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Yesterday when I posted on Facebook for WOW! and on my Editor 911 page about The Oscars, we got fewer responses than I figured we would, and many of them were negative. It turns out everyone doesn’t love this night as much as I do–I confess I like the Hollywood glam, I like to see the people we see on the silver screen interacting with other people, and I like the emotion of the winners. I do realize that these people are being awarded for pretending to be other people and for a life that is already rich and full of rewards. But I still love it.

When I realized I wanted to write about The Academy Awards on my blog today, instead of a book, I realized that you can use the awards with kids/teens/other adults, just like you can a book. You can use some of the stories from last night to inspire others to follow their dreams, to reach for the stars, and to persevere through anything. There are two stories/award winners in particular that I feel share this theme, and their stories are below.

• Winner of Best Documentary: The winner of the Best Documentary category last night (Feb. 24, 2013) was Searching for Sugar Man about a Detroit singer-songwriter, Rodriguez, who was popular in South Africa in the 1970s (never popular in the U. S.). The singer has a strange but true story–I won’t get into that here–but what’s interesting about this film is that the director, Malik Bendjelloul, ran out of money before he finished shooting the documentary. So, instead of trying to borrow more or do a Kickstarter campaign, he downloaded a $1.99 app on to his smartphone and shot the scenes he needed on his phone! Now that’s resourceful! That’s persevering; and last night, his spirit paid off because THE MOVIE WON AN OSCAR! To read the full story and share with your middle school/high school/college students and or children, go to this link: http://news.doddleme.com/equipment/director-runs-out-of-money-turns-to-iphone-to-finish-oscar-film/
• Best Documentary Short: This moment brought tears to my eyes last night, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one! The filmmakers who won this category for the documentary, “Inocente,” brought the subject, a 19-year-old Latino girl, of their film on stage with them. The woman (whom I believe was one of the directors) who accepted the award also had tears in her eyes and said that the girl was homeless a year ago, and now she was here in front of all of these people because of her art. That caught my interest–how about you? Art is powerful, just like music, and this girl’s passion is obviously going to change her life. On Huffington Post.com, an article states: “The documentary follows the life of Mexican-born, 15-year-old Inocente Izucar, an artist living San Diego, California, who with brilliant colors and unique pieces uses art to rise from her challenging reality and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional painter.” Now Inocente is 19 and has been given a chance to display her art and make an income. The website Nonprofit Quarterly has more of the story because of the nonprofit organization, Shine Global, which is dedicated to end abuse and exploitation of children around the world through film, made the documentary. For more info on this important subject and to see why the arts are important and we should encourage our children to do them, go to this link: http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/policysocial-context/21847-nonprofit-produced-film-inocente-wins-oscar.html

Sure, it was fun last night to see Ben Affleck and George Clooney on stage accepting for Argo (an excellent film in my opinion) and to see one of my favorite, beautiful actresses, Jennifer Lawrence, win best actress. I thought Seth MacFarlane was funny most of the time, and of course, loved to see Jennifer Hudson belting out her famous song from Dreamgirls.

However, the stories that will stick with me from here on out are the two I mentioned above. I hope they touch you, too; and I hope you can find a way to share them with the young people in your life!

Don’t forget the middle-grade novel I am holding a contest to giveaway until March 1. Check out the super easy contest here.

Bugs Galore! is a cute picture book with rhyming verses about bugs–such as, “Freaky, sneaky/shiny flat bug./ Hairy, scary–what was that bug? The verses are catchy and easy to read, and there’s some general verses for all bugs. And then some specific for just a bug or two.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. It is perfect for the 6 + 1 traits of writing strand–word choice. Talk about the different word choices that the author chooses and how much poetry is affected by word choice. Have children pick out some of the words they really like.

2. Peter Stein describes BUGS in here. After reading this as an example, you can take anything–bugs, cars, playing outside, and come up with as many describing words (or adjectives) that you can to describe your word.

