Celebrating International Day of the Girl Child
Two years ago, the United Nation proclaimed October 11th to be the International Day of the Girl Child. In celebration of this day, we share a comprehensive list of organizations that are advocating for girls and young women internationally. Let us all hope that the list swells, as gender equality becomes a key issue for all people in our world.
The first womb transplant ever, yields blessed fruit.
A Swedish woman, who was born without a uterus, received one from a 61-year old friend, in a 10-hour transplant surgery. This transplant was the first of it’s kind in the world, and last month the woman gave birth to a premature baby boy, via cesarean section, which is also a first. The transplant, and subsequent successful pregnancy opens the door for other women who wish become pregnant, but are physically unable. Both the mother and baby are doing well, and we send them best wishes!
The First Baby Born After A Womb Transplant by Katharine J. Tobal for Conscious Evolution
A young girl shares her experience, sharing kindness with random strangers.
Ten year old Fluro Zebra has a rare nervous system dysfunction called Regional Pain Syndrome, but she does not let her health situation get her down. She blogs regularly to help support others with the dysfunction, and she loves to share kindness with others. In this brilliant piece, she shares an adventure in making gifts for random strangers to be given out at the mall. The open hearts of children are an inspiration to us all!
Kindness is Contagious by Fluro Zebra on Kindness Blog
Trees planted on Caribbean islands ease hunger and increase sustainability.
Many think of the islands in the Caribbean as tropical paradises, but a majority of the indigenous vegetation on most islands, has long been replaced by cash crops like sugar cane. As crop-based industries left the islands, many inhabitants were left in poverty. The Trees That Feed foundation announced this week that they have planted 50,000 fruit bearing trees across the Caribbean, in an effort to promote sustainability and ease hunger. TTFF believes that once these fruit trees, many of which are breadfruit, come to maturity they will help alleviate the need to import food, which will decrease prices for those who are already struggling to get by.
50,000 Food-Bearing Trees Planted To Fight Caribbean Hunger by Good News Network
An avid basketball player is changing lives in the Congo, one game at a time.
Dario Merlo was born in Goma, the largest city in East Congo, Africa. His family moved to Belgium in 1994 to escape the genocide in Rwanda. He returned as a young man, in 2005, to work with the Jane Goodall Institute, but his love for basketball drew him to create a youth league in the city. The Promote Youth Basketball league is not just teaching kids to play the game, it’s promoting life skills, education and community among the 650 individuals it serves. It sounds like a winning combination to me!
Basketball is inspiring youth by Kem Sawyer on TruthAtlas
A robot-making artist cooks up a plan to feed the homeless in Arizona.
Alexi DeVilliers, a self-taught artist, also known as “Fish Lipz”, lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and he has been feeding elderly homeless people, out of his own pocket, for over 4 years. He decided to make sculptures out of recycled cans, left over after cooking the meals, to raise funds for the growing program at the Justa Center. His art sales contribute to the food program, which he hopes to expand by purchasing a large, local vacant building, in the near future. What a wonderful way to recycle and support those in need!
This mom should have gotten a ticket, but a kind police officer gives her a car seat instead.
When Ben Hall stopped Alexis DeLorenzo, for driving with an unrestrained young child in her car, he should have given her a ticket. DeLorenzo immediately said she knew her 5 year old daughter should have been in a car seat, but she could not afford one. The kind officer asked her to meet him at a local store, where he purchased a new seat for her, at his own expense. The thrilled and suprised mom promises to “pay it forward” once she gets back on her feet financially.
And finally, a few “guilty pleasure” space websites to share.
If you crave a few moments of peace and tranquility in your day, or simply need to see the bigger picture, these wonderful websites share amazing photographs of space, the biggest picture of them all, to thrill and enlighten even the dreariest day.
The gateway to astronaut photography of earth is a NASA project, that shares photography taken of earth by astronauts in orbit, beginning in the late 1960’s with the Mercury missions. Some of the views are absolutely stunning, and the archivist picks top ten favorites of the day. It is out of this world! (I couldn’t resist!)
Gateway to Astronaut Photography at NASA
The Hubble telescope has it’s own website, and the vast number of space phenomenon it has photographed are shared in galleries on the site. In Hubble’s Top Shots, scientists and viewers pick their favorites. What blows my mind about these beautiful photographs is that they are real! These things are out there in the universe, and we get to see them, which is so cool!
That’s the good word for today! I hope these things have put a smile on your face and some joy in your heart. Have a wonderful day!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex