Bright Angel Trailhead Grand Canyon
— 22 Comments

Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail

One of the most well known trails below the rim of the Grand Canyon is the Bright Angel Trail. Meandering steeply 19 miles into the depths of the Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel Trail is not for the beginning hiker. There are warning signs everywhere advising to take serious precautions while hiking down into the canyon. Even the relatively short hike down 1.5 miles to the resthouse is not for the faint at heart.

Bright Angel Trailhead Grand Canyon

A snapshot of what your hiking options are below the rim on the Bright Angel Trailhead.

Since we were with our children, we only walked ten minutes or so down the Bright Angel Trail holding on tightly to our kids hands. I had heard that the best way to experience the canyon was to go into it thus we thought a short, safe walk would be worth the views. We noticed lots of people doing the hike, even some families with children, but we didn’t feel comfortable taking our kids very far. It is a long way down if you slip and fall, and there are no safety railings to stop you.

Here are a few shots I took during our short walk into the Bright Angel Trail. Although we didn’t go far it made me realize that I needed to add a hike down to the bottom of the canyon onto my every-growing bucket list. A stay at the Bright Angel Camp would be amazing!

Bright Angel Trailhead Grand Canyon

Start of the Bright Angel Trailhead

Adventure Travel Arizona TRAVEL TRAVEL BY REGION Trekking/Hiking United States
World Bicycle Relief Zambia
— 23 Comments

Spread Joy and Opportunity – The Power of A Bicycle

This is a guest post written by Ruth-Anne Renaud who recently joined the team at World Bicycle Relief as director of global marketing. Her bio is located at the end of this post. 

I distinctly remember the Christmas I received my first bike. It was sparkly blue, with a banana seat, training wheels and a basket. I knew it would take me everywhere once the snow melted. This fall, new memories have been imprinted on my heart on what it means to receive a bike.

Destination: Zambia, Africa. I had just started my new role as Director of Global Marketing at World Bicycle Relief (WBR) and I participated in one of our immersion trips called Africa Rides. Together with about a dozen supporters and partners – I spent a week learning how a bicycle can transform the lives of students, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs and their communities.

At the outset of the trip, we spent a day at WBR’s Zambia headquarters to learn about the scale of the bike distribution program, the criteria for selecting field partners and recipients, and the deliberate, yet simple rugged design of the innovative Buffalo Bike. In fact – we had to assemble our own Buffalo Bike.

Here is a Bufollo Bike

Here is a Buffalo Bike (with a holiday bow that can be given to children and health workers in need via World Bicycle Relief).

It was a daunting task since I’m not particularly mechanically inclined. But I am proud to share – after a successful quality control check – I rode that bike over the next several days with our group of Africa Rides travelers visiting villages and schools. I physically experienced the searing mid-day heat, the distance and rugged dirt paths that felt like they were never quite going to end – to get to school, back home or to get water from an isolated well. I felt what it meant to be constantly chasing daylight.

World Bicycle Relief Zambia

Here I am helping a young girl ride her new bike.
Photo credit: World Bicycle Relief

World Bicycle Relief Zambia

Here I am helping Grace learn about her new bike. 
Photo credit: World Bicycle Relief

World Bicycle Relief Zambia

And she’s off!
Photo credit: World Bicycle Relief

World Bicycle Relief Zambia

Riding through the gravel roads of Zambia
Photo Credit: World Bicycle Relief

Gifts that Give Back Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD
— 32 Comments

The Long Night: A look into America’s underage prostitution

Oftentimes I become so incredibly focused in my global advocacy work that I forget that several awful things happen right under my nose here in the United States. Recently the media has gone into high speed telling stories igniting fierce protests across the nation about recent police brutality and racism. However, one story that has not received as much attention by the media is the sickening and increasing level of young girls in our nation who are getting trapped into prostitution.

