World Good Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Mom's Guide To Travel

May 09 2013

Indego Africa Brings Together Fashion And Social Enterprise

When the Mission List invited me to check out Indego Africa, a design-driven social enterprise that works with female artisans in Rwanda, I couldn’t resist. They offered me a $75 credit to go shopping in the marketplace and I gladly accepted. But let me just tell you, $75 isn’t enough! And of course I’m happy to showcase some of my purchases to you.

The site is filled with hand-made fair trade items from cooperatives in Rwanda, populated by hard-working women who support themselves and their families. In my opinion, there’s nothing better in the land of consumerism than shopping for a cause. I like to call it, responsible consumption.

It’s not a leap for me to buy any of the products you see on the Indego Africa site – I have similar items in my home. I’ve been buying stuff from West African shops in Harlem (NY) since I was in my teens, picking up items like kinte cloth, masks, jewelry, trinkets, and housewares for my grandmother. But I have to admit that I’ve never thought about the people behind the products.

It wasn’t until I got to grad school and studied international economic development that I realized that there’s something to all of this. The internet, politics, and access to countries have changed dramatically since the 90s, making the type of social enterprise that Indego Africa supports possible. And I’m glad. Early models of micro-lending have evolved into thriving coops in villages around the world. Workers, like the women in the Covanya coop can now export their goods online and move closer to economic stability. These small scale accomplishments have larger scale impact.

The items sold through Indego Africa are also in more than 80 retail stores across the U.S. and Europe. The company is collaborating on designs with major brands like J.Crew and Nicole Miller while “returning 100% of profits for training programs in business, literacy, and computers – all taught by Rwanda’s top university students.” Sales of the artisan products help to empower the hands behind them. Hopefully, this will play a vital role in helping impoverished communities around the world move closer to economic development, independence, and stability. I’d put my dollars on that!

Mar 07 2013

International Women’s Day 2013: Continuing The Fight For Equity

March 8th is International Women’s Day. It’s a day celebrated around the world. The day has been observed since the early 1900’s and today, it is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present, and future. It honors the work of the Suffragettes, those early pioneers for women’s rights to vote, celebrating women’s success, and reminding us of inequities still to be redressed.

A modern progressive world needs equity. That is the theme this year for International Women’s Day.

In the past year we’ve seen too many stories about violence against women and girls around the world. With time, and a lot of noise, that will change. It has to change. To think that in 2013, we’re still having conversations about gender equality is a little preposterous but the evolution of man can be slow at times. And that’s why woman was created – to help propel that change and kick it in high gear. Think I’m over-exaggerating? Let’s take a moment here to reflect on all of the major social movements we’ve seen in the past 300 years. Women were either the catalyst for many of them or they helped spearhead them right next to a man (e.g. the Underground Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement, the Suffragist movement, etc).

In some countries International Women’s Day is equivalent to Mother’s Day, where children give small gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. Who knew? It’s an official holiday in places like: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. Thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. The top 5 countries leading the charge with IWD events are the United Kingdom, who leads the charge, the United States, Australia, Canada, and India. Find out here where there may be an event happening near you.

On the International Women’s Day site, you will see over 100 companies and organizations that work for the advancement of women. And just as we salute women making moves, we salute the companies that make it possible for them to do such.

Let’s continue to fight for equality for women, equal opportunities and equal pay. Women around the world are doing great things. And so are women right around the corner. What are some other movements that you know about, where women spearheaded the cause?

Feb 21 2013

Breastfeeding Saves Babies Lives: The First Hour Superfood

I am a huge supporter of breastfeeding babies. I nursed both of my boys for fifteen months, even with little familial understanding or support. Luckily, I constantly read about the importance of breastfeeding a child and was under the care of doctors who encouraged it as well. No one coined breast milk as a “superfood” per se but they might as well have.

I delivered my boys in two great hospitals, both of which I’ve learned are considered “baby-friendly” hospitals. I was lucky. Unfortunately, many women in both the United States and abroad, aren’t dealt that same hand.

