Our last night in the Alps at Refuge Peclet-Polset
We reached our last refuge for the trip, the Refuge Peclet-Polset around mid-afternoon. It was another stellar day awash in brilliant sunlight and perfect temperatures. We had heard from our guide Mark that this refuge was relatively new and “modern” as the old one had burned down. By the looks of it, modern meant ugly. It was poorly designed and felt like a shoe box inside with paper-thin walls, no ambiance or quaintness like the other, older refuges and many people. As we entered the refuge to get our bed assignments I thought to myself “Here we go again. Another night of no sleep”.
So what did we do? Celebrate and have a good time!
Our group having an apres-hike beer at our refuge.
A steep descent to our final Alpine refuge
After reaching the highest point of our trek at Col de Chaviere and a stunning view of Mount Blanc nestled in the clouds, it was time to head down. Unfortunately it was a long, steep descent through a path of rocky glacier moraine. But at least there were plenty of beautiful views to keep me and my camera busy.
Amazingly enough, at the very top of the Col I found these beautiful wildflowers and could hardly believe that they grew in such a place. The top of the Col was surrounded in rock and normally quite windy. Yet life not only survived, it thrived.
World Food Programme in Bolivia
Photo credit: World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.
“Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. We work towards that vision with our sister UN agencies in Rome — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — as well as other government, UN and NGO partners.
On average, WFP aim to reach more than 90 million people with food assistance in more than 73 countries. Around 15,000 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor.”
World Hunger is an enormous yet preventable problem. Per WFP, there are 870 million undernourished people in the world today. That means one in eight people do not get enough food to be healthy and lead an active life. Hunger and malnutrition are in fact the number one risk to the health worldwide — greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
The World Food Programme is working in Bolivia to provide nutritious meals for children in schools. You can ask a question for the children in Bolivia that will be translated and delivered by Ximena, WFP’s Communications Officer there.
Here is where you can direct your readers to ask a question. Simply click here and send your message.
I asked my question….will you?
A pair of worn out shoes and a sensational view of Mount Blanc
When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
After a strenuous morning of hiking, we finally made it to the highest point of our week-long trek, the Col de Chaviere at 9,173 feet/2, 796 m. It was indeed a long hike up to the top but once we arrived, it was like no place on earth. A place that was so utterly fantastic, that it took my breath away and reminded me why I love to be up in the mountains on top of the world…
The zigzag trail heading up the mountain to the top.
SUNDAY SOCIAL GOOD: Inspired by the slums and people of Khon Kaen, Thailand
This post is part of my Social Good Sunday series. It is a guest post from Alicia Rice who is living in Thailand working on a documentary film about the people living in the slum communities of Khon Kaen. This is a post about her work.
A man from a slum community making baskets from recycled material. Photo credit: Author.
I came to Thailand as a study abroad student in 2008. For four months, we learned about globalization and development projects in Northeastern Thailand, the poorest region of the area. We read studies and got the chance to talk with government officials and company representatives. But the most important parts of our education were always getting the chance to talk with villagers. We got the chance to sleep in the houses and get to know the people who’s houses were being threatened, or who’s farm was being taken away.
There was one moment in particular that really stood out to me. As American students, we were often left with the question of what we could do, or more importantly, what we should do.
The more you learn about social justice work abroad, the more you learn the importance of people to be empowered and solve their issues themselves. It left me feeling helpless and puzzled.
How all moms are ONE Moms
This week I’ve been actively following a group of amazing women who are part of the ONE Moms/ONE Mums delegation to Ethiopia. Today these women are flying home to the United States and the UK where they will continue to use their voice in sharing the stories and photographs of what they learned and saw during their week long journey in Ethiopia.
Imagine the possibilities if all girls were educated: Today is International Day of the Girl
Today marks the first-ever International Day of the Girl, a day in which organizations and individuals around the world will collaborate to hold events and a global conversation in effort to raise awareness about the importance of educating girls.
Globally, more than 600 million girls live in the developing world and of that number, 77.6 million girls are currently not enrolled in either primary or secondary education. This is a huge problem which has significant repercussions on not only girls but the economy and well-being of society as a whole.
Photo of young girls in Pokhara, Nepal. Do these girls go to school? If so, for how long?
Organizations like 10 x 10 fully understand the power of girls and the way education can be used as a conduit to better not only their lives but society as a whole. 10 x 10 is a global action campaign dedicated to raising the value of a girl – in her home, community, nation and around the world.
Their mission is simple: Educate Girls. Change the World.
“Around the world, millions of girls face barriers to education that boys do not. And yet, when you educate a girl, you can break cycles of poverty in just one generation.”
So why should we focus on girls and why should we care? Here are some startling facts about girls’ education:
- Of 163 million illiterate youth in the world, more than half – 63 percent-are female.
- Around the world, 250 million adolescent girls live in poverty.
- Sixty-five low and middle income countries are losing approximately $92 billion per year by failing to educate girls to the same standards as boys.
- One girl in seven in developing countries marries before age 15.
