Of common nature?

God's time.

Exit.

Tusker.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to spare.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Excitement.

Depressive Episode.

Malaria in the Digital Age.

Malaria is a global killer, yet totally preventable. The majority of child deaths under the age of five within Sub-Saharan Africa alone are truly astounding, there is hope with child mortality now on the decrease in Africa.

A TED roadshow presentation about countries in Africa and their progression with MDG Goal 4: Child Mortality, highlights these improvements yet there is worry this is coming to a plateau of progression. Malaria is a global factor in child mortality and with news of mosquito's are becoming immune to prevention drugs along with a 'super species' of mosquito being found in Burkina Faso is a tremendous worry.

Having volunteered in a remote Village in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana with Platform2 I worry for the children that I have seen affected directly by Malaria in the small community of Kasapin. Malaria affects the future of children in developing countries, who have little or no access to mosquito nets, causing not only deaths in children but causing the education of those most vunerable to suffer.




The digital-youth of today are the makers of tomorrow, outh culture has become some what diverse and takes on many shapes within todays ever evolving and changing society. Without a youth movement within politics and society then important and lasting messages will be lost. In order for change the young need to interact with their government and peers on global issues. Web 2.0 - the Digital Age provides an accessbile and free platform for youth culture and advocacy of global issues to occur, tweeting, blogging and the infamous Facebook: it all counts, it’s all making noise. A conglomerate of youth and standing up for the future.

Social media platforms and lo-fi production of promotional material are very important in today’s techno-savvy and topically indebted youth. Mass media coporations and production agencies have all the time and money in the world to gloablize brands and televise reality shows, but give what seems little time to global issues- this is then left to NGO’s and activists to fight that corner. The sheer volume of The Mass Media affect draws on the worrying potential that a high proportion of the westernised world are slowly loosing our humanity and the power to make change.

Young people feel that change is hard to come by, we need to understand that we have been led blindly by governments, corrupt politicians and people in high places that take liberties of the weak and vunerable. We need to form strong social bonds both on and offline and use the tools that we have available to us- free social spaces, art funds and of course social media.

Fight injustice and use social media to better the world.



Related posts:

Eradicating Malaria
Farming in Kasapin

Useful links:

New mosquito type raises concern
Malaria No More UK
DFiD - Millenium Development Goals

Be Brave.

I am The Change.

Ghana farming - Kasapin July 2010.

As I write this I am sat in the middle of the African rainforest. The sound of tropical birds calling out to each other echoes in my ears. Insects project themselves, aware of their presence only by the abundance of noise they make, unthreatened.

I am sat on a tree that has fallen to the ground, sliced down by my host father's machete. Only three weeks ago I was in this same spot with Gifty, my host-sister, the only difference being I was sat under a tree and not perched on its side adjacent the ground.


Nana is clearing his land to farm some more plantain and cocoa trees, he tells me his father father gave him this land, "it is all mine, seven acres of it." I sit here in the Sub-Saharan desert in his seven acres, untouched by civilisation, unencountered.

The only thing these seven acres see are the people who love it for what it can provide, the weather and God.

God to which Nana just sat and prayed to before planting his first plantain sucker. I question these actions. Nana said, " I asked God to protect me, to protect my farm" Nana then broke off into traditional African song, hammering the ground.




A leather skinned old man walks by, with someone who I assume is his son. The mans skin looks like you could upholster a custom made chair with it. The leather man smiles and waves his machete as a sign of acceptance. A killer Ant passes by to my right, reminding me of an armoured soldier and the bites that the group received clearing the playground.

Nana calls to me, in broken English he tells me to pass him some plantain suckers. Some of them are rotten, or at least they smell that way. They are an alien finger reaching out through the ground and upwards, beyond, as if calling home.

I am told to go and rest, Nana and I laugh, we are reminded of an earlier conversation, how western life was too fast and that the important things like family and rest are left to pass by.

An oak coloured grasshopper makes an appearance, it doesn't move from my sight for over half an hour, sitting undisturbed; unless Nana makes a request about knowing the contents of my 'report', which he says is very nice.

Nana breaks from planting and asks me, "what are you going to do when you go back to England...teach, be a politician?"

I laugh and Nana joins in, we share yet another joke. I tell him that it is not very likely that I get into politics, I tell Nana that I don't like politicians, "they talk too much" he replies.

Several Ants pass and Nana chops down a rather stubborn tree, he has been doing so for the past ten minutes.

Crack! The crash of leaves and a dull thud, the tree has surrendered. The wind has changed and I can feel a chill in the air, rain is coming.

