Hannah was one of the first people I met on the island. It took us a little while to get to know each other (I was still feeling pretty hermit-ey when we first met) but within a couple of months we’d bonded over a shared love of dance and lolcats, and the fact that she is the sweetest, kindest, goofiest, loveliest person ever. (Can you tell I’m a fan?)

When one of my favourite ballet companies came to PEI, she was the first person I thought of to come with me. While sitting in the audience waiting for the show to start, I asked her why she’d stopped dancing. She was so passionate about it, and so excited to see the ballet, I just couldn’t understand why she would have ever stopped. I knew she’d moved here from Arizona, so I wondered if it was the move that had caused it.

What she told me, as tears streamed down her face, shocked me and very nearly broke my heart. (More on that in a bit. Keep reading.) Then she explained that even though she wanted to dance again now, she was a student and definitely didn’t have the extra money for expensive things like ballet classes.

I knew I had to do something to help. Dancing was her dream. I couldn’t just stand there and let it drift away from her, knowing I could do something about it.

So I promised her that if she found dance classes for September, I would raise the money to pay for them.

And that’s what we’re doing here today.

First though, I want to share her story.

Hannah has very courageously written about her story in the hopes that by sharing what happened, she might be able to help someone else. (Didn’t I tell you she was wonderful?):

I started dancing when I was five years old. At first it was something that I shared with my mom. We danced at the same studio and did the Nutcracker together every single year. She did my hair and my stage makeup and reminded me that I was beautiful every chance she got. Even if I fell or forgot my placing, she told me that I danced marvellously.

She stopped dancing when she got sick again. I say “again” because she’s been an on and off drug addict for the majority of her adult life. So then I stopped, too.

When I was ten, I joined a competitive dance team. I asked my parents to sign me up for as many classes as possible – and they did. My skills quickly progressed and I made so many friends with the same passion as mine. I danced all year round and performed in countless recitals.

When I was almost fourteen, my mom accompanied me to a dance tournament/workshop in Las Vegas. On the one hand, I was so excited for my mother to be there with me – to cheer me on and maybe even do my stage makeup like old times – but on the other hand, I was scared and embarrassed of her. She was using again and the whole team knew it.

The first sign of trouble was when my teammates and I were getting ready. They all had their moms with them, crimping their hair and fixing the holes in their tights. But I couldn’t find my mom. I was about to go on stage to perform dances that had been rehearsed meticulously for months – in front of some pretty tough judges – and I couldn’t find my mom.

I don’t really remember what I thought at the time. Maybe I thought that she was just passed out in the hotel room which, in retrospect, would have been worlds better. Regardless of the situation, I danced my heart out and the judges must have noticed. One of our dances got second place and beat out some of the most prestigious schools in the country. I was so happy that I was brought to tears. I couldn’t wait to show my mom my medal. Until I saw her.

After the award ceremony was over, my mom was waiting for me offstage. She grabbed my arm and angrily said, “We’re not doing THIS again. YOU’RE never DANCING again. You’re DONE.”

I tried to hold it together in front of my teammates. “Mom, didn’t you see? We won! We placed second!”

“No you didn’t,” she growled, “Don’t lie to me. You’re finished.”

As she stormed off, a friend of mine grabbed my arm and walked around with me to try and calm me down. She assured me that there was no way my mom was going to make me stop dancing. She’s just tired, she said. But she wasn’t tired. She was drunk and angry as hell. At me. Through my tears, I caught my mom glaring at me from the other side of the room, shaking her head. I could tell she was only getting angrier for the things she must have imagined I was telling my teammates. Soon we were driven home by a teammate and her mother.

At this point, all I can remember is my mother screaming at me and smacking me in front of my friend and her mom. When we were dropped off at our hotel, my friend’s mom hugged my mom and said, “Go easy on her, okay?” That’s it? I thought. Go easy on her? You’re not going to help me? I knew that, that night, I was going to be in a lot of trouble.

When we got back to the hotel room, my mom through me on the bed and started beating me. She screamed that she hated me and how badly she wished she had never come here. When she was finished, she fell asleep for a long time. I don’t remember sleeping. All I remember is wishing someone, anyone, would call the police. My entire dance team knew about the state my mother was in and no one helped me. Nobody saved me from my mom.

I can barely even read that last sentence. It kills me. Nobody saved me from my mom. I wish I could turn back time and change everything for her.

But I can make a difference now. She deserves to start dancing again, and I will raise the money for her to do it—even if I have to hold a bake sale on my front lawn.

All of us have those secret (or not-so-secret) dreams. Some of us act on them, some of us don’t. Some people look back and wish they had. I really believe that all of us have the right to follow our dreams and our passions, but it can be hard, especially when no one believes in us.

