power, money and LOVE

in direct contrast to my wordy posts, i'd like to start a new tradition on my Blog: "wordless wednesdays". no text;  just a photo or video.

i thought i'd kick off wordless wednesdays with this phenomenal TED Talk from Jessica Jackley, founder of Kiva.org <--- i'm such a fan. Kiva.org is the world's first online microlending platform.

10 things you can do right now, like today, to make a difference

giving doesn't have to be a major feat. yes, some people make grand gestures, but there are countless small acts that make a BIG difference. some of us want to do something but we just don't know where to start. you'd be surprised to learn how easily you can incorporate giving into your everyday activities. i thought i'd spoil you and make a list of 10 things you can do right now, like today, to make a difference. this list is ranked according to time, effort or financial sacrifice required (with #1 requiring the least effort).

1. Read

a good place to start might be to stay informed. get to know what the issues are, or get inspired by someone who's already doing something to change the world. here are two books that i'm reading now:

2. Tweet

yes, Tweet. If you have a Twitter account, you can donate 1 tweet a day to a cause you care about. justcoz.org allows you to find causes that you're passionate about and donate 1 tweet a day to raise awareness to all your followers. they do the actual tweeting, so you don't have to do anything.

Done! You did something.

just in case!

so it's been two weeks since i moved to johannesburg and i've started driving! once i got some safety tips from my wonderful colleagues (drive with your doors locked, your purse in the trunk and your cellphone under your legs) i felt ready to hit the road. while driving, (and getting lost in the process), i noticed the strangest of things.

at the major intersections along johannesburg's highways there are anywhere between 2 to 4 tow trucks parked up. they literally sit there all day, all night waiting for an accident to happen. they're called 'vultures'.

imagine that. they just park there, waiting, just in case an accident happens.

photo courtesy Marie Tichborne www.far-beyond-zebra.blogspot.com

of course, more than wanting to actually help, their real desire is to make money off of these potential accidents. but i can't help but wonder what the people in the trucks are actually missing out on while waiting for something bad to happen. 

better yet,  in our own lives, in the midst of playing it safe and preparing ourselves "just in case" something should happen, what are we missing out on?

a story with a face, a face with a name

Robert *, a young accountant, moves his family from Zimbabwe to escape a declining economic and political climate. he cannot find a job in his field so he works installing security alarms...

David*, a psychology major, teaches himself to sew because there are no jobs for psychologists in Kinshasa. he is kidnapped and marked for execution because of a political comment he made on the radio. he narrowly escapes execution and travels all the way to johannesburg to start over...

these are the people i get to meet each day as part of my job. i suppose they are whom we'd call "the poor", but i have a hard time using this descriptor. meeting them, they are anything but. and there's something about hearing their stories and their determination to "make it despite a bad situation…" that always puts me to shame.

is giving ever truly selfless?

now that one week has gone by and i start dealing with the difficulties of adjusting to a shoebox-sized uninsulated apartment, ice-cold toilet seats and flooring, really slow and limited internet and - oh yeah! - no salary, i start asking myself "am i having fun yet?" where's that euphoria of "i'm going to help the poor"?

i recently read a study on "why do people give?" and stumbled across the following:
"Giving is an intrinsically good thing to do.  It makes people feel good about themselves and makes them feel like they are connected to a greater cause that does good things in the world."

huh...

jo'burg

i am here. i am excited. i am ready!

after TWO days of flying/airport trotting/cramped legs from coach plane seats/air sickness i am finally in johannesburg.

it is cold.

for those of you who snoozed during your geography lessons: because of where south africa is, the winter months are from may to july, while summer starts at the end of the year.

the houses aren't insulated. i don't know why. did i mention that i'm cold?

mission jo'burg

tomorrow i'm getting on a plane and moving to johannesburg, south africa. this is a thought i have to repeatedly tell myself to believe it's actually happening…(especially because i'm not completely packed). i've recently given up my job to spend two years in south africa volunteering. on the outside, this move may seem really crazy and/or radical, but on the inside it feels just about right.

the C word…

i don't know why, but to self-identify as a Christian always made me cringe and I avoided it at all costs. of all things to be labeled as, the big C brought  discomfort and even embarrassment, especially among my large social and professional network comprised of the ultra-liberal, uber-educated and enlightened.  something about being educated and enlightened causes one to turn his or her sophisticated and culturally-aware nose down on the very idea of the C word. and this is why i myself had struggled with my own beliefs for many years.

pure, unadulterated love

interestingly new trends point to everything all natural and organic. there isn't anything you can't buy organic. i know this because i am the proud owner of organic soap, organic toothpaste and a certified organic, recycled toothbrush (yes it took me a while to get used to the idea of a recycled toothbrush too). more and more we reject products with chemicals in favour of those that are as close to their original state as possible. Because it's good for our bodies.

"what is the purpose of life?...to give"

"true generosity is measured not by how much we give away but by how much we have left, especially when we look at the needs of our neighbours. we have no right not to be charitable." ---shane claiborne, the irresistible revolution