Global Poverty Project: 1.4 Billion Reasons DVD Premiere

Global Poverty is something which needs to be eradicated in our life time; the Global Poverty Project is an organisation which is commited to spreading the word and acheiving this goal.

On Wednesday 20 October I attended the 1.4 Billion Reasons DVD premiere at Bloomsbury Thatre in London, where my winning photography entries for 'Women are the Solution not the Problem' were screened.



The UK premiere of 1.4 Billion Reasons was a highly successful event, Bloomsbury Theatre was buzzing with like minded people, including model Lily Cole. You could really sense the energy of change as the presentation got under way.




The DVD itself delves into the details of the Millenium Development Goals, which were recently reviewed last month at the UN Summit in New York. To focus on these goals highlights the importance and possibility of eradicating poverty, proving that unless we promote change then these global goals of humanity will seem out of reach for some time to come.




The DVD focused on Ghana, West Africa, as a shining example of democracy and the development of fair trade rules in cocoa farming. Links to Cadbury's and the work they are doing with Ghanian farmers were discussed in the presentation and the DVD. The examples and developments discussed for the Gold Coast country are something that I can relate to, having returned from volunteering in Ghana with Platform2 for 3 months back in August.

The night was a huge success, with several open question and answer opportunities throughout the presentation, which really made the audience engage with the issues highlighted in the DVD.



Related post: Women and the Solution not the Problem
Find out more about The Global Poverty Project
Global Poverty Project: Join in on Facebook

Refracted Light.

The Sun sets in the sky
I look up
and gasp.

The twilight moment fills the air,
birds flocking to its back drop
A mirror image from its right,
cirrus clouds captivating a moment
holding on to it.

A spherical gallery,
I distinguish which way is West
I cannot locate a border of this light horizon.

Islamic song breaks through
wishing the Sun a fond farewell.
The break of day will be welcomed with prayer
as the birds process the same song.

A trival tweet, a religious fete,
all dancing and praising the same drum.
A melodic day time wonder
waving hello to the night.

Hello fair moon where art thou?
I shall sing you the same song.



A poem inspired by my surroundings of day to night and back again, Kasapin, Brong Ahafo Region, Ghana.

Preparing for Ghana.

I am lucky enough to be one of a group of volunteers heading to Kasapin in Ghana at the end of the month. This is part of global volunteer project Platform 2.

I have tried to comprehend what it will be like when I get there, and although some research has given me some insight I doubt that I haven't even touched the surface of the experience.

As part of the Platform 2 project I will be making bricks, laying these to eventually form a bank, post office and youth centre for the community in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana. I will also be teaching numeracy, literacy and may be some life skills in the local school.

There are a lot of global issues that Platform 2 have asked us to research before we head out to Ghana. Some which effect third world countries in a way we can't relate to. I have been looking at Health, mainly HIV and Malaria.

HIV and Malaria are both misunderstood and heavily stigmatised. Looking at Malaria I have found that this is a preventable disease through the use of medication and a simple mosquito net. I am sure I will find out more about this wide spread disease which has a high mortality rate for under fives. A high number of children in Ghana are also affected in directly by Malaria and HIV, with family members suffering and dying from either disease.

The BBC recently aired a documentary 'Blood, Sweat and Luxuries - Gold and E-waste' which sees a group of young adults travel to Ghana, extracting Gold from what can only be described as clay pits for next to nothing. The group visit a toxic waste site of E-Waste which depicts something from the Apocalypse. These images and this documentary are truly eye opening and a recommended watch.



As I sit and prepare for Ghana I realise that this experience is something which I cannot really begin to understand until I get there.


Watch the BBC documentary - Gold and E-Waste
Donate a mere 15 quid and prevent the effect of Malaria for a family
Watch an animation about Malaria produced by Christian Aid

Ode to Platform 2.

Platform2 is your chance to make change happen, not only for you but for people who live a world away from anything you or I have ever experienced.

"I’m stuck. I am stuck doing nothing, making no progress, wasting time. I am tired of waiting around. I need change, change that effects my path for the future. I need to see and experience the bigger picture."

Words that seem to have led to greater things. With Platform 2, I am sure that my view will most certainly change. I am lucky enough to be one of those excepted on to Platform 2, a global volunteer project which is funded by the Department for International Development.

This amazing opportunity is something which you too can experience, it is just a click away. Only four select questions stand between you and the chance to travel to Ghana, South Africa, Nepal, Peru or India. Aged between 18-25?...then what are you waiting for, apply.

Stuck in a rut? Want to make a difference...then apply to Platform 2 before it's too late. The application deadline for the last departure of this life-changing experience is the 14 June 2010.


Apply to Platform 2
Join in on Facebook