How to use this Page

Busy spring!

Lots going on lately in our household with birthdays, Mother’s Day, spring winery trips and the end of the first year of preschool. So, I have also had a lot of web happenings that I’m late on reporting. Here’s a round-up:

• Caught Between Two Curses (CBTC) news: I’m so excited that YA author Brian Katcher reviewed CBTC over at Foreveryoungadult.com  and he said, “There’s a lot of creepy stuff going on in the wings, with baseballs flying out of nowhere and the grim specter of death hanging over Julie’s family. But they’re Cubs fans. They’re used to living in hell.”  He also said, “Dill does a great job of linking Julie’s family curse to the cursed Chicago team. Can Julie and Matt stop the curse that is destroying her family? Will the Cubs go all the way this year? Keep in mind, this is a work of pure fiction.”
• I was also lucky enough to be featured as the Indie Spotlight on Reading Teen, writing about how I got my idea for CBTC and how I wanted to explore the question of destiny and why some people survive accidents and others don’t, as well as the Cubs Curse. You can read about that at the link above. I also was lucky enough to answer some questions about writing fiction on the St. Louis Writers’ Guild blog, The Writers’ Lens.
• News-Gazette Book Reviews: As many of you know, I write a Sunday Book Review column for the News-Gazette. I recently reviewed two very interesting books, one science fiction and one non-fiction parenting book. To check these out, both written by strong and interesting women, click on the titles: The Self-Esteem Trap (parenting) and Zero Time (science fiction).
• Over at WOW! Women On Writing, I posted about writing in multiple points of view, how to do it well, books that do it well, and why authors may consider using more than one character’s point of view to tell the story. We have an interesting conversation going on The Muffin and on our Facebook page!
• 

  At Lit Ladies critique group on May 5

  Lit Ladies blog: On the Lit Ladies blog, I am blogging about strong women and girls (GIRL POWER!) on Tuesdays now, and I talked about a book that changed my life, Half the Sky! Put it on your summer reading list. Find out how you can help women and girls find their voices around the world. I also blogged about my friend Kelly who exemplifies the Margaret Mead quote about never doubting what a small group of citizens can do.

And last but not least, I am currently organizing a blog tour for myself and my YA, Caught Between Two Curses. If you have a blog and want to participate, I have some dates in July! I am writing guest posts about young adult topics, writing, strong girls and women, baseball, curses, adult illiteracy and more. Please email me at margo (at) margodill.com if you would like to participate. You get a free ecopy of CBTC for your participation!

As part of the WOW! Women On Writing blog tour, I am reviewing Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women of Extreme Religion. I have a print copy to giveaway to U. S. mailing addresses. Please see the rafflecopter form at the end of the review to enter!

Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions is an anthology edited by Susan Tive and Cami Ostman, who both chose to enter religious communities they weren’t born into. They met in a memoir writing class—Ostman has written a book about running a marathon on every continent, and Tive was working on writings about her years spent in Orthodox Judaism.

After discussing their lives over coffee and wine outside of class, they realized that their journeys were similar: both experienced a faith that asked them to shun personal freedoms many women in the United States take for granted. Both were expected to view men as the head of their married and religious lives. The more they talked, the more they began to question: “Why did we choose to join such restrictive religious practices? Why did we stay so long? Why was it so hard to leave?”

Then they wondered if other women had experienced the same thing in their lives. Since Ostman and Tive were writers, they developed the idea for the anthology, and Beyond Belief was born.

In the introduction, the editors explain that they had many ideas for how this anthology should look when they first got the idea. They were only going to allow women who had chosen to enter an “extreme religion,” although they were not going to define extreme. But they received many pieces from women born into their religion and the struggles as children and teens, and so the editors changed their minds. They ask readers of the anthology not to judge the true stories in the book on whether or not they are “extreme enough.”

Buy Beyond Belief on Indiebound.org!

The bottom line is this book is filled with heartfelt and well-written essays that readers will find interesting and which often read as fiction, but they are not. Maybe these narratives seem like they could be fiction because readers who grew up in a “non-extreme” religious household will be filled with wonder and disbelief when reading what some of these women have been through in their lives, all in the name of religion.