Despite these dire statistics, there is hope. There is an enormous, untapped opportunity because it has been proven that the payoffs of educating girls are considerable. Just providing one extra year of primary school education can increase a girls’ future wages by 10 to 20 percent, and an extra year of secondary school can help boost wages by 15 to 25 percent. Even when a mere 10 percent more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases on average by 3 percent. Keeping girls in school not only boosts their livelihoods and the future livelihoods of their families, it is proven to keep them from marrying early, having more children and to help them be more engaged in the day to day lives of their families. An educated girl will be a better providers for her children and will have more knowledge on critical issues such as nutrition, maternal care and deadly diseases like HIV-AIDS. Furthermore, an educated mother is more likely to earn income for her family and when she does, she will reinvest 90 percent of it into her family, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent by her husband.
The ripple effect of educating one girl in a community is astounding. The math is simple and easy. So why aren’t more girls in school?
There are many cultural, religious and poverty-related barriers that keep girls out of school. For instance, in poor families oftentimes only the boys are sent to school and the girls are kept home to work. Rural girls will generally help out with cooking, cleaning, child-rearing and even manual labor. If a poor family lives in a country in which you have to pay school fees, it even further deepens the problem. Boys will often be chosen to attend school rather than girls. Other barriers that are easily solvable yet continue to keep girls out of school include access to adequate lavatories and such simple things as sanitary pads.
These barriers can be overcome as long as the world believes in the power of educating girls.
There are some very inspiring stories about girls and their will to learn. Let’s meet 9-year old Eulalia. To get her education, Eulalia must travel on motorcycle — with her siblings — from her home atop a mountain in a remote Andean village in Peru, to a CARE-supported school for the children of alpaca shepherds in the valley. Come along with Eulalia on her journey.
Educating girls is not just right, it’s smart. Let’s help break the cycle of poverty by giving more girls the opportunity to learn and make the world a better place. Help us spread the word on why it’s vital to educate girls with these simple steps.
- Join us in a day-long social media event by sharing this post.
- Use your voice on Twitter using the hashtags #BasicMath and #10x10act.
- Click here to download “Girls + Education” attachment and make it your own by filling in the blank with what educating girls means to you. Tweet the photo from your handle with the has tag #BasicMath and tag @10x10act.
Photo of Nepalese children headed to school in rural Nepal.
On a personal level, I can’t imagine where I would be today or my daughter Sophia would be tomorrow without an education. Just because we are girls does not mean we do not have a burning desire to learn. A strong longing for knowledge, acceptance and equality. I know that my grandmother was one of the lucky girls in her time. She was one of the few women to ever go to University. I followed in her footsteps at University of Wisconsin where I fell in love with my passion for knowledge. I would never be here today writing and using my voice without the ability to read or write. Nor will my daughter reach her full potential as a productive world citizen if she doesn’t go to school either. Shouldn’t all girls have this opportunity to succeed in life and be the best that they can be? Isn’t it a basic human right?
My little girl….she just started Kindergarten in September. Imagine the possibilities ahead.
Imagine the possibilities if all girls were allowed education. Imagine what a world we’d have for all.
This post was originally published today on World Mom’s Blog.
Into the mystic
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away”. – Anonymous
We rose feeling well rested and well loved after our wonderful night’s stay in such a heavenly place. My stomach ached from eater and drinker’s remorse but I knew it was deserved after such an enormous, gourmet french meal. In a few hours after hiking, I’d be fine and hungry once again, as the calories I consumed magically burned off.
We set off into the fog, our first day that wasn’t perfect. Despite the lack of a decent view, the fog was a welcome surprise as it kept us cool as we climbed back up into the Alps.
Teaching your kids the value of giving back: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
Some of my fondest memories of a child growing up in the 70s was trick-or-treating on Halloween with my siblings. Me, my brother and sister would walk for hours around our suburban neighborhood knocking on doors for candy. We’d come home exhausted yet smiling with pillowcases filled to the rim with sugary treats. We would pour our goodies onto the floor and would eat one a day for months to come.
Imagine if the candy could be replaced with donations. Donations to the children served by UNICEF. Imagine the impact it would have on impoverished children around the world if only half of the candy was donations and we all participated.
The color of Advocacy in Guatemala
A Word in Your Ear, a fantastic travel blog that I adore, started a fun travel and photography challenge called “A Word of the Day”. Basically she lets her dictionary open to a word and voila. That is the challenge. Her recent challenge is “colorful” similar to a recent photo challenge I did.
I adore colors, especially on a gray, dreary day like today. They brighten my mood and make me smile.
These photos were taken back in April in Xela, Guatemala on the International Women’s Day. The entire town was involved in a grand celebration and a huge, colorful parade honoring women and advocating for women’s rights. In a country in which domestic violence against women is a significant, unspoken problem, it was wonderful to witness so many people coming together to share their voice and fight for women’s rights.
Here are some of my favorite colorful pictures from the event.
A night of heavenly food in the splendor of the Alps
After four days of hard work hiking the highs and lows of the sensational French Alps, we finally found salvation: Refuge de l’Aiguille Doran. Known as one of the best, more luxurious refuges in Vanoise National Park we were in for a heavenly night of fine wine, chef-prepared french food and delight. I could hardly wait!
