July 2012
12 posts
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What’s Next After Getting Children in School?
Do you know that the average person displaced by war into a refugee camp or elsewhere stays there for 17 years? Even though I have worked in many refugee camps over the years, that statistic shocked me.
It was mentioned at a meeting I attended last week in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Basic Education Coalition, which I co-chair. The meeting focused on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),...
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Holding Hands in Public
As CEO of ChildFund, I get to meet some interesting folks. This week I met Madeleine Albright at a dinner in D.C. for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC). I’m on the Board of the USGLC – a “strange bedfellows” coalition of nonprofits like ChildFund, corporations (Caterpillar is the co-chair) and retired 3-4 star generals. We all share one common goal – to keep the U.S. positively...
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“I am looking for knowledge.”
– Rafaela, age 10, commenting on her happiness to be attending a new school in Timor-Leste, made possible by ChildFund’s work with the local community. She admitted that learning for her Grade 5 class has been difficult in the past, especially when the roof of the dilapidated school leaked.
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Sandals That Make You Strong
I am a regular gym goer – about three times a week. Working out regularly helps me feel stronger physically, which helps me feel stronger mentally. As a leader, I need that feeling of strength – both physically and mentally.
My gym – like similar ones around the U.S. – is full of people trying to lose weight. We all know we have a huge and serious obesity problem in our country. But it stands in...
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Board Not Boring
ChildFund’s Board of Directors’ quarterly meeting is next week, and I’m busy getting ready for it. We have 19 committed volunteers who serve on our Board, and they come from a variety of backgrounds from around the U.S., as well as one member from Mexico, one of the countries where ChildFund works.
We have business professionals, college professors and nonprofit leaders on our Board – some...
sarahcabbage asked: Hi, I live in Richmond. Anything I can do to volunteer?
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“Dreams? I did not let myself dream when I was little. I was scared it...”
– Kristine, a former sponsored child in ChildFund’s Indonesia programs who is now a tutor, pursuing a bachelor’s of education, with a focus on early childhood development.
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In the Middle of U.S. Heat Wave, Reflecting on...
My trip to Bolivia has come and gone, but much of what I saw is still in my head and, thankfully, won’t go away. Urban poverty has a unique look: shanty houses hiding behind nicer ones, planned but unpaved, muddy roads and shops to buy from but no money to spend.
I met a young boy who was born without an ear and can only hear very loud sounds. But his father’s passion for music became the...
Ignoring Children's Long-term Needs During... →
Sharing my recent blog for the Huffington Post, focusing on the food crisis unfolding in The Gambia and the potential long-term impact of natural disasters on children.
“The school makes me feel sad. The school is near the water tank, which was...”
– 11-year-old Jose, a child in a poor community, whose voice could easily go unheard. However, ChildFund Timor-Leste’s program approach puts Jose’s thoughts, ideas and feelings, along with those of his peers, at the center of its program design and implementation. 