Travel Brave

ijm.ca/travelbrave

Jesus Christ in the Nuba Mountains

Nicholas Kristof shares about one man's tireless efforts to help the people who live in the Nuba Mountains of south Sudan in his Sunday The New York Times article:

www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-hes-jesus-christ.html

Federal Tax Removed on Feminine Hygiene Products

Jen Zoratti of The Winnipeg Free Press writes about Ottawa removing the federal tax on feminine hygiene products starting July 1:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/Hurrah-Menstrual-hygiene-products-no-longer-taxed-in-Canada-305388601.html

Save the Rohingya

Save the Rohingya from Partners Relief & Development on Vimeo.

www.partnersworld.org

World Fair Trade Day 2015

Today is World Fair Trade Day - an opportunity to discover what Fair Trade is all about, see how you can get involved and make a difference in the lives of artisans and farmers around the world.  "Why?" you may ask and the answer is simple:  "Because we're all connected."  Consumer choices, especially in the west, affect so many people around the world - many who are living well below the poverty line, unable to provide the basic necessities of life for their families.  I have many links to various Fair Trade websites on the right side of my blog, so take some time to check them out today.  Small changes can make a big difference so choose to purchase Fair Trade today, whether that be chocolate, coffee, tea, bananas, wine or flowers (and the list goes on!).

Back to School After Ebola

A schoolgirl shares her experience of going back to school after experiencing Ebola in her family in this The Guardian article:

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/26/ebola-kerema-sierra-leone-back-to-school

Are You Smarter Than an 8th Grader?

LOVE Nicholas Kristof's column about numeracy:

www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-are-you-smarter-than-an-8th-grader.html

World Malaria Day

Malaria kills a child every 60 seconds and it's entirely preventable.  Bed nets are a simple solution and Plan Canada gives you the opportunity to buy 1 net for $10, 5 nets for $40 or 12 nets for $100.  Plus, your donation is matched 7 times.  Make a difference in someone's life today:

https://plancanada.ca/GiftsofHope/products/108-Gifts-for-World-Malaria-Day/?utm_source=GOHeBlast&utm_medium=email&utm_term=goh-worldmalariaday-btn&utm_campaign=GOHeBlastFY15-WMD_Prosp

Soft Hands Kind Hearts

BIG NEWS!!  My all-time favorite hand cream has returned to The Body Shop and beyond the fact that it's the best hand cream EVER (I'm serious!), a portion of every purchase will be donated to The Body Shop Foundation, supporting charities around the world.

www.thebodyshop.ca/en/bath-body-care/bath-body-new/soft-hands-kind-heart-hand-cream.aspx

Helping Women and Girls. Period. Part 2.

A follow-up to the article I posted in January:

kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/helping-women-and-girls-period-part-two/?module=BlogPost-ReadMore&version=Blog%20Main&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body#more-13155

The Hidden Reason for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now

https://www.ijm.ca/TED

800,000 Children

UNICEF is reporting that 800,000 children have been forced from their homes by Boko Haram and have suffered abuse and emotional distress:

www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/unicef-800000-children-forced-from-homes-by-boko-haram-suffer-abuse-and-emotional-distress-299533961.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news

Provocative Labels

My friend Teresa forwarded the following article to me and that led me to The Canadian Fair Trade Network.  Both sites have A LOT of great information, so check them out:

www.takepart.com/article/2015/03/31/clothing-labels-make-it-impossible-ignore-sweatshop-abuses?cmpid=tp-ptnr-upworthy

cftn.ca

Part of Compassion's Volunteer Advocate Network

Obviously, I'm a big supporter of Compassion given that I've been able to sponsor 3 kids and visit 1 of them last summer before she aged out of Compassion.  In many ways, I've advocated for Compassion unofficially over the years, presenting people with the opportunity to also sponsor children of their own.  For my 30th birthday, I asked Compassion to send me 30 child packs - instead of getting gifts, I asked people to sponsor a child.  I didn't get all 30 kids sponsored, but I know I made a difference for 5 kids around the world simply by asking others to get involved, just like I am.

Now I've completed the necessary paperwork and am an official Compassion Advocate!  I'm excited to be able to help out at Compassion events, including church services and concerts.  I will also be writing letters to children whose sponsors are not able to write them for one reason or another.  The importance of letters was really evident to me when I was in Ecuador on a Compassion Exposure trip.  Sponsorship money is important but what really drives it home for these children is the connection established through the letters.  Someone on the other side of the planet has decided to care enough for them by taking the time to write a letter, asking about them, showing God's love tangibly to them.

Why not sponsor a child through Compassion today?  Maybe you've thought about it for a while now, but you've never taken the steps to make it happen.  Today's the day!!  I've included the link directly to Compassion Canada where you can pick a specific child (by country, gender and/or age) or have Compassion select a child for you.  Either way, I can tell you that it's a decision you will not regret.  And if you need any more convincing, watch this video (warning - you might want to have a few tissues near by!!):

The Wait is Over: Halena's Story (Indonesia) from Compassion Australia on Vimeo.

https://compassion.ca/advocate/ladawnsiemens