The Gift of Charity.

Early the other morning I awoke to my Blackberry LED light flashing like crazy.  I had what seemed like a million emails from Mike.  As I opened each email I realized it was my Christmas present! 

Get ready.  This blog entry is a little long winded and somewhat "soapbox" like.  Give it a chance.  :)

Mike wrote in an email to me that, "This Christmas I got you what you asked for: charity. 'Cause I love you ;) I donated on your behalf to Women for Women (got a goat, books for literacy, 3 baby chicks and a carpentry set! yes!), Central Asia Institute (the Three Cups of Tea organization) and the Fisher House at Dover AFB. I think that those each represent things that are most important to both of us: education, military families, and helping people messed up by war.  Merry Christmas!  Love you."

The first of these donations was to Women for Women International.  This is an amazing organization that provides women survivors of war with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies.  They teach women that have lost their whole lives - their husband, children, homes and pieces of themselves, to live on their own by learning new trades and boosting their confidence by being with other women who have experienced similar tragedies.  Women for Women International (WFW) maintain groups in several different countries. 

In many of the villages where WFW operate, local women line up monthly to see if there have been any new sponsorships.  If you choose to sponsor an individual woman, you basically give the local WFW group a donation which they in turn use to educate and help finance that one woman.  That woman will repay the group when her business is up and running - you've all heard of micro loans and that's how WFW works. 

Not only that, but let's face it, it's nice to see your money at work.  Should you choose to sponsor a woman you become her sister and exchange letters over the entire year she is in the program.  I've sponsored two different woman and have had great success.  The woman I currently sponsor lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - her name is Justine Kitumaini Mulumeoderhwa.  My friends all know I'm just as cynical as the next, but this is no scam.  I have had the pleasure of working at the WFW Headquarters office in D.C. and know for a fact that the work they do and the letters they receive are unique to the women in the program.  There are no mass sob story letters or sponsors donating to the same women.  I'm not exaggerating when I say women in villages line up to see if they have been sponsored - they are real women trying to break the vicious cycle of poverty, abuse and discrimination.  For the holidays WFW is doing a one time donation initiative where you can donate on behalf of someone else.  Seriously, who doesn't like having baby chicks gifted on their behalf?!  :)

This is Justine.  She is my age and has 3 children.

The DRC is one of the most violent places in the world for women.

90% of women will be raped at some point in their life.

Check out this CBS article.



           

The next organization is the Central Asia Institute (CAI).  I'm sure most of you have heard of the book Three Cups of Tea which became very popular a few years ago.  What's unique about this organization is that they build schools for girls in remote areas of the world like the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

When girls are educated amazing things happen.  Quality of life improves for obvious reasons like getting better jobs, but also because educated girls statistically will wait to marry till they're older, have fewer and healthier children, are more aware of HIV/AIDS and other diseases.  And even more striking is the ability an educated woman has to create social change.  Wow.  If there are two countries that could use social change it's Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The education of women in these countries is significant and affects us here in America greatly.

The individual in charge of CAI, Greg Mortenson, has worked hand in hand countless times with the U.S. military and is highly respected for the work he has done.  CAI doesn't ask for American volunteers - they only use local supplies, local labor, and local teachers.  This keeps the overhead down and local credibility up.  All village leaders must be on board with the school for it is built which makes the program so successful.  Give their website a look, I think you'll find it interesting. 

And if you'd like to read more, check out the books Three Cups of Tea, Stones into Schools and Half the Sky.

                              

  Above:  Kashmiri Refugees attending school.

Below:  Porters carry roof beams 18 miles to the Korphe School in Pakistan.

Finally, the last choice Mike made to donate to was the Fisher House.  The Fisher House is a facility on military bases that provides FREE lodging for military members and their families while the service member endures extended medical treatment, often times as a result of combat related injuries.

The Dover AFB Fisher House is unique and only recently opened.  Dover is the site of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center.  This center cares for the remains of every fallen service member, from every branch, to include contractors.  When families come to Dover AFB to watch the dignified transfer of their loved one from the plane to the mortuary, they need a place close by to stay.  Prior to the Fisher House opening, escorts and family members stayed at a hotel off base and quite honestly, it seemed like a disservice to the family members to be so far from the mortuary, their loved one, and in a barely adequate hotel.  The Fisher House allows families to be together and share their grief with one another.  This facility is incredibly nice with amenities like prayer and meditation rooms.

Fisher Houses are a non-profit organization.  96% of their donations go into houses.  2% is administrative and 2% is for fundraising.  They aren't run by the military - they are a gift for the military.  If you can't donate money, donate your time.  They always need people to help clean and maintain the facility.  It's a great organization that I hope to never utilize, but take great comfort in knowing that it's there.

              

So this Christmas, if you find yourself struggling to answer when your loved ones ask you what you want, think about what's really important to you and make a difference in the world through charity or the gift of your time by volunteering.

Women for Women International - http://www.womenforwomen.org/
Central Asia Institute - www.ikat.org/about-cai/
Fisher House - www.fisherhouse.org/about/index.html
Apne Aap - http://www.apneaap.org/ (shout out to Morgan!)

Getting off my soap box now.  Lots of love to you all!