Social Good Archives

October 28, 2013October 4, 2017

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Climate Change 101: What it is and Why it Matters to You

By far the greatest challenge we face in the world today is global climate change. Decisions made today will ultimately impact the future of our planet. Those who are still in denial that the world’s climate is changing need to open their eyes. Global climate change is real and it is already having devastating impacts on the environment including food security, water shortages, catastrophic weather and the air we breathe.

We are at a crossroads in history and a political tipping point on how we are going to act to fight global climate change. The facts are frightening. 2012 was the hottest year in the recorded history in the United States. Furthermore, the 12 hottest years ever measured globally occurred within the last 15 years. The month of August was the 342nd month in a row where temperatures were warmer than the 20th century average. Ice is melting, oceans are warming up and our atmosphere is being treated as a huge garbage dump of our pollution. Global climate change is impacting us all. So what are we going to do about it?

The Climate Reality Project asks us “What I love”. What on our planet can we not live without? What are the sacrifices we will have to make if we don’t stop global climate change?

I have asked Harriet Shugarman, the executive director and founder of ClimateMama and a mentor and Climate Leader for the Climate Reality Project to write a guest post for my blog in order to get the conversation rolling on global climate change and why it matters.

Harriet Shugarman, Executive Director of ClimateMama

Harriet is an Economist, policy analyst, speaker, writer, and “mom” activist, Harriet travels the country educating and informing audiences about the realities of climate change and how people can feel empowered to take individual and collective action – in their homes, businesses and in their communities. You can follow Harriet’s insightful blog ClimateMama which is loaded with excellent articles and resources on global climate change.

October 26, 2013October 26, 2013

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Buy (RED) – A Powerful Way Consumers Can Support the End of AIDS

During my visit to the Social Good Summit in New York City last month, I attended a meeting with a group of bloggers to learn more about (RED), a division of the ONE Campaign that works to eliminate AIDS through consumer activism. (RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver as a way to engage people and businesses all over the world to fight the greatest challenge of our time – the fight to end AIDS.

Coffee with the women from RED and our RED bracelets.

RED ad on website of woman and child.

Updated October 2013 About (RED)™ (RED) was founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage businesses and people in the fight against AIDS. (RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands who contribute up to 50% of profits from (RED) branded goods and services to the Global Fund. (RED) Proud Partners include: Apple, Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, Beats by Dr. Dre, Belvedere, Claro, SAP, Telcel and American Express (UK only). (RED) Special Edition partners include: Shazam, Girl Skateboards, Mophie, FEED, Nanda Home, Bottletop, Tourneau, Fatboy USA, Bed Bath & Beyond, HEAD. To date, (RED) has generated more than $215 million for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to support HIV/AIDS grants in Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania. 100 percent of that money goes to work on the ground – no overhead is taken. Global Fund grants that (RED) supports have impacted more than 14 million people with prevention, treatment, counseling, HIV testing and care services. (RED) is a division of The ONE Campaign. Learn more at http://www.red.org. About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria The Global Fund is an international financing institution dedicated to attracting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. The Global Fund promotes partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector and affected communities, the most effective way to help reach those in need. This innovative approach relies on country ownership and performance-based funding, meaning that people in countries implement their own programs based on their priorities and the Global Fund provides financing where verifiable results are achieved. Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has approved funding of US$ 22.9 billion for in 140 countries. To date, programs supported by the Global Fund have provided AIDS treatment for 5.3 million people, anti-tuberculosis treatment for 11 million people and 340 million insecticide-treated nets for the prevention of malaria. The Global Fund works in close collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organizations to supplement existing efforts in dealing with the three diseases.

(RED) partners with some of the world’s leading brands to offer a changing collection of iconic (RED) products triggering a unique way of consumer activism: With each purchase of a (RED) product 50% of the proceeds are donated to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria which saves 100,000 lives a month.

Here is an example of how (RED) works on the back end to fight AIDS.

What is so exciting about (RED) is that they make it so incredibly easy for consumers to give back and support the fight of AIDS. Just simply purchasing a (RED) product starts the process of donating to The Global Fund and every single dollar donated to The Global Fund is donated on the ground meaning there is no overhead. Pretty amazing.

Here is a current list of some of the brands who are going (RED). Remember the GAP collection of t-shirts called Inspi(RED)?

The (RED) Manifesto is a wonderful example at how organizations can inspire people to give back and make a difference in the world. Simply making a purchase of a (RED) product, can help save a person’s life.

So why is it important to fight HIV/AIDS and why now? Simply because we have never been so close to seeing an end of AIDS before. It is proven that antiretrovirals work. Today, over 6 million people are being effectively treated with antiretrovirals that have a 96% success rate in not transmitting the disease. With action and urgency, it is possible to see the end of the transmission of HIV from mothers to their newborns. We are so close to eradicating this horrible disease.

Fact: It is also estimated that nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS-related causes since the beginning of the epidemic (UNAID 2010 report).

Fact: AIDS remains a global epidemic infecting 2.7 million new people and claiming 2 million lives each year.

Topsy/AIDS Patient’s Dramatic Recovery from AIDS

An inspiring, one-minute video that was shown on World AIDS Day in 2011 marking the 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS.

My dear friend, Jeannine Harvey at The ONE Campaign shared this beautiful story below on the hope that anti-retrovirals can provide to a child born with HIV/AIDS.

I leave you with the story of Motselisi. (RED) first met Motselisi in the rural Nyakosoba Village in Lesotho when she was 11 months old, frail and weak without access to medication. Motselisi was put on anti-retroviral (ARV) medicine, and 90 days later, she had been brought back to life and was a healthy, happy baby. Hers is a true story of the Lazarus Effect and the life-saving power of HIV/AIDS treatment, treatment that costs around 40 cents a day in sub-Saharan Africa.

(RED) is a division of The ONE Campaign. Learn more at www.red.org.

About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

December 1st marks World AIDS Day

Every year, in the days and weeks leading up to World AIDS Day on December 1st, (RED) partners with premiere artists and leading brands to shine a global spotlight on the epidemic. To date, (RED) has raised over $215 million for the elimination of AIDS.

Related Posts and Links:

World AIDS Day 21/1: The Beginning to the End of AIDS?

Philanthropy Friday: Buying (RED) via Another Jennifer

(RED) is a division of The ONE Campaign. Learn more at www.red.org.

Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD

October 22, 2013October 3, 2017

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View Finder Workshop: Helping children see their world through the eyes of a camera

Have you ever had an experience in your life that has changed you forever? For Babita Patel, a humanitarian photographer, that fateful day happened during an assignment to one of the poorest places in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti. In Babita’s words here is that moment that changed her life.

I WAS WALKING THROUGH CITÉ SOLEIL, the largest slum in the Western Hemisphere located in Haiti, one of the poorest places on Earth. Trash littered the streets and dirty stagnant rainwater was often used as latrines. The sun pulsated directly overhead, bleaching the blue sky to a blinding white. Sweat droplets raced down my spine and pooled at my lower back. Children dressed in rags – or for some, in nothing at all – played a spirited game of soccer with a half-inflated ball. I snapped a picture of a group of rambunctious kids, only to have eager young hands grab at my camera to see the image captured on my screen.

“Praying”. Photo credit: Dumas (one of the students).

The novelty of the reproduction faded and most darted off between the shanty houses. One remained, diligently pointing at each face on the screen, as if ticking them off in his head. He stopped at the last one. His own. He let out a burst of pure, innocent, giggling glee and scampered off. Alone, I realized that for people who have next to nothing, a mirror is an unattainable luxury. This child only met his reflection by process of elimination. For he knew which ones were his friends and which one was the stranger.

I was struck dumb. For I never realized a person could walk through life without knowing his own physical self. But photography can change that. It lets a child see himself and his world through different eyes. By learning tangible skills and creating new avenues of self-expression, he can contribute to his life and his community.

And thus, the seed for View Finder Workshop was planted.
Babita Patel.
founder, humanitarian photographer

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

September 19, 2013October 3, 2017

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UNICEF on “Committing to Child Survival”

One area of development that is near and dear to my heart is child survival. As a mother of two children and a world traveler, I’ve seen firsthand the poverty and pain that many mothers around the world face by protecting their children and giving them everything they can to help them survive.

Often when I work with these children and their mothers, and I learn more about some of the devastating obstacles that stand in the way to raising a healthy, happy child, my heart gets broken. You see, my children were born in the United States to two educated parents who have the ability to ensure they receive good nutrition, safe drinking water and proper sanitation, education, immunizations and health care. Sometimes I scratch my head in disbelief realizing how lucky we are to live in a place where we take these fundamental rights for granted.

The children of Indira Kalyan Camp

Smiling and hopeful Indian girls within a Delhi slum are sadly thin.

Volunteering in Honduras

Children at a day care center in Honduras where I volunteered last January.

Lovely Nepali girls smile at the camera.

Children in a Delhi slum are able to attend school thanks to the support of NGOs like Pratham.

I believe strongly that it is our moral obligation to ensure other people around the world have the same opportunities at a healthy life as we do. Yes, the task is incredibly daunting and immense. But we can change things.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Global Issues SOCIAL GOOD

September 11, 2013October 3, 2017

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Save the Children’s “Get Ready. Get Safe”.

In honor of remembering one of the greatest tragedies to hit our country, September 11th, it is important for us as a country to protect some of the most vulnerable citizens of all: Our children.

Please read the post below and learn more on what we as a nation can do to ensure that no children are forgotten in times of tragedy. Also, please share on Facebook and twitter with your friends and family. This is something we can all work together to easily change.

A memorial in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementarry School shooting. Photo credit: Save the Children

Last week Save the Children released their 2013 National Report Card on Protecting Children in Disasters, a study showing where our nation is at when it comes to protecting children in times of emergencies. The report titled “Unaccounted For: A National Report Card on Protecting Children in Disasters” comes after a heartbreaking year of disasters and tragedies such as the elementary school massacre at Sandy Hook as well as the Hurricane Sandy and Oklahoma tornado. Unfortunately, the report clearly demonstrates that we have a long way to go in protecting our children against disaster.

Out of the four standards that states must implement to protect children in the face of disaster – (1)states must require all schools and child care centers to have an evacuation and (2) relocation plan, (3) a family reunification plan and (4) a plan for children with special needs – only four states took action to meet all standards this year. Furthermore, 28 states still lack basic measures to safeguard children in child care and schools. It is apparent that something needs to be done.

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

August 4, 2013September 28, 2013

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Electrify Africa

On a recent flight I was reading an article on Martin Luther King Jr. in the Delta Sky magazine in which they interviewed some of Atlanta’s top civil rights activists in honor of the 50th anniversary of his famous speech “I have a Dream”. One comment made by Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE USA, an international humanitarian organization, stood out. When asked which words of Dr. King’s speech resonated with her the most she said, “I’m often asked why should I care about people in other countries. And I refer back to his quote, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. If we turn a blind eye to injustice anywhere, we’re giving in to that here as well. There is no divide between them and us“. (Delta Sky Magazine, August 2013).

Children living in Sub-Saharan Africa (photo credit: Wikipedia free commons)

Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises SOCIAL GOOD

July 18, 2013April 14, 2018

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How Save the Children is Saving the Unborn Child in India

Author’s note: This is the third post documenting my visit on behalf of Mom Bloggers for Social Good to see Save the Children’s work at the Indira Kalyan slum in Delhi, India. To read the first and second post click on the links.

Heading to our next visit within the Indira Kalyan Camp

Having a baby should be one of the most joyous times of a woman’s life. Yet tragically throughout the developing world childbirth is also one of the most deadly times of a woman’s life as well as the life of her newborn child.

Per Save the Children an alarming 3 million babies died globally in their first month of life (2010) and India continues to have a persistently high rate of newborn mortality accounting for 29% of all first day deaths globally or 309,000 a year.

India is not an easy place to be a mother either. A decade ago close to 75,000 women died during childbirth every year. Although that number has been reduced to 56,000 in 2010, it is still way too high, especially given the tragic fact that many of these deaths are preventable.

In India, there is no place that it is more dangerous to be a woman giving birth than in the slums where woman lack access to basic health care services, midwifes and hospitals. Yet organizations like Save the Children are making remarkable progress in educating women about prenatal and postnatal care as well as the importance of delivering their child in a hospital.

