India is the most dangerous place to be a girl...

Today on CNN is a sad story about the death of a 3 month old baby girl- killed because she was not a boy.

Some startling info from the report:
India has a growing gender gap: The 2011 census showed that for every 1,000 boys six years or younger there were only 914 girls. It is the lowest child sex ratio since India's independence in 1947.

The United Nations has said India is the most dangerous place to be a girl. Dr. Anand Krishnan at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who has studied the gender gap for years, agrees.

"Yes, largely this is from the point of view of mortality statistics for girls versus boys," Krishnan told CNN.

Sex-selective abortions are against the law in India but are still happening at an alarming rate, he said.

His study shows a surprising trend: Sex selective abortions among the educated and well-off seem to be more prevalent than among the desperately poor and uneducated. Despite greater prosperity, their mindsets have not changed and they have the money to pay for ultrasounds and abortions.

"A boy is seen as a better investment. They prefer boys," Krishnan said.

Go here to read more

GlobalGiving Highlight of the Week: Brazil

GlobalGiving Highlight of the Week: Brazil

Brazil is the largest country/econmy in South America and is growing at a fantastic rate. However, alongside this picture of growing affluence, Brazil is the home of some of the poorest slums and neighbodhoods in the world.

Find out what you can do to make a difference over at GlobalGiving!

Prevent Youth Involvement in Drug Trafficking

Empower Youth Action at the Rio Earth Summit!

Train 360 youths for the workplace in Sao Paulo

Free Cleft Surgery for 400 Children in Brazil

Empower Youth Through Soccer in Recife, Brazil

Protecting Children From Lead Poisoning in Nigeria, HRW Reports

Men and children work in the mines outside of Bagega. They dig deep to find the rock and then crush these rocks to extract the gold ore. Inside the rocks are deposits of other metals, including lead, which has poisoned many of the children in the village.

Amina Murtala is only 20, but she has already lost three children to lead poisoning – a deadly consequence of small-scale gold mining in her home state of Zamfara in Nigeria.

Human Rights Watch researched the impact of lead poisoning on communities near Zamfara’s mines, shooting video of the families, teachers, and healthcare workers we interviewed. We created a multimedia report exposing the devastation – the worst lead poisoning epidemic in modern history.

Our objective was to persuade Nigeria’s federal government, which controls funding for lead clean-up, of the situation’s urgency. Together with our partner organizations, we urged the Nigerian government to protect families at risk of lead poisoning. Last week President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to release 650 million Naira (roughly US$4 million) for environmental remediation and to put in place safer mining practices in Zamfara state. This clean-up could give Amina’s newest baby a better chance at a healthy life.

Read the rest of the article HERE

GlobalGiving Highlight of the Week: Haiti

GLOBALGIVING HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: HAITI

Since the massive earthquake in 2010, Haiti has struggled to recover. They are still in desperate need of aid in several areas including basic sanitation, clean water, proper housing, medical supplies, and support for thousands of orphaned children.  GlobalGiving is currently featuring 66 projects in Haiti- these are just a few of my favorites:

Increase Job Opportunities in Port au Prince

Provide medical care to Haitian orphans

Vehicle to Transport Disabled Kids in Haiti

Equip the new Mirebalais Hospital in Haiti

A donation as small as $15 will make a huge difference to any one of these projects. You can also set up a monthly or yearly donation if you'd like! I know that every little bit counts, especially to some of these projects that are SO CLOSE to meeting their goal!

Landmark Anullment in India

An Indian woman who was a baby bride has had her 17-year marriage legally annulled in a ground-breaking case challenging the culture of child weddings, Agence France Presse reported Wednesday.

Laxmi Sargara was 1 year old when she was married to a 3-year-old boy named Rakesh in the desert state of Rajasthan in northwestern India, the French news agency said. Their families decided that when they grew up they would live together and have children.

A UNICEF report says 47 percent of married women in India wed before age 18. Unicef also says 40 percent of the world's child marriages take place in India.

