female, all nationalities, religions, and social status.
Of the eighty million people worldwide infected with HIV/ AIDs, thirty-three million are in Africa. This closely matches the 25,145,561 population of the
“If they wish to promote positive change regarding this issue, Reverend Tutu encourages individuals to write there political leaders and ask them to vote to
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the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
Let hope be contagious.
Lesson Plan: Street Children What’s Going ON?
Standards Established Goals:
Social Studies
Children make their homes on the street because of poverty.
Understandings:
This lesson examines what happens when parents and other adult carers cannot provide basic needs for children. Students will understand the causes and consequences of why tens of millions of children spend a large portion of their lives on the streets.
1. Every child has the right to live a decent life and be free from any exploitative or harmful activity. 2. Poverty prevents children from reaching their full potential. 3. Impoverished children are more likely to en-
National Council for Social Studies Standards: II. Time, Continuity, and Change III. Peoples, Places and Environments IV. Individual Development and Identity V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions VI. Power, Authority, and Governance IX. Global Connections X. Civic Ideals and Practices
Transferable Concepts/ Links: Human Rights, Culture, Human Geography, Globalization, Conflict Resolution, Citizen- gage in activities that harm their health, safety and ship, Homelessness, Poverty, Corruption, Tolerance, development. Abuse, Basic Needs, International Cooperation, Collaboration, Civil Society, Humanitarian Agencies, NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) Interpret human existence as valid regardless of traits, traditions and or circumstances. Course Connections: Global Studies 1. Children can identify ways and means by which Current Events street children can be helped. Geography 2. Discuss what governments and international organiEconomics continued on page 23 History
Essential Questions:
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zations can do to prevent families and children from ending up on the streets.
What’s Going On?
Street Children in Mongolia. Richard Gere reviews the 3. Examine international documents like the Conven- plight of street children in Ulanbaatar, Mongolia and tion on the Rights of the Child. other cities in this remote country between China and Russia. Editors note: Although, this information is a 4. Use interpersonal communication skills to raise perfect outline for anyone with a plan to help street awareness about the importance of helping street children. 5. Enable students to synthesize the knowledge they have gained. 6. Review the success of international efforts to remove children from the world’s streets.
Students will know: 1. Human rights vocabulary 2. What is being done about this global problem 3. International documents and the issues they address 4. The names of international organizations and NGOs that help street children 5. How to get involved to help solve this global problem
Students will be able to: 1. Respect others through exposure to another way of children anywhere. life different from their own. Convention on the Rights of the Child http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm 2. Explore opportunities to bring about social change locally and nationally.
Equipment and Materials: Activity 1: Television and DVD or VHS player Computer with access to the internet
1. Give students a brief background on Street continued on page 24
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Children: Children roam the streets to make money by selling candy, cigarettes or toys, shining shoes, picking through garbage, and begging.
Why do you think it might be difficult for children in this predicament to improve their lives? Is it difficult for children in this situation to have hope for their futures, why?
Activity 2:
Street children may become victims of sexual abuse and drug peddlers, or take on the dangerous habit of sniffing glue or participating in petty crime. Street children often dream of a better life, with a roof over their heads and sufficient food to eat. Unfortunately, these children have a very difficult time breaking out of their unhealthy situations. According to UNICEF, a street child or youth is any girl or boy (under 18) who has not reached adulthood, for whom the street (in the broadest sense of the word, including unoccupied dwellings, wasteland, etc.) has become her or his abode and/or sources of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults. This includes the two co-exiting categories referred to by UNICEF as those “on the street” and those “of the street”.
1. Ask students: Define your basic needs; what is required to survive? Answers might include: food, safe water, housing, clothes, education. 2. Ask students: What basic needs are not met when children live on the streets?
Answers might include: a. Physical safety b. Adequate nutrition and medical support c. Education d. The opportunity to play or to use time in useful or creative ways e. Protection from economic exploitation Children on the Street earn their living or beg for money 3. Ask students: Why do children end up on the street? on the street and return home at night. Answers might include: a. Some children might be orphaned or abandoned by their parents or relatives. Children of the Street are homeless children who live and sleep on the streets in urban areas. They are totally on their own, living with other street children or homeless adult street people. These children probably lack parental, emotional and psychological support normally found in a parenting situation.
Ask students:
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In 1989, world leaders decided that b. HIV/AIDS has increased the children under 18 years of age ofnumber of orphaned children. ten need special care adults do not. c. In some cases, children leave The Convention is the first legally their families because of poverty to binding international instrument to incorporate a full range of human look for work in cities. d. Violence and/or in the home, rights such as civil, cultural, ecowhich may be a direct cause of nomic, political and social rights for stresses associated with poverty children. The Convention is an inwhich may cause children to leave ternational document negotiated by Member States at the United Natheir homes. tions. Every Member State of the 3. Explain to students that street United Nations has ratified (or children have the same rights as any other person under the age of 18 years. a. Street children are entitled to protection as well as services which enable them to live a healthy, prosperous life. continued from page 24
Ask Students: a. If parents and guardians can’t meet the needs of children, who should be held responsible? b. What do you think would be required to protect street children and provide them an opportunity to get out of their unhealthy circumstances?
Activity 3:
1. Hand out copies of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
History:
adopted) the treaty except the United States and Somalia, who have only signed it. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing children’s rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child.
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Madeline Albright, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, signed the Convention in 1995. However, the United States Constitution requires that such documents receive a two-thirds approval by the Senate to be adopted. There are some articles in the Convention that the US Senate has yet to come to an agreement on.
Ask Students: What is the difference between ratifying and signing a treaty? Why do you think the United States has not adopted the Convention?
Answers Can Include: a. Signing does not create a binding legal obligation but does demonstrate the State’s intent to examine the treaty domestically and consider ratifying it. Ratification signifies an agreement by the state to be legally bound by the terms of the treaty. b. Some US legislators feel the provisions or certain articles of the Convention could interfere with the role of parents in their children’s lives. The Convention is the most widely supported international treaty becontinued on page 26
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Istanbul, Turkey. o. India has a population of 1 billion with about 35 million orphans, many of whom live on the streets. p. Africa has 10.7 million orphans as a result of AIDS and the numbers continue to grow. http://www.unicef.org/sowc06/press/release.php http://www.mexico-child-link.org/street-children-definition-statistics.htm a. At least 150 million children worldwide are believed http://www.streetkids.net/info/ http://www.streetchildren.org.uk/reports/Brazilto live, at least part time, on the streets. %20drugs,crime,viol,HIV.doc www.hiltonfoundation.org/ press/16-pdf3.pdf The Convention says that all children under the age of 18 should be protected from harm. cause nations, organizations and individuals realize the future of humanity is in the hands of our children.
Share these facts with your students:
Ask students: b. 40% of the world’s street children are homeless, the 60% work on the street to support their families c. Many street children use a number of inhalants (glue, gasoline, lighter fluid) and illegal drugs (marijuana, cocaine and heroin). d. Street children are routinely detained illegally, beaten and tortured and sometimes killed by police in some countries. e. An estimated 40 million children live or work on the streets of Latin America—out of a total population of 500 million people. f. Up to 10,000 street and underprivileged children die in Lima, Peru every year. g. Brazil is estimated to have 12 million street children. h. 100% of street children in Brazil use drugs. i. Mexico City has 1,900,000 underprivileged and street children, 240,000 of these are abandoned children. j. France has about 10,000 street children. k. Ireland has 500 to 1,000 street children. l. Street children in the Netherlands number some 7,000. m. Phnom Penh, Cambodia has about 5,000 to 10,000 street children. n. There are 6,000 to 7,000 street children in
To identify and highlight which Articles of the Convention are violated when children are surrounded or involved with armed conflict. Answers might include Articles: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 39 Ask students to rephrase the Articles: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 39 for an in
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class discussion. Note to teacher: Students should hold onto their copies of the Convention for further use.
Activity 3: 1. Screen the documentary ‘What’s Going On? Street Children in Mongolia. Richard Gere reviews the plight of street children in Ulanbaatar, Mongolia and other cities in this remote country between China and Russia. 2. Ask students to site the challenges Bagii, Itgel, Nandin, and Byamba Suren Face. Ask students to respond emotionally to the experience of the young people in the film. 3. Ask students to imagine what it might be like to live as one of the characters in the film. What would their challenges and fears be?
Activity 4:
sentation to the class. 5. Students should be able to form their own groups and contribute to the global effort to help children forced to live on the street. Divide students into groups of 3-5 and have them come up with the following: a. A group name and logo b. The group’s mandate and mission statement c. Long and short term goals for the group d. Other organizations to collaborate with
e. Come up with a PR campaign to inform the school and public about their organization.
