over 8,000 people will receive access to safe drinking water for the first time – thanks to you

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Thanks to everyone reading, this is the message I am able to deliver to you: By the end of this week, Argisa, Ethiopia will have clean water! Most of you know that you all raised, over the course of one week, the money we needed for our first phase of the Ethiopia project. That, in and of itself, was a miracle. Jack, from Waves for Water, boarded a plan on December 12, and I have just been informed he has landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Jack will be bringing 80 Sawyer filters to the … [Read more...]

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

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Waterlink Africa: Water Changes Everything

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Did you know? $1 can give clean water to one person for over a decade. Why is water life-altering? Unsterile water is the number two killer amongst children. Around the world, fetching water is a woman’s task. Thus, one of the most crucial health issues for women in Africa is the clean water shortage. 1 in 5 children worldwide dies of a water-related disease. Water is a women’s issue. In order to get access to clean water, women and girls must carry up to 50lbs of water every day … [Read more...]

Christmas Stocking Project: Use Your Stockings for Good

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Did you know? $1 can give clean water to one person for over a decade. During the holiday season, there’s a lot of tradition in exchanging presents. We want to embrace our traditions and also be able to give back. Here’s our idea: instead of stocking stuffers, let’s put every dollar that would go towards those small gifts towards clean water for our friends in Africa. $10 that would have been spent on stocking stuffers could give life-altering water to ten people. Why is water … [Read more...]

“Beige and Brown”

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This is Samuel This is Aram Samuel and Aram are brothers They love each other They act the same They play the same They find the same things funny They are being raised in the same environment They have the same family, who love them both dearly But one of the boys will get treated differently by society Judgements will be passed People may ignore him People may harass him People may be afraid of him People may want to hurt him All because he has a little more … [Read more...]

Daryl Davis

In light of our strange park experience yesterday, I thought I'd post about a man that has been inspirational to me. I remember first learning about Daryl Davis when I was an Anthropology major in 2005. I first thought it might be a PR ploy for the KKK (just like violent biker gangs put together toy drives and other charitable out-of-character work,)  and Mr. Davis was just an unsuspecting victim. The more I learned about Daryl Davis the more I realized the KKK actually wants people to … [Read more...]

Happy Birthday Samuel!

Samuel turned four on Friday! I can't believe a month has past since he has come home! So much has happened! So much, that he didn't completely grasp the concept of his birthday! He just knew it was fun! … [Read more...]

Why We Won’t Celebrate Kwanzaa

I feel like as a transracial/transcultural family we need to be made aware of everything that may pertain to our family. The history of Kwanzaa had never crossed my mind until I saw in ad in a magazine for a kinara and other Kwanzaa related merchandise. I love celebrating almost anything...I assumed I would probably like Kwanzaa, too. I thought I would look into this "Pan-African" holiday! Afterall, my favorite American Doll®, Addy, placed in the civil war era, celebrated Kwanzaa. There … [Read more...]

Our Adoptive Breastfeeding Story

  This is our adoptive breastfeeding story, and why it was such a positive experience. In our case, Samuel was breastfed up to the date of his relinquishment. Having been breastfed by my mother until I was six, I was aware of the importance of breastfeeding during a time of stress or trauma. Breastfed children do not normally use an inanimate item (such as a blanket or stuffed animal) to comfort themselves. They often use the closeness that breastfeeding provides from their … [Read more...]

“To Call a Spade a Spade” – Racist?

Is the saying, "To call a spade a spade" a racially insensitive phrase? People claim that it was derived from calling an African American person a spade, like the black suit in a deck of cards. If you've used the quite ancient saying before, rest easy, it has nothing to do with that. I actually learned about the origin of "to call a spade a spade" when studying the teachings of Erasmus in theology. (By the way, he is my all time favorite theologian! He was responsible for "cracking the … [Read more...]