The Girl Effect Video!Get Inspired! (including a poem i wrote)

http://www.girleffect.org/

WE CAN HELP HER (AND OTHER GIRLS LIKE HER) BECOME

ALL THAT THEY WANT TO BE!

GIVE THAT A CHANCE TO BELIEVE, TO HAVE DREAMS AND
TO LEAD DIGNIFIED LIVES!

A Poem in Their Honour and Support!

The Girl Effect

Put it in motion
stir it for action
cause an equation
that will shake the foundations
of all preconceptions, all dogmas, traditions
and will release from prison these beautiful hidden treasures!

Each girl is precious, each one is a star
light the flame in her life
give her freedom at once!
She'll sparkle and shine
She'll be glorious, a fruitful vine!

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO SET HER FREE

Free from all the unwanted
marriage, labour, abuse
Free to make her own choices
to depend on herself
Free to control her destiny too
free to embrace life that is good!
free to plan, to save, to grow and develop
to explore her talents to the full
Free to dream, to aspire
to play and to learn
Free to be a happy child,
free to become a dignified woman
able to give birth and survive
take care of her child
free to laugh and to love...
to be a citizen ...
a mother a wife.

Press the button, stir the wheel
you have the tools, she needs to succeed
you can give her a chance,
she'll take it, you'll see
you can lend her a hand
she won't disappoint u,
believe me!

A child, a girl, a woman, a human at last
will you light the flame of her future?
will you give her a chance?
then, as if by some magic
you'll see multiplied
this equation growing bigger
including many lives

she began as a girl,
who received education
then she found a job better
and provided for her old parents
she planned her family and brought to life
children that she cared for
and sent to school at last

and here the magic is unfolding
one life put in place
changes so many around it,
and the poverty cycle is
broken alas!
oh, invest in this girl!
bring the magic to life!
change the course of history,
bring Justice the victory!

INVEST IN A GIRL!
SET THE MAGIC OF THE GIRL EFFECT IN MOTION!

Addis wanted a CHANCE to CHOOSE how to live! She wanted to KNOW!Now She is POWERFUL!..so is her son!

Shumi is POWERFUL!She is COURAGEOUS!She was given a chance..then..

the Girl Effect began!

Sanchita took a small loan...which changed her life and the life of her family...

it doesn't take much to start the Girl Effect!Support it!!!

An investment in one girl's future...will reap a rich harvest!!!

THE GIRL EFFECT!

THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS!

WE CAN MOLD IT TODAY!

WE HAVE THE TOOLS,

THE KNOWLEDGE

THE RESOURCES...

THE QUESTION IS

DO WE HAVE THE COURAGE?

THE WILL?

THE PASSION...?

TO TAKE A STAND

TO BREAK THE SILENCE

TO MAKE A STEP

TO PLANT THE SEEDS...

AND REAP THE HARVEST!!!

(the poem is in the honour & support of the Girl Effect movement and all girls and women around the world)!
p.s. i will include a ppt with recitation of the poem soon! upcoming!

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THE GIRL EFFECT!GIVE HER A HAND!SHE WILL DO THE REST!

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WORLD WATER DAY - THE RIGHT TO QUENCH ONE'S THIRST WITH SAFE DRINKING WATER!

when you have to count your drops of water to survive

you are thirsty - physically

when you cannot voice your need to the authorities

you are thirsty - for freedom

when you are denied the access of safe drinking water

you are thirsty - for your rights

when you are left to die of preventable water-borne diseases

you are thirsty - for justice

when your story remains untold and unheard

you are thirsty - for someone to stand up and plead for your cause and for the cause of the other 1.1 billion people without access to safe drinking water!!!

where shall thou seeketh justice?

indeed many a path leadeth to the truth...where shall i begin?

thou shall seeketh responsibility in the 'wells (oil)' of the rich?
in the lavish lifestyles of corrupted officials?
in the judicial courts serving the ruling clicks?

in the 'dirty hands' of puppet politicians?

or in those who toil for the prosperity of all these?

shall thou sayeth thouest 'cup' is half fulleth or half empty after all?

consider this as a call:

who shall we put as a witness to test what is said?

if they agree to drink from the sewage, (rather than from a bottle)

if they consent with washing in the drainage, (rather than in a proper sink )

if they don't object walking 5 miles to obtain water, (instead of having it delivered)

if it's alright to swallow bits of dirt etc. with the fluid, (instead of minerals, which will nourish)

if it all agrees with you 'most honored',

then sure as the day is, no one shall complain,

but propose a statement to be released, pronto, today:

Let all who are thirsty come drink from the well,

that these 'brothers' of ours so freely will lend

but if for some reason, you all become sick,

or if Fortune has it, that you are deceased,

then a note from a different kind

will surely be posted to say this:

They died believing that they were right,

not quenching the thirsty of the billion in need.

They died disregarding the welfare of all -

defending till the end - their own right and wrong

yet I doubt my fellows,

that any shall dare

to grab a cup and fill it with filth and swear:

that it is safe to draw and to quench

your physical thirst with a 'fresh' filthy sip!

So, for Your story to be heard I say

for Your voice to gain power I proclaim

for Your life to be un-forgotten I state:

THE ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT!

THE ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT AND EVERY GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING AT LEAST 20 LITRES OF SAFE WATER PER DAY TO EACH PERSON. THESE 20L OF WATER MUST BE FREE FOR THE POOR, ACCESSIBLE AND SECURE!!!

“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity.” — Kofi Annan, prior United Nations Secretary-General

p.s. the photos are from various sites and initiatives for saving water etc.
I made a presentation on the water crisis and its negative impact on the development of impoverished societies, as well as the importance of achieving MDG7, Target3 - "Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation"
for the overall achievement of the MDGs and the sustainable development of all societies. If anyone is interested, please contact me for more info.

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"I AM POWERFUL!"

SHE HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE HER WORLD!

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO HELP HER DO IT!

www.care.org - Defending Dignity. Fighting Poverty.
Read my blog post from Nov.30 - "SHE is!"to read more about the power potential hidden within a single woman!
I cannot remember the name of the song playing on the background of this video clip, so, please, if anyone knows it, please share it with me!

As for the women in these video, all I can say is, these are the heroes of our world, often abused, mistreated, enslaved, forgotten, silenced, ignored or else...they, nevertheless, persevere and and look bravely into the eyes of the Future..with Hope and Faith, that they will have a chance to live better lives...or that they will at least have a chance to provide their kids with better lives!
I admire these women. For me, they are the pillars of society, the strongholds of all families, the fighters for survival!
Let us honor them instead of neglecting them, exalt them instead of humiliating them, empower them instead of ignoring them! Only then, will the world become a better place and we, all, will have equal chances to develop our full potential and enjoy free and happy lives!!!
My call is for all those who have ever mistreated a woman in any way, even only by verbally harassing her, to stop and think about it.


Women are no threat to men's power or honor, they are a power on their own. One kind of power does not necessarily have to collide with another, they can complement each other.
But this can happen only when men realize that women are created to be their partners, not subordinates, not slaves, not objects of sexual desire, but equal partners. Only then, can there be true partnerships between men and women and true human development based on equality and justice!
Nevertheless, we still see so many abuses against women and girls, all around the globe. Most of these 'incidents' (evil deeds) have been the acts of weak and insecure men who need to find victims to pay for their failures or just to assert their position and 'power'. Many cultures still tolerate, to say the least, these crooked 'values' and deny women free access to education, property, and equal treatment, view my article "The High Price for Pursuing Knowledge in Some Parts of the Developing World" .
We need to also acknowledge the affects that modernization and globalization have brought upon women and men alike, around the world. Often times, this transitional period - the process of modernization and development of a society - has caused much damage to women, has shaken the traditional values and cultural habits of many communities and has brought fear, insecurity and chaos. Recently, I listened to BBC news and the reporters talked about the rising degree of sexual harassment among young people in Egypt. They conducted interviews with victims of sexual harassment and with sociologists and other experts, who tried to explain the reasons behind this new disturbing trend. I wanted to write about it in a separate article, but I will just sketch briefly their arguments here. The experts (women) talked about the transitional period in which the Egyptian society is, the transformation of power relations, the hard economic times etc. They emphasized that the increase of violence against women is the symptom of the deeply embedded social problems within the society. For example, economic problems lead to the inability of young men to pay dowries, which in turn impedes them from getting married and being recognized as successful and mature men. The sense of failure leads to intensified frustration, which in turn is materialized in the form of sexual harassment. In comparison with the past, now,many more young people postpone marriage. The estimated number of single men and women over 30years old in Egypt, at the moment, is 9million! This is a striking figure for a society, in which traditionally, girls were getting married before their 20s. Of course, another reason for the delay in marriage is that women have been given the chance to pursue higher education. This trend, on the other hand, just like we discussed earlier, constitute a threat to men (or so they believe) and again materialize in the form of violence. Traditional ways have been disrupted and the process of modernization hasn't been completed, therefore, many social problems arise, and often the victims are no one else, but women!

Stereotypes, stigmas, and cultural prejudices have been serious obstacles to the empowerment of women as well, but there is one sure way out of this unequal equation and it is education! education = empowerment ! Education not just for girls and women, but also for boys and grown-up men (some Microfinance institutions have already set special courses to break the existing stigmas and stereotypes within the given communities and to assure men that it is beneficial to all if women are empowered and that they do not constitute a threat to them). More efforts need to be put in offering courses that offer redefining of the meaning of 'man' and 'masculine', because often, men act upon a certain situation as they believe their society expects them to, in order to fit the role of 'men', which they have been assigned. Failing to play that role, they believe, will cause them shame and rejection by other men. NGO's need to put more emphasis on empowering both men and women, by building up man and women who respect each other and complement each other! Men need to be told that there is nothing manly to hit a woman or rape a girl! Men have been created physically stronger, but not to hit women, but to protect them!
Women are not a threat to society but a blessing! Their self-sacrificial nature and fearless spirit are sure cornerstones for building up a truly harmonious community! Don't step on them, but let them grow and they will bear good fruits from which we, all, will benefit! Don't silence them, but let them speak up, and you will see unleashed a powerful source of energy, inspiration and love! Don't be silent! Speak up on their behalf today! Don't remain indifferent, invest in the life of one woman...and you will see big harvest!

she has the power to change her world! you have the power to help her do it!

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Comment on MDG2 (Education) posted on the MDG blog

Providing Quality education for all people, regardless of their race, gender or status is essential for the achievement of all 8MDGs. I strongly commend the efforts of the international community (NGOs and IGOs alike) to reach out to the destitute and voiceless and give them a chance to voice their needs and fight for their future! I do believe that this multi-sectoral approach to development is the only way out of poverty and the only way to true progress in the overall Human Development process. Therefore, it is essential to emphasize the importance of all stakeholders to unite their efforts and strive to provide a better future for all humanity.
In regard to Education, the efforts of the international community, states and all responsible institutions should be even more involved and better linked with the parties directly affected by the successful achievement of this goal, namely children, parents, and local communities. Efforts should not only focus on providing primary education for all in the LDCs (Least Developed), but emphasis should point to the importance of Quality, Multi-faceted education for children and parents everywhere. Quality education acknowledges the importance of addressing issues beyond general knowledge, issues essential for the development of each individual – raising awareness of their human rights, breaking stereotypes and cultural stigmas, bringing up a socially responsible future generation etc. It is of utmost importance for the future of people everywhere to realize their uniqueness, their special, god-given value and worth, regardless of their descent, their social standing or family situation. This is especially important among the most vulnerable groups - orphans, children with special needs, children victims of violence, or former child soldiers. Moral values, norms, and principles shouldn’t be neglected in educational programs, but rather, parents, as well as teachers, should be stimulated to adopt such values and give special attention to the overall Human Development of each person.
Quality education guarantees Quality future, and we ALL, as citizens of this planet, are responsible for achieving this high goal!

There is no excuse for a child to be deprived from a chance to be happy and able to develop her/his potential!
There is no excuse for a person to be negligent of the needs of others.

It’s time to unveil the selfish shells we’ve been hiding under, dismantle all excuses, and take a stand, for a better world, for a High - Quality world!

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how much is 5 $ ?

how much is 5 $ for you?

today i read in the Economist an article about a new study on poverty, conducted by two experts from the World Bank http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010733. the title read "the bottom 1.4.billion". so, it's estimated that 879 million people live with under 1$ per day and another 520 million with under 1.25 $ per day, altogether accounting for 1.4 billion of the world's poorest inhabitants. (measured by purchasing power parity the numbers might differ, but the reality is overwhelmingly apparent - eradicating poverty, especially extreme poverty, by 2015 and complying with the promises for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), call for drastic reconsideration of the current efforts, intensifying of the successful methodologies and strategies, doubling all efforts and power towards meeting the goals and most of all leading to the alleviation of these millions of people living in deprivation!)

just a few days ago, i started asking myself about the real value of money, more specifically 5 Euro. i, myself, have lived in a middle-class family, and despite having been broke at times, i have never been starved, never been left without a roof above my head and have been blessed with a chance to develop my potential and receive education and a future that many never get. at the same time, i know people who have thousands of euros pocket money, eat dinners as costly as a monthly (annual) income of an average family, and live not in houses but castles and mansions. yet, there are those people i know, who work day and night just to try to buy the bear necessities of life...and survive.

so, how much IS 5 $?

to answer this question, i dared make a rough calculation of my daily expenses (for today) and reach to a more sustained conclusion about the value of a 5 $ bill. - how much, indeed, did i spend during the past day and on what?
so, lets see: 1. i bought breakfast/lunch for about 2 $, yet sometimes, when i decide to "spoil myself" and buy iced coffee etc. i might spend as much as 3 $. 2. i finally managed to buy myself a new pair of sneakers (the discounted ones were all big size, so ended up buying the expensive ones) 120 $ 3. i found a rather compact, small bag pack on sale and bought it for 15 $ 4. i went home and made myself a big salad, toasted some bread, added some cheese and ate a happy meal (if that was in a restaurant, it would cost me as much as 4 $). 5. in the evening i went out with my cousin and didn't pay for anything cause he was treating, but all in all, my portion of the treat cost about 2.5 $, plus i had some home-made soup for dinner, accompanied by some ham. 6. today i used the toilet numerous times, showered with hot water, washed my hands, drank clean water, had the computer (with internet) on for quite awhile, used a bit of electricity, talked on the mobile phone and will now close the day.
it's a very rough calculation...yet it clearly shows the value of money...money here...money there...money everywhere! of course, i do not purchase shoes everyday (i ain't a shopping freak) but ONCE in AWHILE...i NEED to...and so goes the story...

the question remains...how much is 5 $? of, course, when you have it, it might look irrelevant and trivial, but when you need it, when its lack is sensed, then it seems giant and essential.
for me, today, 5 $ got a new meaning...with 5 $ a family in a rural area somewhere in Cambodia, let's say, might live a whole week...and if 5 $ is saved in the course of 1 month, the freedom of a girl sold in prostitution might be bought back (Kristoff's article on the two teenage girls in Cambodia)...nevertheless, 5 $ may also mean a single cup of coffee, a phone call, a pack of cigarettes, a pair of socks, a week's payment, a price for a prostitute, 1/5th of a micro financial loan, a piece of chocolate, a rented movie...

i am conveying a poll about the value of 5 $ for you! please, feel free to answer the question. there is no 1 right answer...because, money creates different, parallel worlds, in which people's lives can be compared only by their riches in heaven and in no way by their lifestyles here on earth, how can you compare black and white? you can only contrast them...but you can compare two nuances of red...so is it - the bottom 1.4 billion and the top 5 billion, of which more than half is somewhere in the middle...and only a tiny portion...is selected for enjoying and lavishing the riches on earth.

it's time! to look at our 5 $ bill in the pocket and reevaluate it. it's time! to awake for the harsh truth and to face it boldly, ready to sacrifice our insatiable desires and false needs, for the common good, for the better future of all.
it's time! to re-use this 5 $ bill sensibly and responsibly, maybe to feed s.o. in need, maybe to save and sponsor a kid to go to school, maybe to try not to use is as if we don't have it and see just how badly we do need it.

it's time! to become better stewards of the blessings God has provided for us and give more thought to our saving account in heaven.

we don't want to end up carrying full pockets of 5 $ bills to heaven and find ourselves homeless there...

for it is said "for where you treasure is, there your heart will be" Luke 12:34,

Jesus warned us : Matthew 6: 19-21, 24-25, 31-33
19”Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. 21 For your heart will always be where your riches are. 24 You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 Do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for you body. After all isn’t life worth more than food? And isn’t the body worth more than clothes? 31 So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? Or my drink? Or my clothes? 32 Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. "

how about we each make a small heavenly pocket where to store money we've saved from things we've craved for but sacrificed and, according to each one's pocket, do something nice for someone, whether just buying them food, or maybe clothing, or maybe books for school...Brothers and sisters, let our treasures be measured by the number of people we've showed love and mercy to, rather than by the amount of money we have stored in the bank!

INVEST IN YOUR HEAVENLY ACCOUNT TODAY AND YOU WILL WEAR THE CROWNS OF LIFE WHEN WE MEET WITH JESUS!

God bless you all!

Love and Peace

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