1. Write a response to the lesson’s focus questions: Why should it be a global priority to prevent children from living on the streets? 2. Have students read the personal stories of Bagii, Itgel, Nandin, and Byambasuren. Ask students to respond to the question: What would you do if you were in their situation? 3. Research and report on the work of NGO’s that are working to remove children from the world’s streets. (See NGOs Below) 4. Assign each student to a different country to determine the number of children living on the streets. Students should research the types of services (health, education, shelters) street children have access to. Students might present their findings in a research paper, Power Point Presentation or pre-
Resources: ILO http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/features/06/ childstreet_russia.htm UNICEF http://www.unicef.org/egypt/protection_144.html UNESCO http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001181/ 118101eo.pdf Street Children http://www.gvnet.com/streetchildren/ The Consortium for Street Children (CSC) http://www.streetchildren.org.uk/
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The European Foundation for Street Children Worldwide (EFSCW) http://www.enscw.org/ Grow up free from poverty http://www.grow-up-free-from-poverty.org/site/pages/ ui_home.aspx Better Care Network http://www.crin.org/bcn/ h
PANGAEA Street Children-Community Children http://pangaea.org/street_children/kids.htm Human Rights Watch: Children’s Rights http://www.hrw.org/children/street.htm One Big Village: Street Children http://www.worldvision.com.au/onebigvillage/ print.asp?topicID=73 Arms of Love http://www.armsoflove.org/what_street.htm Butterflies: Working for Underpriviledged Children in Delhi http://www.butterflieschildrights.org/
Street Children World Wide Directory http://www.almudo.com/links.html Street Child Africa http://www.streetchildafrica.org.uk/aims.htm Umthombo: The Voice from the Streets http://www.umthombo.org/ Identity Foundation http://www.identityfoundation.org/Work.asp Felices Los Ninos Foundation
http://www.feliceslosninos.org/en/nosotros/ bienvenida.html Agape Bible Fellowship http://www.agapeindia.com/ street_children_challenge.htm
Articles Woman Fights for Mongolia’s Street Children http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/International/ story?id=1350000
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Out in the Cold: The Street Children of Mongolia http://www.prout.org/pna/mongolian-streetchildren.html ‘Child by child’, group aids homeless street kids http://archives.cnn.com/2001/fyi/news/07/02/ russian.kids/index.html U.S. woman working to save Siberian street children http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/05/21/ harrigan.kids/index.html Street Children: More and More Killed Everyday http://pangaea.org/street_children/latin/brazil.htm Severe Chill: As winter deepens in the valley,
street children find their daily life deteriorating h t t p : / / w w w. n e p a l n e w s . c o m . n p / c o n t e n t s / englishweekly/spotlight/2003 /jan/jan10/national8.htm Mexico’s wealth divide keeps kids on street http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/ 20060801-0500-mexico-streetkids.html Baghdad fuel shortage supports generation of
street kids ‘Young doctors’ minister to India’s street children http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9808/29/ india.street.children/ index.html?eref=sitesearch Preamble to the Problematic of Street Children http://www.enfants-des-rues.com/pages/uk/ enfants_preambule.asp The Children on our Streets: Part 1 the Problem http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-1201bourdillon-I.html The Children on our Streets: Part 2 the situation http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0102bourdilon-II.html
Street Children Human Rights and Public Health http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/13_1/ Vol13_1Articles/panter-brick.pdf Children’s Right Human Rights Development http://www.hrw.org/wr2k/Crd.htm# TopOfPage Human Rights, Legal Issues & Law enforcement http://www.lakareivarlden.org/sidor/stp_en_17.htm
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streetkids.htm
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Severe Chill by Niraj Poudayal http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/ spotlight/2003/jan/jan10/national8.htm Changing Paradigms for Working with Street Youth by Stephanie Sauvé http://www.streetkids.org/assets/pdf/2003/ SKI_paradigms.pdf Consortium for Street Children: An Outside chance http://www.streetchildren.org.uk/resources/details/ ?type=publication&publication=18
Pangaea Street Children-Community Children http://pangaea.org/street_children/kids.htm Bolivia: Abandoned Street children turn to drugs http://www.wfn.org/1999/01/msg00011.html Children without Childhood http://www.luaviet.org/English/treem.htm Standing in front of me http://www.exop.org/pub/fiveshillings.htm Help For Ukraine’s Street Kids, From Two Us Women h t t p : / / w w w. a r t u k r a i n e . c o m / b u i l d u k r a i n e /
Books Street Children: The Tragedy and Challenge of the World’s Millions of Modern-Day Oliver Twists by Andy Butcher Children of the Streets by Harlan Ellison At Home in the Street: Street Children of Northeast Brazil by Tobias Hecht Street Children in Kenya: Voices of Children in Search of a Childhood by Philip Kilbride
Juvenile Injustice: Police Abuse and Detention of Street Children in Kenya by Yodon Thonden, Lois Whitman, Binaifer Nowrojee, and Human Rights Watch El Nino: Children of the Streets, Mexico City (Image and Imagination) by Kent Klich and Elena Poniatowska Urban Life and Street Children’s Health: Children’s Accounts of Urban Hardships and Violence in Tanzania (African Studies) by Joe Lugalla and
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and Practice by Walter De Oliveira
Colleta Kibassa Asphalt Angels by Ineke Holtwijk, Wanda Boeke Translator), Aneke Holtwijk Hardcover 192 pages (April 1, 1999) Front Street A Ceiling of Stars (American Girl Fiction (Paper) by Ann Howard Creel Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback 96 pages (September 1999) Pleasant Company Publications Lives Turned Upside Down : Homeless Children in Their Own Words and Photographs by Jim Hubbard Reading level: Ages 9-12 School & Library Binding (October 1996) Simon & Schuster (Juv); Monkey Island by Paula Fox Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback 151 pages Reissue edition (April 1993) Yearling Books The Street Children of Brazil: One Woman’s Remarkable Story by Sarah De Carvalho Robbed of Humanity: Lives of Guatemalan Street Children by Nancy Leigh Tierney Sleeping Rough in Port-au-Prince: An Ethnography of Street Children and Violence in Haiti by J. Christopher Kovats-Bernat Children on the Streets of the Americas: Globalization, Homelessness and Education in the United States, Brazil, and Cuba by R. Mickelson Screaming From the Streets: The Street Children of Java (Centre of Southeast Asian Studies) by Wendy Miller Poverty, AIDS, and Street Children in East Africa (Studies in African Health and Medicine, 10) by Joe Lugalla and Colleta G. Kibassa Working with Children on the Streets of Brazil: Politics
Radio:
Homeless in Mongolia http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=1023667 December 3, 1998 · NPR’s Anne Garrels reports from Ulan Bator, Mongolia about the thousands of homeless children who live in the streets of the capital city. She examines why they leave home, how they subsist, and efforts to help them. The Barefoot Doctor and India’s Street Children http://www.npr.org/templates/story/
story.php?storyId=1142849 May 5, 2002 · In the third part of his series for Weekend Edition Sunday on the “pavement dwellers” of Mumbai, India, Julian Crandall-Hollick makes the rounds with Dinesh, a 22-year-old, self-taught doctor who treats runaway children arriving by train at Dadar Station. Street Kids Give Guided Tours of New Delhi http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=5421058
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May 21, 2006 · Westerners get a different view of Indian life when they take guided tours by street kids in New Delhi. Children Underground http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=1139243 Sadak Chhap, Part 1 and 2 http://www.npr.org/programs/wesun/features/2002/ sadak/ http://www.npr.org/programs/wesun/features/2002/ sadak2/ April 7, 2002 · This two part series of independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick’s focuses on the street kids of Mumbai. Afghan Beggars
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=1135663 January 1, 2002 · NPR’s Jacki Lyden reports from Kabul, where thousands of Afghan children roam the streets supporting their families by begging. The children are known as ‘Spandee’ and some of them are as young as eight years old. The INS and Illegal Children http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=1069590
HOMELESS CHILDREN IN RUSSIA http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=1023977 Educating Homeless Kids http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=1141038
Film: “Children Underground” directed by Edet Belzberg http://www.indiewire.com/people/ int_Belzberg_Edet_010919.html Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388789/ Children of No Import’nce (1928) directed by Gerald Lamprecht
Homeless To Harvard (2003) directed by Peter Levin Gadens børn (1991) aka “The Street Children” directed by Anja Dalhoff Boot Polish (Hindi) (1954) directed by Prakash Arora Kun den stærkeste overlever, directed by Per Wennick “East Side/West Side” The Street (1964) directed by Millard Lampell http://www.un.org/works/sub3.asp?lang=en&id=112
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DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Recap of lesson on pages 22-32 Essential Questions: Interpret human existence as valid regardless of traits, traditions and or circumstances.