I want to show Hannah that someone believes in her, and that someone supports her. I want to show her that life doesn’t have to be this thing where you work at a job you hate, and then you die.

I want to show her that there’s more, and I would really love it if you could help me do that.

Here’s how you can help

Option #1:

Some of you may remember my painting, “Ballet Shoes.” It’s been sold for years, and is no longer on the site, but I can make prints of it. (I know some of you have been wanting that!)

The print will be a signed 11”x14” (with border, size is 13”x16”) archival giclee print on Hahnemeule William Turner watercolor paper (trust me when I say, it’s delicious). It is archival, it is top quality, and if well taken care of, will last up t0 100 years. Yes, it costs more than a poster but that’s because it is so much more than a poster.

The print retails for $120 USD + $20 shipping anywhere in the world.

Buy from Sarah’s art site.

Option #2:

If you want to help, but can’t afford (or for you men out there, don’t want) a print, donations are super welcome. Seriously, even $5 will make a difference.

And if you did want the print, just let me know in the “Special Message to Seller” section of Paypal, and I’ll email you a high resolution PDF so you can print it out at home.

Donate.

Option #3:

Dying to help, but your pockets are lined with love and not money? We will so take your love!

Tweet it up, share it on Facebook, tell your friends, tell your family, whatever you can do, we will love you for it.

Did you really want the print too? Email me telling me how you shared the love, and I’ll email you a high resolution PDF of the print as well, for your viewing pleasure at home.

Thank you.

Thank you even just for giving me your attention this long. I really appreciate it.

Every single cent raised over the cost of print production will go to Hannah to pay for the dance classes, dance clothes & shoes and costumes for the recital.

If you want to get in touch with Hannah, you can email her at klein_hannah [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Thank you so much, everyone. It’s amazing knowing that I have this awesome community of people to turn to when I really want to help out a friend.

You are too awesome for words.

Update: I probably should have posted this before, but completely blanked in my enthusiasm – we need to raise $1000 for Hannah to dance again. Might be a bit less, but I figure if we go over, she can just get super nice pointe shoes, yes?

June 28

In keeping with my hope to spread this giving with strangers, my gift today was to a person who just appeared to need a little gift.  The Starbucks that I stop at in the morning is in a fairly suburban neighbourhood where the customers all seem like locals.  This might be why the person asking the patio patrons for change to buy a coffee seemed so out of place.  He looked more than a little wayward in his attempt to get these suburbanites to contribute to his cause.  As I was leaving with my coffee, I noticed his unsuccessful attempts and offered him my coffee.  He seemed shocked that I would just hand him my coffee.  I’m not sure if he even liked my hazelnut, low-fat, concoction but he seemed grateful to be able to stop trying to get the locals to contribute to his cause.  I went back in to buy myself a new coffee and added a pastry for him, which I passed on as I returned to my car.

The really shocking part of this gift was that as I was headed to my car, one of the local patrons stopped me to tell me that I should not have given this man my coffee.  He explained that I was only encouraging him to hang around the coffee shop which the locals did not want.  It was my turn to be shocked.  This is the very first time that any of this giving has ended in any negative attention.  Luckily, I have the ability to walk away from such cautions still feeling like I made the right decision for me, and a little sad for this cautionary soul—he clearly has no idea how good this giving made me feel.

June 29

My very last day of the challenge and this gift is the only one that came wrapped in the traditional sense.  I chose to make my giving year-end gifts to colleagues who served as mentors throughout the school year.  I bought books for these gifts because I believe that there is almost no better gift than that of indulgent escape in a good book!

I am sort of proud that this is the first “traditional” gift of the challenge and that it came on the last day.  I think this helped to show me that giving does not have to look like a wrapped gift presented on a special day; it can just be the gift of talent or time.

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 26 & 27
• Days 20–25
• Days 15–19
• Days 13–14
• Days 10, 11, & 12
• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.

June 26

As the school year comes to a close, and I rejoin mainstream society, I feel the need to give in new, more creative, ways.  When I woke up today I wanted to make sure that I aimed my gift at a stranger.  I have yet to intentionally set out to give to a perfect stranger without expectation.  In reading other people’s reflections on giving, there seems to be a lot of this kind of gifting going on.  I see the benefit in giving to a stranger, but for some reason this type of giving has eluded me to this point.  I suppose that makes today’s gift slightly more intentional than it has been—I was curious to experience this side of the giving.

I needed to go to the mall this afternoon, well needed might be a strong word, but I felt it necessary that I make some purchases for my upcoming stint as a full-time grad student.  I landed at the mall during peak parking hours and happened across a spot that was mere steps from the doors.  It may seem superficial to view a parking space as a bit of a holy grail but it was SO close to the doors.  I saw the person behind me eying that perfect spot and my gift was to drive past it and park on the other side of the lot so that he could have that much coveted parking location.  The surprise on his face could be seen through the two panes of glass and the vehicles we were encased in.  It felt good to give him this gift of parking.

