KONY who? Think before you donate.....

Apparently people in Uganda are reacting to the Kony2012 campaign - negatively.


If nothing else, the Kony campaign gave this woman who lives in Uganda a voice :




A girlfriend of mine from Japan has been a volunteer RN for a Health Organization in several of these middle African countries for the past 5 years.  She had to move from the country she originally was in to another due to the conflicts in the areas she is working with.  

It wasn't Kony that was the problem there.

They are doing incredible work with other people from around the world to teach health and help those who are coping with day to day concerns and current health issues.

One of my best friends from school was Consul General at an Embassy in a West African country when bands of militants went door to door hauling out any foreigners from France -  and slaughtering them.  He narrowly escaped with his life.

Kony wasn't the problem there.

There are more issues in Africa than one man named Kony.   There are corrupt governments that do just as horrible things than Kony, diseases we have never heard of and other political issues that will take more than a poster campaign to correct.

As a board member on a non-profit,  I wince when I hear of an "Non profit" organization that is not as transparent as it could be and is perhaps a little bit suspect in it's methodology. 

People will always love a band wagon to jump on.  It makes them feel good.......for a little while.  When the popularity of the project wanes.....what are we left with? What is the next step? What can we do that is constructive?

To only be "aware" of a situation isn't enough.

One thing that I have done for several years, is participate in an organization such as KIVA,  which assists those people in 3rd world countries to get a loan where they would never normally qualify or where financial institutions don't exist  -  and help them to help themselves.

It's called MICROFINANCING.

It's not money that is handed free of responsibility.  First, they must create a business plan. The borrowers have to pay the money back.  Loan payback is approximately 98% - which is far better than any "regular" bank.   When your loan is paid back - you then choose another person/group to loan it to. 

The success rate of these businesses is phenomenal.

When we allow people to take the initiative, it will stabilize their life and in turn, they can participate in their own governments and political issues to make changes.

Go to the KIVA website and find out that there are better things to do than run out in the middle of the night plastering posters all over other people's property that someone else will have to clean up.

How the West was Won

I had to post this:

Gl*bal TV and their announcers supporting the Canucks in song - joining hip-hop artist Kyprios.

The song "How the West was Won" is available on iTunes and a portion of the proceeds will go to Canuck Place, which supports children with life-threatening and progressive illnesses and their families.

Good job! :)

Tiger Williams, hockey player

An aside here.

 Kyprios mentions "Tiger Williams" in the song......I saw "Tiger" (not the golfing one!) live once while volunteering at a Triathlon in the Okanagan.

He was riding past on a bike - one of the participants.

Back then, hockey players weren't as pretty - they were pretty much beat up looking guys with missing teeth and crooked noses - no protective head gear worn back then.

Tiger Williams was one of the most fierce fighters in professional hockey - an "enforcer",  breaking records for penalty minutes awarded - and still holds the most in a career at 3,966 minutes.    But - he also could deliver - scoring goals that would help keep Vancouver in the last run at the Stanley Cup in 1984.

He's also probably the only Hockey player to have published a cook book - "Done Like Dinner: Tiger in the Kitchen" (old paperback signed edition - $50!!) - with many hockey themed recipes.

Project in the Works / Happy Canada Day!

 Got home from the AGM and am very pleased at the way things are going. Nice to know we, as a non-profit, are doing really well financially and continue to be not only self-sustainable but can move forward with expansion plans.

We have a project in the works for building another high-rise apartment in downtown Vancouver to supply the demand for low cost housing for seniors....which will add more than 100 extra apartments to what we already have - more than 1000 units all told.

Here is another one of our present buildings:

188 units, spectacular view......

RETIREMENT LIVING

Retirement can be a frightening thing for many people. What do you do when you finally get to that age where you retire and find you can't afford a place to stay never mind the expenses of daily living?

One of my first jobs as a nurse was the Extended Care Unit. I loved those old people as much as the babies I looked after later on in my career. There were some great stories to be told by "very experienced adults", as I like to call them.

So, it wasn't a stretch when five years ago, I became involved in a non-profit society that provides inexpensive housing for seniors.

I volunteer my time, sitting on the Board of Directors for a Non Profit Society that owns and operates 10 apartment buildings in the Vancouver/Victoria area. The "Lower Mainland" as this area is known, has some of the most expensive real estate in Canada and also one of the most expensive places to live in Canada. Unfortunately, if you are elderly, living in this area is not affordable, unless you have done some long term financial planning.

Anyone 55+ with a limited income can apply to live in our Society's apartments - some are independent living and some independent with services such as meals, laundry etc. Rents start in the $475 per month range for a studio apartment, which, in an area whose rents in a similar apartment start at double that, fills a niche that is in high demand. This shows by the length of our waiting lists.

As our population ages, there is an increasing need for Supportive Retirement Living and I am happy to serve in this small way, providing a service for the needs of the elderly.

So, today I am driving to Vancouver for our AGM. I won't be posting for a few days. Meanwhile, here is one of our buildings. It has fantastic views over the Pacific ocean. Definitely somewhere I would LOVE to live......eventually.

Maybe I could apply? :)