Cami Ostman

Many different religions are covered from Evangelical to Catholic to Baptist, from Mormon to Muslim to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The stories are divided into three sections: “In the Beginning,” where authors write stories about getting IN to these religions; “Burnt Offerings,” a very interesting section on the practices and beliefs of people IN extreme religions; and finally “Exodus,” about women who got out of an unhealthy religious situation for them.

Depending on readers’ own religious beliefs, they may see themselves in the pages of the essays—parents trying to raise their children according to their beliefs, or young mothers lost and struggling who need support and aren’t finding it in church, or even women going through divorce and leaving a particular religion.

Many of the authors in this book are brave for sharing their most personal stories and inner beliefs. This book is not

Susan Tive

“preaching” that anyone should leave a certain religion or that there’s even anything wrong with being religious. It’s an honest look at the lives of these women authors. Readers can learn from their stories—understanding religious customs, finding their own freedom, living life to the fullest, respecting elders, and loving family members for whom they are.

If you are interested in religion, have been exploring different churches, or even questioning where your beliefs lie, then you will appreciate the thought-provoking and touching essays in Beyond Belief.

Enter below to win Beyond Belief!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When I found out WOW! Women on Writing was hosting a blog tour for Sola Olu, the author of The Summer Called Angel, I knew I wanted to be a part. One reason is because this blog is about children’s books AND about books and people who help women and children around the world–after all women hold up HALF THE SKY! But the other reason is because the subject of preemies and NICUs are close to my heart after I had my daughter at 33 weeks, and she spent a month in the NICU.

Sola’s book is excellent. You will be captivated by her story of how she had her daughter, Angel, at 28 weeks due to a severe case of preeclampsia. Angel was a very sick, baby girl, who had to have multiple surgeries and procedures, who spent time in two different NICUs, and who didn’t get to come home until the seventh month of her life. Sola shares the story of she and her husband and their little daughter fighting for her life with honesty and grace. She does not sugarcoat the bad times–the times when she thought she was going to lose her daughter, the times when she didn’t want to go to the NICU any more, the times when she and her husband had a difference of opinion.

My daughter, 33 weeks, 5 lbs. 2 ozs, A few hours old, holding my hand

In the back of the book, Sola shares some resources for pregnant women or for women who have a baby in the NICU. This is a great resource. She loves to hear your story if you had a baby in the NICU or if you are pregnant and on bed rest or anything really–she loves to help and listen. ANYONE who leaves a comment on this post will be entered to win either a print copy or e-copy of The Summer Called Angel. You can leave a question or a story or a well wish by Sunday, February 3 8:00 pm CST to be entered into the contest.

I was also lucky enough to interview Sola, and I asked her a few questions that may help high school/college writing teachers as well as writers wanting to write their own difficult stories–whatever those may be!

Margo: Welcome, Sola, thank you for taking the time to answer a few of my questions. Your story is so gripping and honest. How did it help you to write about this difficult time in your life?

Sola: It helped to heal. I love to write, and I’ve always been better at expressing my feelings by writing rather than speaking. I started writing at the hospital, even though it didn’t start out as a memoir. I guess it was therapeutic in some way.

Margo: That’s why your memoir is so honest and gripping–you were writing while you were living it! How did you deal with the emotions that had to arise while you were reliving these events (through your writing) with your preemie daughter?

Sola: Everything took time. Initially, I couldn’t talk about the details without

Sola Olu

Margo: I agree with the time factor. I have a terrible time writing about things that have just happened. It was even hard for me to write the Facebook updates while our daughter was in the NICU. Do you recommend women writing about hard times in their lives? Why or why not?

Sola: I would–it helps, at least it helped me; but for me, writing has always been my go-to remedy. It’s always been therapeutic. I remember as a teenager I would write to my parents when I had something difficult to discuss.

Margo: What are some good resources you can recommend for teenagers on up to adults for writing about their own lives and difficult events?

Sola: I belong to the National Association of Memoir Writers, and I love the resources they have to offer including webinars; but of course, there are more out there. There are a lot more resources out there on the Internet. My advice to myself for my next book is research, research, research, and more research.. .I think I can pass that along.

Margo: I’ve heard great things about NAMW, too. Thank you, Sola, for your honesty and sharing your story with families!

Don’t forget you could win a copy of this book by leaving a comment or question! Also, you can check out Sola’s book on Amazon.

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.

When people hear the word “genocide,” most think–surely something like that can’t happen in today’s world. But unfortunately it has and it does. Jane Springer has written a book for young adults about genocide, and it is one that I recommend all teens read. Let’s have a new generation of people who CAN’T say, “Surely, that kind of thing doesn’t happen in today’s world,” because we have educated them that it does, and we have proven that education is the key in stopping this kind of brutality.

Springer’s book is short and to the point–perfect for teen readers. It is divided into seven chapters with titles such as: “Today’s Genocide,” “A History of Mass Violence,” “Responding to Genocide,” and my favorite chapter, “Preventing Genocide.” One of the most useful parts of the book is in the back. There’s a table titled, “Genocides Through History.” On this table, readers will discover the first genocide back in 146 BC all the way up to the Darfur/Sudan genocide in 2003. (The book’s copyright is 2006.) Besides the names and dates, the table also tells readers the name of the victims and how many, the perpetrators (who led the genocide), the method of killing, whether or not there was any sexual violence, and the legal trials that were a result of the genocide.

When students read a book like this, we want them to be outraged. We want them to be called into action to fight for the rights of the minority and abused. We want them to understand how genocide happens and how to prevent it. Students can begin on this journey when a teacher or parent hands them a book like Genocide by Jane Springer.

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!

<!--Begin--->



<!--End--->

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.

A boy named Zach Hunter was 12 years old and a seventh grader when he learned in school that slavery still exists in modern day times. He was horrified as he learned more about the situation around the world and formed a group called: Loose Change to Loosen Chains (nicknamed LC2LC). In his first year, he raised $8,500. It’s now 7 years later, and this organization has gone crazy! The International Justice Mission, which I’ve talked about on this blog before, now has the LC2LC program as part of their anti-slavery movement.

According to Real Simple magazine, there’s $10.5 billion in loose change lying around American households. Like it says on the International Justice Mission website, “Imagine what you could do if you were to collect even just a fraction of this amount and use it for a good cause!” Loose Change to Loosen Chains has collected a fraction, and they are fighting human trafficking with it.

So, a seventh-grader, Zach Hunter, started this; and in 2007, when he was in high school, he presented to the White House a petition with over 100,000 signatures on it to encourage politicians to do more to stop trafficking. He wrote a book: Be the Change: Your Guide To Ending Slavery and Changing the World. He speaks to schools and church groups across the country about trafficking. If one person can do all of this, think about what 10 or 20 motivated modern-day abolitionists can do.

If Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains sounds like something you are interested in for your youth group, family, classroom, or community group, then go here to order materials. You will get a kit and information that will help you get started collecting loose change in your community to stop slavery and human trafficking today!

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:

Besides Half the Sky, which I have discussed several times on here (this book is about more than just human trafficking, but includes chapters on it), I decided to provide more resources about the subject. As the founders of The Emancipation Network, which I wrote about yesterday, can attest to, hearing or reading about actual victims and their stories is much more powerful than seeing a bunch of statistics. The statistics about child sex trafficking are frightening, but when you hear individual stories, it’s more powerful. Look for the following books at your nearest bookstore, library, or even online:

“Human trafficking is an ugly crime. Its brutalized victims generate vast profits, and many of them are being used and abused in the cities and towns where we live. Human trafficking is also a hidden crime. Governments, human rights groups, and all the rest of us, are struggling to understand how it fits into the lives of our communities and economies. Now we have help: Alexis Aronowitz has written a lucid and concise introduction to human trafficking. Based on impeccable research and years of experience, she shines a light on the modern slave trade. This book is perfect for student and educational use, or for anyone wanting a clear and unbiased understanding of human trafficking today.”
–Dr. Kevin Bales
Academic and world reknowned expert on modern-day slavery
Author of best-seller, Disposable People
President of Free the Slaves

Award-winning journalist David Batstone reveals the story of a new generation of 21st century abolitionists and their heroic campaign to put an end to human bondage. In his accessible and inspiring book, Batstone carefully weaves the narratives of activists and those in bondage in a way that not only raises awareness of the modern-day slave trade, but also serves as a call to action.
–Amazon Product Description