3. Use this book to start a unit on bugs. You can also use it to start research on a certain subject such as spiders.

photo by isafmedia Flickr.com

Basically, on March 8, women and men around the world will join together on bridges for peace and to take a stand against violence towards women. This event started in Africa in the countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo when country directors from Women for Women programs stood together on a bridge between the two countries. When you stand with at least one other person on a bridge, you are supporting the theme: “Stronger Women Build Bridges of Peace.” To find events in your area, go to the website through the link above. If you can not stand on a bridge, which I know many of you cannot because you will be teaching or with your kids, then you can look into other ways to do something special for women around the world on March 8. You can blog about it like I am, tweet about it, write it on your Facebook page, or how about donating to water.org?

I learned about water.org helping women and children around the world when I saw Matt Damon on the Ellen show. He co-founded this organization, which is helping to bring clean water to ALL people in the world. As he said on the Ellen show, it is ridiculous that there are still people dying from drinking dirty water when we have known forever how to purify it and make it safe. He talked about some water bottles you can buy for $25, which is how much it costs to give someone a lifetime’s supply of clean water. Anyway, I went on the website to find these water bottles and show you a picture, but they are currently on back order. You can donate $25 there, however. Matt Damon is not just another pretty face.

So, how will you celebrate International Women’s Day? I just had another thought. You can celebrate it by calling a girlfriend who is down in the dumps and building her up, giving your mom a kiss, or offering to help out your sister. You can do a big thing for the world like stand up for peace or a small thing for the women in your family. It doesn’t really matter. Just be aware that tomorrow is the day to honor women (and make sure the men in your life know it)!

PS: I am reading an amazing book right now about the sex trafficking problem in Russia (and the world). It is a fiction book, but it is excellent. Please check it out.

This is going to be a super short post today as I have a busy holiday planned. That’s a good thing–but makes getting all the work done a little harder. Anyway, I listened to this book: In a Heartbeat by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy recently,and I really loved it. The Tuohys are the couple who are featured in the movie The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw (based on the true story about NFL player, Michael Oher).

Anyway, this book is all about easy and simple ways to give and also tells the “rest of the story” that couldn’t fit into a 2-hour movie. It will make you smile and laugh and want to help out in your own community. Their basic message is that however you can help, do. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money or a big charity event–you can buy someone lunch or invite someone over to dinner whom you know has fallen onto hard times.

In the end, the Tuohys share about their website and foundation: http://www.makingithappenfoundation.com. Check it out to help children in communities keep from falling between the cracks.

Here is a really cool AND SUPER EASY way to help people in the world. Have you heard of Meals on Wheels? Meals on Wheels is a program that delivers or provides meals for seniors who can’t afford them or who are homebound and can’t get out to get their own food. To find out more about Meals on Wheels, they have a great website where you can find out more here.

So, Barilla, who makes pasta products, has a deal on their website right now where they will donate $1.00 to Meals on Wheels for every click on their website. Go here to click. Then, once you’ve clicked, you can download a FREE Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook. This is available through October 15, and all you need is Adobe Acrobat to read it. What a deal, huh? Help out and get celebrity recipes at the same time.

But even cooler are the ideas provided for family meal times. You can download a free guide for making family mealtime more meaningful. You can also read the tips they have under GETTING STARTED, such as: “Enjoy more frequent family meals.” OR “Allow Fewer Distractions.” There’s also expert dinner advice from Dr. William J. Doherty, Ph.D., who is a professor at the University of Minnesota in the department of family social science and the author of a book on family rituals, titled The Intentional Family. He has several articles on the website like: “Research on the Benefits of Family Meals” and “Connecting During Family Mealtime.”

Here is a link to his book on Amazon as well as a couple others you might be interested in!

And don’t forget to click on Barilla’s website to donate $1.00 to Meals on Wheels!

Rainbow in Coffee Area in Colombia 2008 by Ben Bowes www.flickr.com

According to their website, Give Us Names “is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization seeking to improve the lives of displaced Colombians. Our goal is to tell their stories in such a way that those who hear them will not rest until displacement ends, justice is brought to the perpetrators, and the rights of the displaced are recognized and protected.” I completely agree with them that this is the way to touch people and to get people to help–you have to tell personal stories. It’s the same principal the authors in Half the Sky used to draw attention to the atrocities that are STILL happening to women and girls around the world. Give Us Names is making a series of films about these displaced Colombians, and they plan to distribute their films everywhere to get the word out about what is going on. Part of the problem for so many victims is that people aren’t aware that these issues are even a problem. Education, as I’ve said before, is one of the first keys to stopping the violence and crime around the world.

You can watch a heartbreaking, 3-minute video that Give Us Names has created here. The video introduces you to what Give Us Names is trying to do–tell each person’s story, give these people a name and a voice, and draw attention to a problem, so that people can work together to solve a problem in Colombia. Fiinally, if this touches you, Give Us Names has a donation spot on their website, and you can also buy t-shirts.

I also have a couple of announcements today. . .

1. On Friday, I will be reviewing and providing activities/discussion ideas for Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. And even better yet. . .I will be holding a comment contest for a chance to win this popular book! So, check back on Friday–even if you’ve already read it, you can win it for a library or classroom donation!

2. At the National Writing For Children Center, Suzanne Lieurance has so many creative and affordable ways to promote you and your book (if you are a published author). She is a genius, really! Click on the banner below for more information. Get the word out about your children’s book, so teachers, parents, and kids can start reading it and using it!

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Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli with illustrations by Caldecott Honor Winner, Kadir Nelson, is about the great Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Muta Maathai, from Kenya. I have written about her on my blog before because this is one woman that I just REALLY admire, and I think her story is important to share with children. She helped Kenyan women and children by suggesting they plant trees and getting back in touch with nature. She educated herself and then went back to her country to show girls that they can too educate themselves and work for the common good. If anyone deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, it’s certainly Wangari.

This book is a little different than Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

This book also has wonderful illustrations by Kadir Nelson and resources and author’s notes in the back as well as a glossary of Kikuyu terms, which are used throughout the book.

Why share Mama Miti with your students or children? Use this book to start a discussion about how people can take care of themselves and maybe with a little help–it reminds me of the organization, Heifer International. You can also talk about the importance of planting trees and taking care of nature as well as going green tips. This book can also bring up a history lesson about how much people used to rely on nature, crops, and so on in the past when there weren’t grocery stores to visit or farmers growing food for all of us. You can also use this book to teach about a strong and wonderful woman who can be a role model for young girls all around the world.

Yesterday, I discussed the book Three Cups of Tea. When I posted the link on my Facebook page, people praised the book, and some people had actually heard Greg Mortenson speak on college campuses. So, if you haven’t read it yet, put it on your to-do list. If you want to share his message with your children or your classroom, then check out this book: Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea.

Not only is the story of Greg Mortenson told simply in this picture book, but the murals by Susan L. Roth are fantastic. Children will love to look at these illustrations over and over again–I do! The story goes like this: The children of Korphe, a village in the Pakistan mountains, have school outside and do their lessons with sticks. A teacher comes to teach them 3 times a week. One day, Dr. Greg stumbles into their village (because he was trying to climb K2 and failed). The villagers keep him there until he recovers. When he leaves, he asks the wisest man, Haji Ali, what he can do to help the village to repay them for their kindness, and Haji Ali says, “Listen to the wind.”

When Greg listens to the wind, he hears the voices of the children outside doing their lessons, and he gets the idea to build them a school. He promises to come back with materials to build a school, and he does. However, he realizes they will need to build a bridge first to get the materials to the remote village, and they do that, too. In the end of the book, the children have a school building, and their teacher can now afford to come every day to teach them.

In the back of the book are real photos of Dr. Greg, the children, and the villagers. There are also facts such as now Greg Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute have built over 131 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. They educate 58,000 children–40,000 are girls. Children can also read how in Pakistan and Afghanistan, one penny buys a pencil and $1.00 pays for an education for a month! Students, their families, and/or classrooms are encouraged to check out the Pennies for Peace program at www.penniesforpeace.org.

photo by lhar www.flickr.com

Before I share a story from the trenches, I would like to announce the winner of last week’s book giveaway of the memoir, When Ties Break, by Margaret Norton. And the winner is. . .Sandy Young! Congratulations, Sandy. If you didn’t win this book and are interested in reading a memoir about loss, grief, recovery, strength, and stopping abuse, then please go to Tate’s website to purchase it!

