“My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time”. – Steve Jobs
Time seems to go by in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday I was a child playing in the sun. The next blink I was graduating high school and off to college. Another blink I landed my first job, and then was married, had children and turned 43. It took a whirlwind weekend in New York to realize how insanely fast life is going and how time never seems to slow down.
I was out dancing with some of my dearest friends from the social good blogging world to Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and it struck me how long it had been since I’d heard that song and furthermore how much longer it had been since I let go and danced. It frightened me.
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. ― Lao Tzu
As I prepare to head out to NYC tomorrow to attend my fourth Social Good Summit (#2030NOW) I could not help but wonder about what kind of world I’d like to see in 2030. As 193 global leaders meet at the United Nations General Assembly this week and commit on the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will guide our planet for the next several years, there is no time more important than today to think about the change we want to see in the world.
The three main areas that the bold new SDGs address include ending extreme poverty, eliminating injustice and inequality and climate change. For me, I am honestly hoping that the world does something to change the future of half our planet – the future for women and girls – who continue to suffer the most from injustice, inequality and poverty.
Why? Because women and girls are critical to transforming the future. Without them, we are missing a huge transformative, powerful piece of the puzzle. In honor of women and girls, I look forward to attending the Social Good Summit (#2030NOW) and live reporting via twitter (@thirdeyemom). It will certainly be an exciting few days!
The photos below were all taken in June 2014 in Ethiopia during a two-week reporting trip on maternal and newborn health with the International Reporting Project. These woman and girls remind me of the personal commitment I have made to helping change the world to the way I want it to be.
Maternal and Newborn Mortality rates in developing countries are improving but not fast enough. Education is lacking as are opportunities for women and girls to start business, have a career and improve their lives. We face a critical moment in time when we can change the direction of their paths and make the world a better place for all, no matter where you live, what language you speak, how much money you have or what religion you practice. No matter if you are a man or a woman, a girl or a boy. It is up to us. Continue reading →
The ongoing refugee crisis hitting Europe is the worst refugee crisis we have since WWII. Although the majority of refugees are coming from war-torn Syria, others are seeking refuge in Europe from Afghanistan, Iraq, Sub-Saharan Africa and other conflict areas. It is a highly complicated, chaotic emergency situation that often leads people to feel overwhelmed, confused and unsure of what to do to help.
On a personal level, I have wanted to write about the crisis but had no idea where to start. I contacted Save the Children and obtained an exclusive interview with Francine Uenuma, Save the Children’s Spokesperson for Disaster and Humanitarian Emergencies to get a firsthand account of what is happening on the ground and how Save the Children is working to help out. Here is her story.
A man carrying his little boy on his shoulders, a backpack on his back, another backpack on one arm, and a bag in the other, waits for some people down the path towards Croatia. Photo credit: Stuart Sia/Save the Children
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”. – Nelson Mandela
Shortly after a hot lunch, we left Barafu Camp at 14,930 feet (4,550 m) – the normal setting off point for the summit attempt – and continued on one hour up to a higher, lesser known camp called Kosovo where we would sleep a few hours before our midnight rise to climb to the top. Few people know about Kosovo Camp and staying there instead of at Barafu saved us an ugly first hour straight up climb at the onset of our quest to reach the top.
The hike was steep, rugged and tough, giving us all a small taste of what we had in store for us early the next day as we attempted to summit Kilimanjaro at Uhuru Peak. As we left camp and continued up, it was astounding to look down upon the clouds and realize just how far we had come.
“Our decision to give back is at the heart of our business. We are the first marketplace of social goods that also donates to charity. Giving 10 percent of our total sales to a reputable non-profit each week blurs the line between for-profit and non-profit, and we believe that is the future of commerce.” – Co-Founder Lindsay Byers-Hirth.
Earlier this month two sisters, Lindsay Byers-Hirth and Kelli Byers fulfilled a shared dream by launching their new socially conscious company Society B. Society B curates the best, socially conscious products available today and sells them to consumers online while also giving back 10% of its sales to a new charity of the week, every week. The selection of products are beautiful and carefully chosen after extensive research to ensure that the products are either fair trade or give back and does good to a specific cause. This cuts out the tedious research for consumers and allows them to easily do good.
I had the opportunity to chat with one of the founders, Lindsay Byers-Hirth this week to learn more about the inspiration behind Society B and what differentiates Society B from other online for profit social enterprises. Here is what Lindsay had to say.
Me: What inspired you and your sister, two working moms, to start Society B?
Lindsay: In early 2000, while attending Iowa State University Kelli and I were both very engaged in charity and the spirit of giving back. We talked often about how wonderful it would be if we could create products to give back to charity. But realistically we didn’t have the time or the money. We held on to our dreams while starting a family and career in different states. Then, last Christmas Kelli and I were both home talking about our corporate jobs and how we both wish we had a better sense of purpose in our work. We were brainstorming ways to create something that would do good when we literally stumbled upon it. We were shopping in Fayetteville, Arkansas and came across a few products that give back from brands we hadn’t heard of before. And we realized that we wished we could find all those do-good brands in one place, and that was really our epiphany.
The morning light rose above the mountain and slowly warmed my tent. I had slept relatively well knowing that the next 36 hours were going to be grueling. We would have a short three hour hike to Barafu Camp at 14,930 feet (4,550 feet) – the normal setting off point for the summit attempt – and continue on to a higher, lesser known camp called Kosovo where we would sleep before a midnight rise to climb to the top.
Morning 5 on Kilimanjaro.
Group shot before we leave Karanaga Camp.
It was another gorgeous day and the views of the summit were spectacular. After five days and nights on the mountain, it was hard to believe that the summit attempt was already so near. We were incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with such spectacular weather and were hoping that our climb up would be equally nice. The thought of climbing unprotected for hours in the dark scared me more than the actual climb. I knew that on some cases it could be bone-numbing cold with winds well below zero. Six or seven hours in that sounded painful.
“A powerful monochromatic image is composed of a gradient of a single color, and has an emphasis on texture and composition. While the images I’ve shared in this post are not entirely monochromatic, they show the power that a simple color palette can have in a photograph”. – WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge Host, Jen Hooks
September 11, 2001. Fourteen years ago today. How long it seems since that fateful terrifying day. How fast time has gone that it seems as if it was just yesterday. The images and feelings of shock, anger, horror, sadness, fear and what ifs will forever be engrained in our minds. The images and emotions are things that we will never be able to forget and will never stop seeing when we close our eyes. The fruitless human lives that were lost. Our freedom imprisoned. Our hearts never the same. Our lives forsaken.
Today, I want to honor the people whose lives were lost on that horrific day and every single day in this cruel world. The people of Syria dying in search for freedom and a better life. The endless murders and shootings of innocent human beings. All lives that are lost, everywhere on this planet due to another human being.
Will there ever be peace? Will the countless mass murders – many happening here in the United States – ever be curtailed? In a world of violence will we ever truly be free?
1 World Trade Center Tower or “The Freedom Tower” is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, in July 2013. She looms directly behind the 9/11 Memorial.
“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength”. – Dalai Lama
Each name of a person who died on 9/11 is inscribed along the side of the memorials.
“Stephanie Sinclair has spent the last decade documenting some of the world’s most controversial subjects, from Yemen’s child brides to Texas’s polygamists. But her goal is simple: to record what is in front of her and pass as little judgement as possible”. Her beautiful photographs take us in and make us want to help change the tragic realities we are seeing. Her work also inspires hope that change is possible.
Images of 3 Iconic Prints for Sale from Stephanie Sinclair’s award-winning documentary photography collection. Photo credit: Stephanie Sinclair
Too Young to Wed, a non-profit organization, that employs visual media, photography exhibits and campaigns to educate and engage the global community to demand an end to the practice of child marriage, has launched its first print sale in collaboration with Photoville, New York City’s largest annual photo festival. I have written before about Too Young to Wed in a must-read post after meeting Founder and Executive Director Stephanie Sinclair last fall. Her work on shedding light about the injustices faced by young women and girls is inspiring and has already brought about change. It is nearly impossible to view Sinclair’s stunning photography without being deeply moved and wanting to help change the fate of these girls.
This photo of Ten-year-old Nujoud Ali taken two years after her divorce grace’s National Geographic’s “Women of Vision” cover. Nujoud’s story caused parliament to consider a bill writing a minimum marriage age into law. Photo credit: Stephanie Sinclair
Too Young to Wed: Mission
Every two seconds, a girl is forced into marriage against her will. The younger she is, the more likely a child bride is to experience domestic violence, contract HIV, develop complications from pregnancies or even die during childbirth. Child marriage robs girls of the childhood and the education they deserve, silencing them and preventing them from achieving their fullest potential.
Too Young to Wed’s mission is to protect girls’ rights and end child marriage. We do this by providing visual evidence of the human rights challenges faced by women and girls. Through our storytelling, we generate attention and resources to amplify the voices of these courageous women and girls and inspire the global community to end child marriage. We transform influential advocacy into tangible action on the ground through partnerships with international and local NGOs and by supporting initiatives in the communities where the girls in our stories live.
Sinclair’s work is phenomenal and incredibly moving. Now you can have a limited edition copy of your own and the purchase is for a fabulous cause. Each 8X10 archival print was hand-printed and signed by Ms. Sinclair, whose award-winning work documenting child marriage has been exhibited around the world. Ms. Sinclair’s work will be featured at Photoville at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and like the premiere photo event, which attracted 71,000 visitors last year, and the print sale will run from Sept. 10 – 20, 2015.
Prints can be ordered at tooyoungtowed.org/printsale, and 100 percent of the contributions received from photo sales will directly support TYTW’s mission to protect girls’ rights and end child marriage. Too Young to Wed supports local organizations and persons making a difference in the lives of girls and boys who are affected by the harmful practice of child marriage such as:
The Samburu Girls Foundation, a grassroots organization in rural Kenya, which provides shelter and education to girls rescued from child marriage, female genital mutilation and other harmful practices. practices. To date, the organization has rescued more than 200 girls and placed 125 of them in boarding school.
The women and children of the Kagati Village in Nepal where Ms. Sinclair conducted much of her child marriage reporting in 2007 and an area that was destroyed in the recent earthquakes (child bride, Niruta, 13, is featured as part of this exhibition);
Girl Empowerment Groups – an adolescent girls empowerment initiative designed by the Population Council for vulnerable girls living in rural areas. In this capacity, Too Young To Wed will support the village of Gombat, just outside of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia where Ms. Sinclair first photographed Destaye, who was married at 11 to an Ethiopian Orthodox priest (also part of this exhibition).
Photoville Presentations and Talks:
Sept. 12: Stephanie Sinclair will represent Too Young To Wed in the panel Affecting Policy and Change through Photography from 4-5 PM and will discuss how her work transformed into a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending child marriage.
Sept 17: TYTW will engage students during Photoville’s Education Day, a one-day field trip to the photo village that’s free and open to NYC public schools. Hundreds of middle school and high school students participate in a day of photography and storytelling activities, and they’ll have an opportunity to see how photography can bring about social change.
Sept. 19: Stephanie Sinclair discusses her Too Young to Wed photographs during the event An Evening with National Geographic, from 7-10pm at the Photoville Beer Garden. The evening will begin with photos and videos from the past 127 years—including the most recent stories from National Geographic and their digital platforms. Other photographers included are Katie Orlinsky, Robert Clark and David Guttenfelder with Director of Photography Sarah Leen serving as Master of Ceremonies.
Ways to help end child marriage and support Too Young to Wed:
“By carving Crazy Horse, if I can give back to the Indian some of his pride and create a means to keep alive his culture and heritage, my life will have been worthwile.” – Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski
Soaring proudly above the Black Hills of South Dakota lies perhaps one of the most impressive monuments-in-progress of all time: The Crazy Horse Memorial. Once completed, the Crazy Horse Memorial will be the largest mountain carving in the world and one of the only monuments to honor America’s Native American past, the Lakota leader Crazy Horse.
I had honestly never heard of the Crazy Horse Memorial until venturing out to the Black Hills of South Dakota this past June. With a guidebook in hand and plenty of recommendations from friends, we decided to make it quick stop at Crazy Horse after our drive through the Needles Highway. Little did I realize, the Crazy Horse Memorial would blow me away, even more so than the better known Mount Rushmore.
Driving up to the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The Black Hills of South Dakota are sacred to the Lakota people who rightfully and lawfully owned the land until it was taken away six months after gold was discovered near French Creek. The discovery of gold brought thousands of opportunistic miners from all over the country to the plains of South Dakota resulting in the Indian Wars of death and destruction to the Lakota people. Their way of life died along with the many innocent people who lost their lives in battle. Crazy Horse was one of the most heroic leaders and warriors who fought until his death in 1877 for protecting their land. Crazy Horse became a symbol of all that they had lost.
“One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk.” – Crazy Horse
From a distance, you can see how incredibly large the monument will be once completed. It is quite impressive!
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”. – Colin Powell
Our night at Karanga Camp would be our last full night’s sleep until after the summit attempt the following day. It was hard to believe that we were already on day four of our climb. I was beginning to get used to living on the mountain and breathing in the cool, crisp air at night. Yet the thought of a hot shower and a real live bed sounded heavenly.
“What I know now is that we’re all interconnected and that’s a really beautiful thing. We have links to everyone else in our lives and in the world. Different people have different journeys for different reasons. You can’t judge, but you can celebrate that there are connections everywhere”. – Jane Seymour
One of the things I love most about traveling is the connections I make around the world. Being connected to other human beings is essential to understanding the ever-changing world we live in today. As our world becomes more connected, it is critical that we understand other cultures, people, religions and beliefs. I find that the more connected I feel to my community and the world, the happier I am.
Connections can happen near or far. In fact, you don’t even have to travel to be connected to someone. You can read a blog post and connect online, you can connect with friends and strangers in your own community or you can simply pick up the phone and talk to someone. Everything you do in life is about connecting. Even stepping outside your door, makes you connect with other people. It is all a matter of paying attention to the connections we make with others and how they make us feel.
Here are some of the best connections I have made in my life. Connections that have made me who I am and what I stand for. There is always room for growth and expansion. The more I venture out into the world, whether it be physically or even through my blog the more connections I will make. It is incredible how large and how small are world has become.
Connections with family
Me and my dad at the start of the Annapurna trail in Nepal.
Connections with strangers or new friends
Me and one of our guides arriving at Barranco Camp. Mount Kilimanjaro
Holding a small child at the Kilimanjaro Orphanage Centre in Moshi, Tanzania.
In Ethiopia at Mosebo Village. June 2014
Maria. Guatemala.
Here is a 40-something year old mother holding her 10th child. She delivered this one at home like all the rest. She is at the Lie and Wait house with her 15-year-old daughter who was having complications. Otherwise her daughter would have delivered at home like she did.
I was relieved and rewarded by finally getting a good night of sleep. I couldn’t believe how good it felt! It was my first real solid sleep in over a week. I am sure that my body had finally given in due to mere exhaustion after a week of travel, jet lag and sleepless cold nights on the mountain.
I woke up feeling invigorated to start the day’s climb, a relatively strenuous yet short hike up and over the Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp at 13,780 feet (4,000 m). Our group set off early trying to beat the long lines of people climbing up the narrow path. The first hour of the hike was a bit frustrating. If someone in front of you stopped to rest, the entire long queue of hikers below would have to also stop and one thing is for certain when I hike, I don’t like to stop unless I absolutely have to.