June 27

Now that I am nearly done school and in-between grad school classes, I have a sense of freedom that feels incredibly rare.  The benefactor of today’s gift was, again, Andrew.  We indulged in a morning of watching FIFA World Cup coverage—no pressure to organize our week, no expectations to get up and get moving; just a morning on the couch cheering for our favourite teams.  It felt so indulgent to just ignore the world outside and take in the game in our pajamas.  It might not seem like a gift to many, but might I remind you that being in a relationship with a full-time teacher, part-time graduate student, fully engaged perfectionist is likely to be a fairly unenjoyable way to live within a relationship!

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 20–25
• Days 15–19
• Days 13–14
• Days 10, 11, & 12
• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.

Hometown: Charlottetown, PEI

Age: 27

Occupation: Jewellery designer/metalsmith and most recently the metals studio technician at the Nova Scotia Centre of Craft and Design ( I begin in September)

Tell us about your art: My work up to this point has been one-of-a-kind pieces. My work incorporates clean geometric shapes that are juxtaposed with organic forms and/or materials. I use sterling silver, gemstones, fabrics, feathers, and resin.

How long have you been an artist: I was interested in art throughout my childhood but could never really pin point exactly which medium. After high school, I persued my creativity in the form of graphic design and received my degree at NSCAD in 2006. It was during this time I took the Intro to Jewellery design course as an elective and from there, was no turning back.

Art inspiration: Most recently my inspiration has come from the cabinets of curiosity of the 18th century. I have explored this subject from all angles and really dissected it. It is about human’s innate sense of curiosity and asking the question why do humans collect objects that they then surround themselves with? My work is about curiosity.

Where can people find your art?: Lafrenière and Pai Gallery in Ottawa (www.lapaigallery.com) or email me at emilyblairdesign [at] gmail [dot] com (website is in the works)

What artist tool would you love to have: Where do I begin? I would start with my own torch.

Other info: I am a very active person and love to run. I have recently accomplished my first two 10k runs. I hope to do a half marathon some day.

June 20

Oh how I love a good Sunday!  I am not the type of person who sleeps in—I am one of those annoying morning people who wake up early and have a tendency to wake up the rest of the household in the process.  Today’s gift was to Andrew and his love of a good sleep-in every now and then.  Jessie and I got up early (before 6) and went for a walk and took a drive to the local coffee joint for a morning of reading on the patio. Jessie loves to people watch and get all the attention she can muster from those who pass by and I love to just sit and read and relax. We came home around 10 am to find Andrew just waking up and getting his day started. Typically, by this time on a Sunday, we have already finished breakfast, completed the weekly groceries, took the dog for a  walk, and finished some house cleaning, so I am pretty sure you can imagine what a treat it was for him to be able to sleep while I was out of the house!  The rest of my day was spent completing report cards so it was also a nice treat for me to be able to relax before that began!

June 21

My gift today was to a coworker who needed some coverage for her class.  It was sort of a last minute arrangement, but we got it all sorted and after lunch I headed into her classroom for an hour and a half with her class.  Our assignment was to create paper airplanes and have a paper airplane flying contest—tough gig!  We researched airplanes, practiced making a few types, planned our contest, and headed outdoors for the big event.  There is nothing quite like watching thirty 12 year-olds chase paper airplanes as they glide in the wind.  It was a beautiful day with a nice breeze to catch the planes and carry them away.  One student in particular seemed to have created a plane that could glide forever.  It felt like one of those moments out of a novel with all of us watching in awe as his plane glided forever, him chasing it down giggling the whole way.  What a beautiful way to spend the afternoon.  Teaching can be an exhausting job, but on days like this it’s tough to imagine doing anything else.

June 22

Another load of rhubarb has graced my kitchen—now that people know that I enjoy it and cook with it, they seem to give it to me weekly.  I experimented with a new recipe for rhubarb cake and it turned out pretty darn tasty so I figured I would share it with the staff.  On Tuesdays, our administrative team meets to discuss the goings-on at school so I supplied their treats this morning.  I don’t need to tell you again how much I like to cook/bake for other people!

