change africa

i just had to post this... :)

"...i know that I must do whats right
Sure as kilimanjaro rises like olympus above the serengeti
i seek to cure whats deep inside, frightened of this thing that i've become"

------------------------------- > for what it's worth

i believe in people, i believe in dreams, and i believe in faith.
i believe this is a test and i believe we will overcome.
i believe in love and i believe we are blessed.
i believe we are only given what we can handle, and it is only when we don't think we can - we grow.

i believe in life and i believe in happiness.
i believe in the power of music and the power of god.
i believe we are more than what we do or what we have.
i believe that when we look back on life - it is the challenges we have overcome that gives us our power and defines our character.

i believe our personal perseverance is a symbol of our inner spirit.
i believe if we are to exist, we are to make peace with ourselves and create only happiness for others.
life is too short not to believe.

power of education

obviously this topic could carry on for a while, but thought i'd share an interesting fact about malawi from the ny times:

"Perhaps Malawi's most powerful weapon against child mortality has been its ranks of more than 10,000 high-school-educated village health workers."

now... how to get more children to graduate high school...

view slide show here

charity:water - 3yr anniversary

thought i would share the latest video from one of my favorite non-profit organizations, charity:water. i think they are an amazing example of how to make things happen. starting from nothing - in 3 years, they have managed to build an extraordinarily successful organization - raising $10 million and making a difference in the lives of 710 thousand people! it is an inspiring story and offers a reason for us all to, at least try, to make a difference.

makin' moves

Alright, so i propose a challenge to myself. I'm thinking, why stop at raising money?

Let's try this:
$3,000 raised by January 1, 2010
1,000 smiles photographed during journey
300 school supplies provided to the children in Arusha

I may add more later, but that seems like enough for now. :)

It's on.

inspired?

Thought I would share some of the research I had found thus far on volunteer traveling and how to make it happen. As I begun to talk to people about what I'm doing - seems to have started others to think this through as well. It may seem daunting... but is just one of those things in life that after a while begins to get old talking about and if it's something you feel compelled to do - Nike says it best; just do it.

Here's the program I'm going with: International Volunteer Headquarters
Offering programs across Africa, Asia and South America.

After much research, it appears this truly is the cheapest, yet credible program. Some may say it's still cheaper to travel abroad and work directly with a school, orphanage or project - but the idea of orientation, training packages and 24/7 assistance is comforting and worth the extra money.

Here's a few other travel volunteer organizations that I have read good things about, (although I myself have never worked with).

i to i travel
Cross-Cultural Solutions
Global Vision International

Here's a list from idealist.org as well that should provide any specific interests or locations.

What are the costs going to? The 24/7 assistance, your room and most of your board and the set-up with the exact volunteer activity you'll be doing. Also, if you do attend a church or place of faith - there are usually trips scheduled such as mission trips, etc - that are also a great way to travel with a cause as well.