the Masai

I went to another fundraiser focused on Kenya last night. This one was put together by an organization called Operation Eyesight, and they were raising money to build wells in Kenya. They’re a Canadian NGO and have been around for over 45 years. Their vision is “That all people of the world may enjoy the gift of sight.”

They showed us a documentary of the Masai people, and how the scarcity of clean water is resulting in many people going blind.  These two things may not seem connected, but as we learned, contaminated water is the greatest cause of an eye infection called Trachoma.  It’s the the most common infectious cause of blindness and the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. It is responsible for more than 6 million cases of blindness, and more than 400 million people are believed to be affected by the disease in some way.

And a clean source of water can change that.

I remember a few years ago, when I got a serious eye infection.  My eyes were sealed shut in the morning, and when I could finally open them, even the slightest trace of light was incredibly painful.  (more…)

I unearthed an old application letter last night.  It was written just over a year ago, as I was trying to find an opportunity to serve overseas.  It ended up getting me an internship with ANPPCAN in Kenya, supported through the Canadian government.

It was really interesting to read through it again, especially as I reflect on everything that’s happened since getting on that plane for Africa.  There were a few paragraphs that really stood out to me.  These were taken from the future goals section of the essay: (more…)

I have a meeting with the executive director of Future Possibilities tomorrow.  It’s an incredible program that helps empower children to make a difference in the world.  We’re going to be discussing the idea of creating a ‘Starter Kit’ so that people can take this program around the world.  It’s pretty exciting!

Here’s a video of the program:

As I jumped into this adventure to raise $1000 for The World Awaits, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into.  When I left Los Angeles three weeks ago, the concept of The World Awaits was still just an idea and a dream.  This journey has really shaped that dream into something real and tangible.  I have much more clarity about the goals and values of this non-profit, and also what our non-negotiables are:

• To continuously find avenues to love and serve others, both locally and overseas.
• To create opportunities for people to serve according to their strengths and passions.
• To always strive to empower and partner, rather than sending money or giving hand-outs.
• To be organic and flexible in order to grow and thrive in a constantly changing world.
• To always seek out what the world is awaiting.. and adapting to meet those needs.

This is the vision I hope to see flourish over the next several months.  The goal to raise $1000 by September 15th, 2008 is still very much attainable.  According to Fundable, there have been $520 in pledges so far.  To finish we need $480.  OR 48 pledges of $10.00… OR 24 pledges of $20… OR $12 pledges of $40.  I really do believe this possible.

If you also believe it’s possible and would like to help get it started, please make a pledge!  Your time and consideration is deeply appreciated.  Thank you!