June 23

I am not the kind of person who gathers friends. I have a few close friends and pretty much everyone else fits into the “acquaintance” category.  This morning I had the pleasure of sharing breakfast with one of my oldest and dearest friends.  Marilyn and I met in kindergarten and for most of our school years, we lived across the alley from one another.  Nearly all of my school memories involve Marilyn, and I am eternally grateful that we have managed to stay friends for nearly 30 years.  We don’t see each other often enough but we have the kind of friendship that withstands the test of time and space—no matter how long it has been since we chatted we always pick up right where we left off.  It just so happens that today she was in town on her way back from a trip to California and we got to have breakfast together.  We met at one of my favourite breakfast joints and chatted and caught up for an hour before I had to rush to work.  This girl makes me laugh like no one else on earth; a 30 year history makes for a wide variety of inside jokes and instant giggles.  My gift was to buy her breakfast before she headed out on her 10 hour drive back home—a small gift indeed.

June 24

Our new staff members joined us at work today and my gift was to help them feel a little more oriented than they did when they first arrived. Our school can be an intimidating place and simply knowing where the closest washroom is can be a puzzle.  I tried to help them find their way and get their bearings in a new environment.  I like change; I get excited at the prospect of a new space and a new assignment, but life has taught me that not everyone feels this fervor for the novelty of change.  I hope that we bonded a little and that when we get together in the new school year we will all have our bearings; at least as much as one can have in a new school year!

June 25

Today was our very last day with the students; an emotional day.  The homeroom class that I taught this year had such an amazing dynamic. My homeroom class was grade 7 this year and as I am sure you can imagine, this age group comes with some interesting changes.  Lots of students at this age become too “cool” to take part in a lot of activities that might be deemed “silly” or “babyish,” for fear they be judged by their peers.  This year’s class seemed to defy all of those labels and embraced activities no matter what they were.  They went through a phase where they coloured with crayons, played silent ball, created 3D paper animals, and others too numerous to list.  The point is that we seem to have created a community where the students felt safe enough to fully embrace their own identity and capitalize on it.  This is not to say that other classes did not do this, but each year a class has special qualities and this year this was our strength.

My gift today was to create, and present to them, a care package to remind them of this as they embark on grade 8.  I wanted to encourage them to keep this quality as a community and to remind them of this fact in their coming year.  The theme of this package was: To Infinity and Beyond (the famed catchphrase of Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story films).  In their package, I included a new silent ball, a pack of crayons, a box of kleenex, a barrel of monkeys, and a few other items.  Of course I cried as I explained all the items and thanked them for an amazing year.  I hope that when they get to grade 8 they see the box, and that it reminds them to be true to themselves.

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 15–19
• Days 13–14
• Days 10, 11, & 12
• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.

Living in Ontario means I have been hearing all about the G8/G20 Summits taking place. I have a degree in Political Studies while my husband’s degree is in Political Economy.  Needless to say, we have been glued to the news stories regarding the Summits, especially regarding security and the protests. Most of the protests leading up to the talks has centered on the Maternal Health Plan. I confess, I knew next to nothing about this.  I decided to educate myself on the Maternal Health Plan.

It was at this point that literary destiny stepped in. I had heard of this book, read the rave reviews, and seen it featured on Oprah. Half the Sky by the Pulitzer Prize winning husband and wife team, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, jumped off the library shelf and into my quivering hands. I was shocked, out-raged, and inspired. I could not put this book down.

Half The Sky deals with the three main abuses that women face. The first focuses on the sexual slave trade and forced prostitution. Gender-based violence, including honour killings and mass rape, are explored in the second section. Maternal mortality is explored in the final section.  These issues are very complex and at first glance one may think that a solution is impossible. The authors, through their meticulous research, are able to show solutions that work and those that do not. This is very difficult topic but there is hope. Hope in education and micro-loans. Half The Sky shows us that we can make a difference. We may not be able to save all the girls and give them an easier life, but for each girl that is saved the world is made a richer place.

It is estimated, according to gender ratios, that approximately 107 million females are missing from the world today. That statistic sent shivers down my spine and made me so angry. I think of all the wonderful girls and women I have in my life. They have enriched not only my life and that of others; they make the world a better place. I can not imagine being denied that experience.

But in many parts of the world, being female is seen as a burden, a curse, or a reason for abuse. It is hard to relate to the lives led by millions of women the world over. I have access to education, health-care, and a say in my future. As a human being, I consider this my right. For many this is not a right, a privilege, or even a dream.

The very things that make a person a woman are often used against that woman. Every minute a woman dies a maternal death. This is shocking and outrageous. Men have walked on the moon, but women are dying slow, painful, and often needless deaths while giving birth.

Giving birth in a developed country often means a clean hospital room full of trained medical personnel. Drugs can be  given to prevent pain and infection. Women are served meals in bed. Giving birth in a developing country or the third world is an entirely different experience. I can describe it, but I will not do justice to an event that is horrific. Let me tell you a story instead.