"I was unhappy about the marriage,” Sargara, now 18, told AFP. “I told my parents who did not agree with me, then I sought help. Now I am mentally relaxed and my family members are also with me."

Read the full article here ----->

Unfortunately, child marriages are still a big issue in India, especially in rural areas. NGOs try to halt the practice through negotiation with parents and improved education for girls, however, they're fighting against an age-old tradition and the mindset of thousands of parents.

GlobalGiving hosts several projects that are working to make changes for young girls in India. If you're looking for a way to help, check out these two:

The Blossom Bus: Help Rural Girls in India Get To School

Prevent Child Marriage, Educate 100 Girls in India

Update on Malnutrition in Guatemala

Feed a Child - Reduce Malnutrition in Guatemala


Site visits to 5 communities
By Peter Rohloff - Medical Director
 

Dear friends,

I am just back from a great trip to Guatemala where, together with our nutrition staff and pediatricians, we made the rounds on 5 communities which are enrolled in the Plumpydoz project, funded by you all!

In all communities, we were very pleased with the progress that the children are making. Most children and mothers really enjoy using the Plumpydoz product, and we are seeing some early encouraging results in each location. For example, mothers report that their children have better appetites and are getting sick less often. Additionally, we saw many cases where the Plumpydoz is already making a big difference for children in terms of their growth. We expect that, as time goes on, these effects will become more and more pronounced.

Also, in each community, we took the time to visit with several very ill children. As you can probably imagine, whenever we start a nutrition program in a new community, we always find at least a few children who have previously undiagnosed illnesses other than malnutrition, such as congenital heart disease, seizures, etc. Since there really is no primary care for children in Guatemala, often visits with our doctors are the first these children have had. As part of our community based nutrition work, however, we at Wuqu' Kawoq also commit to treating any other medical condition we find in the children that we serve.

Thanks once again for all of your support and generosity in this project, and stay tuned for more updates! As always, email me at peter@wuqukawoq.org with any questions or concerns.

Feed a Child on October 19th

Feed a Child: On Oct 19, your gift grows 30%!
By Peter Rohloff - Medical Director

Dear Friends and Supporters,

 We are excited to announce that on October 19, GlobalGiving.org is matching all online donations at 30% up to $1000 per donor per project!

Thanks to your support, we now have 5 communities receiving comprehensive nutrition and medical care utilizing Plumpydoz! We have already had seen some successes, after just a few short months, with decreases in diarrhea and other illnesses in the recipient children. Of course we are following their growth closely and expect to see results there as well.

Last week we sponsored a conference “Collective Futures" (http://en.futuroscolectivos.com/) in Guatemala bringing together 80 international non-profits, regional organizations, and government agencies to address major issues in community development. One focus of the conference was working together to fight child malnutrition in creative and practical ways. Our partners at Edesia (the manufacturers of Plumpydoz) gave an excellent talk on the use of the product to a packed room of health promoters, scholars and community members representing several countries and many regions of Guatemala.

We hope that you will continue to support this exciting work! In particular, don't forget that on October 19, GlobalGiving.org is matching all online donations at 30% up to $1000 per donor per project! There is $100,000 available in matching funds from 12:01am EDT until they run out! You have been the most generous of supporters and we wanted to invite you to take advantage of the generous matching funds from Global Giving to help stretch every precious dollar! We know the economy is difficult right now and we are extremely thankful for each dollar you can provide to help change the future for children in Guatemala!

GO HERE TO DONATE!

Thank you for Being the Change in these children’s lives!

Starvation in Somalia

DOLLO ADO, Ethiopia, September 30 (UNHCR) – When Hassen Ibrahim arrived recently in Ethiopia, the teenager had not seen his parents for more than two years. "As the eldest son, I stayed behind to take care of my grandmother, who was too sick to travel," explained the 15-year-old, shortly after crossing into eastern Ethiopia after fleeing drought-hit Somalia.

Hassen is one of an increasing number of unaccompanied children who are arriving at refugee camps set up in Ethiopia's Dollo Ado district. Most were obliged to stay behind to look after ailing or elderly relatives who could not make the arduous journey to Ethiopia from their homes in southern Somalia.