Global Health Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises India SOCIAL GOOD TRAVEL BY REGION

July 9, 2013October 3, 2017

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Save the Children: “Bringing healthcare to the Doorstep” in the slums of Delhi

India, the second most populous country in the world, is known for her rich, vibrant culture and civilization that has spanned thousands of years. Over the last two decades, India’s economy has grown at breakneck speed becoming the world’s 10th largest economy in 2011 and is projected to be among the fifth largest by 2050 (per a recent report by economic think-tank Centre for Economics and Business Research). Yet despite the enormous economic success of the “Elephant“, as India has been sometimes called, tragically a large percentage of the Indian population have been left behind.

Millions of Indians live in dire poverty especially the people who have left the villages and have come to the urban centers searching for a better life. According to the World Bank, rural and urban poverty in India remains painfully high, holding the unfortunate record of having the largest concentration of poor people in the world: 240 million rural poor and 72 million urban poor. With poverty, an immeasurable suffering has also taken hold. Hunger, malnutrition and a high level of preventable diseases and death have struck India’s poor and have unfairly impacted women and children.

Smiling and hopeful Indian girls within a Delhi slum are sadly thin.

Child Labor, Marriage, Education and Survival Global Health Global Issues Global Non-Profit Organizations and Social Good Enterprises India Poverty SOCIAL GOOD TRAVEL BY REGION

June 21, 2013April 14, 2018

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The World Through My Eyes

Traveling the world with a third-eye has always been the way I prefer to experience life. It means to view life openly and see everything – good or bad- with an open mind and heart. The world through my eyes can be contradictory and complex. Seeing both good and bad can bring so much immense joy and happiness while also such deep sadness that it makes your heart ache. Yet in my humble opinion, you cannot go through life with a blind eye. Otherwise nothing will change.

On my most recent trip through the Delhi slums as part of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, I saw a tremendous amount through my eyes. If I could look beyond the immense poverty, destruction, destitution and disease, I could also find beauty and hope. Beauty in the lovely warm smiles across the children’s eager faces whenever I pulled my camera out to snap their photo. Hope among the innocent faces of the girls in schools finally being given a chance to learn.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The world through my eyes sees so incredibly much.

This post was written in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge: The World Through My Eyes. To view more entries, click here.

Global Issues India Poverty SOCIAL GOOD TRAVEL BY REGION

May 23, 2013April 9, 2018

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India in Instagram

The last three days in Delhi have been a complete whirlwind. We have been on the move visiting our NGO partners for Social Good Moms to learn more about their work on the ground. Being in Delhi is like being at the forefront of humanity. The buzz of mass civilization frenzies around you and engulfs all your senses. There is so much going on at any one moment that it is hard not to blink your eyes in amazement. To make the experience of being here even more surreal, the temperature has been dizzyingly high averaging around 114 degrees F/46C. In a crowded city of over 20 million people, the heat just adds to the intensity of the place.

Our first day was spent resting and recovering after our long journey to India. It took us over 30 hours to finally arrive in Delhi and the time change (Delhi is 11.5 hours ahead of Minneapolis time) has been hard to adjust to. Day two was spent visiting a small Delhi-based NGO called Protsahan that provides a unique approach to education for street children in the urban slums by using the arts. Day three was spent visiting India-based NGO Pratham who also works in education for underpriviledged children in the urban slums of India. Both visits were amazing and we learned a lot about how these NGOs are working with these children to give them a future.

I will go into the specific details of each visit and what we learned in a future post. However, in the meantime I wanted to share a small selection of instagram photos I’ve taken over the past three days in India to give you a feel for our trip so far.

India SOCIAL GOOD TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY

May 21, 2013May 21, 2013

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The adventure of getting there is half the fun

Sometimes getting there is half the fun. Traveling half way across the world is no easy feat and as long as you maintain a positive attitude and sense of humor than it can actually be quite an adventure.

I began my journey to India at nine am on Sunday, May 19th and four flights and 36 hours later, I finally arrived at my final destination, Delhi. As always, there were lots of bumps along the way, a few which began before I even left. The physical journey was long and arduous, yet the mental journey has literally just begun.

As much as I love to travel, leaving is always the hardest thing. The days before a big trip are always jam-packed with preparation as I run around in a mad dash trying to get everything done. I’m always stressed and always feel mixed emotions about leaving. A lot of excitement, anticipation tagged along with that not so pleasant anxiety I feel about leaving the kids. I know it is the mother in me. But leaving home for a long trip always unsettles my nerves. As soon as I’m on the plane, I’m fine. It is just that terrible goodbye and a little bit of worry.

Sunday morning was no different than before. After a stressful couple of days, I woke up with those usual pretravel jitters. By nine am the car was loaded with my suitcase and we were off to the airport. As we neared the terminal, my six-year-old daughter began to cry. “Mama, why do you have to go to India” she asked between sobs. My little girl always has a way of getting right inside my heart. I felt my stomach tighten. “Because I’m trying to save the world” I answered steadily. “But why do you have to do it?” she questioned. And for a moment I was speechless and stunned by her question, coming from a kindergartener. “Because someone has to do it” I responded.

Two and a half years ago a life-changing trip to Nepal and India opened my mind. I have traveled all my life but for some reason this trip in particular was like nowhere else I’d been. I had never seen poverty like I did in India and Nepal. I had just finished reading Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s “Half the Sky” which educated me on so many issues about women and poverty that I never understood. The book has a strong message that anyone can do something to change the world. No matter how big or small, you can make a difference. This belief prompted me to start my blog and use my voice as a way to share my experiences around the world and educate others on what is happening sometimes behind the scenes.

Last fall I began writing as a member of the Global Team of 200, a group of mom bloggers trying to change the world by using their voice to educate others on maternal and infant health, education, children, nutrition, human trafficking, water and sanitation and other important issues that relate to poverty. The more I learned about these issues, the more passionate I’ve become about trying to help make the world a better place.

I’ve learned that you cannot travel with a blind eye. You must always have a “third-eye” so you can see everything – good and bad. So many times people choose to ignore the bad because they don’t want to see it. The world will not change and become a better place for all if we continue to ignore fixable problems. As a global citizen, it is our duty to help the millions of voiceless people who are suffering silently.

As I embarck on this journey, I intend to do whatever I can to have an open-mind and take everything in. I am sure it will be yet another life-changing, eye-opening experience. I look forward to sharing my journey with you all.

Stay tuned….
We have started a tumblr blog at to follow our trip. You can also follow us along on Twitter at hashtag #SocialGoodMomsIndia.

India SOCIAL GOOD TRAVEL BY REGION

May 16, 2013

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India Bound

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”. -Mahatma Gandhi

“Building global connections both online and offline is the cornerstone of Mom Bloggers for Social Good” says founder Jennifer James who heads up one of the world’s largest social good sites for moms who blog.

On Sunday, I am honored to be traveling to India along with Jennifer James, founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, to meet face to face with some of our partners as well as meet fellow Social Good Moms who live in India. Our time in India will be spent learning about the issues we cover: Maternal and newborn health, food and water poverty, sanitation issues, and education for women and girls.

It’s going to be an amazing time, full of lots of insight into the advocacy work we do as well as the culture, people and situation in India. I have visited India briefly in 2010 when I was en route to Nepal and found India to be one of the most dynamic places I’ve ever been. It will be truly fascinating to see India once again through a different set of eyes and mindset. I will have my “third-eye” waiting and ready to capture and soak in as much knowledge as I can.

During our stay, I’ll be sharing my journey via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and of course on my blog. I hope you follow along on this journey! It is bound to be eye-opening!

I would like to thank Sevenly for being a trip sponsor. They are an amazing organization. Check our their website here to learn more about the fabulous things they do.

It is a huge honor for me to be invited to go on this social good trip as I’m certain I will learn so much more about the work I’m so passionately advocating for. I am so excited to share what I learn with you. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I don’t think we can see the world without learning about the issues each place we visit face. It is up to us to not only be a good tourist, but to be a good citizen and help change the world we live in to make it a better place for all. Thanks for your support!

To Follow Our Journey From May 20 – 24, 2013. Hashtag: #SocialGoodMomsIndia

To learn more about Mom Blogger’s for Social Good, check out this interview recently published in Forbes about Jennifer’s work. “Mom Bloggers Build a Network for Activism and Change.”

Stay tuned…

India SOCIAL GOOD TRAVEL BY REGION