Adopted by UN General Assembly Resolution 1386 (XIV) of 10 December 1959
WHEREAS the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the 1. Children can identify ways and dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promeans by which street children can mote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, be helped. 2. Discuss what governments and international organizations can do to prevent families and children fromending up on the streets. 3. Examine international documents like the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 4. Use interpersonal communication skills to raise awareness about the importance of helping street children. 5. Enable students to synthesize the knowledge they have gained. 6. Review the success of international efforts to remove children from the world’s streets. Students will know: 1. Human rights vocabulary 2. What is being done about this global problem 3. International documents and the issues they address 4. The names of international organizations and NGOs that help street children 5. How to get involved to help solve this global problem
WHEREAS the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, WHEREAS the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth, WHEREAS the need for such special safeguards has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924, and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the statutes of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children, WHEREAS mankind owes to the child the best it has to give,
Now, therefore, Proclaims THIS DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD to the end that he may have a happy childhood and enjoy for his own good and for the good of society the rights and freedoms herein set forth, and calls upon parents, upon men and women as individuals, and upon voluntary organizations, local authorities and national Governments to recognize these rights and strive for their observance by legislative Students will be able to: 1. Respect others through exposure and other measures progressively taken in accordance with the folto another way of life different from lowing principles: their own. 2. Explore opportunities to bring about social change locally and nationally. Equipment and Materials: Television and DVD or VHS player Computer with access to the internet.
1 The child shall enjoy all the rights set forth in this Declaration. Every child, without any exception whatsoever, shall be entitled to these rights, without distinction or discrimination on account of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, nacontinued on page 38
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tional or social origin, property, birth or other status, whether of himself or of his family. 2 The child shall enjoy special protection, and shall be given opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means, to enable him to develop physically, mentally, morally, spiritually and socially in a healthy and normal manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity. In the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration. 3
The child shall be entitled from his birth to a name and a nationality.
4 The child shall enjoy the benefits of social security. He shall be entitled to grow and develop in health; to this end, special care and protection shall be provided both to him and to his mother, including adequate pre-natal and post-natal care. The child shall have the right to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation and medical services. 5 The child who is physically, mentally or socially handicapped shall be given the special treatment, education and care required by his particular condition. 6 The child, for the full and harmonious development of his personality, needs love and understanding. He shall, wherever possible, grow up in the care and under the responsibility of his parents, and, in any case, in an atmosphere of affection and of moral and material security; a child of tender years shall not, save in exceptional circumstances, be separated from his mother. Society and the public authorities shall have the duty to extend particular care to children without a family and to those without adequate means of support. Payment of State and other assistance towards the maintenance of children of large families is desirable. 7 The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society. The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents. The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right. 8
The child shall in all circumstances be among the first to receive protection and relief.
9 The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form. The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development. 10 The child shall be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious and any other form of discrimination. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men.
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Sarah Stuart tells us how to:
‘STOP CHILDREN POVERTY’ How to stop children poverty. Many institutions that have children terms of money and wealth and has sevChildren poverty is a delicate question and topic, for many reasons. Some of them refer to the fact that children themselves are not responsible for the poverty they live in and they may feel con-
programs can change the curse of history and the lives of many children. One of the basic actions these institutions can do is to have particular and considerate discounts to the less wealthy families. When a family is less powerful in
eral children, these will not live the effects of poverty in their lives if they are authorized or encouraged to participate in their programs at a reduced price, with promotions or extra help. Another way children who live in poverty can benefit from our help is by awarding them scholarships, awards that will benefit the ones that have a desire to study or learn and do not have much money to do it. A society’s future depends on the education of their children and teenagers and we all as a society have many ways of helping others. One of the greatest helps we can actually practice daily is the not ignoring of this subject. Ignoring children who live in poverty, pretending poverty does not exist or not allowing them to express themselves freely is aggravating the problem. As conscious adults we can always help. We can promote art contests for less wealthy children, we can give them opportunities of accessing to scholarships, we can treat them well independently of how much money their families have and ultimately we can encourage their parents and family to evolve their own lives, since children will directly benefit from any world’s evolution and development. As adults we can do and immense number of things, all we have to access is to our own good will and creativity.
strained and limited when comparing them-selves to other children and what others can do that they cannot. As any problem on this world of ours, poverty has a solution and children poverty has a solution as well. We can infer to the government, to the states, to the political power of the world, which are entities who denote increased power over these issues, but if we allow this to stop our movements and actions then children poverty will take a long time to get solved and things will change slowly.
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THE MIRZA-N-SAEEDA MEORIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION Time has stood still in some coun- profit, non-sectarian and non-potries where widows and their chil- litical voluntary organization works dren live in dire poverty. among the poor in rural Pakistan delivering a variety of socio-ecoLIFE IN PAKISTAN IN 2011 nomic services. Child welfare and Imagine the UK or the USA, when the development of women, espewomen were dependent on men cially widows feature prominently, and if the breadwinner died, it was but so do finding solutions for soa disaster for the widow and her cial scourges such as child labor, brood. Things may have changed homeless children living on the somewhat in the West, but not so streets, drug abuse, and violence in countries such as Pakistan against women and children. The where widows have no or limited association coordinates health career options and she with her programs such as polio and TB children face unimaginable poverty. eradication, and educational support for disabled children. MIRZA-N-SAEEDA MEMORIAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION M&S consists of male & female
Sadia
Sultan Founder/Chairperson.
members who are from different fields of life i.e. Professionals, Lecturers, Accountants, Social Workers, Marketing Professionals, Students and Youth of the area. OUR MAIN MISSION IS TO WORK TO END THE SUFFERING OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, PURELY ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS, WITHOUT REGARD TO POLITICS OR RELIGION, AND BRING RADICAL, PRODUCTIVE CHANGE TO THEIR LIVES. THE M&S BROADLY FOCUSES ON WOMEN'S DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, DISABLE PEOPLE, FREE LEGAL AID, AND EDUCATION.
http://www.mirza-n-saeeda.com/ Donate.html Established in 2007, this non-
BASED-SERVICES AND THE PROMOTION OF COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS.
VISION TO CREATE INCLUSIVE, BARRIER FREE AND RIGHTS BASED SOCIETY BY EMPOWERING DISADVANTAGE COMMUNITY OF PAKISTAN. AREAS OF ACTIVITIES
HUMAN /CIVIL RIGHTS * WOMEN DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY WIDOWS * WORKING AGAINST TORTURE *
THROUGH MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
* CHILD WELFARE * DRUGS DEMAND REDUCTION * EDUCATION * HIV/AIDS * ENVIRONMENT * COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION * PRIMARY HEALTH CARE DONATION/ASSISTANCE http://www.mirza-n-saeeda.com/ Donate.html WEBSITE http://www.mirza-n-saeeda.com/ Donate.html
OUR MISSION TO BUILD AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY THROUGH E-MAIL ADEQUATE RESOURCES AND EQUAL OPPOR- info@mirza-n-saeeda.com or TUNITIES BY PROVISIONS OF COMMUNITY- mirzansaeeda07@gmail.com
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YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SPARTAN SPARKLES SHINE PAGE 38 PAGE 42
Mom’s Nest
Choose Wisely PAGE 43
(Orlando’s Story)
Indigo and Blue PAGE 44
(Marcy’s story)
PAGE 46
The true test
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Spirit of the Street PAGE 37
SPARTAN SPARKLES SPARKLES SHINE SHINE
Rhonda Varsane
****
In Pleasant Valley, “special needs” courage.” states Cronk. equals Heroes thanks to Sarah Cronk and Sarah Herr. The students with disabilities, (our Sparkles), share an unexpected bond The two teens are from Pleasant Valley which brings out the best in the PV Sparwhich is located in the Quad-Cities area tans, Sparkles, parents and community. of Bettendorf Iowa. It has a high school of 1,152 students. The Community’s School They spend an hour and half each week District brags, with good reason, about their at practice. They perform for pre and requirement of seventy-two hours of com- post games and during half-time at home munity service. They believe this provides an instructional and extracurricular program of unsurpassed excellence.
When the community comes to the games they experience and learn inclusion; no one is left out. They pause, think, and open their minds, seeing there is room for everyone. With this feeling of hope everything becomes possible. It is not only entertaining but inspiring, a feel-good time for all with a multitude of hugs and smiles.
This is true, but, the “two Sarah’s” Spartan Sparkles’ far exceeded this. The Spartan Sparkles form a unique school-based program completely youth-led, youth-staffed, and youthdriven. They encourage kids with disabilities to participate as cheerleaders on a cheer squad. The program focuses on raising spirit and adapts to the skill of any boy or girl. Out of twenty-one, eleven girls have special needs, ages nine to sixteen. It started when two of the Varsity cheerleaders; Sarah Herr and Sarah Cronk volunteered for the Special Olympics. This was the inspiration for the teens to start the Spartan Sparkles (www.spartansparkles.com). Their focus is enhancing social, communication, and physical skills in students with disabilities.
Sarah Herr is a founder and president of Sparkle Effect and Spartan Sparkles.
football and basketball. The teams are welcomed by a packed crowd and standing ovations.
Sarah Cronk is also a founder and president of Sparkle Effect and Spartan Sparkles.