Many, like Hassen, made their own way to the border when the relative died or when it became too difficult to survive in their villages. But the journey to safety is fraught with danger, particularly for young males travelling on their own – unaccompanied minors are seen by UNHCR as highly vulnerable.

Those caught fleeing to Ethiopia are seen as traitors by the anti-government Al Shabaab militia and many newly arrived refugees have tales of seeing teenagers and young men being kidnapped, forcibly recruited or even executed.

Hassen was among the lucky ones who made it to Ethiopia unharmed and found their families. According to initial estimates, there could be as many as 2,500 unaccompanied children in Dollo Ado's four refugee camps. The number who failed to make it to safety is not known.

When his parents and siblings left for Ethiopia in mid-2000, Hassen stayed behind in their village to look after his grandmother. But she died last July, leaving Hassen alone and desperate to rejoin his family. "The goats had all died and there was no way for me to survive. I had to try to find my family," he recalled.

It took him three days to reach the border, traveling by donkey cart and foot, he said, adding that when he got to Dollo Ado, "I didn't know what to do. I knew that my family was here but there was no way for me to find them. I felt so distraught."

Within hours, UNHCR registration clerks managed to trace Hassen's parents and five siblings to Kobe camp. Two days later he was reunited with his family, who had been asking UNHCR staff every day if they knew of Hassen's whereabouts.

When he finally arrived in Kobe, the family was overjoyed to greet him, and his father wept with happiness. "I am so grateful to UNHCR for finding my family, I feel like I'm at home again," he told UNHCR staff.

Earlier this month, UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children (USA) jointly carried out an extensive screening exercise to better determine the exact number of unaccompanied and separated children in the camps.

UNHCR's registration team plays a vital role in reuniting families by tracing relatives through a comprehensive database system which records every refugee's name, place of origin and clan ethnicity. Photographs and fingerprints are also taken to verify identity. For those children whose relatives cannot be traced, UNHCR will ensure that appropriate foster families are found so that no child is left alone.

"I hope that now I'm in Ethiopia, I can go to school. I've never been to school before," Hassen said as he played with the five-month-old sister he met for the first time after arriving in Dollo Ado. "I'm so happy to be back with my family. This is where I belong."

By Laura Padoan in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia

Visit UNHCR to learn more or donate

darling + helpful

i love h&m. they have been one of my favorite places to shop since i discovered we lived oh so close to one in san diego. at first i loved them for their cute, inexpensive clothes {still do} but now i also love them because they have paired up with UNICEF {united nations children's fund} to improve life and education for children around the world.

right now, 25% of the sales price from the ALL FOR CHILDREN collection will be donated to protect children's rights in bangladesh, which will help provide access to schools. 'we believe that children who learn how to read and write are better equipped to make informed choices about their future.' -h&m

not only are these clothes absolutely darling, but you can buy them knowing that because your children wear them, someone else's children get to go to school. what could be better?

stay tuned tomorrow, there's going to be a BIG post up here!

Update from Reduce Malnutrition in Guatemala

Update from Guatemala

By Peter Rohloff - Medical Director

Dear friends and supporters, I just got back from another exciting trip to Guatemala!

Our child nutrition projects using Plumpydoz are progressing very well! The programs are now in full swing, with comprehensive nutrition as well as medical care, in 4 out of 5 target communities! We anticipate the last community will come on line by the end of August. These programs have been made possible entirely because of the support of you, our donors!

The product is being very well received in the communities, and we are already starting to notice a difference in the health of children! Community leaders, especially women, have been especially energized by the program, and it has already generated a lot of talk and interest about starting some other new programs as well, such as health programs for women!

The ABC news team was down again several weeks ago and shot some additional video of the project as well as interviews with mothers of children in the program and our local staff. We look forward to seeing some of that footage on ABC in coming months!

In the meantime, please enjoy the new pictures that I am attaching from one of the target towns, Paquip.

