the go to girl

332 to go!

a follow up to my post earlier this month on charity: water... simply AMAZING!

charity: water

i stumbled upon an organization while catching up on all of my favorite websites this morning. its been a while since i've had time to do this. i was so deeply touched by the efforts of this organization and wanted to share just in time for their exciting live drill event in Ethiopia tomorrow!

it's amazing, since my return from Ghana, i can't tell you how many people i've come in contact with and/or discovered who's inspiration and ties go back to West Africa!

charity: water was started two years ago by a man inspired by a life altering trip to West Africa. what started out as a birthday wish has transpired into wells, water and hope for villages in Kenya, Ethiopia and beyond! see for yourself...

The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

happy 33rd birthday Scott Harrison! i can hardly find words to express the inspiration you've give to me today in discovering your mission. you are a GIFT! what a way to spend your birthday. celebrating your life to better our world. i ASPIRE to do such GOOD!

warDANCE!

i have been on hiatus for a while. its been tough adjusting back to life and work after my trip to Ghana. i just can't shake it. evaluating what i'm doing here, my purpose, my passions, my desire to go back. and when? when can i go back?

i just watched a brilliant documentary last night entitled WAR DANCE. the film was breathtaking. highlighting the lives of children of the Acholi Tribe who were displaced from their homes and families during the wars in northern UGANDA. abducted by rebels, forced to sometimes kill and flea to Patongo's refugee camp. thru music & dance these children are united. it is their life blood. watch the clip below and RENT or PURCHASE this movie. watch out for Dominic! u will fall in love. i did

i couldn't help but think about my experience at buduburam and the children i encountered. it was so easy to forget their struggles because their spirits were so bright.

aBouT to BOarD!!!

it's really happening! i can see the line forming and i'm about to jump into it. HERE I GO!!!

off to Ghana... :)

i'm ONlinE...

FINALLY! i headed to the London airport early this morning to find me an int'l adapter so i could juice up my macbook and get online. unfortunately, everyone i want to reach out to is fast asleep. thanks to the wonderful emails from my mom, annie & sissy i feel your love all the way over here in rainy & drab london.

CONVERSION... wow this word means so much more today than ever. my macbook power cord does me absolute no good without converting to UK system. too bad its in my suitcase in no man's land here at the airport. thank goodness for the excellent shopping in this airport. i found a BRILLIANT tool, the FUJIFILM World Wide Travel Plug Adapter. its GENIUS and safe to use to power up my laptop!

oh yeah, and TIME. my boarding pass says my gate closes at 1355. my computer says its 3:38am so 3:38 + 8 hours = 11:38 and 2 hours from now it will be 1338. okay, i have 2 more hours til i leave! my brain hurts.

i'm learning a lot already, in my 2 days of travel and i have not even reached the destination that i know will change me forever. I'm READY!

thx to the chilling music of bon iver, my last hours at London Heathrow have not been so bad.

xo

why do i feel like giving london the finger...

why do i feel like giving london the finger...  hehehehe

that was for my bf kris. he's the only one who will get it until YOU watch this video of a past American Idol hopeful. http://youtube.com/watch?v=aEnsDnfiwLI

we've had quite a giggle from miss alexis cohen!

okay, so not a fan of int'l travel thus far... k i'm gonna try to be my positive and giddy self but seriously, its been for the birds thus far!

i'm sitting in my dodgy hotel room in London. NO, this was not part of the plan. i connected from Dublin to London and flight was 30 minutes delayed so missed my connection to GHANA by 20 minutes. so SAD and yes i cried and was a total baby. but, its my first time traveling out of the country, feeling out of control and helpless and just want to get to the kiddies on camp!!!

there was absolutely nothing they could do to re-route me today so they put me on the same flight for tomorrow and put me up in the saddest hotel. of course, i instantly want to get online. email my friend celina who's planning to pick me up. email my family to tell them i'm alive. NOPE internet is down at the hotel. OF COURSE IT IS! so, concierge gives me few minutes to send my emails. its like i'm in jail, and the people here are so unfriendly, not helpful nor compassionate. its grey here too. i'm not a fan!

i picked up some smarties, corn nuts and licorice ropes across the way. found some happiness in SUGAR! :)

i finally get online this evening but i've got just a little juice left in my macbook and my converter, adapter thing a ma jiggy is in my suitcase at the airport. ARRGGH

i've sent my emails, got a bit of an online fix and i'm signing off for now. (p.s. i'm seriously having internet withdrawl, its a sickness!) africa is going to be good for me.

tomorrow's a new day, lets hope its a better one! next time i hope to be writing from GHANA!!! :)

london you haven't dampered my spirit, just challenged it a little. i'd be cranky too i guess if i lived in this weather too.

xo

i DID it!!!

i reached my GOAL!!!

wow, wow, wow! gosh, I'm so moved by this past month. i already feel the deep impact of my trip and i haven't even left yet. fundraising has been one of the most humbling, liberating, stressful and REWARDING experiences of my life. i'm touched by you! my dear friends old and new, near and far. my heart is FULL and i feel like the luckiest girl to be loved this much. its overwhelming.

i have raised over of $3,000 solely from donations by friends and family and my flight donated by my dear friend Eileen! in 13 days i leave for the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Accra, Ghana. look at these little babies i'll be with, oh i'm so excited!

several days later, i will travel up to Hohoe to begin my three weeks working with Cross Cultural Solutions.

thank you, thank you ALL again for your love, support, words of encouragement and being a part of my life. not many get this kind of opportunity in their lifetime and i am so very grateful!

one LOVE

sERious STufF...

have u ever seen a face so precious? i am in luv with this boy, and i haven't even met him. but i will! they call him LUCKY BOY and he's one of the abandoned children of A.R.C.H. (Abandoned Refugee Children's Home) at the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana. this is the camp that i will be visiting before my cross cultural solutions trip and i cannot wait!

some GNARLY things are going on in Buduburam. at 4am Monday morning, Ghanian police arrested hundreds of peacefully protesting refugee women who are now facing threats of deportation. i encourage you to read more at www.niapele.blogspot.com and please take a moment to sign this petition www.ipetitions.com/LiberianRefugees/.

the Niapele Project was founded by two brilliant young women Celina Guich and Penelope Chester, who began their work as volunteers at the Buduburam Refugee Camp and are now supporting over 600 of the most vulnerable children through feeding programs, school initiatives and health care. SO INSPIRING! i will be visiting them in april and can't wait to see the fruits of their labor.

the A.R.C.H. kids...

get me to GHANA!

going to GHANA and i need YOUR help! It's unbelievable to me that in only six short weeks I will be in GHANA! Wow, its wild and reality is finally setting in. I've NEVER been out of the country so as I receive my very first passport, schedule my immunization appointments and look over my daunting travel itinerary, the reality of my trip grows with each day that passes. I want to share with you more my experiences that lie ahead. Initially, I signed up for a volunteer program with Cross Cultural Solutions. Along with 30 other volunteers from all over the world, I will be spending three weeks in Hohoe, Ghana which is the Volta Region on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. I will be spending my days with children of all ages, many in orphanages and children's homes. I hope to teach English, dance, sing, get a little crafty and mostly share my love with as many little kiddies as I can! I will sleep and eat at the Home-Base in Hohoe and spend evenings and weekends immersing in the culture with cultural & learning activities, language lessons (Ewe), drumming & dancing, traditional festivals, visiting the monkey sanctuary, waterfalls, hikes, beaches, THE WORKS! In planning all of this, I have discovered an organization in Ghana that I'm getting quite involved with here in LA. It's called The Niapele Project and I am so moved by the community of children they're supporting. You've got to take some time to look at their website but to summarize... on the Buduburam refugee settlement which consists of 45,000 Liberian refugees, the Niapele Project takes care of 600 of the most vulnerable refugee children on a daily basis. They established a daily feeding program for these children and also fund their education and health care. Its INCREDIBLE work they're doing! I will be staying at the refugee camp with one of the young founders, who lives in LA. I leave April 27 and will be there for several days to experience the camp, the children, the programs offered and the current NEEDS. In turn, I will be assisting with a fund raising event later this year in Los Angeles. I can't tell you how deeply exited I am to be on the camp, with the children and the inspiring women who have developed this program. It will be hard to leave! So, the not so fun part. ASKING FOR MONEY! My program fee is $2,885 and I have 17 more days to reach my goal. I will be away for almost a month so to afford this trip, I need your help! CCS has set me up with a fundraising page where you can donate, see what I've raised and learn more about the program. Thanks to many of you, I've already raised $930, which is INCREDIBLE! I have 17 days to raise $1,995 and with your help, I know I'll DO IT! Anything helps and your donation is 100% U.S. tax-deductible. I would never ask if it weren't for such a great CAUSE! I have to add a VERY special thank you to my dear friend Eileen Marek. With out her, my travels would not be possible. She donated enough airline miles to cover my entire trip. UNBELIEVABLE! I am so grateful for her kindness and continued support over the years! I love you BEANY!!! Okay, I've taken up enough of your time. I hope you'll consider sponsoring me, my trip, my dream, my mission. This is just the beginning for me. I plan to do BIG things, make an impact in the world and can't wait to share with all of you. Please feel free to email me with questions, tips, ideas, words of wisdom, concerns, WHATEVER!!! I'd love to hear from you. p.s. thank you, thank you AGAIN to all of you who've already contributed! My heart poureth over, Jenny

SPONSOR ME! click here Learn More... Cross Cultural Solutions The Niapele Project the go to girl

Kenya

the conflict this promising and once peaceful country is going thru is devastating. so much hope for Kenya country, now conflicted and in crisis. a brilliant journalist and the East Africa bureau chief, Jeffrey Gettleman, of the New York Times is an invaluable source to the ongoings in Kenya and beyond.