a tiny ripple of hope.

“…Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance….”

i heart the i-heart revolution.

on critics.

admittedly, i am human and get frustrated sometimes. sometimes at people like my cubicle neighbour having a social gathering while i try to study, and other times with people.

i dream of a world where clean water is commonplace and not a luxury. a world in which caring acts dominate violent ones. simply, i dream of a world in which people can worry about how to live life and not how to survive it.

too much? too ideal? possibly. probably. but a girl can dream right? i can (almost) understand indifference to local and global issues, but dont you dream of the same kind of world? im just trying to help create the world we both dream of. i didn't mean that you should no longer drink water, but just understand the problem with bottled water. the unfortunate truth is that all the social actions that im posting about address issues that directly affect you and your future. you don't have to care, but just be aware. you don't have to help, but just don't criticize. there are many people out there fighting to create a better world for you.

it seems to be the trend wherein if there is someone who is trying to make a positive social impact, there will always be criticism of what they are doing. charities are criticized for not donating 100% of donations towards aid, overseas volunteers are criticized that their work will not be sustainable, and buying a homeless man a coffee is seen as not making a difference. im guilty of the above criticisms, but the underlying principle is that these people are just trying to help. and isn't some help better than nothing? why does help always have to be criticized? maybe so we can help in a better way. nothing spurs passion more than a little criticism and critical thinking. so bring your criticisms and i will bring solutions!

just wait, we're planning a caring revolution. just wait for it :D more to come.

No matter how complex global problems may seem, it is we ourselves who have given rise to them. They cannot be beyond our power to resolve

- Daisaku Ikeda

life. add water.

today, i continued my rounds of vaccines pre-malawi and only got 1: hepatitis a. the process is fairly good in that i am always required to read an information sheet before receiving the vaccination.

hepatitis a: is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by Hepatitis A virus, which is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or drinking water.

wait a second. fecal-oral route? at first i was a bit shocked. how does that happen? how can that happen? but then i actually thought about all the knowledge i've been gathering on clean water solutions. in developing countries where a water hole is shared by one or more villages, animals, and development, how could this not happen?

water is scarce is developing countries, forcing any water to be communal. the water that you bathe in, that animals clean themselves in, that garbage is dumped, is the same water which is drawn to suffice thirst.

pause.

it's not fair. so what can i do? what can you do? support charities that give 100% to clean water solutions such as charity:water. come up with an innovative solution like lifestraw. other than that, i dont know. which is the hardest part. personally, when i think, watch, and read about clean water problems, i get this feeling in my stomach and this anger in my heart. it's not fair.

is hepatitis a something that you have to worry about every time you take a refreshing sip of water?

i know you can't wait. but i promise i'm going to help. help others help and think of new ways to help myself.

goosebumps.

"do you ever get that feeling, that you're on the brink of something really amazing but you're scared to tell anyone? and then, then you get these signs and realize that you're doing the right thing? it gives me goosebumps."
-RB on our idea (:

there is a reason for my sleepless nights and it's not school. my head spins and my heart pounds when i think about the endless possibilities. the revolution we'll cause, the impact we'll create, and most exciting, the people we'll help.

this is going to be amazing. because we're going to make it amazing :D

great. this is just what i need before my 3 finals in 2 days. more to come on [insert project name here].

imagine that.

nothing less than amazing. just a little afternoon inspiration.

"it is wild to have reality outpace your dreams".

- jessica jackley flannery, co-founder kiva.org