The story from the trenches is one that I read yesterday in church. We have a visiting priest, Rev. Fr. Tony Fevlo, from Africa, who will speak to us next week about his work in St. Joseph SMA Parish in Plateau State, Nigeria. He is currently raising money to build a new church in his parish that will accommodate 1500 people. The existing church is too small and also has structural damage, including cracks in the walls and a leaking roof. This is a wonderful mission, of course, but this is not the actual story I want to share with you today.

He shared the turmoil that happens around him with inter-religious clashes between Muslims and Christians. Every time, I hear stories like this I think: This is happening in the 21st century????? It is. In January 2010, 33 of Father Tony’s parishioners lost their property or had their houses burned. One of his parishioners was reportedly butchered to death and asked to renounce his faith before he died. Much of Father Tony’s finances for his church are currently going to these families to help them rebuild–since they are homeless.

The trouble didn’t stop there. In March 2010, Father Tony and his parishioners woke up to the news of a massacre of over 500 children, women, and elderly people living in the village of Dogonahawa (25 km from Father Tony Fevlo’s parish). The massacre was led by the Hausa/Fulani Muslims. Father Tony said: “Since the March 7th massacre, we live under constant fear in K/Vom and can hardly have a peaceful night’s rest.”

As I sat in church yesterday reading his words and thinking about the donation they were going to collect next Sunday, I wondered how I could get my stepson involved in this. And then when we walked out of church, Father Tony had actually posted pictures of his church and parishioners, and I knew this was the way. When Logan can see something concrete, he can then think about giving some money from his piggy bank to this cause. This also got me thinking that there has to be books out there that help us, as parents and teachers, teach children about giving and having sympathy for others–especially those less fortunate.

I found these two books that could be of some help. I am so thankful that there are people in the world like Father Tony Fevlo and that he shares his story with us. It makes me strive to be more giving, less materialistic–although I struggle–and I hope it will also help me to influence my children to be the same way.

photo by Beverly & Pack www.flickr.com

July 4th is always a good day for me. I love summer, I love festivals, and I love BBQ. I also love my husband, and it’s our anniversary–so even more reason to celebrate. I don’t always take the time to really think about what we are celebrating on July 4th; but this year, I thought about it more than usual. Probably because of this blog and the information I’ve been sharing about helping girls and women around the world, probably because of reading Half the Sky, and probably because of my two experiences building houses in Juarez, Mexico. Well, whatever the reason, here are some thoughts I had on freedom and education.

There’s no point in telling an American child or teen how lucky they are to go to school, to get a free and usually good public education, and to most of the time have a safe way to get to school. I know there are places in the United States where this isn’t necessarily true, and this is a disgrace. But for the most part, our kids are lucky to go to school and get an education. Some kids and teens are even starting to miss it about now if they go to a traditional school with a nine-month calendar. They’re ready for structure, friends, and some brain challenges.

When I was in Juarez, Mexico in a poor, desert community, kids didn’t get to go to school every day. If they did go every day, they went for a couple hours, and that was it. The reason was there was not enough room, supplies, teachers for all the kids in the area to go to school at the same time. So they had to stagger their schedules. As we all know, education is one of the best ways to fight poverty. Without an education, a person has a harder time getting a job and unfortunately, having a child at a too-young age. Kids in Juarez liked the days they went to school and wanted to go more–at least the ones I talked to with my limited (very limited!) Spanish. It’s a freedom they don’t have readily provided for them.

In Half the Sky, there are chapters and stories that discuss how dangerous it is for children to make it to school in some areas. The walk is far and hard, and they have to worry about being attacked by gangs or other tribes or criminals. They have to worry about being kidnapped and sold into the human trafficking system. And so their parent’s don’t let them go. Their parents would rather keep them safe. Many parents have no money to send their children to school, and education is not free or a freedom in these places.