Here are a few stats on sex trafficking in the United States that will surely surprise you :

  • Human trafficking generates $9.5 billion yearly in the United States. (United Nations)
  • Approximately 300,000 children are at risk of being prostituted in the United States. (U.S. Department of Justice)
  • The average age of entry into prostitution for a child victim in the United States is 13-14 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice)
  • A pimp can make $150,000-$200,000 per child each year and the average pimp has 4 to 6 girls. (U.S. Justice Department, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
  • The average victim may be forced to have sex up to 20-48 times a day. (Polaris Project)
  • Fewer than 100 beds are available in the United States for underage victims. (Health and Human Services)
  • Department Of Justice has identified the top twenty human trafficking jurisdictions in the country:” Houston
• El Paso
• Los Angeles
• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Charlotte
• Miami
• Las Vegas
• New York
• Long Island
• New Orleans
• Washington, D.C.
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Richmond
• San Diego• San Francisco
• St Louis
• Seattle
• Tampa  (Department of Justice)
  • A pimp can make $150,000-$200,000 per child each year and the average pimp has 4 to 6 girls. (U.S. Justice Department, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
  • One in three teens on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. (National Runaway Hotline)
Turned out by a pimp at 13, Lisa only knows one life. The heroin that makes her forget and the tricks she turns to #survive. "I feel like my skin’s crawling right now and it’s like it doesn’t matter how clean I try to get how many showers I take, it doesn’t go away. When I say I’m scared of being sober, I’m scared of the reality of things." Twitter: "I'm #scared of being #sober, I'm scared of the #reality of things." Free streaming @tlnmovie at hope.ly/1ySHk6W #survivor #seattle

Turned out by a pimp at 13, Lisa only knows one life. The heroin that makes her forget and the tricks she turns to #survive.
“I feel like my skin’s crawling right now and it’s like it doesn’t matter how clean I try to get how many showers I take, it doesn’t go away. When I say I’m scared of being sober, I’m scared of the reality of things.”
Twitter: “I’m #scared of being #sober, I’m scared of the #reality of things.” Free streaming @tlnmovie at hope.ly/1ySHk6W #survivor #seattle Photo Credit: Tim Matsui

One photographer and filmmaker Tim Matsui wanted to change this and show the world that this issue is important and that something needs to be done. Working in Seattle, together with the King County Sheriff’s Department, victims of prostitution and their parents, The Long Night is a harrowing tale of pimps, teenage girl prostitutes, the law enforcement team working to help them and their parents trying to save them. It is a difficult hour to watch but also a highly moving piece that truly helps one understand a tough subject matter.

Global Issues SOCIAL GOOD Women and Girls
Condoriri trailhead Bolivia
— 62 Comments

Gone but not forgotten in the Bolivian Andes

Over the past week, I’ve been off the grid so to speak, in the high Andes of Bolivia. My blog has been quiet while I spent four days sleeping at 15,400 feet at the foot of Condoriri Mountain (5648 m) in the Cordillera Real Range of Bolivia.

It was quite an adventure to say the least. One that I will never forget and one that I am still recovering from. My dad and I managed to climb two mountains in two days, the first at 16,899 feet (5152 m) and the second at a whopping 17,698 feet (5396 m). I still am in awe at the beauty of it all.

In honor of today’s photo challenge here are some photos of where I was. Many more will be coming soon as I play catch up and sort through all my colorful photos from Bolivia. Here is a sneak peak of a few unedited ones that capture the imagination of such a remote, spectacular place.

Condoriri Mountain Bolivia

Setting out to our destination: The foot of the Condoriri

Adventure Travel Bolivia TRAVEL TRAVEL BY REGION TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY Trekking/Hiking Weekly Photo Challenges
— 3 Comments

Too Young to Wed launches Girls Empowerment Campaign in rural Ethiopia

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 a new Girls’ Empowerment Campaign in rural Ethiopia. I wrote at length about Too Young to Wed in a must-read post last week and wanted to introduce their new campaign today in honor of Giving Tuesday (Giving Tuesday is a day that asks people to consider giving back to their favorite charities and always falls on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the United States).

By partnering with local nonprofits, Too Young to Wed supports income-generating projects, literacy classes and girl engagement groups where the girls in their stories live. One such project is in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, a place that I actually had the pleasure of visiting myself this past June as a fellow with the International Reporting Project.

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is estimated that around 80-90% of Ethiopia’s population live in rural, remote regions and over 30% of the population lives under the international poverty line of $1.25 per day (1) and the majority live under $2 a day. Child and maternal mortality health rates are falling yet still remain quite high, while life expectancy and education rates are low.

