Small Things Count

KEA: An Exciting New Venture

Kaskazi Environmental Alliance (KEA) has an exciting, innovative idea: teach E. Africans about the importance of their environment and how that environment affects everyone on Earth; get them excited about and active in preserving their eco-system; and provide jobs that will help them pull themselves out of poverty.

KEA will offer marine science programs to the people who will be stewards of the Earth in the future–the youth. They will also build a world-class aquarium and marine research and conservation center.  Additionally, they plan to turn a dangerous eyesore of a dump into a recycling center  Through all of this, they will employ local people, giving them life-saving jobs and hope for a better future.

I think this U.S.-based not-for-profit has the right idea.  And the group creating and running it has the vision, energy, and dedication to make it work.

KEA is new, just getting off the ground.  However, once it gets going, I believe it will act just like its namesake, the African Kaskazi winds, calming the storms of poverty, environmental degradation, and inadequate education.

I’ll be watching them…and reporting on them here from time to time.  Meanwhile, learn more about KEA by going to their website, www.KEAinc.org.

Small Things Count in Fighting Poverty

Think about it: 37 million people of all ages in our country are suffering from the ravages of poverty.  These are men, women, and children off all ethnic backgrounds.  They are healthy or unhealthy, mentally unstable or perfectly stable, families or individuals, unable to work or have been “downsized” and can’t find work.  In short, poverty can strike anyone at any time–and it has.  We can’t fix our economy overnight, but those of us who are fortunate enough not to be part of the 37 million can help through our donations not just of money but of time. Everyone has a little time to give.  If serving at a soup kitchen takes more than you have, how about spending a few extra minutes while you grocery shop to shop for food items for Martha’s Kitchen, or bake extra cookies for the kitchen or a shelter while you’re baking for your family.  If you don’t have time to help Sacred Heart Community Services pack sack lunches for the homeless you probably do have a minute to smile and say “Hi” to the homeless man outside the store, thus letting him know that he’s recognized as a human being rather than an objectionable object. After your daughter’s softball game, when you go with the team to pizza, you have a second to invite along as your family’s guest the girl who can’t afford to go.  In other words, poverty can be fought on the human level–one human being to another.  And you fight the battle in little ways.  As I always say, Small things really DO count!