Welcome to the World, South Sudan

On July 9, 2011, Africa welcomed its newest country into the world. Having declared independence after a decades-long civil war, South Sudan is a newborn nation full of promise. South Sudan is the 193rd player in the United Nations playground. Its 6-year-old government is learning to run, and it's even starting to tweet from @RepSouthSudan!


“Our love for this new nation is very great,” said William Ochieng, a GlobalGiving project leader who has been striving for independence for South Sudan. His priority now is to help mothers in Onura, South Sudan, safely deliver the newest nation’s newest citizens.

One-in-five mothers in Onura village dies in childbirth. Just this month the village has lost three women and two girls because the midwives delivering babies lacked simple sterile supplies. What better way to celebrate the birth of a nation than to ensure safe deliveries for mothers and babies in South Sudan?

Let’s rally this week and throw a baby shower for South Sudan’s Onura clinic. No silly games or gift wrap necessary for this party; just basic supplies that will save lives. Which gift will you give?

1 birthing mat and medical scissors - $10
2 sterile gowns and gloves - $25
2 birth kits with cord clamps, forceps and sutures - $60
1 set of medical instruments - $202

Go here to GIVE

China's Children Poisoned

China's Children Poisoned by Lead
Officials Deny Necessary Blood Testing and Intimidate Worried Parents

Xiao Wu is a fragile, listless 10-year old, whose thinness reflects her difficulty digesting food. She has lead poisoning, caused by the smelter across the street from her home in Henan province. Xiao Wu is one of hundreds of thousands of child lead poisoning victims in an epidemic spreading across China, a new report says.

China’s deputy environment minister has spoken of health problems caused by pollution, and in recent years the country has passed a number of environmental regulations. However, these protections are enforced sporadically. Local government officials often shield economic interests, ignoring competing health problems.

Local authorities in contaminated areas offer limited blood testing. Often, sick children have suspiciously normal blood test results. Sometimes authorities withhold results. Officials tell children with high blood lead levels to eat garlic or drink milk, denying them legitimate care.

Children with acute lead poisoning need to be hospitalized and given chelation therapy. Failure to provide prompt treatment can lead to permanent mental and physical disabilities, or even death.

The Chinese government needs to enforce its environmental controls, ensure its children’s right to health, and hold violators accountable. Otherwise, it will be responsible for the children, like Xiao Wu, who suffer the consequences.

Update from Empowering Girls in Bangladesh on GlobalGivi​ng.org

Rima is an 18 year-old girl from KharijJomal Char. Rima’s father died leaving her family destitute. Rima hoped to take her secondary school examinations but feared that her family could not afford the examination fees. She was further frustrated to learn that her guardians were searching for a husband for her because there were few opportunities for Rima to earn money.


Rima joined the Kishoree Kontha (KK) group, focused on developing the social and financial competencies of adolescent girls, empowering them to develop strong voices and shape a bright and healthy future for themselves. Rima became a Peer Educator for the social competency unit and received 40 hours of basic training on the subject from Field Trainer Zinat. Rima eagerly took part in the financial competency and educational support sessions and was excited when her group began “Safe Savings.” Rima started saving money each week from her school stipend and began to assess opportunities to engage in income-generating activities. She yearned to practice her learning from the KK project and earn money to cover her examination fees.

Rima’s family possessed some unused land and a pond on its property and so at the conclusion of her Safe Savings cycle, Rima invested in tree saplings and fish so that she could cultivate both to sell. Rima currently has fish in her pond with a market value of 5000 Taka ($71) and she knows she can easily sell some to cover her examination fees.

Additionally, with the income she is earning, Rima can consider education beyond secondary school. “I am very happy that I could use the learning about finances to secure my educational future. I now feel confident about pursuing additional education…I am really grateful to the project and Field Trainer Zinat who brought this program to us.”

