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Showing posts from July, 2020

Flashback to my early days!

This video titled “ Sing it to the Mountains ” was made during where 32 CI youth from around the world gathered in Kansas City for the 3rd International Youth Conference (IYC) – that was 14yrs ago but will stay long in my memory, going back to the time when I became a sponsor. For a week, the delegates studied leadership, worked on team building and completed exercises to boost their confidence. I believe that was the last time we've seen biennial IYC in action, but the surrounding beautiful park where CI headquarters located was an idyllic place to meet as it's today. IYC would be a great way for us to connect to the organization as a whole rather than through our individual sponsorship. However, I believe nowadays roadshows like this can be done online with sponsor interaction virtually as it happens to be the case in the corporate world during current Covid lockdown. Another flashback memory was that of reading a story in Journeys (unfortunately no longer in publication) so

A Place to Call Home

The Philippines, home to 7,641 islands where Juliana lives is a place of constant battle against the elements – typhoons, earthquakes, flooding and volcanic eruptions. Any child's upbringing in this environment defines not only the challenges of nature but also the poverty looming around. Yet, I'm truly inspired by her spirited determination to overcome and be force for change in the world. At tender age of 9, she understands the importance of protecting our environment and species living on the planet. Some of you may know that Juliana has been the face of CI marketing campaigns to raise funds for dental care and awareness of mental wellbeing . As her sponsor, the inevitable fame of her sensational "acting career" has put me in a responsible position to do something special for the family. The family of Juliana lives in the house of their paternal grandparents since she was born. In 2018, the family decided to have their own home just beside the grandparents’

The impact of EG on ECF

You may have seen Debbie Gibson , singer, long-time sponsor and spokesperson for CI campaigning to raise funds through ECF (Emergency Community Fund) – to help support families struggling due to loss of income resulted from Covid pandemic. The fund has also been used to provide additional support for families most impacted by the recent cyclone in Kolkata, India. Neha's WG follow-up report has arrived this week in record 10wks turnaround! CI is currently only able to send $50 (total $60) per youth in India because it is difficult for the one parent who is allowed to shop to carry the food home. As the field staffs are working hard to get the funds to the families as quickly as possible, I'm hoping that the support they receive from sponsors directly via EG (Extra Gift) has helped support more families and lasting longer via ECF combined with any savings made through closure of the CI centers. Kolkata to Colombo in 3hr 10min by direct flight A detailed list of purchased food and

Missing of school..

Dechen among children in her village watch their lesson on national TV (courtesy of UNICEF Bhutan) I read this beautiful heart touching story of a child (age 11) living in rural Bhutan – South Asia. She reminded my childhood at her age going to our neighbor's house to watch television, and the time when I was following lessons on TV at the height of the civil war in Sri Lanka. This is an era before the internet and mobile phones became part of our everyday life. As mentioned in the article, just published by UNICEF, today children are taught lessons not only in classroom but also online even in rural parts of the world. But as Dechen echoed, going to school is an experience no other can replace – like holding/smelling a textbook or a letter handwritten by your child/sponsor. Dechen says, “I miss my school, my teachers and my friends. I understand the lessons better in school when our teachers explain; I don’t understand much when I watch it on TV. At school, the teacher explains