Prudence Lemokouno was a young woman who lived in Cameroon. Prudence was pregnant with her fourth child without any pre-natal care. When she went into labour, she was aided by a birth attendant who had no training. Her cervix was blocked, making it impossible for the baby to be delivered. Three days of labour were followed by the birth attendant jumping up and down on Prudence’s belly in an attempt to force the baby out. In the process, Prudence suffered a ruptured uterus. She was finally taken to a hospital seventy-five miles away from her village via motorcycle. The doctor agreed to perform an emergency caesarean but only if he was paid $100 by the family. The family could only raise $20, and so Prudence waited in a hallway receiving no medical attention.  The fetus had died just after she arrived at the hospital. For three days Prudence waited in a hallway, while the decaying fetus started to poison her.

It was at this point that Nicholas D. Krisof entered Prudence’s life. The doctor explained to Nicholas that Prudence had just hours to live. Nicholas paid the remaining $80 for the surgery. It was then explained that Prudence would need a blood transfusion. The hospital had no blood bank; blood donations were very rare. Both Nicholas and his videographer were a suitable match and agreed to be her donor. More money was needed to buy the needles required for the transfusion and donation. Prudence received her transfusion and awaited surgery. The doctor, at this point, had gone home for the evening—the surgery would have to wait until morning even though Prudence had only hours left to live.

Prudence fought for her life and made it through the night, and the operation was finally performed. Twenty centimetres of her small intestine had to be removed due to a severe abdominal infection. Sadly, the antibiotics that may have been able to save her life were not available, and she received little medical care after the operation. Her stomach expanded due to infection, and three days after her operation Prudence died. She was just twenty-four.

According to the book, every minute a woman somewhere in the world dies a death similar to that suffered by Prudence.  Fistulas are a common condition suffered by women as a result of violent rape or an obstructed labour.  Often young girls, whose bodies are not yet ready to endure childbirth, become pregnant and have to give birth. The result is an obstructed labour. Obstructed labours don’t just affect young girls, as Prudence clearly shows. Should the obstructed birth be survived and a fistula occurs, death is often prayed for as a release from a horrific existence. Bladder and bowel control is lost. Nerve damages can occur and woman are often unable to walk. The skin on the legs is eaten away by the acid in the urine. They are shunned not only by their village, but by their own families. Often, they end up living in a hut located on the outskirts of the village. Doors are usually removed. Little food and water is provided. A slow painful death comes from starvation or by being attacked by wild animals.

There are rules in war that prevent prisoners of war from being subjected to inhumane conditions. Yet, there are no rules that prevent millions of women from enduring a life where death is often times the only escape. Fistulas can be repaired; women can learn to walk again. But, few are given this opportunity. Yes, a solution does cost money, but buckets of money are not needed to make a difference. These women pay a huge price just for performing the reproductive functions of being a woman. It is a price that should outrage the world. It is a price that the Maternal Health Plan is hoping to reduce.

The United Nations has several Millennium Development Goals; one of which is maternal health. The goal is to reduce maternal mortality  by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015. Just five years remain to achieve this goal. The Maternal Health Plan is an important part in reaching this goal. Canada has ear-marked $1 billion for this important proposition.

However, Canada refuses to support abortion, taking the stand that this plan is about saving lives not family planning. In Canada, where women have choices over education, jobs, reproduction, and marriage, women also have the right to choose to have an abortion. The Canadian government has decided that women in Canada are entitled to the right to choose while women in the developing world where the simplest choices are a luxury shall be denied the right to choose an abortion that will be funded by the Maternal Health Plan. This is not meant to be a pro-life/pro-choice debate—I am simply highlighting the inequality faced by women in the third world by a highly developed nation. How will women in the developing world ever be treated any better when the governments of the developed world refuse to see them as deserving of the same rights and freedoms enjoyed by their own female citizens?

You may wonder why abortion is such a big deal in the Maternal Health Plan. There is, of course, the huge issue of maternal mortality as discussed. In the third world young girls are often sold to brothels or kidnapped to be used as sex slaves Half the Sky). Again, this is a hugely complex issue. These young girls are often forbidden from using as sort of protection during sex. Pregnancies happen. The resulting children are held as a further means to enslave women and prevent their escape. Male children are slaves of the brothels while the girls at a very young age have their virginity auctioned off.  And the cycle continues. These brothels have their own supply of workers.

In much of Asia, girls are seen as a burden. Often, girls are denied by their own families the same medical care that is provided for boys. Girls are neglected to the point that they fail to thrive and die (Half the Sky).  According to Nancy Qian, a development economist at Brown University, by allowing the selective abortion of one hundred female fetuses, the deaths of fifteen infant girls can be avoided. Then there is that cheap weapon of war-rape, highly prevalent in the Eastern Congo, and a devastating weapon of war that targets females.

