Day 21: Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween!  

Today, all across America, kids are getting dressed up in silly costumes, putting on face paint, psyching themselves up for the thrill of the treasure hunt, and looking forward to the massive sugar-high at the end of the night.  When I was little, I would get so excited at just the thought of trick-or-treating, that I would vomit.  Literally.  

For 60 years, though, some children have trick-or-treated for a better cause: to help their peers around the world.  Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF was started by a mother and her children to help kids still struggling to recover from World War II.  And the need is still present today.  Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has not only raised $160 million dollars in the past 60 years, but it is also raising the awareness of America's youth of the needs of children all around the world, and allowing them to participate in generating a solution.  What a treat, giving these children a sense of contribution and an opportunity to really help another child in need.  

Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter.

RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.  

Day 20: Racing for a cure...and reconciliation?

This last week, the Susan G. Komen Global Promise Fund extended its reach to Israel, with its first ever Race for the Cure in Jerusalem.  It was a week long event, consisting of meetings with government officials, NGOs, and survivors.  The race was attended by over 5,000 people, Arabs and Jews walking together, united in a single cause.  Fighting breast cancer.  

""We all came here, because there is no difference between us, when it comes to this disease. Jews, Arabs, we are all women and we all fight together," said one of the participants, who traveled all the way from a Druze village in the north of Israel. The coverage calls the Komen Israel Race a "small miracle.""Fox News

The Susan G. Komen Global Promise Fund is dedicated to reaching underserved people in areas where breast cancer death rates are highest.  This race in Jerusalem was meant to raise awareness of breast health, and to open dialog about detection and treatment of breast cancer. 



Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter.

RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.

Day 19: Grand Challenges Explorations

I'm not feeling too well today, so maybe that is why an entry about the advancements in health research sounds so appealing. 

There are numerous brilliant-minded men and women, scientists, biologists, epidemiologists, doctors, nurses, public health professionals, and more I'm sure, that are dedicating their lives to solving health epidemics.  The research will be a continual need, as there are so many health concerns affecting people worldwide.   The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one organization that encourages novel and experimental thinking, by supplying grants to universities and research agencies in order to fund their work.  "Unorthodox thinking is essential to overcoming the most persistent challenges in global health...Grand Challenges Explorations  fosters innovation in global health research. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $100 million to encourage scientists worldwide to expand the pipeline of ideas to fight our greatest health challenges."  Initial grants are awarded to ideas thought to have promise, and are given $100,000 to start.  A second $1 million grant is awarded to those research projects that have demonstrated initial success with their research project. 

Just recently, nine Grand Challenges Explorations projects received additional funding.  Projects have included improving the effectiveness of vaccinations, reducing drug-resistance mechanisms, developing an infrared light to distract malaria mosquitoes from reaching their target, cutting the DNA sequence of HIV to eliminate it's chance to turn into full-blown AIDS, and improving patient's response to malaria medications by disabling malaria's ability to rapidly mutate.  Holy cow, you can do that??  What an amazing thing, knowing that there are smart men and women researching and getting closer and closer to eradicating some of the most rampant and deadly diseases out there.  

If you are brilliant and/or have an idea that you think could be research worthy, the next deadline for initial funding is November 2.  Who knows, maybe you could have a mind-blowing idea that may save lives.


Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter.
RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.

Day 18: Teach a man to fish...

I work and live in Seattle, and so the problem of homelessness is a constant one that I see, nearly on a day to day basis.  Sitting in my car at a red light, with the man holding a cardboard sign asking for any spare change that I might have.  It confuses me, makes me feel uncomfortable, and I often think "Why can't you get a job?  Surely McDonald's is hiring."  Totally an unfair statement, and definitely showing my naivety at thinking how simple the problem of homelessness is, when in truth it is so complex. 

"While there are many specific factors that lead to a person losing their home - mental illness, chemical dependency, domestic violence, a sudden financial hardship - the underlying factor of all these is the lack of a connection to a supportive community."  I take for granted that I have a supportive community, but what a blessing to have a caring husband, loving parents and in-laws, sisters, friends, church...the list goes on and on.  A supportive community is so necessary to pick you up when you are down, to walk with you during the rough times, and to cheer you on in the good times.  

