Friday, July 27, 2012

Roxane Turner: Founder of One World Today


How I came to develop and love a commitment which I stand by the rest of my life
Over the past four years I have traveled to Uganda annually. During my second visit, I lived at Bery’s Place, a home for young girls ranging from ages 7-20 on an island in Lake Victoria. These girls vary in their past experiences, but the unfortunate fact they have no one to care for them unites them in a kinship of sisterhood. Many have experienced sexual abuse, such as one disturbing story of a seven year old girl who tested positive for syphilis twice before the grandmother acknowledged she could not care for her. The grandmother had been arranging for the girl and her two cousins to perform sexual favors for money. While I was there, I taught and supported the girls and by the time I left they were calling me ‘Mummy’. An irreversible connection had been formed and I knew I would be returning.

While Uganda is privy to “Universal Education” such does not translate into “free education”. The majority of schools are government run and require students to pay school fees, purchase mandatory uniforms and necessary supplies. The remaining schools are private with even higher fees. In the Ssese Islands, where life is difficult, the predominant occupation is fishing. Men live a transient fishing lifestyle while women of the islands have turned to prostitution as a means of employment. The typical price for a prostitute is 500 Ugandan Schillings or $0.18 USD. Without protection the price is doubled. Given the environment, sexually transmitted diseases run rampant and have led to thousands of orphaned children.

During my second visit I accompanied a friend employed as a social worker by the government to orphanages around the island where he grew up. I was horrified by what I saw when we visited three orphanages as part of his inspection of the facilities, which are funded by an American/Canadian organization. The structures in which the children lived were filthy with leaking roofs (it was raining that day) and rodent-eaten foam pads for mattresses. In a country where malaria is rampant there were no bed nets. A young woman who had lived in the orphanage told of receiving letters and presents from her sponsor but the staff at the school sold her presents, pocketed the money, and forced her to write thank-you notes to her sponsor. Letters were always censored and children were not allowed to know their sponsor’s contact information. This first-hand experience in abuse of humanitarian aid compelled me to create a direct link between those with a desire to help and those in desperate need education financing, compassion and love.

Founded One World, LLC – In the spring of 2009 One World LLC was founded with the simple purpose to connect young Ugandan women, who are being denied the right of education, with compassionate supporters who recognize the value of educating women of the world. As former chief economist of the World Bank Lawrence Summers stated, “Investment in girls’ education may be the highest-return investment available in the developing world.” An organization was envisioned where quality, not quantity, was valued. Currently there are 6 girls who attending school due to kind hearts living in the United States. I personally know these children, and have spent time with them and their families.

During my visits to Uganda, I visit with the girls, check-in with their teachers and buy them any supplies they may need. All of this information is then share with their sponsor. Before connecting a potential sponsor with a child, we ensure they are prepared to remain a part of the child’s life through secondary school not only financially, but as someone who cares for the child’s well-being. School fees are paid three times per year and range from $20 a term to $100 (which includes boarding) depending on grade level. Fees are either paid in-person or transferred via Western Union. The numbers of those in need are increasing and it is our hope to expand by linking these children with sponsors in the U.S. who have a desire to make a positive difference in the world, but may be unsure of how to do so or weary of a misallocation of funds. One World, LLC has grown into a One World Today as a Nonprofit Corporation and backed by a strong board committed to supporting the educational achievement of girls.

We hope that you will join us in our endeavor to provide girls the opportunity to pursue education.
-Roxane Turner

PLEASE VISIT THE ONE WORLD TODAY WEBSITE AND HELP TO CHANGE THE LIFE A YOUNG WOMAN TODAY!

http://oneworldtoday.org/

Monday, July 23, 2012

Oh to be a celebrity

So, this week's guest blogger totally dropped the ball :-S sigh, but next weeks blogger is already scheduled, after that well we need more guest bloggers! Which makes me think.......

I am a reality TV junkie.....FACT. And tonight was yet another disappointing conclusion to the 1800th season of bachelor(ette). I do think that Emily picked the right guy for her, I just wish one time they would pick the person I would pick....but on the other hand I am clearly not a fantastic 'picker', anywho to the point....