As you see the news of the G8/G20 Summits and hear protests over the Maternal Health Plan, I hope you will remember. Remember this article; remember that being born a girl should not mean a life sentence of a horrific existence.

For a deeper understanding of the situation faced by millions of women the world over, read the book Half the Sky. Be inspired to make a change, one woman at a time. It is often difficult for us in our easy existence to develop solutions that work for the developing world. We have all been taught to not buy items from certain countries because of child labour. While we may find the idea of child labour appalling, it is a fact of life in much of the world and a way for a family to have the means to buy food for that day. Our morals and ethics are often impossible to place on others living a very different life than our own.  By the time you have finished reading this article another #### maternal deaths have occurred.

If you are out-raged by what you have read and want to make a difference the authors of Half the Sky provide a four step action plan.

1. Set up an account for a micro-loan and change the future of a woman.

www.globalgiving.org
www.kiva.org
www.givology.com

2. Sponsor a girl or woman through one of the many organizations working to make a difference: Plan International, Women for Women International, World Vision, or American Jewish World Service.

3. Receive e-mail updates on international women’s issues through www.womensenews.org or www.worldpulse.com

4. Join the CARE Action Network. This is an organization that fights against poverty and world hunger. It also works towards affecting climate change. Maternal health is also a major focus.

For more information on aid groups go to www.charitynavigator.org or www.givewell.net

There are many organizations that are working to make the world a better place for women.

• Oprah featured The Girl Effect on her show. As little as $5 can help save a woman’s life. Find out what you can do for the price of that fancy coffee.
• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have donated $1.5B for maternal and infant health.
• Center for Reproductive Rights focuses on worldwide reproductive health issues.
• Engender Health deals with reproductive health issues in the developing world.
• Edna Adan Maternity Hospital provides maternity care in Solaliland. Volunteers are welcome.
• Fistula Foundation supports the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia.
• Heal Africa repairs fistulas and treats rape victims at their own  hospital in Goma, Conga. Volunteers are welcome.

These are just a few of the amazing organizations that work tirelessly to improve the lives of women.

I have been inspired to make a difference. Within the next five years I plan to spend 3-4 months teaching English at a small village school in Pakistan. I also would like to volunteer at a hospital that deals with fistulas.

Browse inside Half the Sky.

You heard about that Betty White thing, right? Someone started a Facebook group betting they could get her to host Saturday Night Live and it worked. Neat. But what did the “I bet we can get Betty White on Saturday Night Live” campaign have to do with me? I blame insomnia. One thinks of the oddest things when one should be asleep. At least I do. But there I was, counting sheep backwards, when it occurred to me.: Can social media be used to really make a change? And could I take it one step further—could it be used to make a change for someone who wasn’t already famous?

The idea still seemed like a good one when I woke the next morning—a good litmus test for me. I would start one of those “I Bet” groups on Facebook. But my bet would be that we could make a relatively unknown author a bestseller. Why an author? Because I am one I suppose, and I’ve been in the social media trenches since my book came out in January, trying to figure it all out (and there are a lot of authors in those trenches, let me tell you!)

So I had my idea. But then, of course, I had to pick a subject. That turned out to be pretty easy. There were only two books that I’d read in the last six months that I felt passionate enough about and were by a relatively unknown author, in fact, the same author: Jessica Z. and Two Years, No Rain by Shawn Klomparens (who I, ironically, “met” in the social media trench of Twitter).

Why do I love these books enough to devote hours of my time to making them bestsellers? Well, they’re the first two books I’ve read in a long time that I literally read in one session. I even read Jessica Z. on my iPhone, and let me tell you this is not the way to read a book you can’t put down (sorry Apple, I love my iPhone in all other ways). As an author, I find it rare to get totally lost in a book (I’m always thinking, oh, I’d do that differently or damn, wish I’d written that!) but with these books I was just able to enjoy them.

But above and beyond this, and maybe this is an author thing, there were parts of both books that I felt like I had written. It’s hard to explain, but you know when you hear a great song on the radio for the first time and you’re already singing the chorus by the end? Well that’s what these books felt like for me. They were instantly familiar in that great way.

So, the beginning of May, I started my group on Facebook and invited everyone I know to join. And I tweeted about it (a few too many times I think), and started a similar group on Goodreads. And then I had a moment of panic. I’d forgotten one little detail. I hadn’t asked the author if he wanted to be the subject of this little experiment. Whoops! I mean, I was pretty sure he’d be pleased, but maybe he didn’t want someone calling a lot of attention to the fact that his books hadn’t succeeded as they ought to? I agonized for a few hours, but I needn’t have worried. He had found out (through Twitter, I assume) and contacted to let me know that he was “honoured and humbled.” Phew.