The Special Olympics organization explains it best: “The parents of children with disabilities find those who participate improve physical fitness and moPam Cinadr the school’s Head Coach tor skills and develop greater self-consays, “I was excited when the girls came fidence and more positive self-image. up with the idea; I was willing to help Vice President Wagner of the Special “As peer-coaches we work simple them in any way. What I see is they are Olympic noticed, “The most important stunts with the girls. We experience feel- close, so close, like a family. It has been thing is the friendships made by the girls [Spartan Sparkles] on the team.” ings about open minds and hearts, ex- a growing experience for everyone.” amples of increased self-confidence and continued on page continued on page 39 social skills, times of perseverance and “The Sparkles” is a community squad.
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and kids even come up and talk to her. Caitlin was going to be one of the Fifteen Spartan Sparkles participated She feels she fits in. She has self-confi- cheerleaders with a uniform with regular practice and then cheering at home during the 2009 Mid-Winter Special dence and is not afraid to try.” games. Wow – ‘A Spartan Sparkles’. Olympics at the University of Iowa. Competition began at the field house Mary Johnson, another mom, says, You could tell the high school girls Saturday at 8:30 am and lasted until 3:30 “Claire is the youngest participant. She wanted to be there for our girls. A spePM. Kids and adults formed most is in her third year with the Sparkles. cial bond was formed. Caitlin was full teams, but the Sparkles were different. She is eight years old and has Down of smiles and hugs.” They were a unified squad coming to- Syndrome. She thrives on the Spartan gether as one, made of 100% kids. The Sparkles and has benefited from the Whether it is basketball or football the Sparkles performed their team cheer experience. The High School girls are Spartans and the Sparkles shine through and won the ‘Gold’. There was excite- amazing friends. Claire struggles with with a friendship the community can see. ment with squealing, hugging, jumping noise at the games, but has made “Caitlin has Down Syndrome she would put her chin down looking at the floor and faces covered with smiles. progress in her comfort level.” then lookup through her glasses with a At the all-team dance, The Spartan The first time the girls walked on the half smile. She is able to be part of the Sparkles made a splash wearing their field they held hands feeling scared and cheerleader team in her own little uniRotary Club funded navy blue warm- insecure. A group of cheering high school form. She is now acknowledged in the ups with silver glitter on their backs boy chanted her name then followed with community and at church wearing a big spelling ‘SPARKLES’ while sporting chants for all the Spartans. This changed smile. Her confidence level has risen red bandanas and their newly won the focus of the crowd from being lead while her social skills develop, now gold medals. The squad, now made in cheer by the Sparkles to cheering for belonging to something special, a part of twenty-one, is scheduled to com- the Sparkles. It was an amazing show of of the whole. pete in 2010 under the Special Olym- support and acceptance of the special pic Oath: “Let me win. But if I cannot needs girls being out front and center. I “The Spartans are sanctioned by the win, let me be brave in the attempt.” will never forget that moment and the school but teen led.” Cronk shares: “It is important to understand service Cronk says,” Some people look at power of sincere inclusion.” learning: there is a benefit from helping others and only see what they can not do. [Unfortunately] This is true with Juanita Ghere states, “My daughter, others. Adults want to help teens. These kids with disabilities.” Caitlin, prior to becoming a Sparkle, teens pave the way and remove obattended a one-day cheerleader camp. stacles in a teen-friendly way. They Mrs. Finn, one of the Sparkle’s moms, She received a tee-shirt and cheered at know people will say ‘yes’ to them. explains, “Emily was aware she was a game. She loved it. The PV cheerdifferent but did not understand why. leaders set up a Special Needs Squad. Community service can empower Now, being a Sparkle everyone knows At the first parent meeting we found it teens. They can get needed help from continued on page 40 her name. They say hi in the hallway so much more than a one-day camp. continued on page continued from frompage page 38
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continued continued from frompage page_38 38
adults, parents, coaches and principals. This doesn’t have to be the only way to get rid of the ‘limit’ in your voice. If you have a strong idea, a strong plan and the stick-to-it ness you can see it through.”
people and, in doing so, raise the spirits of an entire nation. Second, the more we give, the more we get. By enriching the lives of our peers, we enrich our own lives.” These two secrets are ready to spread beyond Pleasant Valley High School.
Sarah Cronk learned from her older brother, who has a disability, how im- “We are picking up where Federal Legportant inclusion is. When inclusion be- islation stops.” The Individuals with Discomes the ‘norm’, with ‘no barriers’, abilities in Education Act (IDEA),
all students will be accepted. It is an (Idea.ed.gov), is where teens can make easy, beneficial, fun learning experience. a change on a Federal level. IDEA mandates whenever possible [individuals She adds “I would like to take this op- with] special needs be educated with portunity to let other Quad-Cities high peers. We, as teens, know how to make school students in on two secrets: First, this happen. We see what matters most as teens, we are powerful beyond to kids is social acceptance. [If we] measure. We have the power to posi- Take responsibility for the role we play tively impact the lives of other young in the quality of each other’s experience
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we can change the world.” Mayor Mike Freemire of Bettendorf, IA., passionately states: “I find the Sparkles a fascinating idea involving ladies that may never have had a chance to participate in this sort of activity, getting life experience. My hat is off to you. Amazing, here are these teenagers at a time in their life when they are thinking about themselves and not others. It is re-
markable for them to be able to do this, to follow through and to package it.” Pleasant Valley’s Superintendent Dr. Spelhaug states, “The Sparkle Effect (SE) [The girl’s nonprofit] is fertile ground for great ideas to grow and flourish spreading from our school discontinued on pageon 41 continued
continued from frompage page 39
Sparkles are a part of a generation of doers. We believe teenagers, trust teenagers, celebrate teenagers, respect teenagers, and value teenagers. They are teaching adults and community about inclusion as they teach the world the definition of hero.
trict, the state, and beyond. We are proud of our students. In education, painting in broad strokes, community service organizations like SE affect the community. It is made up of sharp kids, go getters with good minds, good hearts and a lot of passion.”
Let’s thanks these heroes: The Spartan Sparkles.
Cronk reminds us, “The PV Spartans have always been a service minded so we took a leap of faith to convince others; like parents, administration, principal, coaches and the community. Most people are willing to back a good idea when there is perseverance.”
What is: Sparkle Effect? The Sparkle Effect, Inc. (SE) is a revolutionary student-run nonprofit corporation founded by Co-presidents Sarah Cronk (17) and Sarah Herr (18). They provide guidance, peer mentoring, on-line tools and support to enable high school students across the United States to create cheerleading squads for students with special needs and to fully integrate those squads into the high school sports curriculum. The corporation was formed to allow nationwide growth.
Dr. Spelhaug continues: “We are proud of our students. The two Sarahs, as a function of their energy, committing to the idea and the strength of the idea, allowed their ideas to flourish. In the broader terms the student engagement [with community service] helped shape their views. Along with understanding and responsibility of the citizens in society, they have had a positive impact. The parents and advisors helped but for the most part this is their [The two Sarahs] work. This is an example of the power of an idea.”
Cheerleaders and peers with disabilities cheer side-by-side at high school sporting events causing schools to understand true inclusion and giving students with disabilities opportunities to shine on merit while opening the minds of others.
Mike Zimmer, High School principal adds, “It has been a great opportunity for the kids to get involved and wonderful to watch.” The two Sarah’s, the founders, see and believe in the power of this program. “Every team starting will experience unique issues, we are there for them. “We believe students are natural givers; they are trend-setters, unafraid to create change.” It is this youth voiced organization ‘The League’; (wwwtheLeague.org) Cronk was inducted in June of 2009 as the Vice Chair for the National Youth Service Organization. As national spokesperson for teen volunteerism, Cronk’s message is: ‘It is cool to care’. She finds it changed
her and her approach to others. She explains, “I am a young teenager making a positive change in the world and I have a voice to change the world. Teens need to realize they have a voice, they have power, and they can make things happen. Teens can teach teens it is ‘cool to care’ by leading by example. Once you ‘see’ inclusion you are much more likely to ‘practice’ inclusion, which becomes the cool thing to do.” Dosomething.org believes the Spartans
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Anyone starting their own cheerleading squad may find things overwhelming. They plan to work one-on-one until everyone is comfortable, as they replicate the Sparkles. The down-loadable ‘Quick Start’ program at www.thesparkleeffect.org provides a kit offering an introductory letter, a 12-step model for starting your own squad; including a sample letter to administrators, a sample promotional flyer, and recommendations for effective practices along with fund-raising ideas. The girls are also available to field worldwide e-mails weekly.