“I approached this book with a certain weariness. Having worked on the subject of sex trafficking for many years, I was unenthusiastic about yet another exposé or cri de coeur from a business executive turned human rights advocate. I could not have been more wrong. This is a unique and inspiring book–an honest, lucid, and immensely intelligent account of a devastating yet pervasive aspect of contemporary globalization. It deserves to be widely read by anyone who wants to understand one of the most persistent and complex human rights violations of our times.” — Jacqueline Bhabha, Harvard Law School

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:

Today, I am sharing with you another story from the book Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Mahabouba did not die in childbirth or due to giving birth, but she did become incontinent. According to Kristof and WuDunn, more than 3 million women and girls are incontinent due to the lack of medical care during childbirth.

Here’s Mahabouba’s (an Ethopian girl) tragic story: When her parents divorced when she was a small child, she was given to her father’s sister, who didn’t give her an education and treated her as a servant. Mahabouba and her sister ran away to town and worked as maids for room and board. A neighbor told her that he could find better work for her when she was 13 years old, but he actually sold her for $10 to a 60-year-old man as a 2nd wife. The man raped and beat her. She got no sympathy from the first wife either, who also beat her out of jealousy. Mahabouba tried to run away, but she was always caught.

She soon became pregnant, and so the beatings didn’t happen as often and she had more freedom. When she was 7 months pregnant, she ran away. She fled to town, but the people said they would take her back to the man, so she ran to her village. She found her immediate family gone, and nobody wanted to help her because she was pregnant and someone else’s wife. She went to drown herself in the river, but her uncle found her and put her in a little hut by his house.

She had no midwife, and so she tried to have the baby by herself, but her pelvis hadn’t grown large enough to accommodate the baby’s head (since she was so young) and she ended up in obstructed labor. After seven days, she passed out and then someone summoned a birth attendant. When she woke up, she discovered her baby was dead and she had no control over her bladder or bowels. She couldn’t walk or stand. The people in the village thought she was cursed, and she should leave. But her uncle was torn. He gave her food and water, but moved her hut to the edge of the village and took the door off so there was no protection from the hyenas.

The first night, the hyenas came. Even though she couldn’t move her legs, Mahabouba warded them off with a stick at 14 years old. She knew to survive she had to get out of the village. She had heard of a Western missionary in a nearby village, and so she crawled for almost two days to the next village, up to the missionary doorstep. The missionary saved her and took her to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.

If you want to read what happens to Mahabouba at the fistula hospital or the wonderful work they do there, please buy the book: Half the Sky.

Tomorrow, I will tell you a way you can help girls like Mahabouba.

I first learned about The International Justice Mission when I attended a human trafficking awareness night on the University of Illinois campus. A young man who had interned with IJM shared his horrifying stories from the field–stories of girls as young as TWO YEARS OLD in brothels. After listening to him–someone who had been on the front line–I knew I had to check out IJM and what they offered for victims of human trafficking. What I like about IJM is that they are raiding and shutting down brothels, but they are also fighting for stricter laws against human trafficking agents and brothel owners, against corrupt police, and against kidnappers. Some countries have laws where these people are barely punished for their crimes or as we saw in Rath’s story yesterday, the wrong people (the slaves) are being punished.

According to the IJM website, this organization was founded by Gary Haugen, who was working as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the United Nations’ Investigator in Charge in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. Today, IJM has over 300 professionals working in their own communities to fight injustice. These professionals “confront aggressive human violence: violence that strips widows and orphans of their property and livelihoods, violence that steals dignity and health from children trafficked into forced prostitution, violence that denies freedom and security to families trapped in slavery.”

If you want to help these professionals fight for human rights and help girls like Rath, then you can donate money to their cause–you can give a one time gift or a monthly donation. It is simple to do–right from their website. If you don’t have a lot of money or your school would like to do something to help IJM, you can always do a penny drive. Ask people to bring in their pennies and loose change for a period of time, and then donate this money to IJM. Whatever you can give helps.

But not everyone has extra money–especially in today’s economy, so another way you can help is to tell other people about IJM. You can also pray for the professionals that are working in the field and for the victims they are working to protect. IJM also has student ministries, so if you work with children or teens or if you want to do something in your own home, you can! And IJM helps you with this. They also provide resources for churches. Just spreading the word and talking about the problem and resources available can help stop human trafficking.