Jef Holm has a company called People Water. The idea is selling clean water to those who can afford it to help those who cannot. My heart permanently residing in Africa means that access to clean drinking water (among other things) is near and dear to my heart. I had never heard of People Water until Jef Holm appeared on this season of the Bachelorette and if the bachelorette brought me to their blog for the first time, I am certain I was not the only one. Outside of the whole 'who doesn't want to fing true love' thing, I would love to go on a show like that simply because of the platform it would provide for me to talk about water, and malaria, and education, and maternal mortality rates and all of the other issues that are so easily overlooked when they are an ocean away.

We were stuck in traffic, this adorable boy and his father got off the bus
to ask if I could help pay his school fees 

These are three random villagers swimming nudy in the water source
the water above is but into this "filtration system"

I think about the students at HUMBLE and I think of all of the children who want to go to school but do not get the chance like the little boy I met sitting in traffic on our first day in Kampala. I just keep thinking if I could get an audience, if I could entice people to listen then now only would I be able to help not only the students at HUMBLE but I would be able to build more schools, help more people. As much as it bothers me that people need a ploy to care about something I care so much about, I'll drink the proverbial kool-aid because I've seen how effective merely having an audience is, and at this point, an audience is all I need.

And with that, I wish the best of luck to Jef and Emily and I am elated (and jealous) that his love has brought such an important issue into the hearts of minds of people who are in a position to help so much by offering so little. If you read this blog (there are about 4 of you ;-P) and you are not familiar with People water PLEASE visit their website People Water and their blog

Friday, July 13, 2012

First Guest Blogger- Amanda Teckman

  • During the summer of 2008, I spent two months in Ntinda, Uganda, on an internship with the United Nations Association of Uganda. While there, I visited their Mukono rural branch, where I learned about some of their important projects which help save lives every day. One of the projects was aimed at training teenagers in basic health practices and sending them out to the community to disseminate this information. One major concern in Uganda is malaria, and one simple way to prevent it is through the use of insecticide treated bed nets. The teenaged health workers educated Ugandans house by house on the importance of bed nets. According to a recent study published in Acta Tropica (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001706X11000611), "Malaria is reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Uganda, accounting for approximately 8–13 million episodes per year, 30–50% of outpatient visits at health facilities, 35% of hospital admissions, 9–14% of hospital deaths (nearly half of those in children less than 5 years of age) and a great many deaths occurring outside of health care settings."

    Ugandans are increasingly relying upon government health centers and NGOs for obtaining treated bed nets, and relying less upon the option to purchase these nets.

    NothingButNets is an NGO that works to provide insecticide treated bed nets to Ugandans and other people most susceptible to contracting the disease. Watch a NothingButNets video, showing bed net distribution in Uganda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9S_vZBCNJM&feature=player_embedded#!.

    But just as important as providing the treated bed nets is educating people about malaria and different ways to prevent and treat the disease. The government and other organizations such as the Humble School are key to providing this education.
  •  
    You can find Ms. Teckman on linked
    or contact her via email at ateckman@gmail.com

    Thursday, July 12, 2012

    Guest Bloggers!

    I am certain that those of you following me are getting a little sick of hearing me go on and on about my babies at the Humble School. Not only that but the 315 children at Humble represent only a small number of children around the country (and continent) who are in need of food, shelter, clothing, education, and love. For this reason I have asked some of my friends and colleagues to write guest blog posts that I will showcase on my blog every Friday! I am excited to hear about each of their experiences and I hope you will be inspired. If you have stumbled onto this blog by accident and you have a story to share please feel free to e-mail me at judilinz2012mission@gmail.com

    Look forward to the first guest post Tomorrow :-)

    Wednesday, July 11, 2012

    A topic near and dear to my heart that still plagues the Continent today...Refugees