Rima’s guardians have also been happy to see her become involved in income-generating activities. Mujul Begum explained how Rima’s activities have reduced the household burden and helped prove that girls can be assets to their families. Mujul notes, “We are no longer looking for a groom for her marriage. We like the Kishoree Kontha activities. Before, girls spent any extra money [from their lunch or transportation allowances] on cosmetics and other unnecessary items. But now they are saving and this will help them have positive futures.”

Rima has been encouraging other girls in her area to save and engage in income generating activities that can help secure their futures and change the way their families view them. Field Trainer Zinat is proud of Rima’s achievements and commented: “It makes me happy when I see how confident Rima is. When I met her for the first time, she was very introverted and scared about her education. Now she encourages other girls to continue their education and to earn money. I think things changed for Rima because she regularly attended the [KK] peer education sessions and worked at applying her learning in her practical life. I now have high hopes for her future.”

GlobalGiving progress update, Guatemala

GlobalGiving Site Visit

By Clinton Misamore - Field Program Officer

On February 24th, 2011 I had the unique privilege of visiting one of the child malnutrition programs of Wuqu Kawoq. My visit was lead by two of Wuqu Kawoq’s dedicated, long-term volunteers Claire Melvin and Miranda Greiner. After a gorgeous ride through the Guatemalan hillside we had arrived at the fieldsite of Pacquip to meet the community members. The women in the community were sufficiently and independently running the distribution of Plumpy’doz (nutritional food supplement). In addition, the women were recording all these transactions, weighing the children, and measuring their heights. They were recording all this data and monitoring progress to ensure that all children were improving their nutritional intakes. (see photo’s) It was clearly evident that the model being implemented by Wuqu Kawoq was being engendered and expanded by the intended beneficiaries. This was obviously a key indicator of success and a healthy relationship between the organization and the communities they serve. Most importantly, because of the work of Wuqu Kawoq, many of the communities are being educated on the effects of malnourishment which is inevitably leading to healthier children. The proof is in the Plumpy’doz!! And of course in Wuqu Kawoq. Thanks to the Wuqu Kawoq team who took time from their personal and busy schedules, to show me the amazing work that their organization is undertaking.

Japan's tiniest miracle

Amid the silent corpses a baby cried out - and Japan met its tiniest miracle.

On March 14 soldiers from the Japanese Defense Force were going door-to-door, pulling bodies from homes flattened by the earthquake and tsunami in Ishinomaki City, a coastal town northeast of Senda. More accustomed to the crunching of rubble and the sloshing of mud than to the sound of life, they dismissed the baby's cry as a mistake. Until they heard it again.
They made their way to the pile of debris, and carefully removed fragments of wood and slate, shattered glass and rock. And then they saw her: a four-month old baby girl in a pink woolen bear suit.

Go here to read the rest of the article

Increasing Impact for Girls in Bangladesh- UPDATE

Increasing Impact for Girls in Bangladesh

By Megan McLain - Manager, Corporate Partnerships
 
During the past four years, over 42,400 adolescent girls in 458 villages were reached through Save the Children’s Kishoree Kontha (Adolescent Girls’ Voices) research program in southern Bangladesh’s Barisal Division.


The program’s goal was to reduce poverty by improving the health, education, economic opportunity, and social well-being of adolescent girls. Participants received a structured set of four different intervention packages, with each village within the target area randomly allocated to one of the intervention packages. In addition to a control group, the packages included: (1) a basic package of literacy, social competency, and reproductive health training; (2) a livelihoods package which included the basic package plus financial literacy training and participation in savings groups; (3) a full package which included all of the above, plus a nutrition incentive of cooking oil conditional on delayed marriage; and (4) solely a conditional nutrition incentive of cooking oil.

The program was implemented in partnership with the Bangladesh Development Society and the U.S.-based Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT, which serves as the research partner.