FareStart is a beautiful organization that is providing homeless men, women, and youth, a supportive community.  Dignity.  Skills to obtain a job and to keep it.  Skills to lift these men and women out of a rough spot, and back on their own two feet.  FareStart's Mission: provide a community that transforms lives by empowering homeless and disadvantaged men, women, and families to achieve self-sufficiency through life skills, job training and employment in the food service industry. "Teaching a man to fish and feeding him for a lifetime." 

FareStart is a comprehensive 16-week program, with hands-on food-service training with classroom instruction, individual case management and job placement services. They work in the kitchen at FareStart's restaurant, serving lunch 5 days a week, and each Thursday night for dinner.  The Thursday night dinner is "Guest Chef Night" which allows the students the opportunity to cook with some of the top chefs in the city.  All proceeds from the meals served goes directly back to support the job training and placement programs.  

"It is critical for FareStart to restore a student's connection to their community, or provide that community if one never existed.  By doing so, we support our students as they gain the skills and training necessary to build new futures for themselves and to achieve their goals of self-sustainability, employment, and ultimately, ending their personal cycle of homelessness."


Information for this blog was found at FareStart's website.

Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter. 

RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.  

Day 17: Earth-Conscious Vacuum Cleaner?

Electrolux is a vacuum cleaner company turned earth-conscious crusader.  They have just unveiled their 'Vac from the Sea,' a limited line of 5 vacuum cleaners constructed from plastic retrieved from the world's oceans. Apparently while there is a shortage of recycled plastics on land to use for making sustainable home appliances, there are large islands, several times larger than the state of Texas, floating in the oceans.  

"Their aim is twofold: to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution and to raise awareness on the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances...The plan is to make a limited number of vacuum cleaners from plastic debris harvested from the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean, Baltic and North Seas. The techniques for harvesting the plastic will vary depending on the location – from diving after it to scooping it up from the waves."

This is part of a larger initiative to improve the process of collecting and recycling, also known as ecocycling.  There are smart people working on improving the process of recycling, and at Electrolux they are currently able to produce this vacuum cleaner with up to 70% recycled plastics.  Their ultimate hope, though, is to someday be able to completely construct home appliances using 100% recycled material.  An awesome goal, and totally achievable with such brilliant minds at work.  

"However, to fix the imbalance in supply and demand and get the cycle working properly, overall consumer perception must change.  “The ‘Vac from the sea’ project aims to do just that – educate consumers,” says Nord. “This issue is much too important to leave to politicians. Companies, consumers and politicians are equally accountable for the situation.”"  Yes, we are.  And thank you, Electrolux, for your creative ideas in engaging the problem and beginning to find a solution.  

Information for this blog was found on happynews.com and Electrolux's 'Vac from the sea' site.


Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter. 

RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.

Day 16: 1,200 New Species

Today a report was released from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), sharing with the world that in the last decade, 1,200 new species have been identified in the Amazon rain forest.  Thirty-nine mammals, 16 birds, 55 reptiles, 216 amphibians, 257 fish and 637 plants.  The Amazon is rich in life and biodiversity, and its importance and significance to the world became ever more apparent with this discovery of new species.  

"The Amazon region encompasses the largest rainforest and river system on Earth. The region spans eight South American countries and one overseas territory, and is home to 30 million people. It consists of over 600 different types of terrestrial and freshwater habitats, from swamps to grasslands to montane and lowland forests. The Amazon is inhabited by 10 percent of the world's known species, including endemic and endangered plants and animals." Environment News Service.

We should celebrate this discovery of life and recognize how amazing it is to still be able to find never seen before species.  But I hope and pray that with this accounting of new life, we will also see the value in caring deeply for this earth.  For Isla, and for future generations. 

Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter. 
RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.

Day 15: Use Solar, Save Lives

Evans Wadongo is one of CNN's Heros.  A 23-year-old man who has an idea that is going to greatly impact the rural communities in Kenya.  Having grown up living by the light of a kerosene lamp or firelight, he knows firsthand how insufficient this is for seeing at night and the impact the smoke can have on your health.

