The poor will always be with you
I'm quitting Facebook. I'm leaving because we've given up control of part of our lives to a corporation that doesn't work for our benefit. Leaving Facebook will come with a cost. But the cost Facebook extracts from our lives is greater than any benefit it provides. Remember, Facebook makes a lot of money. Yet you …
Pooja was a late addition to my literacy class, not asking to read until a month after her brother had started. As a 15-year-old who had never attended school, she wasn't accustomed to academic work and had a lot of home responsibilities which took her time away. But from her first lesson she was hooked, …
Peregrine is asleep. So is Sakeenah. There is yelling outside and then that distinct dull thwop of fists connecting with heads. So of course I get outside. I'm awkward in putting on my shorts and by the time I get out into the alleyway the combatants have already been separated. A skinny guy is projecting …
The funny aspect of the whole thing was when she came over and started beating my students, my initial response was to shrug and continue with the lesson. Let's back up. Two months ago I started a literacy class in a poor community next to the bridge. Makeshift huts climb the river's banks and line …
In desiring to include more success stories about charities doing the right thing, I solicited a guest post from Jeph Mathias. Jeph works with a variety of NGOs across Asia (and beyond), specializing in the idea of complexity in development. This story was originally posted at Jeph's blog, unpredictable. It's Jeph from here: A small project …
On May 31, 1912, nineteen-year-old Frank Zebrauskas and his brother Anthony stepped off a ship onto Ellis Island. Though originating from Lithuania they had used the Russian spelling of their name, Zabrowski, on the ship’s manifest. As with all Ellis Island arrivals, that spelling became their official identification. No pre-approval was necessary and 98% of …
First was the war. Nations around them fought for power, soldiers and their destruction spilled over and laid waste to their land. Then there was the famine, after a harsh winter destroyed the crops. Hunger reigned. While they were reeling from war and famine came tales of a better life, a book sent by a …
Bosman’s childhood has not been easy. His grandfather was an orphan and had been bonded to a farmer. When Bosman was only four his father took their family to a new land.Bosman’s father worked to make a living there. But it was a hard life. There was political turmoil and a harsh government. Rebellions cropped …
I was getting kids for the literacy program when I saw a crowd gathering in one of the poorer neighborhoods of our community. An older woman was flailing about; three other ladies attempted to restrain her. I told my kids to hurry along without me and approached to see if it was a medical emergency. …
In a recent post I mentioned that we took in a foster daughter a few years ago, and we have been through many struggles together. One of the central struggles has been our young Shadia's battle with Borderline Personality Disorder.1 It was the impetus for a lot of tears in our family. But also a lot …