So I marched on. To date, about 770 people have joined the group, I’ve appeared on a local Global show to talk about it, and have received tones of messages from authors commending the effort. People have even started buying the books (For one brief moment, Two Years, No Rain was at #1 on a sub-list on amazon.ca – yeah!). What I’m most encouraged by are the bookstore staff who’ve contacted me to tell me that they’re ordering copies of the books for their stores. This is important because so many people still buy and learn about books in their local bookstores, and to date, I’ve never been able to find a copy of either of these books in a store.

When I started this, I set a timeline of three months to see what could be achieved. Just over one month in, the jury is still out. But I still feel the lure of possibility. I still believe in what I’m doing. I’m still convinced that people should read these books. I hope you’ll agree and help out.

Facebook group: I bet we can make these books bestsellers
Goodreads group: Make a book a bestseller
My Twitter handle: @CEMcKenzie1
Shawn on Twitter: @sklompar
Shawn’s website: www.shawnklomparens.com

Editor’s Note: The Edwards Book Club is happy to participate and promote Catherine McKenzie’s Author Effect project. We will be reading and reviewing both Jessica Z. and Two Years, No Rain. To see these reviews, please click on the links below.

• Jessica Z.
• Two Years, No Rain

June 15 & 16

I have already given by sharing my time with another teacher so that they have more time to complete their year-end tasks, but it seems like such a perfect gift this time of year!  Everyone seems to feel like they are barely treading water these days so I stepped in to help two teachers for a couple of days.  I came prepared with a Father’s Day card craft that I could do with the kids while I was there.  The kids and I made little cards that look like a shirt and tie to give to the dads this weekend.

I am always so impressed with how creative and joyful kids are with a simple craft.  A few of the students crafted tiny football (soccer to North Americans I suppose) jerseys in proper team colours for their dads!  It might have been more fun for me to watch them craft and create and it was for them to actually do it.

June 17

I am very fortunate to have a teaching partner who has become one of my greatest allies at work this year.  We have perfectly complimentary talents and we work together splendidly— so much so that I think we might even get to replay it all together next year.  I wanted to offer her one of my gifts during year-end, and so I offered to do a lot of our joint year-end reporting.  There are a lot of reports to complete,  have signed, and generally keep track of this time of year so today I offered to take care of all of it for the two of us.  She was more than a little excited to be able to check some of these things off of her to-do lists.  It’s hard to believe that our year is drawing to a close so quickly!  We opened a new school this year and this school year may go down in history as the busiest of my career, and I think my colleagues share these sentiments.  I hope that I have made my teaching partner’s year as fantastic as she has made mine and I hope that this little gift helps her feel a little less stressed about our year-end activities.

June 18

Today’s gift is dedicated to some pretty special people in my life.  When I was 9 years old, one of my best friends was diagnosed with leukemia and she battled it for nearly 14 years.  Throughout those years, I witnessed her strength, determination, and will to live through numerous torturous chemotherapy treatments, bone marrow transplants, and other seemingly barbaric medical treatments; she endured it all with a youthful optimism and a smile that could light even the darkest room.  I later watched my father in-law lose his battle with brain cancer and my dear cousin succumb to brain cancer in his early 30’s.  Recently I have witnessed another good friend fight this disease so that he can be here to see his son grow up.

Needless to say, cancer and I are not friends—I hate the word cancer and I hate that it has taken so many wonderful people from my life.

My gift today was in the fight against cancer.  Calgary’s annual Relay for Life even was held this evening and I volunteered 7 hours of my night to help make sure the event ran smoothly.  I was originally scheduled to work 12 hours straight but we had enough volunteers so I was able to go home around 4am.  Relay for Life is one of those events that takes me on a roller-coaster of emotion.  The track is lined with luminaries that have tributes to those that are fighting cancer and those that have lost the battle; a stroll around the track is a sobering reminder that cancer has touched so many lives.

The evening begins with a victory lap where survivors and those currently battling cancer wear their signature yellow and complete a lap of the track. Let me tell you that you only need to catch a glimpse of all those yellow shirts to get the flow of tears going and then you see a yellow shirted toddler and it’s all over.  I am always buoyed by the support of those that gather for this event; huge teams of people fund-raising thousands of dollars to spend a night in the cold walking the track.

Cancer makes me feel so useless.  It makes me feel small and powerless, but this event helps me to feel like I am doing something to eradicate this disease.

June 19

I may have already mentioned that teachers are a little overwhelmed this time of year.  Sorry if it’s getting repetitive—it’s not fun for us either!  Today a group of us met at the school to work on reporting and such, and so I brought coffee and treats for all of us.  It’s not the kind of gift that will change the world or anything like that but it made our morning a little better!  Our report cards are due on Monday morning so I am not sure what I will give all week but I am sure with the extra time I will have on my hands I will be able to come up with something.