Mom’s Nest
How to discuss menstruation with your daughter (or son) By DeAnna L’am © 2010 about your menstruation (such as physi“This is my Moon Flow,” cal or emotional pain) it is best not to introduce the subject to your child until I said to Ellah, who was about 4 at you work through your difficulty and the time, when she saw me changing gain some balance for yourself. a pad. I never saw my Mom changing pads, and hence committed to not Generally, it is best not to bombard hiding my natural flow from my daughter. Without my flow, my girl would not have been born… How could this be anything but a source of joy in my ability to give birth? An ability she will one day share!
makes a nest. She flies in the forest and collects leaves, feathers, boughs, branches, and bits of fluff, and she weaves a nest for the baby bird to comfortably lie in.”
“All women flow with the moon,” I added, “and you, too, will flow when you become a woman.” Ellah smiled with the promise, and at four years of age this was enough. I didn’t refer to the flow as “blood” until much later, since I didn’t want Ellah to associate it with an “Ouwy.” The purpose with young children, both girls and boys, is to introduce, and talk about, this natural bodily function in the same neutral way as you do when talking about eating. Gradually, as the child matures, it is good to tie the flow to its purpose, which is a woman’s ability to give life.
“Every month,” I shared with my daughter, “I thank my body for being such a miracle, and for knowing how to make a baby grow inside… I also thank it for the wisdom of letting go of the nest, when I don’t need it…” Ellah was fully satisfied. She had a clear picture in her mind, and the Moon Flow made sense to her.
children with information, but to wait for their questions. When Ellah was about seven, she asked me where does the Moon Flow come from? My answer was inspired by the Waldorf educational approach, and I explained that the Moon Flow is “Mom’s Nest.”
“Well…” I continued, “it’s the same with me. And with all women! Every month a woman’s body prepares a nest in her tummy, where a baby can grow. Her wise body gathers tissue and blood from inside her, and makes a warm and comfortable nest. Then, if no baby starts to grow, there is no need for the nest. So Mamma’s wise body sends the nest out in a big whoosh. That’s why the flow is red, because it’s made of all the good, nourishing blood that was ready to help the baby grow.”
Telling your child a story of this nature doesn’t only encapsulate the physical facts associated with menstruation. It allows you to start instilling the awe, which our bodies deserve for their amazing abilities. Beyond that, you are actively buck“Mommy’s Nest???” she asked in ing the cultural current of taboo and shame around menstruation. You are raising a girl amazement. or a boy who will have a different narra“Yes,” I said. “When a Mama bird pre- tive with which to counter the cultural If you find that you have some charge pares for a baby bird to be born, she beliefs when they encounter them.
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Choose Wisely (Orlando’s Story) Orlando slouched in a gray metal chair. His arms crossed his thin body, holding himself tightly. Eyes downcast he curled inward like an opossum or turtle fearing attack from a predator. Orlando knew they were lurking behind the mirrored half-wall in front of him…watching. Detective Eddie Corrales walked into the interrogation room. He sat down opposite Orlando, who didn’t look up. Two sweating bottles of water garnered Orlando’s attention and he stared at the puddles left on the scratched and dented table. The detective, a relatively young cop, had just been promoted. He’d received a Masters from the University of Chicago in computer forensics. Although the crime for which Orlando was being questioned didn’t include computers, Identity Theft in any form was under the purview of the fraud division. Detective Corrales, Eddie, has a youthful, nerdy appearance, which disarmed most arrogant, immature would-be criminals. And, Eddie has a sixth sense. He can identify a genuine “bad-guy” from the kid who’s being tricked into committing bad acts. Eddie believes that with the use of Restorative Justice* techniques the budding criminal can choose a socially acceptable line of work and expression. Orlando fit the profile of a smart kid who was misguided by a few not-so-bright hooligans. Orlando grew up in West Tampa, the son of hard-working Cuban immigrants. He went to public schools and excelled at complicated puzzles, computer games and numbers. Orlando’s cousin, Alphonso, recognized that Orlando could glance at a twenty digit num-
ber and remember it. Alphonso recruited Orlando to act as a “skimmer,” a person who records credit and debit card information from consumers using their cards in stores and restaurants. Alphonso’s gang members, Charles and Brian were introducing Orlando to “shoulder surfing,” a method of watching people using laptops in public
places and at ATM machines. Although Alphonso is a high school drop-out, he is exceedingly charming. Orlando, who is only 15, tries to be like his 23 year old cousin. But, Orlando is naive. He’s shy and feels more at home with solitary activities. For Orlando, memorizing numbers is easy. When he’s around
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his cousin and his team of shady characters, Orlando feels respected and accepted by those he admires. He likes to be treated as an adult. Orlando doesn’t realize the trauma victims undergo when their account numbers are stolen. “What do you know about your cousin?” asked Eddie. “What do you mean?” responded Orlando. “Did you know that he and his cronies steal documents out of
dumpsters, take people’s mail from their boxes and then steal their identities? And, that he sells those identities to syndicates specializing in identity theft?” “So what?” said Orlando. “I’d like you to meet someone,” replied Eddie. continued on page 44
continued from page 43
A young man about twenty-five years old entered the room and sat down next to Eddie. “This is Carlos.” Orlando looked up. “Carlos has a story to tell you,” said Eddie and nodded. Carlos told Orlando how he had applied for student loans to attend college and was turned down. He discovered that his identity had been stolen and his credit was destroyed. He was billed for $50,000 in medical treatments he didn’t have and a credit check showed he owed $60,000 in back child support. Carlos has no children. His life has been a nightmare for five years. Finally, he’s getting the mess cleared up and started classes at the local university. He’s majoring in law enforcement with a minor in business. Orlando gulped and his brown eyes focused, unblinking on Carlos. “Are you telling me the truth?” he asked. “Yep…and the cops think that your cousin was involved in stealing my information.” Orlando’s head dropped into his hands. “I can’t believe this,” he said knowing that it was the truth. “What do you want me to do?” he asked. “Nothing, except…agree to stop taking part in this crime. You have a choice here. You can choose poorly, or wisely. It’s up to you,” said Eddie.
Indigo and Blue (Marcy’s story) cent sunrise on the back. Even the people behind you will be smiling “Wow, it is YOU Marcy… to- when you walk into the room,” said tally.” Jinx responded while running Jinx. “More like when I back into her fingers over the silky fabric. The indigo and blue cover- the room,” Marcy chuckled. “You are a hoot. Be serious. up, which could be called a jacket, It’s a work-of-art. It’s priceless,” rewith broad sleek pants looked sponded Jinx. stunning on Marcy. “It’s almost $1,200!” Marcy “It’s really pricey,” she paused. “More than I make in a frowned a little. “Treat yourself. You de- month.” “Just use your card, make serve it!” “You sound like a commer- the minimum payment and… you cial for shampoo,” Marcy laughed. look so hot… a wow statement. It continued on page 45 “Look at that hand painted irides“I love it. I absolutely… love
it!”
*Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behavior. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders. “The lion who breaks the enemy’s ranks is a minor hero compared to the lion who overcomes himself.” Mevlana Rumi (1207 – 1273)
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pops.” Jinx continued in a more somber tone, “You’ve got student loan money coming in and your mom gives you an allowance.” “I’ve got to think about this.” Marcy walked to the benches, sat and pulled her knees to her chest. Jinx focused on her cell phone, texts and internet. Marcy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She heard a voice and noticed an older woman in an indigo and blue loose-fitting dress. “Venus” the woman said. “Venus?” Marcy muttered. “Venus Flytrap.” The woman said and then disappeared. “Hey Jinx, what’s a venus flytrap?” “It’s a plant. It eats bugs.” “How does a plant eat a bug?” “Here, I’ll show you.” Jinx pulled up a Wikipedia page, then a botany site. “Look at this, the mysterious Venus’s flytrap” she said as she scrolled through a video of a heart shaped leaf folding its two lobes over a large fly. “When the insect walks on the plant and touches the hairs on the leaf, it snaps shut and… well the plant devours the bug. Cool, huh?” “Jinx, only a biology major would find that cool,” said Marcy. “Why did you ask me about a meateating plant anyway?” “There was this woman who was here and she...” Marcy hesitated. Then, continued. “Well, she told me about the trap—the venus trap.” “I didn’t see any woman. I saw you sitting scrunched up with your eyes closed. Are you hallucinating?” Asked Jinx “She was here, honest. I saw her.” Marcy pleaded. “The light in this mall is strange with fluorescent and natural—all the different wavelengths. Maybe it was some trick of light, like a shadow with
a secondary bright reflection interposed over…” Marcy interrupted Jinx’s attempt to come up with a rational explanation of the phantom woman. “Why a venus fly trap? Am I the fly?” “What?” asked Jinx The two friends, college roommates looked at each other. “How long will it take me to pay the bill if I buy that jacket outfit today?” Jinx punched in numbers on her phone, and then hesitated. “Well?” said Marcy. In a very low voice Jinx said, “It’ll take nine years… If you don’t buy anything else.” “Nine years? I’ll have graduated from college, maybe even from graduate school and be working, or married, and I could have a couple kids by then or…” Marcy became quiet. Neither girl spoke. Jinx broke the silence. “That spirit lady you saw was wearing indigo and blue? The same colors as the outfit, right? “Uh huh.” “Venus is the goddess of love and you do love that gorgeous fashion statement.” “Maybe she was trying to tell you something.” “Lets go,” said Marcy. “The old lady and carnivorous plant will have to remain a mystery.” Payment amount Minimum Payment Total amount charged $1,254.50 Time to pay off debt 9 years “My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand. ”Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 - )
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In addition to being an author, Constance d’Angelis is an attorney, arbitrator, and mediator. Her book The 7 Laws of Inner Peace won a philosophy/sociology award and the book is now in audio and electronic format. Currently, she is writing a workbook on Transforming Conflict where she shows how to apply the principles of The 7 Laws of Inner Peace in a practical dispute resolution manner to create accord and concurrence in families, organizations and communities. The audio book, The 7 Laws of Credit for Young Adults, will be available as an e-book in early 2012. Additional 7 Laws publications are planned. www.the7 lawsofinnerpeace.com and is available through www.devorss. com (800-843-5743) Constance is a Licensed Massage
Therapist (LMT) in Florida (MA29835) and Colorado; and a Reiki master in addition to other alternative modalities. She especially enjoys this work because she uses knowledge and insight gleaned from her Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences, cum laude, from The University of Toledo.
The true test of SELF LOVE is the ability to lift yourself up when no one is around to carry you.
Verse by Juno Cristi Photo by Michael Vincent Manalo PAGE 46
Spi r it of the Str e et I was four teen then... Yeshe Ma
I had just left home. I was a bright and sensitive child but my heart was breaking in each day that I lived with my parents. I loved them both very much. It pained me to see my father - to live through his drunken outbursts - to have to stop talking or making noise of any sort after 5 in the evening - to hear him threaten to hurt me my brother or my mother - to hide when the threats became real to watch each evening at dinner when he would choke on his food and my mother would stick her fingers down his throat to save him - to pick him up when he fell... I couldn’t stay to help my mother take care of
Copyright All rights reserved by certified su
him and join her in her prayer that things would change. We lived in a decent size midwestern state across the Mississippi river from St. Louis and over a town or two... Before the age of 13, and while I questioned what in the world adults were all about, I found what I looked at as love and acceptance from adults other than my parents. Before I even knew that I was in a dangerous situation, I had a needle in my arm... and at 14, I was now a spirit of the streets. I had to learn to get by... there was always a place to stay, there were lots of times when in order to get high with you - people would turn you on - and you could end up there for days at a time. I finally found a group of people who lived in a
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very dangerous part of town. I was given drugs at every opportunity and I, in turn, did the laundry, the dishes, the housework and became the sole property of one of the men in the house. He was extremely possessive, aggressive and angry. I tried to go back home once but he caught me and beat me badly. He told me he would kill me if I ever tried to go home again. I believed him. He brought me to a house where he locked me in a closet. He left me their - drugged - especially when he would be gone for hours. There were many instances of life/death in my life on a daily basis - gunfights; being left with gun-toting glue sniffers as collateral for a drug deal, using needles that half of the party had already used. I was physicontinued on page 48 continued on page
frompage page 47 continued from
At this house I finally slept a peaceful sleep. By the third morning I woke up hungry and feeling like I had been hit by a truck the bruises and cuts that had covered my body were beginning to heal and fade. I had taken the first step back (with a little help from some angels).
One thing I didn’t lose was a belief that
I centered my life from those days in therapy on that spirit inside. That energy that brought me joy and peace within. My life since those days has been a continual journey toward wholeness. A life filled with many ups and downs but always a genuine belief that the bad stuff was an opportunity to find The week following I called the near- the good in life; to see people with comest rehab counselor, someone I had passion, forgiveness and understanding;
there was something bigger than all of us out there and this Supreme Being had a watch over me. I mean after all, I was still living and that was a miracle. Enter into my life, a couple of angels. They came to this house in the form of women who cared. I begged them to get me out. I knew I would die if I stayed any longer. They took me out of that house that day and to a safe house.
gotten to know in the past several years. I begged him to send me away, somewhere I could get better... I went to one of the first live-in therapeutic houses in the US for people under 18. I went through the program (from cleaning toilets to managing the food and money for the 14 person domicile). It took six months... after then I trained to become a therapist there. I never looked back...
cally traded to another man who kept me in a room with mattresses on the floor... I was fed what we then called downers, tuinal & seconal, and sold sexually at their whim. I have little memory of what happened in that house.
It is all an awful blur.
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to LOVE myself no matter what I was going through. Today I work listening and coaching others to find the will to live and the divinity in each moment that we are alive. I wouldn’t trade this gift of LOVE for my fellow humans Being for having had an easy life. I would never trade it for the LOVE I have found in each and every day. I have been blessed. Diana Lovejoy
Upwards PAGE 50
and Onwards
Empowering Our Children to Empower Themselves PAGE 51
Totally Bananas PAGE 53
WHAT A DIFFERENCE PAGE 56
A LITTLE MAKES
Maya Nut Institute PAGE 58 PAGE 49
Upwards and Onwards http://www.one.org/blog/2011/02/ 04/upwards-and-onwards/
need to become leaders. Founder Awuah left his successful career in the US to return and promote progress in his native Africa. With a vision to “bring change in one generation,” Awuah started his school with a small class of 30 students and big dreams. Ashesi University in Ghana is a model for effective higher edu-
alities of their surroundings. As a result, more than 95 percent of their 269 graduates stay in Africa to contribute to efficiency, transparency and progress in various private and NGO ventures. Awuah believes that fostering ethical leadership requires more than passing new laws -– it requires a cultural change. By em-
How do you transform a continent? Through investments in education, for one. And that’s exactly what Patrick Awuah, founder of Ashesi University in Ghana did. He started a liberal arts college for his people to help give Ghanaian youth the skills and motivation they
cation in Africa. By teaching problem-solving skills in an African context, Ashesi is empowering its youth while fighting brain drain. Students (who are often the first in their family or village to attend college) learn to adapt and apply the skills they learn to the re-
ploying a rigorous honor code, along with community service and seminars, Ashesi teaches its students the significance of ethics, which is crucial in a continent where growth is stunted by corruption.
By Lorraine Chu
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Photo courtesy of Ashesi University
Empowering Our Children to Empower Themselves
by Nicola Sompayrac Knowing what I know now, I feel a strong sense of responsibility in raising awareness among youth and the adults who influence, guide, and mentor them through the most critical development years of their life. The habits, values, and behaviors of our youth can direct and determine the choices that shape our destiny. If I could emphasize one message, it would be the importance of teaching the power of choice and the responsibility that comes with the choices we make.
By empowering our children to empower themselves, they are given the building blocks of healthy self esteem and the tools to preserve their self respect in a world that challenges them to remember who they really are; precious, valuable, gifts with unlimited potential.
give them our time and attention. We can love them unconditionally. We can believe in them. We can recognize that they are well equipped with ability to do anything they can imagine. We can teach them what we know. We can continue to learn and grow ourselves. We can reprioritize our lives. We can support their dreams. We can pursue ours.
So, how do I suggest we empower our children? It begins with education. Educating ourselves and passing that knowledge down or finding the adult role models to assist us in the process. Children may not always listen to their parents. Often, they rebel just for the sake of demonstrating their freedom without considering the consequences of their actions. This was part of my experience anyway. Instead of pursuing any real interests, talents or gifts I turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the stresses of growing up. Oddly enough, I was a good student, I managed my life well enough that from the outside I looked like I had it together, but inside I was falling apart. I know I am not the only one.
As they learn to value their voice and their feelings and give the same respect to others they also build a basis for mutual respect in
We can empower our youth through giving value to those things that will in turn empower them to make good decisions. We can give value to their voice. We can
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relationships that will serve them well as they grow. There is a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that has meant a lot to me in reminding me that in the end, no matter what continued on page 50
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other people may think or express, I have the final say in how I respond and how I choose to believe. She said, "No one can make you feel
inferior without your consent."
tools and ideas for providing the best opportunity to empower creativity and expand the possibilities in our lives and the lives of those we are here to care for.
Stress Management Technique
Who is influencing your child? Who is influencing you? These are important questions not always the ones we want to answer. No one said change was easy, but I have a feeling it could be worth it. I write this from the perspective of experience and what has been helpful to me. I am like so many of us; I learned the hard way and hope to help in some way to make the journey easier for others. Truth is, as parents, caregivers, teachers and mentors, we can really only lead by example and provide an environment that will allow healthy, empowering choices to take a natural presence. On that note, here is a short list of
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Music Art Writing /Journaling) Dance Yoga Meditation Exercise Reading Church Groups Community Groups Parks and Recreation Volunteering Clubs Youth Groups Health, Wellness and Nutrition Education Sex Education Drug and Alcohol Education Affirmations Self Esteem Building
Sarah As a select panel for the promotion of child health said in 1981, "Children are one third of our population and all of our future." The choices made today create that fuSports ture. May we choose wisely.