Two young girls near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Photo credit: Stephanie Sinclair

Two young girls near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Photo credit: Stephanie Sinclair

The status of women is also low and Ethiopia has one of the most severe crises of child marriage in the world today. Although the legal age of marriage is 18 for both males and females it is widely ignored.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD
the Grand Canyon Arizona
— 32 Comments

The Grand Canyon with Kids

“A Land to Inspire our Spirit:  Grand Canyon – one of Earth’s most powerful, inspiring landscapes- overwhelms our senses. Its story tells of geologic processes played out over unimaginable time spans as a unique combination of size, color, and dazzling erosion forms: 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep. Our responsibility as good stewards is to pass on this gift, pristine and preserved, to future generations”.

Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon is arguably one of the most amazing geological masterpieces in the world and there are endless ways to explore her spectacular beauty. As an avid hiker, the way I wanted to see and experience the canyon meant on foot however my plans had to be altered when we decided to bring our two children along.

A visit to the Grand Canyon is wonderful at any age and thankfully the National Park System thought the development of the park out with this idea in mind. Whether you are an avid hiker, a senior citizen or a family, there are endless ways you can experience the Grand Canyon.

We planned our visit for two days in October when most children are in school and tourism is busy but not overwhelming. We flew to Tucson where my parents live and spent a few days there before heading out on our road trip north. Getting to the Grand Canyon involves a bit of driving and we split our trip by spending a day in Sedona before driving the rest of the way to the Grand Canyon.

We chose the small, touristy town of Tusayan as our base which is located about a ten minute drive from the South entrance of the Grand Canyon. There is not much there except for hotels and not so great restaurants yet it is convenient and our lodging was nice. If we do it again, which I hope we do, I would choose to stay at one of the many great places in the Grand Canyon. There are plenty of little cafes and restaurants and even a nice grocery store that serves wonderful, economically priced hot food. These hotels book up a lot faster than in Tusayan so it is probably best to reserve your hotel at least six months in advance and much earlier if you are going during summer high season.

We arrived at our hotel late on Monday night with only time for dinner and winding down before our big day exploring the Canyon. Our room at the Best Western in Tusayan was quite nice and even fit a cot for my ten-year-old son. I was surprised to see so many Europeans at our hotel. Given the time of year, the tourists at the Grand Canyon were mostly adults and not the van-loads of kids like you’d expect. It was quite an international crowd which I always enjoy.

We rose Tuesday morning to chilly temperatures around 39 degrees F, had breakfast and left for the Visitor Center at the Grand Canyon. Since it wasn’t high season, we had no problem parking in the main lot and left our car there all day as the Grand Canyon has an excellent shuttle service bringing you around to the main lookouts.

the Grand Canyon Arizona

There are tons of Elk at the Canyon. We saw them in the mornings and evenings.

We began our day with a short documentary film on the formation and history of the Grand Canyon, right at the Visitor Center. It was excellent and highly informative plus the kids loved it. We also grabbed a Junior Ranger Activity Book for the kids to fill out and complete during our time at the Grand Canyon. The Guide contains all sorts of learning activities which is an excellent way to keep young children engaged and interested in their visit.

the Grand Canyon Arizona

The Grand Canyon Junior Ranger Activity Book is a great way to educate and entertain children at the Grand Canyon.

Adventure Travel Arizona TRAVEL TRAVEL BY REGION Trekking/Hiking United States
Streets of Paris, France
— 29 Comments

The Angular Streets of Paris

In my opinion, there is no city on earth as architecturally spectacular and beautiful as Paris. Her beloved monuments, buildings, and angular streets are a living work of art that never ceases to inspire the imagination. Much of Paris’ amazing beauty can be credited to the genius work of Georges-Eugène Haussmann, Paris’ city planner who was hand selected by Napoleon III to carry out a massive renovation of Paris between between 1853 and 1870. Haussmann’s renovation of Paris as it was commonly called transformed the city with its grand boulevards, elaborate parks and magnificent public works.

Although other European cities tried to imitate Haussmann’s work, no other city compares especially in regards to Haussmann’s grand boulevards that cut across the city in perfect lines and angles.

Here are some of my favorite angles of Parisian streets.

Streets of Paris, France

France TRAVEL TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY Weekly Photo Challenges
Stephanie Sinclair
— 24 Comments

Too Young to Wed: Photojournalist Stephanie Sinclair’s fight to end child marriage

“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. 

In October, I had the honor of attending the ONE Women and Girls inaugural AYA Summit in Washington DC. The summit was an inspiring two days filled with some of the world’s leading speakers and do-gooders who advocate the rights of women and girls in the developing world.

