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Operation Sister Act - Sanitary Pads that Educate and... Operation Sister Act - Sanitary Pads that Educate and Save Lives Ok this may strike you as an odd topic to blog about but bare with me: In a country which we are completely spoiled for choice in everyway, I am certain that none of us have given much (if any) thought to the immense difference that sanitary pads can make in the lives of women, much less how they can affect access to a good education. I wanted to share an exert from the newsletter of my good Friends at Operation Hope, and the fantastic work they are doing in providing acess to sanitary products for women living in extreem poverty and the huge affect that it has on thier ability to gain a good education. This is fascinating - read on… Exert from Operation Hope Summer 2011 Newsletter: In developing countries, millions of girls are unable to afford sanitary pads. This forces them to miss 3-5 days of school during their monthly periods. Some drop out, compromising their education and future. Operation Hope believe all girls should be free to lead healthy, happy lives, with access to a decent education. Operation Hope has been able to source a local manufacturer in Sri Lanka and hope to make the pads at a reduced price while still maintaining fairtrade practices. It is planned to employ poor women in Swaziland and Sri Lanka to sew the Freedom Kit bags creating local employment. ‘Freedom Kits’ are packed with reusable sanitary pads (that last up to 18 months) and other essential sanitation products including soap, underwear and information on HIV/AIDS prevention. Through ‘Operation Sister Act’ we hope to keep girls in school, educate them on HIV/AIDS prevention and encourage local and sustainable job development. Chris and Fiona will be heading to Sri Lanka in early February to start the pad production, implement a pilot trial in a small rural school and source someone to oversee the project and sewing of the bags. From there they will travel to Swaziland for several months to run small pockets of training in the communities they have been working in, and give out the African made supplies that many donors have already contributed to. They will return to Sri Lanka in June to evaluate the pilot trial and then make plans for future development. For $20 you can purchase a Freedom Kit and help a young girl stay in school and claim her independence. For more information or to participate in this fantastic work contact Operation Hope - Australia p: 039704 1023 m: 0432 897 537 e: cfgrech@gmail.com Please help to Make Some Noize and share this blog… Ethical Brew - Please Drink ResponsiblyIf you’re like me and love your coffee, but are still concerned about your coffee drinking affecting the freedom of others, then you might have discovered a similar dilemma to me…
Finding ethically produced ground coffee often presents one of 3 problems. 1. Hard to find in supermarkets. 2. If you can find it, its often a boutique brand that costs significantly more than regular mainstream products, or 3. If it’s affordable, it doesn’t taste that great… Enter IKEA. Yes that Swedish furniture manufacture that everybody loves may have bridged the divide for me. IKEA sells beans, filter and espresso coffee that is UTZ certified ( see http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/IKEA_Food/coffee.html for details ) ensuring the coffee supply chain is ethically produced and each point. From a taste perspective, it is no boutique blend, but certainly better than a certain hamburger chain’s coffee (which claims to be award winning. ) So for all you penny pinching coffee drinkers who still want to do their bit to save the world, may I suggest IKEA UTZ coffee? Please drink responsibly and make some noize! I was watching on last night’s news the devastating...I was watching on last night’s news the devastating humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Somalia currently. A crisis in which almost 1000 families a day are arriving at refugee camps due to famine and drought in the region. As I sat in my comfortable suburban home watching dying children on my shiny new TV with my empty cup of tea and full belly of food reminding me how excessively blessed I am, I was moved to tears, wondering what I can do. My menial efforts of blogging, making videos and giving to various causes seemed to cry, there must be something more I, we can do. As Living Color once said in a song, “…I see the starving africans on tv I feel it has nothing to do with me I sent my twenty dollars to live-aid I’ve aided my guilty conscience to go away” Is that the best we can offer? Is that the most we can do? When I spoke with my wife this morning, the all to familiar despair entered our conversation, “what else can we do?” The enormity of the situation can become like a paralysis which can often result in those of us who are blessed, throwing our hands up and doing nothing more than what we are already doing. However I believe that individuals can make a difference, if we will just push ourselves beyond what we are comfortable with and challenge ourselves to do just a little bit more than we did the day before. And together we can change the way things are for the better. It just requires us to do something, not everything, just one thing… In my search for something more that I can do, I went to OneDayswages.org and thought I would share it with you. OneDaysWages.org, puts you in the drivers seat. It lets you choose what cause you would like to be involved in and gives you the opportunity to take the initiative and make a difference. All by donating 1 days wages to a cause that you believe in. 100% of your donation goes to the cause you choose in fighting extreme poverty. Check out this video as another suggestion you can consider the next time you ask your self “What can I do???” Go on, be inspired, make some noise and change your world…. Shop Ethical! Check out the new Shop Ethical! iPhone app. It...Shop Ethical! Check out the new Shop Ethical! iPhone app. It gives you the low-down on the environmental and social record of companies behind common brands you buy in the supermarket.
Shop Ethical! is a tool that allows you to TAKE ACTION by avoiding companies with a negative track record and supporting companies who make a positive impact. Your dollar is your vote - make it count. By Shopping Ethically! you can send a strong message for change and support the practices that make our world a better place to live in. Companies need our money to stay in business - money talks, and your dollar literally is your vote. http://www.ethical.org.au/shopethical/ is also a great web site for learning how to adjust your shopping practices. So go on, Make Some Noize! and Shop Ethical! Who are the peace makers?“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that” -Martin Luther King Jr. 
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