If you are interested in the t-shirt pictured above, you can purchase these from the IJM website. Thanks for listening!

In the spirit of my blog’s title: “Margo Dill’s Read These Books and Use Them,” I have read the book Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. And I’m going to use it. I’m going to use it to do something a little different with my blog. So, here’s what I am thinking. . .

Half the Sky is an amazing book that will change your life. It’s an adult book, but I think many older teens could read it, too. The subtitle is Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. This book is not easy to read. It highlights some of the atrocities that are happening to women (many of these are actually girls in their tweens and teens) around the world such as sex trafficking, maternal mortality, extreme poverty, discrimination, and more. The book also gives practical ideas to help these women and highlights programs that are working in the world today. You cannot read this book without doing something whether giving money, telling other people, or well. . .doing something on your blog.

I still want to highlight authors and their books and let parents, teachers, and librarians know how to use these books, so I have decided to do two things with my blog: 1. Stick with my original intentions on Thursdays and Fridays by highlighting books, authors, and activities 2. Do something new with my blog on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays by telling stories of women around the world, giving information about different programs to help women and children, and finding easy and practical ways for ANYONE to help–even if you don’t have any money to give.

Now, there will be a few changes in the new schedule in the next couple weeks because I will be taking part in some blog tours. I love blog tours, and so every once in a while if I can’t schedule a blog tour for a Thursday or Friday, you may find an author and his or her book on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. But hey, all the information is useful!

SO, I will leave you with this: In 2006, ABC News did a story on sex trafficking in the United States. (Yes, it is not just a foreign problem.) Here is a statistic from that story that is just overwhelming to me: “The FBI estimates that there are well over 100,000 children and teens in the United States — most of them young girls — being trafficked in the sex trade.” And that’s almost nothing compared to what is going on in other countries around the globe. However, just one teen involved in sex trafficking is TOO MANY. Education is the first step into fighting this type of abuse. I hope to fight it here.

Join me!

photo by hdptcar www.flickr.com

Currently, I am reading a very powerful book that is touching my life deeply and calling me to action. The book is called Half the Sky written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn,and it’s about women’s oppression around the world and how to combat it. I plan to start another blog in late spring or early summer about this subject targeted to teens and college students, but I wanted to tell you about an organization I found out about while reading this book. It was started by a seventh grade student, Zach Hunter, and is geared toward children and teens helping the fight against human trafficking and slavery around the world. It’s perfect for a class service learning project or even a year-long project for a home school group. So, let’s go. . .

Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains has a Facebook Cause page that anyone can join with a Facebook account. This organization is also connected with the International Justice Mission, which is relentless in fighting slavery that still exists in the world today. If you don’t believe me or think–there’s no way slavery exists in the 21st century, I encourage you to find a copy of Half the Sky at a bookstore, library, or online, and start reading.

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can do a service learning project with Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains, then you can email [email protected] with your snail mail address and get a tool kit. You can also visit Free the Slaves website for information on what slavery looks like around the world today. You can share some of these stories with students–depending on the age of your students or your children, you can decide how much detail to go into. However, in my opinion, even the youngest child can understand that taking away someone’s freedom based on religion, race, or sex is wrong; and they don’t need all the gory details but can still understand that some 10-year-old girl living her life in a brothel without being able to go outside and play or even go to school is not right.

On the Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains Facebook Cause Page, Zach Hunter has written that: “27 million people are still in slavery today. It’s estimated that 50 % are children. They may be tricked with the promise of a good job, deceived or sold, working in brothels, brick kilns, on plantations and in many industries.”

On the International Justice Mission website, it is written: “According to Real Simple magazine there is $10.5 billion in loose change lying around American households. Imagine what you could do if you were to collect even just a fraction of this amount and use it for a good cause!”

So contact Loose Change to Loosen Chains either through [email protected] or at [email protected] and get your starter kit today. Your life and your children’s or students’ lives may be changed forever with this service learning project.

Finally, I would like to announce that Cinda B. won the Aries Rising book by Bonnie Hearn Hill from last week’s giveaway contest. Thank you to everyone who left a comment and even came back once the technical difficulties were fixed!