"The youngest of four children, Wadongo grew up in a home that stressed the importance of education -- his father was a high school teacher.  But years of exposure to smoke while studying by kerosene and firelight left Wadongo with eyesight problems.

With a lack of good light to study by -- Wadongo often had to share one lantern with his siblings and other family members -- he remembers the frustration of unfinished homework and poor exam performance.  

"I couldn't compete effectively with other kids who had access to lighting," he said.  "In every home in the village it was the same. Many children drop out of school for these reasons ... so they remain poor for the rest of their life.  All along I was asking myself if there is anything that can be done to improve this situation."

And Wadongo was motivated and creative enough to find an answer.  Solar-powered LED lamps.  But not only did he determine a way to bring light to these rural communities, he managed to find an environmentally conscious solution, reusing solar panels and steel, using LED lights which can operate 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb, and reducing carbon emissions by decreasing dependency on kerosene and firelight.   

Wadongo now has an organization called Use Solar, Save Lives, with volunteers helping to build these lanterns.  They have distributed more than 10,000 lanterns, and plan to continue building these lanterns with the hopes of reducing poverty by allowing families to save money that they would have had to spend on kerosene, and by allowing children to succeed in their studies.

Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter. 

RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.

Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.

Day 14: Life Saver

A car accident is the last thing that most of us want to have happen.  And particularly on a weekday, during rush hour traffic.  Almost makes you shudder, thinking of being that person who is clogging up traffic, making everyone late to where ever they are trying to go.  But on July 23, 2010, if the cars passing the accident (described below) knew lives had been spared because of it, I imagine they would have been very grateful to be slowly inching their way along the highway.   

"(Duane) Innes, a 48-year-old Boston native who has lived in Kent for 25 years, was driving his grown children and some family friends to the Mariners-Red Sox game on July 23.

At about 5:15 p.m., he had just passed Valley Medical Center and was planning to merge from Highway 167 onto Interstate 405.  Traffic was building so he decided to get into the carpool lane on his left.  

As he changed lanes, he notice the white pickup ahead of him move from the far-right lane to the center lane without signaling.  

No big deal, Innes thought.  Just a careless driver.

But then the pickup continued to move left and almost struck Innes' minivan.  Innes swerved into the emergency pull-off lane, sped past the pickup and got back into the carpool lane.

In his rearview mirror, he saw 80-year-old Bill Pace slumped over the wheel of the pickup, which sideswiped the concrete barrier.

"We realized he wasn't slowing down, and if he hit someone at full speed, it would've been a very bad scene," Innes said. The intersection with Southwest Grady Way was a few hundred yards away. "He could've very easily unknowingly taken out a whole row of traffic."

Instinctively, Innes applied his 25 years of experience at Boeing, where he is a manager for the F22 fighter-jet program.

"The best-case scenario is I need to match his speed, get in front of him and let him hit me," Innes remembers thinking.

Innes didn't consult his passengers but did announce his plan before he executed it.

No one responded.

"I don't know if they were all in shock or thinking, 'What crazy thing is my dad doing?' " he said.

Crazy or not, the plan worked.

Pace's pickup hit the minivan, and Innes held onto the brakes to halt both vehicles. When they stopped, he knocked on the pickup's window to alert Pace, who was by then semiconscious, and got him to unlock the door.

Pace, who would spend the next six days in a hospital for his heart problems, still had his foot on the accelerator when Innes got to him.

"Most people wouldn't have done nothing," Pace said. "They'd be cussing at me, giving me the finger. But not him."

"He saved my life, really — and God knows who else."

Thank goodness for those people who are able to look beyond their own circumstance and recognize those in need.  What a show of generosity to put oneself in harm's way for the well-being of another person, a stranger none the less.  Quick thinking, brilliant reasoning, selfless actions, and saved lives.  Good news indeed.  


This story was found at The Seattle Times.

Twitter Updates – Follow Good News for Isla on Twitter. 
RSS Subscription – Subscribe to Good News for Isla via RSS in a reader.
Email Updates – Sign up for email updates.

Day 13: 10 Days

There are recurrent themes that I keep finding as I am researching for this blog.  I'm looking for good things that are happening, either news events, charities, people.  And over and over I am seeing that meeting such a primal and basic need such as providing clean water is good.  Digging wells within villages gives clean water and eliminates the whole days journey.  Freeing these women up to work on making an income, or children to attend school to get an education.  Clean water reduces disease and infection, reducing medical costs and mortality, and perhaps in the long run reducing population growth.  Clean water is good.


Living Water International is about to begin their 10 Days challenge.  "Drink water to give water."  This is their campaign: The 10 Days is a campaign directed at college students that challenges students to choose water as their only beverage for 10 days.  That means no coffee, coke, or whatever else someone might drink.  The money saved from doing this is used to provide clean water for the close to a billion people that need it.  This year's campaign kicks off on Monday, October 25th and ends November 3rd. 


For each dollar raised, one person will receive clean water for 20 years.  


10 Days from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Day 12: Four Years

Today is a special day.  Not only did the Yankees lose their bid for the World Series (although that is great, too), but because it is the day John and I married four years ago.  It has been a wonderful four years.  Not necessarily an easy four years, but a healthy dose of ups and downs that has cemented our friendship, love, and marriage.  


This is good news for Isla.  We love you.

Day 11: Eyes...Not Nostrils

Think of all the walking you do each day.  To the bathroom, around your kitchen preparing meals, to your desk at work, and walking around the lake for exercise.  And now imagine never being able to walk again.  The frustration of spending your days in a wheelchair.  Unable to reach items on the top shelf.  Never again able to look people directly in the eyes, but instead always looking up at their nostrils.  This is the life of a paraplegic.  Until now.  


Berkeley Bionics is a technology company who, since 2005, has been developing exoskeletons to assist people with locomotion and in carrying heavy loads over a variety of terrains.  They just unveiled their latest exoskeleton, eLEGS, "an exoskeleton for wheel­chair users who are committed to living life to its fullest. It powers you up to get you standing and walking."  This is the description found on their website: "eLEGS is a wearable, artificially intelligent, bionic device that enables people with paralysis to stand up and walk again. The exoskeleton is battery-powered and rechargeable, fitting comfortably and securely over your clothing....Our mission is to provide you with unprecedented mobility. We want to enhance your independence and freedom of movement."  Giving them the ability to see eye-to-eye once again.  



Information for this blog was taken from the Berkeley Bionics webpage.

Day 10: Smile

It might seem so easy to smile, but for some it's not.  Cleft lip (and/or palate), a congenital deformity, changes the typical anatomy of the face.  Where you would expect a beautiful smile to appear, instead there is a cavity, a hole in the upper lip, or a gaping vacancy where teeth should be.  


"More than 200,000 children are born with a severe cleft condition each year — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can't afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a normal life."


Operation Smile is caring for these children.  Their mission is this:  "Mobilizing a world of generous hearts to heal children's smiles and transform lives across the globe.  We believe that all children deserve to live their lives with dignity. And for those suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate or other facial deformities, dignity begins with a smile.  Driven by our universal compassion for children, we work worldwide to repair childhood facial deformities by delivering safe, effective surgical care directly to patients. The global partnerships we create, the knowledge we share and the infrastructure we build leave a legacy that lives well beyond our medical missions, making a lasting difference in our world."


There are missions happening all over the world, in over 50 countries.  This month, they just wrapped up a mission in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where they were able to perform over 115 reconstructive surgeries.  One hundred and fifteen children who can now smile without shame or embarrassment! 

Day 9: Living Proof, Part 2

Developmental aid is a key to meeting and relieving poverty around the world.  Bill and Melinda Gates discussed yesterday how this aid is being used, and highlighted Living Proof that poverty, illness, and mortality is diminishing because of the generous aid of wealthy nations.  