I’m not saying we need to change our kids’ opinions of school, but we can help them see the good points and maybe their opinion will change on their own. We can talk about how happy we were to go to school and get an education, to pursue a career that makes us happy and pays for the things in our houses. If we have older children who can handle some of the heartbreaking stories in Half the Sky, we can share them. And we can do this at any time. We can be thankful for our freedoms at any time–not just at the beginning of July.

I’m reading more and more about modern-day abolitionists. I love this term! Many of them help people out of slavery and poverty and do this by providing an education. I’ll feature one tomorrow. Here are a few children’s books about freedom–most dealing with the past, but you can always apply these concepts to the world today:

An example of the jewelry for sale on The Emancipation Network

The Emancipation Network, which can be found at www.madebysurvivors.com (the same organization I talked about yesterday), was started by Sarah Symons and John Berger in 2005. Sarah saw a film titled The Day My God Died by Andrew Levine, which was about child sex trafficking. This film literally changed her life. She founded TEN after visiting a shelter and seeing a bunch of “sparkly purses and beaded jewelry” made by survivors of human trafficking at the shelter. The shelter was looking for ways for the older survivors to become self-sufficient and earn an income. Sarah put two and two together, bought these, and took them home to friends and family. Her husband came up with the idea of having home parties, similar to Tupperware or Pampered Chef. And as they say. . .the rest is history. At shelters, TEN provides education and a source of income, so women can get out of the shelter and live their lives again.

So, how can you help?

• Buy products from The Emancipation Network store as I talked about in yesterday’s post. I have bought some of the jewelry as Christmas and birthday gifts. I have also bought note cards. The products comes with a short explanation of who created it and how it helps survivors.
• Host a home party or community event: Just like you would host a Lia Sophia party, you can host one of these parties. TEN offers a lot of support. If you are interested in finding out more, please go to the website page about parties.
• Donate to TEN: You can also donate to TEN. They are a non-profit organization, so your donation is tax deductible. According to their website, 100% of your donation goes directly to the shelters.

Think about this wonderful organization the next time you need to buy a gift. It might just change someone’s life!

Today’s post is going to be rather short, as I am on my way back from a trip to Mexico with some friends to celebrate a 40th birthday, and have a full day of traveling. Anyway, I want to tell you about an awesome place where you can find gifts for your loved ones and at the same time, help victims of human trafficking.

If you are looking for a gift this summer or fall, please check out The Emancipation Network. Their website is super-easy to remember: Made By Survivors.com

They have a wide selection for women and men from jewelry to stationary to hand bags. I will write more tomorrow about this wonderful organization, so stay tuned. . .

Gogo Ida’s house in Swaziland

Yesterday, I introduced you to author Linda Rhinehart Neas and her poetry book, Gogo’s Dream: Swaziland Discovered. There’s still time to leave a comment or question for Linda and a chance to win her book. One of the things she talked about was the non-profit organization, Possible Dreams International. The profits from her poetry book go directly to this organization. She also wrote about Gogo Ida and her house, which is pictured here.

Possible Dreams International has three current projects in Swaziland.

• The Daily Emergency Fund: This fund is used to help ill people in several ways: to transport them to a hospital, to pay for doctor or X-ray fees, to give food to the starving, and even to provide blankets and bedding. Without the Daily Emergency Fund, several more people would die in Swaziland because they can not afford the medical care.
• Houses for the Poor: In Swaziland, over 70% of the population live in extreme poverty, (on less than one dollar a day). Most houses in rural Swaziland are made of thatch, mud, sticks, or stone. “Possible Dreams International employs young dedicated builders in the community, who are often orphans themselves, as well as community members to come together and help the family in need. In addition to building a house, we speak to the family at length about their physical and emotional needs. We provide access to medical care, food and water as well as engagement with their community so that the family can help themselves out of the myre of poverty and self-defeat. “
• The Mealie Meal Project: One-third of children in Swaziland are orphans because their parents have died of AIDS. This project provides food to orphans “in the form of 25kg of Corn Soya meal a month as well as 60 eggs, beans and milk.”

Swaziland statistics are heartbreaking. Here they are from the Possible Dreams International website:

Swaziland has the highest prevalence of HIV infection in the world.