    While reading an article about the influx of Congolese refugees pouring into Uganda I was jolted back to my studies at Seton Hall. Particularly my thesis regarding how refugees find themselves in a position where fleeing is their only choice and the impact such movements have on the international community as a whole. So here are some of my thoughts on African refugees followed by the article which sparked my reminiscing
    The study of refugee flows by scholars can be categorized into two unique groups. The first group looks at the effects of mass flight on the host nation and/or the international community. The second group of literature looks at potential factors, which contribute to formation of refugee movements. Affects of refugee movements on the international community is vitally important to the flow of refugees as it is the reason why refugees are a source of global concern.
    Resource scarcity and national security are the two most notable effects refugees have on host countries and the international community, more generally. The availability of land, water and capital are a huge concern to host nations[1]. Particularly in Africa , host governments are to stable enough to deal effectively with the massive influx of refugees. Governments are left with more questions than answers, and typically struggle to supply both refugees and its constituents the resources needed to survive. Unfortunately, the resource dilemma is the primary cause of the security issues related to the movements of populations across borders. The prospect of terrorist refugees, and/or an outbreak of war due to refugee presence in the host nation have put the study of refugees at the forefront of the international agenda. Political leaders seek to understand what factors contribute to the flow of refugees so that they may mitigate the negative effects of refugees.
    Literature focusing on trying to explain the cause of refugee population formation generally accepts the linkage between violence and flight. With this linkage, understood scholars then try to explain the source of the violence or how refugee producing violence is unique from non-refugee producing violence.
    Iqbal provides an exceptional foundation to the study of refugee populations; he explains the formation of refugee movements as a function of violent conflicts within the borders of a nation-state. War is a chief cause of refugee flows worldwide, with millions fleeing violent conflicts for fear of losing one’s life, well-being, or freedom due to political oppression.[2] Bariagaber, a leading scholar in this field, spends a substantial amount of time analyzing the linkage between political violence and refugees. This correlation is clearly visible in the fact that between 1972 and 1992 the number of African refugees increased by a shocking 321%.[3] From this point—having accepted the violence link—scholars move forward to evaluate the specifics of refugee producing violence.
    Abdullah for example, looks to economics to explain the conditions, which create a violent enough environment to facilitate mass flight of individuals across national borders. Utilizing the conflict in Sierra Leone, he draws a connection between economic strife among young underemployed men and the outbreak of devastatingly violent civil war.[4]  Apart from domestic factors in the account of refugee movements, some scholarship looks to international factors to explain the crisis. Authors such as Anthony, and Newbury, look at arbitrary borders erected as byproduct of colonization and the subsequent irredentism and nationalism, to explain the resulting—refugee producing—border disputes.[5],[6]
    Zolberg et.al offers a new perspective on international factors, which contribute to refugee movements. The conceptualization of a global community depicts the specific role that international actors play in domestic conflicts. Particularly, how third party intervention can intensify the effects of civil war.  The authors argue that “Direct military intervention by external actors … [cause people to leave], but with greater intensity because they provide the antagonists with additional firepower.”[7]


    [1] Rogge, J. (1981). "Africa 's Resettlement Strategies." International Migration Review 15: 195-212.
    [2] Iqbal, Z. (2007). "The Geo-Politics of Forced Migration in Africa , 1992-2001." Conflict Management and Peace Science 24: 105-119.
    [3] Bariagaber, A. (1995). Linking political violence and refugee situations in the Horn  of Africa : an empirical approach. International Organization For Migration Quarterly , 33(2), 201-234.
    [4] Abdullah, I. (1998). "Bush Path to Destruction: The Origin and Character of the Revolutionary United Front/ Sierra Leone " Journal of Modern African Studies 36: 203-235.
    [5] Anthony, C. (1991). "Refugee Crisis: State Building in Historical Perspective." International Migration Review 25: 574-591.
    [6] Newbury, D. (1997). "Irredentist Rwanda: Ethnic and Territorial Frontiers in Central Africa  " Africa  Today 44: 211-222.
    [7] Zolberg, A., A. Suhrke, et al. (1986). "International Factors in the Formation of Refugee Movements." International Migration Review 20: 151-169.


    Thursday, July 5, 2012

    Computers....FINGERS CROSSED

    I am currently working with the National Maritime Center to secure 11 desktop computers for the children at Humble! We are not 100% sure we will be approved but keep your fingers crossed and the children of Humble in your prayers!