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Global Impact launches Women and Girls Fund

Last week Global Impact, a leader in global philanthropy, launched the Women & Girls Fund in partnership with four of the best-in-the-business charities to help improve the lives of women and girls around the world. The Women & Girls Fund is unique in that it harnesses together four of the most respected charities in the field, CARE, World Vision, Plan and International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), to help change the world by investing in women and girls.

The plight of women and girls around the world is heartbreaking. Of roughly one billion people in the world who live in extreme poverty, the majority of them are women.  I have written tirelessly about the struggles of women and girls because it is a cause I am truly passionate about.

Photo courtesy of CARE.

Photo courtesy of CARE.

Global Issues SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls
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Being Half the Sky

Saturday, March 8th is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the advances and successes women have made around the world. In honor of this special day I am reposting last year’s summary of what this day means to me. The more I see the world and learn about the struggles women in the developing world face, the more inspired I am to make a difference. Thanks for reading and please spread the word.

Global Issues SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls
Cuban man
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A Taste of Cuba

A trip to Cuba is possibly one of the most fascinating travel experiences ever. Landing in Havana is like taking a step back in time to the 1950s where everything remains frozen in time yet in various states of decay.  I instantly fell in love with Cuba the moment I got off the chartered plane and saw my first 1950s retro-fitted American car. The history, culture, and people of Cuba are utterly invigorating and Havana has an energy that swept through my veins and left me craving for more.

Over the past eight days in Cuba, I took well over 1,200 photos and 50 pages of notes on all the various historical, cultural and social facts about this unique country. I learned a great deal and am so excited to share my insight into Cuba over the next several months on my blog.

As an American being required to enter Cuba on a special visa for a “people-to-people” trip (one of the only ways Americans can enter legally as a tourist) allowed me to gain firsthand knowledge and insight into the ins and outs of Cuban life, history and culture. Although I’d rather travel there freely, being on such a tour felt like taking a university class. I learned so incredibly much in so little time.

It will take me a few days to unwind and digest my trip to Cuba. In the meantime, I wanted to give you a quick taste of some of the highlights of this wonderful, captivating place, a country that stole my heart. Below are some selected unedited photos to give you a delightful taste of Cuba.

Old Vintage cars in Havana

Vintage American cars from the 1950s dot the landscape of Cuba sweeping you back into a different era.

Havana street musician

Cubans love their music and street musicians are everywhere.

Cuba TRAVEL TRAVEL BY REGION