RESTORING HOPE

 I have read over and over from Oprah that the late Maya Angelou told her, "when you learn, teach, when you get give."  This is the simple mission of Choose To Care(CTC) since its establishment in 2008.  We not only provide the resources needed but make an attempt to pass on proper health and nutrition information for well-being and bring attention to our planet earth and its gradual deterioration; while emphasizing how vital it is to keep ourselves and the earth fit.

The CTC organization brought a nourishing start to 2022, as we began our preparation to celebrate the journey of the up and coming dressmakers from the St. Peter's Skill Center, Lamin, Gambia, West Africa.  The young women have been given a chance to learn and hone their skills in a 3 year course of tailoring and other varied business courses. This gives them hope to courageously enter our wonderful and sometimes harsh world.

With that in mind, CTC engaged the students in a competition, entitled, "I Have It All Sewn Up" This creative exercise introduced them to a tiny bit of the challenges of the business world, showing a small fraction of what they will face, as they enter the working world.  This practice project gave them a chance to "wet their feet."  The title shows confidence and also indicates that they think they know it all, that they know all the ropes.  After choosing the winners, first to third place, CTC took the opportunity to extract parts of their essays and expand on the impact and significance of what they had to say and offered other approaches for them to think about.

As they continue to redesign their own life, we hope they will feel uplifted and will become warriors of the zero waste movement, as they recognize the relationship between fashion and the environment.CTC gave each student a brand new pair of shoes as they prepare for their graduation.

In Tanzania, our dream is to build a business around the food industry, giving a few folks the opportunity to see what is possible through determination, hard work and to never lose hope, no matter how difficult the process becomes.  They are on track, their story to come.

This is also the time to send the message to keep blossoming to the six children whom I sponsor through 2 USA based organization, Child Fund International and Children International. They live in various parts of the world and in spite of their daily struggles, they keep pushing to thrive.

My gratitude to Donors Choose, the teacher- founded nonprofit that allows you to sponsor classroom projects of teachers for their students, nationwide.  Through this organization, CTC has pledged to sponsor a public school project each month, giving the proper foot wear to the students in need, that we hope will take them to amazing places.

So many have reached out to us for help and no matter how little, each of us can do our part to save the world. My thoughts and emotions, sweat and tears are all stitched into these and similar projects.  It is a delight to help someone in need.  I am filled with gratitude that even without great means I take tiny steps to do my part to save the world and carryon CTC's mission.

"I will either find a way or make one." Hannibal

As EARTH DAY approaches(4/22), please find a way to save our landfills!

PEACE & LOVE