At both hospitals, I was asked immediately after delivering my sons (and maybe even before), what my feeding plans would be. With my first son, it was challenging to get the hang of the process, struggling not only from the pain of a c-section but also the pain of the new sensation. However, with the help of the lactation consultants, we were able to get him feeding. They even followed up with me once I was sent home.

I appreciate that in the first hour, someone helped me. Physically and mentally. My boys were given a chance to get the best nutrition a newborn can ask for. I share a personal experience about breastfeeding here:

Unfortunately, in the developing world, many children aren’t given that fighting chance in that first hour. According to Save The Children’s new report on breastfeeding, some cultures and communities believe that babies should drink something else before they start breastfeeding. The report looks at how hundreds of thousands of babies lives a year could be saved through breastfeeding and what it will take to get there. Some babies are fed drinks like water, herbal tea, sugared water, animal milk, and ghee. These drinks do nothing more than reduce the appetite and thirst of the baby which adversely affects their ability to latch on effectively.

In India, there’s a belief it [drinking something else] helps remove the meconium (dark first stool). Many cultures discard the colostrum. In India this often relates to religious belief, but also that it is thick, unclean and the removal helped the child suckle more easily. In Afghanistan, people believe it should be discarded because it’s been in the breast for 9-10 months. In Niger, tradition says that colostrum is dangerous for infants and should be thrown away.

Breastfeeding Babies — 16 year old Fatuma holds her three-month old malnourished son

In 2010, the United States joined a 1,000 day international partnership to help countries like Indonesia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh develop strategies to fight childhood malnutrition through supporting breastfeeding babies and other efforts. That 1,000 Days Partnership expires in June. Save the Children is calling on Secretary of State Kerry to renew the program. I’ve signed the petition, and you can too. It takes less than a minute. Go here –> http://www.savethechildren.org/1000-days.

The Save the Children report is comprehensive and provides tons of facts and information to make the case for continuous breastfeeding support in the developing nation as well as here in the United States. You can read the report here: www.savethechildren.org/BF-report. Five facts that stuck out at me were:

Only 6.7 % of births in the U.S. occur in “Baby-Friendly” facilities that meet international guidelines for supporting breastfeeding, and the U.S. has the weakest levels of maternity legislation in the industrialized world..
Breastfeeding not only protects against malnutrition, it strengthens babies’ immune systems. The colostrum (first milk) jump-starts a baby’s immune system, and more often leads to extended breastfeeding.
1,000 days is the critical time from pregnancy and a child’s second birthday where there are the best chances to prevent malnutrition.
Most of the 38 industrialized countries provide the recommended 2/3 pay during maternity leave, 5 countries provide between 30 (Japan) and 60 (Czech Republic) percent. In Australia and Denmark, maternity leave is funded by employers, but in the US there is no requirement at all that women be paid while on maternity leave, although some employers choose to.
Breastfeeding rates have actually stagnated around the world over the last 20 years – and remain below 40% globally.

As always, I pose the question – what can you do? How can you help? First, sign the petition for Secretary of State Kerry to renew the 1,000 Days partnership. And two, read the report and share it so that we can get more people to support the petition and further the breastfeeding cause.

Jan 30 2013

Clean Water, Safe Water: WaterAid Deals With Global Access Issues

Three-fourths of the Earth is covered by water, so why are millions dealing with clean water issues around the world?

Today I worked with my 9 year old on his science homework. For an upcoming test, he has to identify the resources that living things share in an environment.

The sentence that struck me, reminding me of many Development policy discussions in grad school, was “Many living things may share an environment and its resources. If the environment has too little of any resource, the living things compete with one another to get what they need.” In other words, there’s conflict. Water was the first resource that I thought of.

Coincidentally, I had this post on my writing list and will be turning it into a broader teaching moment for my son. His science book looks at animals but I will generalize it for him, to illustrate what limited resources like clean water can do to people. Ironically, when I make this decision, a faucet in my kitchen drips quietly and consistently. Feeling guilty, I tighten the handle to stop the waste.

CLEAN WATER ACCESS ISSUES

800 million people worldwide do not have access to clean, safe water, while 2.5 billion don’t have the types of sanitary environments we enjoy. That’s a lot of people. This results in:

2,000 children dying every day from easily preventable diarrheal diseases because they don’t have safe or clean water.
Thousands more children not being able to attend school.
Millions of women unable to work because of the time it takes to collect water and care for sick children.
Wasted human capital, which has a direct affect on economic growth, development, and sustainability.

WaterAid

Since 1981, WaterAid, has been transforming lives through its clean water, safe water programs in 27 countries throughout Africa, Asia, The Pacific, and Central America. The organization, through its offices in the U.S., UK, Australia, and Sweden, uses affordable and locally appropriate solutions to provide safe water, effective sanitation, and hygiene education to people in developing countries.

What To Do

As with any of these organizations, a donation goes a long way to furthering their efforts. And with WaterAid, 81% of donations goes to water programs. Something as small as a $25 gift could pay for one person in one of the world’s poorest countries to gain access to safe, clean water, and sanitation for life. You can also write to your local congressman/congresswoman to support the Paul Simon Water for the World Act. Wouldn’t it be great if our utility companies could be more altruistic and take a share of our bills and donate it for us? Hey, that’s an idea – what do you think?

This post was written in conjunction with WaterAid as a member of Social Good Moms’ Global Team of 200.

Jan 30 2013

UNICEF Promotes January As Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day bondage and something, I have to admit, I knew very little about.

In December, on a family day trip to nearby Virginia, my family and I visited two historical sites. One of those sites was the Ben Lomond House, which had a well-preserved slave cabin still standing on the property. An object of our ancestry, as well as history books, it was our first time ever stepping foot in one.

We learned quite a bit that day about how our enslaved ancestors celebrated Christmas and New Year’s. The most interesting factoids were that on Christmas, everyone (except the cook) was given the day off. On this day, they were “allowed” to indulge in spirits (liquor), party freely (mostly for the entertainment of their owners), as well as move about freely to other slave quarters and plantations.

My oldest son asked a significant question: “Mommy, are there still slaves?” My answer: “Nope.” And then I thought about it and rephrased. “Well, no, not like it was back then. Not like that in the United States. At least, not that we know of. It happens in a few small places in the world but not like it was here.” I stumbled on my words because I honestly didn’t know how right or wrong I was.

Turns out, I was kinda wrong.

Facts on Human Trafficking

Yesterday’s slavery is today’s human trafficking. An estimated 5.5 million children worldwide are victims of child trafficking. This illegal enterprise generates an estimated $32 billion in profits per year! Did you know that human trafficking existed in the United States? Reportedly, there are thousands of cases reported in every state. States with the highest rates of victims of human trafficking are California, Texas, Florida, and New York. If you think like me, your next question is, what is human trafficking in the U.S.?

Basically, human trafficking involves grueling forced labor with little or no pay, being bought and sold, and forced into prostitution. The definition of human trafficking encompasses labor trafficking which happens in restaurants, bars, hotels, agriculture, and construction. It also encompasses sex trafficking which happens in brothels, strip clubs, escort/massage services, as pimp-controlled prostitution, on the street or on the internet.

Trafficking Prevention

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF has launched the End Trafficking project, which raises awareness about child trafficking and mobilizes communities within the U.S. to take purposeful action to help protect children. Want to get involved?

On UNICEF’s site, you can find ways in which you can help end child trafficking. There’s a 1-pager, a toolkit, and educator resources for middle and high school. You can volunteer by joining the UNICEF Action Center or call 888-373-7888 to report potential cases.

We all have a hand in raising our world’s children. And it’s my firm belief that is our responsibility to keep all children safe and help them to have the happy childhood that they deserve. Tell me what you think. Did you know all of this about human trafficking?