On the first morning of the summit, I had the fortuitous opportunity to met a woman who has inspired me for years, award-wining photojournalist Stephanie Sinclair. Sinclair’s famous photo of Nujood Ali, who stunned the world in 2008 by obtaining a divorce in Yemen at age 10, graces the cover of National Geographic’s “Women of Vision” which I have sitting next to me in my office as inspiration.

Stephanie Sinclair

Ten-year-old Nujood Ali, two years after her divorce. Nujoud’s story caused parliament to consider a bill writing a minimum marriage age into law.  Photo credit: Stephanie Sinclair

I had the pleasure of seeing Sinclair’s work on display at the National Geographic’s “Women of Vision” exhibit at their headquarters last fall and left mesmerized by her beautiful, thought-provoking photography. Little did I know that a year later, I would find myself sitting right next to Sinclair at the AYA Summit. Talk about fate.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD
— 11 Comments

New Vision Partners with 3M to Deliver Solar Lights to Ethiopia

Sometimes life has a funny way of connecting people in rather random ways. The more I blog and use my voice on social media, the more amazing connections I continue to make and it always astounds me. One connection I made recently was with Pamela O’Brien, Director of Business Development and Communications of New Vision Renewable Energy. Through Twitter, Pam saw the work I was doing, contacted me and eventually our relationship has led to partnership where I share the amazing work that New Vision is doing to provide solar lights around the world.

Last week, I had the honor of learning even more about New Vision’s work by a face to face meeting with Abdujabar (Abdul) Dire, a senior technical service engineer who works at Minnesota-based diversified technology company 3M and is part of the 3Mgives Team Africa. Over lunch at a local Ethiopian restaurant, Abdul shared his story of how he came to America as a teenager from Ethiopia and how years later he is working to give back to his village by bringing the children light. It is an amazing, inspiring story that I am excited to share.

Most Ethiopians (around 85-90%) live in Rural areas without electricity.
Most common form of transportation.
A tukel. No electricity.

A big part of Africa lacks electricity. In Ethiopia alone, it is estimated that over 80% of the population live off the grid without electricity and there are many negative consequences*. First of all, without electricity children are not able to study at night and are kept further behind in their education. Families are forced to cook inside their homes usually with unsafe cookstoves creating enough smoke inside the home to cause health problems and dangerous conditions.

Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD
Sunset Crater Volcano National Park Arizona
— 17 Comments

Road trip Arizona: From Sedona to the Grand Canyon

Back in October, my husband and I decided it was time to make a road trip north and show our two children the Grand Canyon. We had visited southern Arizona countless times before always staying with my parents in Tucson. Yet, we had never ventured north as a family to see one of the greatest natural wonders on earth.

Since I am not all too fond of long road trips with the kids, we decided to split our trip up into several different stops along the way. We spent the first night in sensational Sedona where we enjoyed the raw beauty of her legendary red rocks. It was also a perfect midway point to the Grand Canyon from Tucson ensuring our kids (or me) wouldn’t get too stir crazy with all the driving.

The next morning, after an early sunrise hike on the the Airport Mesa Trail Loop we set off for our long drive to the Grand Canyon making several fabulous stops along the way. Our first stop as secretly planned unbeknownst to the kids who were happily watching a DVD and had already been fed a sandwich, was to the trendy, hip college town of Flagstaff about an hour’s drive north of Sedona. We knew that there were tons of delicious foodie restaurants and found a perfect venue for lunch.

Arizona TRAVEL TRAVEL BY REGION United States
— 25 Comments

To the Market: Empowering survivors around the world

During the ONE Women and Girls AYA Summit I attended in mid-October, I had the pleasure to meet Jane Mosbacher Morris, Founder and CEO of TO THE MARKET | Survivor-made Goods. Jane presented on her social enterprise TO THE MARKET | Survivor-made Goods (TTM) an amazing, creative organization that combines the powers of commerce and storytelling to empower the world’s most courageous survivor populations.

To the Market showcases handmade goods made exclusively by proud and passionate artisans who have overcome the perils of abuse, conflict, and disease. By assisting local partners around the world in bringing these goods “to the market,” TTM takes an active role in equipping the survivor’s they employ with economic independence, while raising awareness of the challenges that they face.

I was so impressed by Jane and the organization that she founded, that I invited her to do a guest post on my blog to introduce you to her work and To the Market. Here is her story.

