A Shiny New Pen

A young orphan girl simpers in front of the camera while waiting in line to receive a UNICEF school kit.

Thursday was a day that helped me remember why I’m here.

Sometimes things can get a bit stagnant in the office, and the immediacy of the need in this country and the beauty of the beneficiaries can dim. Which is why Thursday was so good for me. Help Channel Burundi was in Rutana Province in the south of the country, distributing 12 000 primary school kits to orphans and otherwise vulnerable children in a project funded by UNICEF. We spent many days planning the logistics- how to best determine the distribution locations, how to formulate the information database to ensure the correct amounts of materials make it to the correct schools and to the correct children, and then how to actually do the distribution. It was a massive job, and the Help Channel team shone brilliantly. However, the best part of the experience for me was actually driving to a few schools and handing the school kits to the individual children. It was inspiring to see how they graciously accepted the materials, with the looks on their faces showing their eagerness to learn. For some, to use a pen for the first time. For all, to fill the bright white pages of their new workbooks with marks of hope for the future.

My Burundi

When the camera comes out, this is the Burundi I know.

International Day of Peace

September 21st is the UN International Day of Peace. I hope that we can take today and the weekend to consider the current situation in our own countries- whether that means Canada, the United States, Burundi, or elsewhere- and be thankful for what peace exists. I think we can't really understand how wonderful it is if we haven't experienced otherwise. Let's also consider very carefully our choices, and those of our governments, and how these choices influence the situation of peace, or lack thereof, in other countries. We all play a part, whether knowingly or not, for better or for worse. Let's make it the former of those two.

In Memoriam

Miss you buddy.

Steven Peter Dirksen
November 24th, 1981 - September 14th, 2006

At least 4 N.W.T election candidates have criminal pasts...

I got a chuckle from this headline in today's CBC.ca newsfeed: 

"At least four candidates in Northwest Territories election have criminal records- and in one case, the would-be legislator is still wanted by police, according to court files."

Well, I guess I can understand. After all, who among us doesn't make the occasional death threat or obstruct justice by releasing crickets in the local courtroom? In any case, at least we have elections and our government representatives aren't guilty of crimes against humanity (I'll make a note that I'm speaking only about the situation in Canada...)

Click the title to link to the article.