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 13–14
• Days 10, 11, & 12
• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.

June 13

Jessie is my 9 year-old Irish Setter and has been my faithful companion since the day I brought her little scrawny 10 week-old body home, and today she was the benefactor of my giving.  I realize that she is not human and has no idea that I gave to her as part of my challenge, but I really felt like she deserved my gift today. Having been away for the past little while and when I am home I am distracted by work and school, little Jessie seems to have been getting the shaft.  No long walks, very little play time, fewer snuggles; basically she had to live the life of an average family dog for a little while instead of living the life of a furry substitute for a human child.  So today my gift was to basically give Jessie everything she wanted!

One of the coolest things about Jess is that she actually just wants my love and attention to the level that she offers the same back; she never wants food or treats as rewards, only time.  So we started the day off with a very early morning walk, so early that we were waking up the birds.  Jessie loves a good game of fetch before breakfast—she rarely gets this treat because we are usually getting ready for work and organizing our lives.  As the day wore on, we played and snuggled and basically didn’t leave one another for the entire day.

I swear that she knew that it was her special day by the way that she settled in for a nap on the couch with her head on my lap.  We haven’t had a day like that in a long time and at 9 years old, I worry that days like this might begin to get numbered.  We have been constant companions for so long that I don’t really remember life without her—and I don’t really want to imagine it either.  I have a theory that dogs would not survive being human because our hearts aren’t big enough to handle the love a dog can muster.  It was nice to show her a fraction of gratitude for her love and companionship over the past 9 years.

June 14

The end of the school year is a busy time for the best of us but for those new to the profession, year-end tasks can seem like an insurmountable time.  Today I offered my time to one of our teachers who is new to teaching and is finding the end of the year more than a little overwhelming.  I taught her class for two periods while she worked on report cards, profile sheets, individualized education plans, and transition plans.  She was so excited to have the help, she let out an audible squeal.  The class and I had fun playing math games and they even let me read them a story which is one of my favourite all time things to do with kids.

I am lucky that my job allows me to have the time to do this sort of thing.  I have a fairly flexible schedule and I can slip into a lot of classrooms and find a way to teach and entertain students for a reasonable amount of time.  Her students are two years younger than the kids I normally teach and it served as a healthy reminder of how fun younger students can be!

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 10, 11, & 12
• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.

June 10

Upon arriving home from outdoor school, I realized just how tired four days in the great outdoors can actually make a person!  When we got back to the school, we were all entirely wiped off our feet but there was still work to be done.  My gift today was to resist the urge to run from the school site and crawl into bed!  I stayed to help the teachers sort their things back into classrooms and help students find their luggage in a big mass of sleeping bags, backpacks, and suitcases.  It didn’t take long because there were about five of us who stayed to help.  It was the end of a long and tiring week, and giving was the last thing on my mind but I am glad that I found a way to make it happen.

June 11

My very dear friend Erin (yes I have already given to her numerous times) had her year-end choir concert tonight and my gift was to give my sister and her husband a night off by taking my nieces to the concert.  So, actually many of people benefited from this gift!  The girls and I started the evening with a fancy dinner out at a local fast food joint—they are 4 and 7 and their idea of gourmet is different from mine, but we had fun all the same.  Then we went to the store to pick out flowers for Erin after the concert—the girls were concerned that at the end of the concert, no one would have flowers for Erin.

The concert was amazing: a musical montage of popular songs from the last six decades. The girls had fun, their parents had a nice night out, and I got to see Erin sing for the first time—an all around success.

When giving is this fun, it hardly feels like giving at all; it makes me feel like I am taking more than I give but I think that might be the point of this whole challenge!

June 12

Today’s gift might not seem entirely appropriate for my challenge, but it was very necessary.  My gift today was to myself: a day of guilt-free rest and relaxation.  The perfectionist tendency is to push myself too hard and to do so much that I often find myself with nothing left to give to others.  Four days at outdoor school topped off with an outing with the nieces put me at the edge.  I know my edge: I feel sick and tired and a little cranky.  Normally I would plow through, but it seemed appropriate that today’s gift was to give myself a much needed break.

I tend to give so much of myself to others that there is little left for me at the end of the day.  I am fairly proud that I made the decision to take a break from grad school, work, and all the other distractions in my world to just enjoy a day relaxing and refreshing for the busy weeks to come.

Read about Rachel’s previous challenge days:

• Days 8 & 9
• Day 7
• Days 5 & 6
• Day 4
• Days 2 & 3
• Day 1

Read about why Rachel started the 29 Day Challenge.