Totally Bananas “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth” is a meaningful quote by Mr. Mohammed Ali. Helping a person young or old, is a way of life. One cannot truly comprehend the meaning of help, if not put in a situation that requires the lending hands of others. My story is
brother is an air force officer and most of my uncle’s from my mother’s side are retired generals from the Indian army. Having such a background, especially in India would mean living a lush and luxurious lifestyle and not knowing the meaning of
the days, my parents marriage was arranged. Though they cared very much for each other, no real understanding between them. My mother was a good little Indian wife who did whatever her husband asked her to do without any questions or complaints. At times
“facing such hardships as I have faced or children who are on the streets without any hope for the future.”
just one of the many: My name is Jyoti Khullar and I come from an armed forces background from New Delhi, India. I have three older siblings, two sister’s and a brother. My
financial problems. On a whole, one can be considered right on generalizing this assumption. But as it has it, life is not perfect and neither would mine be.
it seemed though that she lead a second life, investing and losing huge amounts of money and making other bad financial choices. To make matters worse, my paternal
Like many Indian couples back in
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grandmother had moved in with us and it seems that she hated my mother with a passion. She would do whatever it took to see that there was always strife and anger in my dad’s heart against my mom. She caused many fights between my parents by accusing my mother of not being a good caretaker. Whatever came out of my grandma’s mouth was the holy grail. My dad, being the army man that he was, could get extremely
Once the compromised blood reached her veins, she developed high fever and her body, already weakened could not take the shock to her system and went into a coma. She was in hospital for a total of nine days. Early morning on the ninth day her heart gave out and she finally passed away. My dad was extremely shocked by the situation. He broke down com-
for me, my dad had left enough money for me to complete my schooling which I was receiving in a private school. Private schooling is very expensive in India as parents have to shell out huge amounts of money to ensure that their children get a good education. Public education is not considered an option, as the reputation precedes itself for lousy teachers and poor education. To have any chance in the business field, one is required to have private education. After finishing my schooling I was shunted of too my uncles place. He was the younger brother of my dad so he grudgingly accepted me to stay with them for the first six months.
Only hell waited for me there. The first couple of days my cousin tried to rape me in the night. His mother, luckily pulled him away in time and the next day without telling anyone I ran from there to my older sister’s house seeking a safe haven. She did agree to keep me but was not happy doangry and livid that he would physi- pletely. Not caring about anything ing so as (in her own words) it or anyone, smoking 80-90 ciga- was a very expensive proposition cally abuse my mother. rettes a day. This behavior caused allowing an extra person to live I don’t really know what was going heart attacks, one after the other in your house, so I could only stay on in my mother’s head, but she and finally leading to his death. I if I promised to pay my way. obviously felt that she had nowhere was 12 at the time. I had always wanted to study furto turn to and so in a desperate One would believe that within our ther and go to college and univerbid to escape from her mind and everything else that was torment- closed society, a girl child espe- sity but my situation and my lack ing her she set herself ablaze by cially would be taken care of by the of finances would not let me do that older family members. It seemed at that particular time as I had to sprinkling kerosene on herself. that my siblings had their lives all pay a certain amount for my living She was admitted in the hospital planned out, one being engaged, expenses and do the house work and the doctor’s did what they the other studying in Bangladesh as part of that payment so I just had could to save her. But on the fourth and one being the black sheep of to grit my teeth and think that my day of her stay in the hospital she the family. Being the only one left time would come and then I would was given nine pints of blood for whom no plan had yet been do what my heart wanted so badly. transfusions. Shockingly the hos- made, I was in effect a loose canpital was negligent and four of the non that could go off with bad re- My sister, I am sad to say did not continued on page 55 pints of blood were compromised. percussions for everyone. Luckily
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act very sisterly toward me and let her feelings show each day that she did not really want me there. For me it was agony as I was there as a free servant for her to order around. Those were very painful days and I used to cry and ask god “why me?” What have I done to deserve this. I did not ask my parents
what marriage would entail. He was quite a few years older than me and though I came to know about this later, after we tied the knot, his mother was totally against the marriage. She had approved of another girl for him. A Chinese girl with a big dowry. Anyway, I did it to get out of
can to combat this terrible unevenness in this life. Every child deserves a chance. That’s why I started with Totally Bananas so that I could help some children. We donate 10 cents for every Euro that I earn on totally bananas to a charity organization called Astitva. This is a
www.totallybananas.nl
to die and to leave all alone in this world without any help? Finally I met this guy, who used to come and visit my brother in law almost every day. It was a nephew of his who was a very close friend as well. He used to see me at my sister’s place and he used to hear her yelling at me, so one day he invited me out for dinner and he proposed. The first thought that came into my mind was, Yes! I will be free and I can get away from the hell I was in. So without further thought I said yes to him, not thinking about the consequences of
my personal hell and did not bother to even think what could go wrong. I did manage to save money and to do what I had always wanted to do. I went to The University and got my BA and my MA degrees. After achieving my goals, I made a promise to myself that I would try to help other children who were facing such hardships as I have faced or children who are on the streets without any hope for the future. It’s not their fault that they are born in such circumstances.
charity that is formed by Dutch doctors and nurses, who invest their time and expertise for these children, and I am very proud to be associated with them. They go twice a year to India, in Dehradun where they help children get off the streets and to get an education so that they can be gainfully employed when they are older and lead healthy lives.
I want to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story and I hope it makes you deIts life and we need to do all we cide today you want to help a child.
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WHAT A DIFFERENCE A LITTLE MAKES largest city in Nepal and providing the best of views to the 3 highest mountain peaks in the world, things could get really crazy during the trekking season.
friendly staff, good food and deep conversations. A German tourist, on her way to complete the Annapurna trek stayed at the lodge and got talk-
Since we were a rare combination together, my former partner being Dutch and myself being an Indian, a various mixture of guests would gather at our Bed & breakfast. This gave us the chance to It was everything I had ever really mingle with different cultures wanted, running a lodge and and get to know our guests bethousing guests from all over the ter. The lodge quickly also beworld. As Pokhara is the second come rather infamous for the
ing to us about a friend who was trying to sponsor a young girl to study as otherwise her parents would marry her of at the tender age of 9 to a man much older than her father. They would only let her go to school if some rich foreigner would be willing to help pay for her schooling and thus allow her to
For a while, even the humblest woman gets to live and own her dream. This happened to me when I, together with my former partner, had the incredible oppor-
tunity to open a small bed & breakfast in Pokhara, Nepal. It is a picturesque town with a huge lake centered in its midst called the Phewa Tal.
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stay at home. This infuriated me and decided to help this child. Together with the German tourist, I traveled to a village outside Bharatpur to meet the child. She was an innocent child named Pratibha. The faith that rekindled in her eyes is a sight I will never be able to forget. After speaking to her parents out German guest gave them $300.00 which would have been more than enough to pay for school necessities and food for Pratibha for a year. Since I was living near the village, I promised to keep an eye on the little girl. I visited her every 3 months, following her progress which was astonishing. Pratibha was performing extremely well at school and achieving results that left me stunned.
job in Pokhara, working as a receptionist in another midsize hotel.
I would start helping another child as soon as I was able to do so.
This experience has taught me that even the smallest amount of money, combined with a bit of TLC, can turn a life around. I left
Being settled now, I have started a website called Totally Bananas www.totallybananas.nl with the intentions to help more children who
Pokhara after a few years, but sadly after that I was not able to do much to help anybody as my circumstances had become slightly strained. But I swore to myself that
are facing the terrors of poverty. It may not be the biggest or the most successful of businesses, but I know I am doing what I can. Remember, even the smallest of amounts can!
Unfortunately we did not hear from the German tourist again, no word meant no money. Once this was known to the family of the girl, they threatened once again with marriage and torture for Pratibha. By now I had gotten attached to this girl and decided upon supporting her myself. I paid the amount of $300.00 every year until she finished high school and got a
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Maya Nut Institute Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests: Maya Nut School Lunches in Central America Maya Nut Institute mission: Finding balance between people, food and forests by rescuing lost traditional knowledge about the Maya Nut for food, income and ecosystem services. Imagine a lush, green, economically vibrant Latin America, where food grows on trees, the economy is thriving, children are healthy, women and girls enjoy equal access to opportunities, everyone has access to abundant, clean water, birds and wildlife abound! This is the goal of the Maya Nut Institute.
specialized root system which can access water where other species cannot, Maya Nut produces food even in years when other crops fail due to lack of rain and is exceptionally resistant to hurricanes. Maya Nut has the potential to catalyze major economic, environmental and social changes in Central America. This is due to its exceptional nutritional, agronomic, culinary and storage properties which are only recently being recognized by local communities, governments and national and international companies. JUSTIFICATION
Maya Nut is a socially, economically and ecologically appropriate alternative to environmentally destructive food and export crop production systems which threaten rainforests. Maya Nut (Bros In sharp contrast to imum alica-strum) is traditional annual a massive, drought crop production systolerant rainforest tems (crops which tree which produces are replanted every a nutritious and deyear, e.g. wheat, corn, licious seed. It was soy, rice, potatoes, a staple food for the peanuts, beans, etc.), ancient Maya and Maya Nut grows on a other Precolumbian tree and produces cultures who procopious amounts of tected and cultifood with no forest vated it in “food forclearing or burning, ests�. Maya Nut is tilling, planting, cultivatan important food ing, pesticides, fertilfor many species of birds and mammals, including izers or irrigation. Maya Nut protects soil, watersheds parrots, macaws, toucans, turkeys, monkeys, bats, and biodiversity. It is possible to harvest large deer, wild pigs, honey bears, pacas, tapir an,d many amounts of Maya Nut from natural forests without many others. It is of the most drought-resistant trees negatively impacting forest regeneration and wildlife in Latin America, thriving where other species can- populations. By increasing the amount of land pronot[1]. Historically, thousands of villages have sur- ducing Maya Nut, we actually improve ecosystem vived drought and famine eating Maya Nut when their health and environmental sustainability and at the continued on page 59 crops failed due to drought or pests. Because of its
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same time provide nutritious food, jobs and income for local people. Maya Nut forests produce 5 times more food and ten times more protein and micronutrients per hectare than annual crops while protecting soils, watersheds and biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Maya Nut is easy to harvest and process and can be stored for more than 5 years without losing its nutritional value. Nutritionally it is similar to soy and provides protein, calcium, iron, folate and vitamins A and B. Maya Nut is extremely high in antioxidants and calcium, and is an exceptional nutritional supplement for children and pregnant and lactating women. Maya Nut forests can also be managed for fodder production to greatly improve carrying capacity (AU/Ha), particularly during a d r o u g h t . Agroeco systems include Maya Nut food forests are more resilient to climate change, protect and restore degraded water sources and provide high quality nutritious food and other vital ecosystem services. Maya Nut can be easily produced by rural communities and distributed
through conventional channels to schools and disaster relief areas. Maya Nut has been incorporated into rural school lunch programs in our program called “Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests� in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador and has been very well accepted by parents and children. Local government agencies, communities and NGOs have financed and planted more than 1,900,000 Maya Nut trees as a direct result of this program. HOW DO WE WORK? We focus on rural communities who live in or near Maya Nut forests and fragments. We work with local governmental and non-governmental entities whenever we can to ensure lasting impact and local governance. We find that by teaching communities about the virtues of Maya Nut we can ensure its conservation. We focus on women because of their keystone role in family health and wellbeing and their concern for their children and the environment. We teach a simple one-day workshop for women on Maya Nut nutrition, processing, recipes[2], value-added products and reforestation. Women quickly learn to appreciate the Maya Nut tree because it is a source of free nutritious food for the family. In one day, we con-
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vince them to never cut another Maya Nut tree and to plant more for the future. The women learn enough in these workshops to be able to produce Maya Nut in their homes to eat and to sell. The technology for processing Maya Nut is nothing new to them; it’s the same method they use to process coffee, corn or chocolate. Women collect the seed from the forest and bring it home and dry it in the sun. Once it is dry they can store it for up to three years. When they want to prepare it for the family, they toast it and grind it into powder. This can be used to make drinks, cereal, cook-
ies or bread. It tastes like chocolate and is very nutritious. Children love it as a drink and prefer it to Coca Cola! Women program participants claim that their families are healthier and that they hardly get sick anymore since they learned about Maya Nut.
Maya Nut Program impacts to date: Number of beneficiaries 106,000 Number of women trained 16,000 Number of communities impacted 912 Number of children receiving Maya Nut school lunches 10,800 Number of Maya Nut trees planted 1,000,000 Number of women earning income 517 Number of women’s agribusinesses formed 23 Total income generated from Maya Nut for rural communities $257,000
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more and information about those She news worked with Events Worldwho working to help victims bulwideareMagazine as a LogoofDelying and Managing also bullyingEditor, stories that are signer, Special Events Journalist and Photographer. While I sometimes think that I have told Her work all myvolunteer stories, I do find thathas somebeen come endless. Rhonda shared back to me that I haven’thas shared. I will her passion and energy as COO continue to share them with you in the and prior Director of comfort Public and Afhopes that they offer some fairs and Marketing for knowledge that many others, including WishKids International. myself, have gone through She thesewas bad also and founder ofOK.As AWARE times come out part ofand my South Plains Environmental Accontinued committment to helping work tionsolve Committee both HONDA ARSANE and the bullying(SPEAC), issues that are still environmental organizations in a part of everyday life for young people, Rhonda’s passion has made Lubbock, Texas. change in her community through to come actions and words. She shares tation She isand thewould writerbeofhonored the children’s to your local school, religious organiher passion and vision with the books: GOD, Spirit, Changes, or meeting to share stories world through her photography zation, Way Over...There, Thatmy Girl and in person and discuss the issues of bulYou. She is the founder of Good and writing. News Press her Publishing She brings a philanthropic atti- Company, although her on-line tude and experience along with magazine is named awareness, education, opportu- goodnewpress.net she continnity and exposure through ues to edit and write for various www.goodnewpress.net as vi- magazines and websites. sionary and founder. Her vision is to help others. These qualities She is the recipient of J.C. comes together alive and vivid Penny’s Golden Rule Award. for all to truly experience as she ARIA AINIER changes the global community.
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Rhonda is a free-lance photographer and journalist works as a correspondent and trained as a photographer in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, organizer of many events and publications such as: VE (Victory in Europe) Day Celebration and Earth Day; a city wide celebration in Lubbock Texas.
Sarah S ARAH Stuart STUART Sarah Stuart is a creative, fiction and non-fiction writer, poet, dreamer, philosopher, scientist. Her passion in life is to manifest dreams and ideas, helping others to live their own. She finds in writing her divine and inspirational expression, and she finds that sharing her visions and ways of seeing the world and Universe fulfills her heart everyday. As founder of The New Writers, Sarah defines herself as a person who dreams big. To her nothing is impossible and she is always ready to embark in the wonders of a magical life, meeting people and living her dreams in connection with all others. Her passions are children, people and she loves helping them in any possible way.
Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She follows a varied spiritual path that incorporates elements of Theravada Buddhism and Yoga teachings. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education researching various online degree programs and blogging about student life along with writing about chemist jobs and guides to fitness training jobs.
She has worked with North East Texas Art Alliance (NETFAA) as a fine artist and honored for her photography in Best of America Photography Artists & Artisans.
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her State University. After college she worked briefly as a University Research Assistant and then took the role of Writer / PR Officer for the country’s top book store.
JUNO CRISTI Juno Cristi a 33 year old single mom and native of Manila, Philippines, graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Studies in
When the writing job had not proven to be rewarding she decided to join the outsourcing world and built her career as a Service Leader in the nation’s booming industry championing Leadership Development of several coaches, managers, trainers and call center staff for 11 years. As a young executive, she also contributed as a feature writer a lifestyle and entertainment magazine. She felt an immense desire to write about only one thing - LOVE. She decided to pour her thoughts and emotions out in her blog, and eventually on Twitter and Facebook as “The Love DeAnna L’am (B.A.) speaker, coach, trainer, is author of Becoming Peers – Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood. Her pioneering work has been transforming women and girls' lives around the world for over 20 years. DeAnna was the first to bring Rites-Of-Passage work to Israel/Palestine, her country of origin, where she helped Jewish & Palestinian women surpass political and religious differences by deeply bonding as cycling women.
Goddess”. One by one, her verses, her prose and poetry were picked up by her friends and followers, spreading like wildfire across the virtual universe. In just 6 months, her account grew to tens of thousand with people all over the world thanking her for healing words. faith, hope and love, offering her devotionals in gratitude for the gift God has bequeathed her, and she continues to communicate online with her readers as often as she can. Links to e-mail & web sites:Email: junocristi@gmail.com Blog: www. j u n o i n l u v. t u m b l r. c o m Twitter: www.twitter.com/the _lovegoddess Facebook: http:// www.facebook com/ profile.php?id=100001 490552443
Becoming Peers Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood by DeAnna L’am
I Empower Women & Moms to:
DEANNA L’AM Is your daughter approaching puberty? Is she already there? DeAnna invites you to discover everything you need to know about talking with her with comfort and ease! Receive her Free report: 'Most Common Mistakes Moms Make With Coming-Of-Age Girls, and How To Avoid Them!' by
- Move from self-judgment to self nurturance - Model self-acceptance & high selfesteem to their daughters - Dissolve PMS symptoms, and draw strength from their cycle, rather than be at it’s mercy - Model self-care, and pain-free cycles to their daughters - Become empowering role models for today’s girls!
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