Make Social Change A Reality

Since my time teaching GED classes with Columbia University’s Community Impact program has ended, many of my students have already taken the exam once or even twice. Some of them passed and successfully graduated the program; others still struggle with particular subjects or the exam as a whole. The experience of guiding and leading these people through this process was not only rewarding but also self-defining . In our last session, few of my “regular” students showed up mostly to say goodbye and wish each other good luck with the hope to meet again under circumstances that will allow us to get to know each other. These past months offered incredible insight to a person’s ability not only of self-conservation but also to reclaim the quality of life that everyone deserves but not everyone receives. Life is pretty hard in some parts of the world, but what is harder is the lack of drive, goal, purpose and dream. All my students are everyday people that merely try to better themselves and...

What a fantastic time to volunteer! Not only because our times demand it, but also because the human soul needs it! The GED classes at Columbia University’s Community Impact program continue and the semester seems to be progressing amazingly. After spring break, my students came back refreshed and ready for new adventures! And by adventures I mean learn how to write a winning GED essay! Now, that’s a challenge…!!! Mid-terms were uneventful and went by smoothly. The new focus of our class was how to become more efficient GED test-takers and learn new test-taking techniques and of course….practice, practice, practice…!!! At the beginning of the semester, I underestimated how valuable doing activities in the classroom would be. Having very few students returning their completed homework, it hit me that the only way to help them practice everything we learn in the classroom, was to actually have them do homework in the classroom. It is sad to admit I failed to convince them that homework w...

Welcome all to this new venture! The soul and spirit of this whole new undertaking, Ms. Chanelle Carver, a bright young lady with a vision and marvelous ideas deserves a standing ovation not only because of who she is but also for her inspiring efforts to include as many of us as possible in the dialogue for Adult literacy and Poverty. I, myself, got inspired and so I try everyday to veer my everyday activities towards the solution of this problem. That is how I decided that my contribution to this effort would be through community service. “I was really nervous on my first day. Having no experience, whatsoever, teaching in a classroom, I felt like a fraud.” To be more precise, I started volunteering at Columbia University’s Community Impact Program as a GED teacher and on Wednesday, February 6th I met with my new class. I got the idea that by chronicling the experience of teaching this class, I may be able to convey my ideas and concerns or issues I may stumble on and ask our readers...

Someone I know received a treadmill for Christmas. What a fun and purposeful piece of equipment! You can walk...jog...run like wind, in short, you'll get a great workout. That got me thinking about how important it is to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Great for the body...ehhh not so great on the wallet. Now yes, you don't need exercise equipment to get and stay in shape but without fresh veggies and meats (let's just say fresh food), how could your inside be healthy? Well I eat fresh food. I really do enjoy them and never understood why kids put up a big fuss about it. And so, I know the pro's (and con's) of eating healthy. But if obtaining these fresh foods weighs down your wallet and there are things you NEED to do with that money - pay a light bill, mortgage, car note - how do we choose which is more important ? What do you think? This post was written by Chanelle Carver, social entrepreneur, nonprofit consultant, and founder of the Literacy 'n...

The article I read in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Desperate Burmese Labor in Thailand ” made me think a little more about consumer responsibility and the role of civil society in assisting citizens of countries under political turmoil. It is about Burmese workers who cross the Burma-Thailand border to get a job at a factory that will pay them enough to feed their families back home. The conflict situation in Burma primarily because of the junta, and the challenging economic state the Burmese find themselves has caused hordes of people in need, mainly women, to immigrate to neighboring Thailand for work under unwanted circumstances. There are cases where child labor has been documented in factories that work for big multinational corporations. To top of the already strained financial situation of the country, the US has announced new, harder sanctions against the Burmese state. If such sanctions are ordered the Burmese are the first who will be affected by the measures (and not th...

After reading Doing Well by Doing Good an article by Jessica Chen on entrepreneur.com, I couldn’t help but to highlight the work of another individual who – in her own way, advances social causes. It explains another perspective of how entrepreneurs are lighting the way to different business practices like social entrepreneurship where in this case, profits are not the driving force behind success or failure. When serving a community – be it online or in local neighborhood, you should be equally concerned about the impact you’ll have on the community in addition to profits. The practice of a double-bottom line not only drives business but it advances the community by challenging us to do better; asking more questions, collaborating more often, managing your resources more efficiently, all key factors leading up to what you hope will produce great results/outcomes. Here are just a few social entrepreneurs you may find of interest: Bill Gates Bell and Melinda Gates Foundation Oprah ...

Last Friday as I sat on a bench across the street from my job, I couldn’t help but look at the empty playground. I also couldn’t help but watch, what I presumed to be homeless men, walking back and forth with a gaze in their eyes as if they were thinking “where will this shitty life take me today.” No more than ten minutes later was I greeted by a man, perhaps in his early to mid forties, who asked if I was as stressed as he was. “Not at all mister, just real tired” is what I said to him, secretly hoping that he wouldn’t talk anymore so that I could catch a quick nap before heading back to the office. The complete opposite happened! We ended up talking my entire lunch break where I learned about the personal, emotional and financial difficulties he was facing. As a single father raising a three year old son he said to me “life is so hard. Sometimes I wonder how a good person like me could have it so bad at times.” I had no advice for him, so I listened. To my surprise, this man...

Each day I receive my usual subscription email from NYTimes Online. But on Sunday, October 7, 2007, there was an article I read which made me think “what can I do, with the help of other concerned citizens, to solve this problem.” The article is titled “ Rape Epidemic Raises Trauma in Congo ”, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/world/africa/07congo.html?th&emc=th . While this rise in sexual violence against women is unknown, we cannot ignore the effects it has on people not only in Congo but around the world. Dr. Mukwege who works in South Kivu Province states “we don’t know why these rapes are happening, but one thing is clear. They are done to destroy women .” Whether you do or do not believe these rapes are being used as a tool to destroy Congolese women, I think we can all agree with the latter. Rape does destroy women, often times mentally, physically, and emotionally. It destroys all women, victims and spectators. In no way shape or form is it done to uplift or advance ...