42% of the population are infected with HIV, the precursor to AIDS.

There are over 15,000 orphan led households in Swaziland.

So, check out yesterday’s post, leave a comment for Linda, and consider buying her book as a gift for someone–maybe even your own Gogo (Grandma) to help the Gogos and children in Swaziland.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1321608

I am so happy to welcome, Linda M. Rhinehart Neas, on her WOW! blog tour. Linda has written the amazing poetry book, Gogo’s Dream: Swaziland Discovered. This book of poetry is inspired by the people of Swaziland and the work of Dr. Maithri Goonetilleke, an Australian physician and poet who spends time working with the people of Swaziland. The poems illustrate the poverty and need in Swaziland but also the love and dignity of this family oriented culture. All of the profits of this book will go to Possible Dreams International to help the peoples of Swaziland. You can preview and purchase the book here.

***Linda has written a terrific post for my blog today. And anyone who leaves a question or comment for Linda will be entered for a chance to win a copy of her book.

Love Story: The Women of Swaziland
by Linda Rhinehart Neas

When he (Dr. Goonetilleke) met Gogo Ida, her remaining daughter had just given birth to a second child. The daughter’s first child, a three-year old is named Nothando, which means “Love.”

Love is the capital that Gogo Ida, nearly seventy, exists on daily. Love for her daughter dying, like her other children, of AIDS; love for the grandchildren, which are now in her care; love for God to whom she prays in the mud hut with holes in the walls where snakes and rats torment the children. Her prayers are simple – protection from the cold, food for the children, a better future for her grandchildren.

Love has brought Dr. Maithri Goonetilleke and the other members of Possible Dreams International (PDI) to Swaziland. Love supports the work they do to help bring the essentials to people devastated by disease and poverty. Love surrounds Gogo Ida and the thousands of Gogos (grandmothers) of Swaziland as they bury their beloved children and care for their orphaned grandchildren.

The Love that fuels Gogo Ida’s (pictured here) hope for a better future for her grandchildren, the dream of all Gogos in Swaziland, which has the highest percentage of HIV infected population in the world, has brought her a new home, built by members of her community with the aid of PDI. The home has the luxury of strong walls, a corrugated roof, a door and windows. It will protect her grandchildren from the varmints that sneak in at night trying to rob her of what little food she has and threatening her grandchildren.

Just before Dr. Maithri leaves Gogo Ida’s home, she receives the first parcel of her supplemental food – Mealie meal, a porridge-based product that is the staple of the Swazi diet, 60 eggs, sugar and beans. Gogo Ida was elated, singing and dancing for joy. “Last night, every morsel of food that we have was gone. Now the children can eat!”

Dr. Maithri lowered his head as tears ran down his face. Love wrapped its arms around Gogo Ida and her family, bringing Light into her humble home.

Being a woman in Swaziland isn’t necessarily a death sentence, but it might as well be. In 2009, the average life expectancy in Swaziland was 37. Approximately 42% of the pregnant women in the country were HIV positive. Nearly 185,000 of the one million people living there are infected. However, AIDS is not the only disease ravaging the lives of women in Swaziland.

Struggling in a country where poverty is the norm, infectious diseases run rampant. W

Yesterday, I wrote about a great CD, Can You Hear Us?. 100% of the profits, yes 100%, goes to helping children around the world. To see who and how, check out this website. You can also listen to songs off the website and read some of the stories behind the songs. It is a truly amazing CD.

My very favorite song on the CD is titled “Kenya.” The refrain goes like this: Jesus, please save Kenya. Please help people love each other. Jesus, please save Kenya. In Jesus name, Amen.

But my favorite part of the song comes about halfway through, and it’s such a lesson that we all can learn. Not to mention, that it goes with what I talked about last week–you don’t need money to make a difference in the world. Here are the lyrics that touch my heart:

Since they started to pray, no one else has lost their house and no one is fighting; no one’s family is dying. And they [the children praying] don’t know why everyone is amazed. They know Jesus saves.

This verse is then followed by a chorus of children singing the refrain. This song is toe-tapping, and you might just find yourself clapping along, too. I’m telling you the entire $14 that you have to spend for this CD is worth it just for this song!

You can order right from the website.

If you want to share Kenya with your children, here are a few books:

Okay, so I usually talk about books on this blog and how to use them. And sometimes, I even talk about audio books as that is one of my favorite ways to pass the time when I’m in the car. But today and tomorrow, I want to introduce you to a great CD that is full of wonderful and meaningful songs about some of the world’s problems, such as sex trafficking and child soldiers, with Christian themes. Songs can tell stories just like books do. And the songs on this CD you can definitely use with your children–young and old.

The CD is called Can You Hear Us?, and the songs are written and sung by Kaitlin, Liesel, and Zach Pflederer, a brother/sister trio from central Illinois. I have a friend who is married to their cousin, and this is how I found out about this talented family. But then, I actually heard them perform (at the human trafficking information night I keep talking about that I went to at the University of Illinois), and I was blown away. BLOWN AWAY. They sang the song, “CAN YOU HEAR US?” while showing a Power Point presentation of photos of children–most victims of human trafficking or child soldiers–and it brought me to tears. You can hardly listen to the words without being moved to do something to help around the world. Here’s an example:

They make me hold a gun too big and bring me kids I used to play with. They make me lie in a dirty bed and take all the men. Can you hear us? Can you hear us? We’ve been crying for so long. . .They said they’d tell you; they said they’ve told you. We’re still waiting for you to come.

These are songs written from the heart–with beautiful guitar accompaniment–they are as professional as anything that you would hear on a CD you bought from a music store or songs you download from iTunes. You can listen to samples on their website.

100% of the profits from the sale of these CDs go to help people around the world. I encourage you to purchase one today. They are only $11.00 with $3.00 for shipping and handling. You will find yourself tapping your toes to some of the songs, crying to others, and finding inspiration with most of them. I have downloaded my CD onto my iPod, so I can take it with me anywhere. Tomorrow, I’ll write about my favorite song–if I haven’t convinced you yet.

photo by youmanimus www.flickr.com

Sometimes, on this blog, I talk about different charities and how you can donate to them to help women and girls around the world. But I understand, believe me, that many people don’t have extra money to give right now. I also understand how it seems like there is so much need, how can you pick and choose whom to give to?

Money isn’t the only way that you can help these women and girls around the world. There are plenty of celebrities and CEOs who can donate thousands of dollars. But what can you do?

• Tell people what you learn in books, on news shows, on this blog, and in magazines. Education is one of the keys to stopping things like human trafficking, maternal mortality, and genocide. It is often easy for people to turn a blind eye if they think it is not directly affecting them. So, don’t be afraid to talk about these issues to family members and friends.
• You can pray or meditate or whatever your beliefs lead you to do. I’m Catholic, and I believe that there’s strength in prayer. Prayer costs nothing and doesn’t even take much time. I can pray for the victims of human trafficking. I can pray for the children living in poverty. I can pray for people to be treated equally.
• Recommend books like Half the Sky, Left to Tell, or Beatrice’s Goat to friends and family. See if they are in your local library. If not, ask the librarian if there is any wish lists or ways to purchase these important books.
• If you belong to a group at your church or in your community and you are looking for a fundraiser idea, consider one of the charities listed on this blog such as Loose Change for Loose Chains or the Left to Tell Charitable Fund.
• If your neighborhood or community has an area wide garage sale, see if a portion (even 10%) of the sales can go to a charity or put up a donation can at your check-out table with some information about something like the Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia and see if you anyone donates. Send in those donations.
• Tweet about information and charities you hear about. Share information on your Facebook page.

You, yourself, don’t have to give a lot of money to these organizations. If you want to help, try one of the suggestions above. If you have any more, please let us know in the comments section below!

Yesterday, I told the story of Mahabouba, who suffered from fistulas after she had obstructed labor and her baby died inside of her. She found help at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. I also said I would let you know a way that you could help girls like Mahabouba, and one of the best ways is to support the Fistula Foundation.

The Fistula Foundation was founded as American Friends Foundation for Childbirth Injuries in 2000 by Richard Haas and his daughter Shaleece. The Haases visited the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and were impressed by all the work Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her late husband, Dr. Reginald Hamlin, were doing to help women with fistulas. When they returned to the United States, they started this non-profit organization to aid Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her hospital. The book Half the Sky and the Oprah Winfrey Show have both featured Dr. Hamlin and the Fistula Foundation.

Since its start, the Fistula Foundation has been able to fund many projects to help women suffering from fistulas in Ethiopia. For a full list of projects, see the foundation’s website.

So, how can you help? You can make a donation to the Fistula Foundation right on the website. You can also buy products such as a necklace, bracelet, or earrings or make a donation in someone else’s name. All of these proceeds go to the foundation. These are the perfect gifts for someone who already has everything.

To find out more about Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her hospital, read this book:

As I talked about yesterday, Heifer International is a wonderful organization that encourages people to help each other. They have been around for almost 60 years, helping people to obtain a sustainable food source and income. Here’s a success story from their magazine World Ark::

Ganga Khanal, who lives in Nepal, said she was devalued because she could not give birth to a son. She felt powerless to change her life against the centuries of tradition in her village. When Khanal gave birth to two daughters, her husband married her sister and also brought the sister into the home. Khanal fought with her sister. Her husband hit her when she spoke up for herself. She never had enough to eat.

Khanal heard about a women’s group in her village that had savings and received animals and training. The group (Heifer International) was looking for more members. Even though her husband opposed the idea, Khanal strated Jagrit Women’s Group, completed the Heifer Cornerstones and animal management training, and received two black and white goats.

Here’s a quote from her (World Ark, Spring 2010, page 13): “Today I am something. I have substance; I have animals; I have crops,” Khanal said. “My group gave me the inspiration, the idea, and the confidence to do all this.”

Obviously, we cannot all go to Nepal and train women like Khanal, even if we want to. But that’s the beauty of Heifer International. They make it easy to help from your living room. On their website, you can purchase animals and products from their online catalog, such as: cattle, sheep, water buffalo, goats, knitting baskets, flocks of chicks, and a trio of rabbits. Depending on the amount of money you have, you can also buy shares of these. This means, that when Heifer International has enough people who buy shares of an animal, an entire animal can be given to a family. They also provide fundraising ideas on their website if you want to raise money with a group or even with your family or even at Vacation Bible School this summer (there’s a special program for that!).

Above is one of my favorite books, which I’ve talked about on here before, that tells the story of an elementary school class raising money to Give a Goat.

First, I’d like to announce the winner of the Seeds of Change book giveaway from last Thursday’s post. It is . . .Becky Povich. Thank you to Becky and everyone who left comments on this post.

Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier and illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter is a wonderful children’s book based on a true story. You may have heard about this book before–it’s pretty popular. It is the story of Beatrice and her family, who live in Uganda and whose lives change when they receive a goat from Heifer International. The goat bears two kids and provides enough milk to feed the family and to sell for profit. Before this, life is extremely hard for Beatrice and her five brothers and sisters, who lived in extreme poverty. The children could not even go to school because they were so poor. By the end of the book (a year), Beatrice is going to school and the family is moving into a sturdier house thanks to the gift of the goat.

I love Heifer International, and I will probably talk a lot about how they change lives in poor communities all over the world. They provide (through donations) livestock to families, so they can raise more livestock and collect products from livestock to help themselves and other community members.

I receive their magazine, and here are some facts on the back of the latest issue: “In just three months in 1994, more than 800,000 Rwandans were killed in one of the worst acts of genocide in recent history. When you donate to help rebuild hope in Rwanda, your donation will be matched 3-to-1 up to $1.6 million to help revive farming traditions lost 16 years ago. That means your gift will go four times as far to help turn Rwanda’s violent past into a peaceful–and prosperous–future.”

If you are looking for a project to do in summer school or at home this summer, think about reading Beatrice’s Goat or checking out the Heifer International website and raising money to buy a family a goat, a cow, or some chicks. You can buy a share of these for as little as $10.