Here is good news:
-In the last 50 years, childhood death rates have decreased from 20 million to less than 9 million, even while birth rates were increasing.
-50 million additional children are in primary school than from 10 years ago.
-Because vaccines are more available, infectious diseases (tetanus, diphtheria, measles) are down between 85-93%.
-Population growth is stabilizing/decreasing because families are staying smaller when they know their children will live.
-Polio is close to being eradicated from the earth, with only 4 countries left that have infected patients.  This is saving lives, and money is being saved rather than being spent on medical/hospital costs incurred from the illness.
-Ethiopia has opened 15,000 remote healthcare clinics since 2003, and has trained 35,000 healthcare workers.  Resulting in decreased childhood mortality, and improved prenatal and postnatal care.
-The Global Fund was established 8 years ago.  Now there are 2.8 million people on anti-retroviral medications for HIV/AIDS, 7 million cases of tuberculosis have been diagnosed and treated, and 122 million bed nets have been distributed that along with indoor spraying have resulted in malaria being decreased by more than 50%.


Great gains are being made in this fight.  Lives are being saved, families are being raised out of poverty, education is becoming more accessible, and societies more prosperous.  I look forward to seeing poverty continue to diminish throughout my lifetime, and yours, Miss Isla.  

Day 8: Living Proof, Part 1

Living Proof is a campaign originally started by Bill and Melinda Gates, and has recently been transferred to the ONE organization.  This campaign is highlighting the progress that has been made in the fight against poverty.  Tangible evidence that there has been a reduction in disease and unnecessary deaths, and in turn has been improving lives and developing prosperous societies.  

This video is of the talk that Bill and Melinda Gates gave today in Britain.  Start it around minute 20:45 to get to the actual talk.  

Watch live streaming video from onecampaign at livestream.com

Day 7: A Choice

As I have been reading more in preparation for these blog entries, and thinking intently about good and it's place in the world, I have been struck by something.  Often good is intertwined with bad.  Most of the people and organizations that I am reading about who are doing good, are doing so in response to something bad or less than ideal.  I guess this probably isn't a surprise to most people, but it does remind me that goodness is often a choice.  I have to choose this.  Bad things will always happen, but I can choose to play a part in bringing hope and well being.  


Poverty is bad.  According to globalissues.org, almost 3 billion people or about half the world, live on less than $2.50 a day.  These people struggle to pay rent, to send their children to school, and to have the bare essentials of food and clean water.  


I believe that poverty is being addressed from many different avenues, but one way is through micro-loans.  Organizations and individuals have developed mini-loans that can be given to impoverished families, in order to start small businesses.  These loans provide the ability to pay start-up costs, to acquire inventory, and to teach skills to men and women who wouldn't have access to these resources in a traditional way.  These loans have been found to create sustainable change in these villages, and are linked to better education and health for the people who receive them.  Good news indeed!


There are several organizations that have micro-loan programs, including Kiva and World Vision.  Here are several facts from World Vision's website about their program.

People helped

• Active borrowers: 604,000
• Jobs created or sustained last year: 985,000
• Typical borrower: woman (68%)
• Children impacted last year: 1.86 million

Loans given

• Average loan size: $671.00
• Loan repayment rate: 98.7 percent
• Loan portfolio: $397 million
• Since 1993, World Vision has disbursed 3,500,000 loans, totaling more than $1.8 billion

So, while poverty at this time seems inevitable, these numbers are convincing: hope for the poor is a possibility.   

Day 6: The Circle of Life

Last week, we were watching a show on the abnormal, but fascinating, migratory pattern of a great white shark on the National Geographic Wild channel.  Nicole (name after Nicole Kidman!) veered from the typical feeding grounds of Africa, and traveled thousands of miles to arrive in Australia.  The scientists following her were not clear of what was driving her thousands of miles away, but were in awe that she not only made it to Australia unscathed, but also made it back to Africa 6 months later.  


Apparently scientists track whales and sharks frequently, occasionally finding these odd migratory patterns.  BBC just published another story of a humpback whale who traveled a quarter of the earth.  "Some exploration helps them to remain adaptable," explained Dr. Stevick.  "If animals always returned to exactly the same place to breed, if anything happened to change that environment, they might not be able to adapt, so very occasional exploration could be beneficial for them."


And that is amazing to me.  That creation is clearly created for survival.  Migratory patterns is only one example of these untaught, ingrained patterns.  Another is whale dung.  NPR's recent article "Whales Help Fertilize Ocean With Floating Dung" highlights the impact that one species has on another in perpetuating the circle of life.  Algae needs nitrogen.  Fish eat algae.  Fish poop, filled with nitrogen, sinks to the bottom of the ocean.  Whales eat at the bottom of the ocean, and poop at the surface.  Whale dung, filled with nitrogen, floats and fertilizes the algae, and the circle of life continues.  


