Helping Children Artistically

As I have given more thought to my future goals and strong desire to make a difference in the people's lives and remain connected to my artistic side, I've become more attracted to the idea of working with children. Helping children now, helps every generation to follow. The overwhelming process of scanning hundreds of non-profits across the country and looking for job opportunities has led me back to my deeply engrained love of the arts. I want to reach out to children through music and theatre and bring them the happiness that I have seen in so many young kids when they stand for the first time on a stage and sing a slightly out of tune song they've been working on for their parents. It's not about perfection in what we do, I think it's about the joy that can be brought to others through the work we do.

Think about this

Graduation is Approaching

I realize it's only October, but I continually get the standard question from adults, when they find out I'm graduating this year, "So, what are you going to do after graduation?" These kinds of questions have always been around.  First they ask, "Where are applying to school?" Then they wonder, "What are you majoring in?" There's always some question that people ask in which we've all formulated our generic answers for. At the moment my answer for post-graduation plans is as follows:


"I'm not really sure. Since I'm graduating early I'm going to take some time to travel because I never studied abroad.  Then we'll see where I end up and go from there.  I'm not worried about it.  I'm actually enjoy the ambiguity of the future."

The typical response I get from people after they've heard this answer is usually something along the lines of utter disbelief, confusion, and a wary, "well good luck with that." I've come to expect these responses and they don't bother at all, because I'm quite content with my answer.

HOWEVER...getting this question time and time again has really put the pressure on to think about the rest of my life. I'm fine with the future being up in the air, but what freaks me out a bit is that when I do spend time thinking about what I want to do, there are so many possibilities AND I want to do them all.

How can I possibly settle for one over another? Here are the options:

- Teach swing dancing
- Travel the world
- Work for the UNDP
           ~ Help Africa
           ~ Solve poverty...etc
- Work for a non-profit
- Open a small theatre company
- Open a shop (bakery, flowers, chocolate)
- Teach kids
- Work at a nature conservancy

This list goes on and I can't even think of everything right now.

Anyway, I'm not worried about securing a job or leading a happy life, I know those things will happen...I just don't know how I choose which of the amazing things I want to do I should do. Oh well...the list will continue to get longer and graduation will keep creeping up on me.  Life is exciting and I am grateful that my worries are over something as incredible as having the choose to pick what I want to spend my life doing...or at least part my life.  Maybe I can even do everything on the list (except solving poverty may be a stretch).

And I'm back...Let's Help Africa...Let's Solve Poverty

So, I'm taking this African Business and Labor class right now, along with Global Politics class and an Economic Development class.  Between the three of them I've been exposed to a fair share of the sad and terrible conflicts that are taking place in Africa right now. From the civil war in the Congo (perpetuated by our own demand to coltan) to the genocide in Darfur to the general underdevelopment of the people, classes can get a bit depressing. But, this is a good thing too, because I want to make a difference and do my part to help Africa AND I'm 100% serious. I'm not that kind of person that sees a video about the child labor in the Ivory Coast, says "oh that's sad" and then buys a chocolate bar after class and continues with her day. 

The big question for me is: how to help? and what is the best way? and what area to focus on? To get started I've compiled just a few websites of organizations devoted to the problems facing the African nations.  My explorations have just begun, but here is what I've touched on thus far.


All For Africa - reducing poverty
Africa Oasis Project  - tackling education, clean water, and hunger
Stop Child Labor - self-explanatory
Wiser - reducing gender parity
Save the Congo  - Congo
Develop Africa - meaningful and sustainable development
UN Development Program
Africare  - food security, water, health, and emergency response
Save Africa's Children
The Save Africa Project
Save Africa Now - helping AIDS orphans

AND... Africa Guide - the ultimate list of charities in Africa.  Instead of re-posting them all here, just refer to this site.

Also, there are numerous sites out their for Darfur efforts, which I have come across in my research for a paper.

Save Darfur
Eyes on Darfur - part of Amnesty International

It's quite clear there is a great deal to dive into and I can't wait to explore everything. This is a daunting task and I'm really not sure of the best path to follow, but I'm one of these websites will lead me an interesting and rewarding direction.

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