This is taken in We are in the slums of Dehra Dun, India and shows Jane talking with a mother of a polio survivor. Her son, the polio survivor, is able to work, allowing the family (including the mother pictured) to be supported. Photo credit: Neil Ruskin

This is taken in the slums of Dehra Dun, India and shows Jane talking with a mother of a polio survivor. Her son, the polio survivor, is able to work, allowing the family (including the mother pictured) to be supported. Photo credit: Neil Ruskin

To the Market: How and Why it Began

Guest post by Jane Mosbacher Morris is the Founder and CEO of TO THE MARKET | Survivor-made Goods

Whether working domestically or abroad, I am consistently reminded of how crucial it is, especially for women, to have some form of economic independence. This economic independence helps to ensure that we are not left at the mercy of others when we unexpectedly find ourselves in a dire situation.

This point was hammered home to me during my time working for the U.S. State Department on women and security. I began studying the approach that many governments and non-profits were taking to provide assistance to vulnerable populations, many of whom were women. What I observed was a major focus on social service provision—administering things like medicine, housing, and pro-bono legal assistance.  Social services are extraordinarily important, particularly in emergency situations, but they are generally not available to the beneficiary for the duration of his or her life.  What seemed to be lacking was a plan to support those in need after they received the emergency assistance.

Gifts that Give Back Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD
— 7 Comments

The Fight to Replenish the GAVI Alliance for Vaccine Fund

Shouldn’t a child be given the same shot of life no matter where he or she is born? I believe that children everywhere deserve the chance to live and reach their full potential. The availability of life-saving vaccines for every child is critical.

2

For those of you who have followed my blog for years, you know that besides blogging I am also an active advocate and activist for a number of important causes. I advocate for the ONE Campaign to eradicate global poverty, ONE Women and Girls to help elevate the status and well-being of women and girls around the world, RESULTS (another advocacy group that works to advocate with our members of Congress to affect policy on ending poverty) and the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign, a grassroots organization aimed at providing global vaccines to the developing world. All of these causes are truly important to me and I am amazed how much I’ve personally grown by being a part of each organization and using my voice to effect positive change.

As an advocate for global vaccines, I’ve worked hard as a Shot@Life Champion since the campaign launched almost three years ago. Working with Shot@Life has taught me many things about the value of vaccines and the importance of their availability around the world in saving lives. Before I joined Shot@Life, I had no idea that every twenty seconds a child dies from a vaccine-preventable death. Every twenty seconds!

The tragic statistics combined with the reality that this is a fixable, solvable problem that truly does not cost much, invigorated me to join the cause and fight for funding of global vaccines.

Young girls in Mozambique show off their newly updated vaccination card. All photos : Shot@Life--UN Foundation, Mozambique, Wednesday, June 1, 2011 (Photo/Stuart Ramson)

Young girls in Mozambique show off their newly updated vaccination card.
Shot@Life–UN Foundation, Mozambique, Wednesday, June 1, 2011 (Photo/Stuart Ramson)

This January, world leaders are meeting to discuss the replenishment of the GAVI global fund for vaccines. This meeting comes at a critical moment in time. A time where we have seen amazing progress in the reduction of under age five deaths thanks to the provision of global vaccines.

At the meeting,  global leaders and private donors will make commitments for the next five-year plan of GAVI’s funding (years 2016-2020). The goal is to achieve 7.5 billion, and the United States, one of the top four funders of the GAVI Alliance, is being asked to commit to 1 billion dollars. It is an ambitious and reasonable goal. (In case you are wondering, the top donor last year was the UK, followed by the Gates Foundation and Norway. The US came in fourth).

We have made significant progress in combatting preventable deaths in children under age 5 by providing access to vaccines.

We have made significant progress in combatting preventable deaths in children under age 5 by providing access to vaccines. Photo credit: Gavi Alliance

Before I dive into GAVI and their great work, I’d like to tell a story. In early September I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Namala Patrick Mkopi, the Secretary General of Tanzania’s Pediatric Association. I met Dr. Mkopi for lunch and he shared firsthand stories about what he has seen as a pediatrician in Africa. The two leading killers of children under age five are diarrhea and pneumonia. Together they kill one in every four children in the world, and both are preventable by vaccines.

Me meeting Dr. Mkopi in Minneapolis.

Me meeting Dr. Mkopi in Minneapolis.

Global Health Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD