by Jennifer Burden | May 28, 2013 | Shot@Life, Social Good, Uganda, World Voice
Jennifer Burden traveled by invitation of the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign to Uganda to observe UNICEF’s Family and Child Health Days, where children are provided life-saving vaccinations. This post reflects on Day 3 of her adventure in October. She has previously reported on day 1 about UNICEF offices in Kampala, Uganda and day 2 of her trip at a UNICEF Family Health Day in Mumbende, Uganda.
Riverboat Safari
On Day 3 of our Ugandan adventure we took a detour. We were scheduled to meet with the health staff who were going to be working at the Family Health Days that we were visiting on Sunday, but they were still busy preparing for Sunday. So, we found ourselves with unexpected free time. What better thing to do in Africa when your plans fall through than to visit one of Uganda’s national parks?
Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Jennifer Burden of World Moms Blog with Jenny Eckton of the blog, Formerly Phread while in Uganda in October 2012 with Shot@Life.
Saturday’s adventure led us to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we went on a river safari cruise on Lake Edward. We saw a multitude of hippos and buffalo, as well as, elephants, crocodiles, monkeys and beautiful birds. We hopped a riverboat and spent the entire time out on the water. I have never seen so many hippos in my life. Apparently, some had been brought to the park in the 1960s, and they’ve been expanding every since! One moment the waters would appear empty, but the next many hippo heads popping up out of the water! Babies followed their moms. They swam around together in groups. Absolutely incredible!
Culture & Signs of Extreme Poverty
The excursion was a fantastic opportunity for our delegation to get a feel of the country’s natural beauty and a great team building exercise. We were bonded going into the next Family Health Day. However, driving through the extreme poverty on the long bus ride through the country really put into perspective how much UNICEF’s efforts were needed.
We saw homes made of only big sticks and mud with reeds or tin for roofs. Although they are great “green” homes for the country’s beautiful African sun drenched days, they are unsuitable when temperatures become very cold at night and there is no running water or electricity.
Ugandan house made of mud and sticks.
Also, children were seen walking long distances in school uniforms, many alone. Women, men and children carried large yellow containers to collect water in and walked for miles home. An image that will never cease to amaze me — the site of an African woman balancing her load on her head and walking on the roadside barefoot.
Woman in Uganda walking on side of road in western Uganda.
Unfinished homes and store fronts were quite common. We were told that owners would save up for bricks and then add gradually to the structure over many years. It was not uncommon to see unfinished storefronts in use or piles of bricks that had been delivered to unfinished residences. Bricks were made of heated, dried mud.
Here is an example of a typical storefront. This one is a bicycle shop and a clothing store. Often times, the storefronts were painted by companies seeking to advertise mobile phones and other products.
Common roadside storefront in Uganda.
We were truly humbled by our trip out to western Uganda. The further we drove away from Kampala, the more common it was to see mud huts. And storefronts were everywhere, often with mothers manning them and children playing outside. Day 3 was a truly memorable day. We captured photos that changed us and that will stay in our advocacy hearts forever. This day was good for our delegation to get to know each other better and prepare for the next round of Family Health Days on Day 4.
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by founder, Jennifer Burden of New Jersey, USA.
Photo credits to the author.
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by Elizabeth Atalay | May 14, 2013 | 2013, Interviews, Social Good, Social Media, United Nations, World Interviews, World Moms Blog, World Voice
Photo by Elizabeth Atalay
World Moms Blog recently took part in the Global Mom Relay, developed in partnership with United Nations Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, BabyCenter and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Leading the effort were Co-chairs Arianna Huffington, Jennifer Lopez, Lynda Lopez, Elizabeth Gore, and Sharon D’Agostino. The relay supported the Every Woman Every Child Movement launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to improve the quality of life of women and children in line with The Millennium Development Goals to be reached by 2015.
Each time a Global Mom Relay piece was shared, a $5 donation was made by Johnson & Johnson and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to one of the four partners, the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Health(MAMA) ,Shot@Life, Girl Up , or the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
World Moms Blog Founder Jennifer Burden and Social Good Editor Elizabeth Atalay attended the culminating event in New York City last week, the MOM + SOCIAL Conference at the Tribeca campus of the 92Y.
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Elizabeth Gore, one of the co-chairs of the Global Mom Relay, host of the MOM + SOCIAL, resident entrepreneur at the United Nations Foundation, former championship equestrian turned inspirational advocate, and mom to Opal Mae.
Elizabeth Atalay: Can you tell me a little bit about how you transitioned from championship equestrian to champion for women and children?
Elizabeth Gore: I grew up on a cattle and horse ranch in Texas, and was the first female to graduate from college in my family. At Texas A & M University I showed horses, and I always thought that I would eventually go back to help manage the family ranch.
The tipping point came for me when a friend of mine had to drop out of school because she became pregnant. There were no family or child services available for students on campus at the time. We protested, and advocated, until the university finally created a children’s center. (more…)
Elizabeth Atalay is a Digital Media Producer, Managing Editor at World Moms Network, and a Social Media Manager. She was a 2015 United Nations Foundation Social Good Fellow, and traveled to Ethiopia as an International Reporting Project New Media Fellow to report on newborn health in 2014. On her personal blog, Documama.org, she uses digital media as a new medium for her background as a documentarian. After having worked on Feature Films and Television series for FOX, NBC, MGM, Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Castle Rock Pictures, she studied documentary filmmaking and anthropology earning a Masters degree in Media Studies from The New School in New York. Since becoming a Digital Media Producer she has worked on social media campaigns for non-profits such as Save The Children, WaterAid, ONE.org, UNICEF, United Nations Foundation, Edesia, World Pulse, American Heart Association, and The Gates Foundation. Her writing has also been featured on ONE.org, Johnson & Johnson’s BabyCenter.com, EnoughProject.org, GaviAlliance.org, and Worldmomsnetwork.com. Elizabeth has traveled to 70 countries around the world, most recently to Haiti with Artisan Business Network to visit artisans in partnership with Macy’s Heart of Haiti line, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans. Elizabeth lives in New England with her husband and four children.
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by Alison Fraser | May 7, 2013 | Africa, Canada, Education, Girls, Human Rights, Inspirational, Poverty, Social Good, USA, Women's Rights, World Moms Blog, World Voice
In a world where Not for Profit Organizations are often competing against each other for funding and publicity, it is so refreshing to feature a collaborative venture that worked so seamlessly and so successfully.
When Mom2Mom Africa recently collaborated with Global Forces, the result was absolutely amazing and inspiring!
Mom2Mom Africa, a Canadian not for profit organization, that I started not so long ago, funds the education of women and children in Tanzania. As of today, Mom2Mom Africa is providing quality education to 16 children and 5 young women in Tanzania. The primary goal of the organization is, and has always been, to raise funds to pay the school fees of each student, as well as to provide the basic school necessities including textbooks, writing supplies, lunch, and uniforms. In doing so, it was assumed that each student would be well-equipped to be successful in their studies. This was simply not the case. These students don’t have electricity at home, which is something most take for granted and rely upon in daily life. (more…)
Alison Fraser is the mother of three young girls ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Alison works as an Environmental Toxicologist with a human environment consulting company and is an active member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). She is also the founder and director of the Canadian Not for Profit Organization, Mom2Mom Africa, which serves to fund the school fees of children and young women in rural Tanzania. Recently recognized and awarded a "Women of Waterloo Region" award, Alison is very involved in charitable events within her community including Christmas Toy and School Backpack Drives for the local foodbank.
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by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Apr 30, 2013 | Autism, Motherhood, Social Good, World Motherhood, World Voice
BLW Photography
Someone recently asked me what was the hardest part of being an autism mom. I had to think about this for a while, and when it finally came to me, the answer was a little surprising. The hardest part of being an autism mom is not the meltdowns, the speech difficulties, the stares and rude comments from strangers, or the lack of sleep. It’s not the heartbreaking desperation that my child experiences when he cannot communicate something, and it’s not the hurt that my younger son feels when I have to put his needs aside to take care of his brother’s autism-related crisis. It’s not my own exhaustion and more-than-occasional sense of being overwhelmed.
To me, the hardest part of being an autism mom is the infighting that happens within the autism community.
I already use so much energy advocating for my child in the school system, making sure he has the services he needs, and doing my part to raise awareness so that he will live in a world where he is treated with dignity and respect. I really shouldn’t have to be defending my actions and choices to autism parents who think their way is the only way. (more…)
Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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by Jennifer Burden | Apr 29, 2013 | Ethiopia, ONE, Social Good, Uncategorized, World Voice
Model Maya Haille & chef Marcus Samuelsson host the launch of the Three Goats Foundation at Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem, NYC on April 7th, 2013.
Last autumn, the ONE Campaign, co-founded by Bono with the mission to eradicate extreme poverty, took a delegation to Ethiopia. Included in the delegation was a fashion model, Maya Haille, whose family is from Ethiopia, and she is also married to the famed Ethiopian NYC chef, Marcus Samuelsson.
Maya’s journey to help the people of Ethiopia has been heartfelt. When she and Marcus once delivered supplies to a village there, the people thanked them by giving them 3 goats. What were NYC folk to do with 3 goats?
Maya said, “Although I can’t take the goats home, I can tell the story.” So, on April , 2013, Maya and Marcus invited their friends, family and the public to Marcus’ restaurant, “
Ginny’s Supper Club” in Harlem to launch their foundation, “
Three Goats” to aid the people in their beloved Ethiopia. I was in attendance at the fundraiser, which brought in over $80,000 to aid women!
I caught up with the amazing woman behind #ONEMoms community relations, Jeannine Harvey, and together with Maggy Keet from Three Many Cooks, we cabbed it to Harlem for the women of Ethiopia. Maggy is no newcomer to social good — she had previously spent 9 months in Tanzania, where she helped build a maternal health unit for the ministry of health there. Maggie’s group raised $100,000 for the building — incredible!
The Three Goats event was filled with gorgeous African music and dancing, Chef Marcus’ scrumptious food, including goat and his renowned Swedish meatballs. Yes, you read right — Marcus and his sister grew up in Sweden. When in Ethiopia, their mother suffered from tuberculosis and had to travel far by foot with her children for her treatment. One day while on this route, she didn’t make it, and her children were later adopted to Swedish parents.
The event included amazing auction items, which guests paid hundreds and thousands of dollars for including, tickets for the Jimmy Fallon show, a high profile photography session, cosmetics, FashionABLE scarves and more.
FashionaABLE is an amazing company that we have mentioned before on World Moms Blog. We first learned of it from the #ONEMoms trip to Ethiopia. Founded by Barrett Ward, who was also in attendance at the 3 Goats event, the company brings women off the streets from prostitution in Ethiopia and empowers them to design and make scarves and helps them find alternative outlets for sale. Examples of places that carry the scarves are FashionABLE’s own website, the ONE Campaign and Harabu House. They are one of my favorite gifts to give!<
Left: Jennifer Burden of World Moms Blog with Maggy Keet of Three Many Cooks and Jeannine Harvey of ONE. Center: with model Maya Haille. Right: With Barrett and Rachel Ward of Live FashionABLE. April 7, 2013 at the launch of the Three Goats Foundation in Harlem, NYC.[/caption]
It was a great night out for a great cause, and I was thrilled to witness the launch of Three Goats to help women in Ethiopia. I look forward to following the additional good to come from the new foundation!
Do you have a foundation that’s near and dear to your heart? Come share it, here, in the comments!
This is an original post to World Moms Blog, by founder, Jennifer Burden of New Jersey, USA.
Photo credits to the author.
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by Purnima Ramakrishnan | Apr 26, 2013 | Communication, Health, India, International, Interviews, Motherhood, Parenting, Poverty, Purnima, Social Good, Social Media, The Alchemist, Uganda, Vaccines, World Moms Blog, World Motherhood, World Voice, Younger Children
This post is a continuation of the interview with Dr. V.R. Purushotham that ran on Tuesday, April 23rd.
In an effort to better understand health care services in India and help expand public awareness, World Moms Blog Senior Editor, Purnima, has interviewed several physicians. The first in this series is an interview with Dr. V. R. Purushotham, a pediatrician in Bangalore, India, and is being run during World Immunization Week. He is consulting in St.John’s Medical College, Bangalore.
Purnima Ramakrishnan: What are some of the most pressing health concerns for children where you work?
Dr. V.R. Purushotham: The primary concerns are anemia, malnutrition and infections as these are major causes of poor growth and mortality in the community.
PR: What is the socioeconomic level of the area you work in? Are the families of the children rich, poor, middle class, etc.?
Dr. P: Being a referral hospital we see children from a varied strata but a majority are from a weaker socioeconomic level.
PR: What is your opinion on the alleged link between vaccines and autism, and how do you answer parents who come to you with those concerns?
Dr. P: There have been enough scientific studies to confirm that MMR vaccine is not associated with autism. The timing of the vaccine was a major reason as to why it was implicated. Previous scientific papers stating their association have been refuted. My view is that the damage caused by measles, mumps and rubella is far more than an unlikely association which is unproven.
PR: What is the biggest obstacle in India for all children to receive routine vaccinations? – Government policy? Financial resources? Supply of vaccines? Access to healthcare facilities? Trained practitioners? Geographical barriers/lack of infrastructure to reach rural areas? Cultural beliefs about vaccines?
Dr. P: The obstacles are multifactorial, but financial constraints and infrastructure would be the major ones. Community education initiatives have helped in this regard too and we are gradually seeing a positive change towards improved healthcare.
PR: And what could help overcome those obstacles the most? Political influence? Foreign resources? Medical staff training? Communication/Awareness campaign?
Dr. P: Better awareness and door to door coverage services would help us overcome these barriers .
PR: As far as you have followed World Moms Blog, do you think WMB has been making an impact in improving the vaccination and immunisation awareness in India? Or do you think blogs and internet do not reach those socio economic echelons where people do not adhere to vaccinations? And if so, how do you think WMB can help bridge the gap?
Dr. P: Any forum which discusses and promotes health from the grassroots in a positive manner is playing a constructive part in the society and WMB is one of them. Having said that, it is the personal and community based initiatives which tend to have a larger impact. I concur that the population with access to blogs would be well aware of the basic requirements of vaccination .
The fact is that you are and will make a difference to the people who do read WMB and I would urge you to keep up the good work.
This post is the first in a series of interactions with physicians and health care workers in India by Purnima Ramakrishnan on behalf of the World Moms Blog.
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by The Alchemist, our Indian mother writing from Chennai, India. Her contributions to the World Moms Blog can be found here. She also rambles at The Alchemist’s Blog.
The photograph in this post is credited to Jennifer Burden and was taken at a UNICEF Family Health Day in Kampala, Uganda, where children were being immunized in October 2012.