Initial quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that interventions positively impacted girls’ confidence, involvement in community activities, parental perceptions of girls, school retention, age of marriage and first pregnancy, and other indicators of girls’ empowerment. Using the Developmental Assets Profile[1] —a self-administered questionnaire measuring the personal and community assets young people need to succeed throughout adolescence—Save the Children found that girls who received the basic training package experienced an increase from a “fair” to “good” level of developmental assets. These assets included knowledge, skills, behavioral competencies, and positive experiences (self esteem, family support, reading for pleasure, etc.) that have a proven correlation with positive youth behaviors. A qualitative assessment in April/May 2010 found positive changes in community perception and treatment of adolescent girls, as well as increased social capital among girls in the program and cases of delayed marriage and first pregnancy.

In addition to targeted interventions designed to empower adolescent girls and increase age of marriage, Kishoree Kontha piloted Safe Savings Groups which developed girls’ financial literacy and laid the groundwork for economic empowerment. Save the Children found, through qualitative research, that this was a critical component in increasing girls’ well-being, giving families the means to realize positive changes for girls such as school retention and delayed marriage.

Favorite GlobalGiving Projects of the Week: Guatemala

When my dad was 19, he served a church service mission in Guatemala for 2 years {for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}. I grew up listening to his stories and looking at his pictures of that beautiful country. It has always had a special place in my heart.

Guatemala is struggling to feed it's people, especially children and the elderly. They are the most malnourished country in all of Latin America. Before advancements can be made in education, technology, and the economy, the people of Guatemala need sufficient food. So this week, I'm showcasing several GlobalGiving projects that directly help provide better nutrition in this gorgeous country.

1. Feed a Child - Reduce Malnutrition in Guatemala
2. Buy a Goat for a Family in Guatemala
3. Restore a Child's Health in Guatemala
4. School Meals at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
5. School Lunches Improve Learning for Mayan Children

P.S. Don't forget to take the poll! ----->

Malnutrition plagues Guatemala

Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition among children in Latin America, and the health consequences continue on through adulthood.

Awareness about malnutrition has grown, but necessary monitoring has no been put into place to see if the situation is improving, Botran said. The food security office has helped connect stake holders and runs initiatives to provide fortified foods and educate the population.

USAID also contributes between $16 to $18 million a year in food assistance to the country, including some higher protein commodities like beans and grains fortified with soy.

Still, says Chessa Lutter, regional advisor for the Pan American Health Organization, Guatemala continues to have some of the poorest nutrition indicators in the region and once a child has been malnourished through crucial early development, it has long-lasting implications.

Go here to read the full article on PBS NEWSHOUR

P.S. Don't forget to take the poll! ----->

Make your Valentine a girl you don't know...

...on GlobalGiving.org!

You were probably planning on your Valentine being your spouse, children, significant other, best friend, mother and/or someone you know, right?

But you do that every year! This year, surprise everyone and choose a girl you don't know to be your Valentine. We'll introduce you!

Manuchecka: She lives in Haiti. She is pregnant and is recieving free medical care. For $25, you could buy chocolate, or ensure the free clinic stays open to provide treatment to Manuchecka and her baby.

Nita: She lives in India. Through an adventure camp, she has developed leadership and teamwork skills and now believes that "[Girls] can do whatever we set our minds on." For $50, you could send flowers, or build leadership through adventures for Nita.

Basma: She lives in Egypt. Because of her Valuable Girl Project Big Sister, she has been able to stay in school the whole year and graduate to the next grade. For $100, you could buy jewelry, or make sure Basma has a mentor to be her advocate and help her with school work.

These girls don't want candy, flowers or jewelry. They want an education, medical care and a chance to prove themselves. We believe in them. How about you?

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Marking Birth Certificates?

State lawmakers associated with the group State Legislators for Legal Immigration proposed this month to mark birth certificates of children born in the United States whose parents don’t hold US citizenship or have permanent US residency, even though these children are US citizens under the Constitution.

The proposal doesn’t attempt to change the requirements for US citizenship, which would require an amendment to the US Constitution. However, if enacted by state legislatures, such laws would violate the right to equal protection under US and international law and encourage discrimination against US citizens based on their parents’ immigration status.

Equal protection under the law is a cornerstone of international law as well as US law, where it is addressed by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. States should reject this proposal as abhorrent to US values.

Go here to read more