It is reassuring, or good news if you will, to know that nature has a propensity for life.  These natural cycles create balance, but also have the capacity to evolve to adjust to a changing environment.  But may we never forget that our footprint makes an impact on this whole earth.   Tread lightly.

Day 5: Water

Water is one item that here in the United States we use so casually and thoughtlessly, because all we have to do is turn on the faucet and out it flows.  But that is not a reality in many parts of the world.  It is hard for me to fathom walking 10 or more miles a day to retrieve a few gallons of water.   Not only that, but also having to repeat that trek every day.  And often the water is contaminated.  But water is a necessity for life, and so despite the diseases it might transmit, it is drank in an attempt to quench thirst.
  

Today is Change.org's Blog Action Day 2010, inviting people to think about water, and it's impact on the world.  In the last year or so, this has been on my mind.  A local church was having a water campaign, and it got me thinking about how we use water.  Long showers, toilets flushing with each use, leaving water running while I do the dishes, watering the lawn to keep it green during the summer.  John and I have made a conscious effort in this last year to reduce our consumption, but we still have a long way to go.  


But the counterpoint of over-consuming such a precious resource is not having access to clean water.  This last month, John joined the Charity:Water campaign and "donated" his September birthday to help build a well in Africa.  We were so excited to raise $1000 to go towards the $5000 needed to build a well.  This will give 50 people clean water for 20 years!  A small drop in the bucket compared to what is truly needed, but helpful none the less.  


To join the mission for bring clean water to those in need, visit these sites:
charitywater.org
water.org
change.org
www.bloodwatermission.com

Day 4: A Promise Kept

Image courtesy of Central Asia Institute

I read Three Cups of Tea several years ago, and remember being inspired by Greg Mortenson's story.  While our country was in the middle of a war, it was refreshing to see how one man was able to radically impact a region by acting on a single promise.  

"While recovering from the climb in a village called Korphe, Mortenson met a group of children sitting in the dirt writing with sticks in the sand, and made a promise to help them build a school.  From that rash promise, grew a remarkable humanitarian campaign, in which Mortenson has dedicated his life to promote education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan."

Greg Mortenson established the Central Asia Institute (CAI) to support the work he started in Pakistan and Afghanistan.   From their September newsletter, they have now built a total of 164 schools and have 68,000 students, 56,000 of which are girls in a culture where most girls often aren't educated.   But his vision has evolved beyond only bringing education to those without access, he and CAI are also providing support and rehabilitation to the areas recently devastated by flooding.

"Deeply concerned by this (flooding in Pakistan), Greg Mortenson and CAI sent funds to set up three relief camps. CAI's staff fed thousands, provided shelter, helped rebuilt homes and provided immediate aid in where the flood has affected those in the CAI projects villages. CAI also funded a Flood Relief Committee of local political, religious and NGO leaders and commissioners that assessed the damage and reported a way to streamline the process of local organizations working together for long-term relief. This committee, along with CAI's Pakistan staff, will take over long term responsibility to manage the refugee camps while we also continue with our main mission of educating rural children, especially girls. As with the Pakistan earthquake rehabilitation, which CAI is still doing; we will pursue long term rehabilitation and provide continuing support to the victims of the flood. To donate for the victims of the flood, CAI is providing a list of organizations that are dependable and specifically aiding flood relief victims. Imran Khan Foundation http://imrankhanfoundation.org/ Zindagi Trust: www.zindagitrust.org Edhi Foundation: http://www.edhifoundation.com/ International Rescue Committee: IRC http://www.theirc.org/ Islamic Relief: http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/home Human Development Foundation: www.hdf.com UNHCR and Angelina Jolie's visit: www.unhcr.org/4c8609926.html UNESCO http://www.unesco.org/new/en/pakistan-flood-response/ For more information: http://ndma.gov.pk/index.html"

Information for this blog entry was taken from The Three Cups of Tea and Central Asia Institute websites.