by Dan Brose
16. March 2009 13:39
As I said in a post last week, I have been thinking about begging. This has been on my mind because I will soon be traveling to Africa with a group of people, some who have never before experienced the extreme poverty that we will see on this trip. They will experience begging and beggars, and I'd like to give them advice on how to wisely and graciously react to the inevitable requests for money. Early in my time living in Rwanda, I asked a Rwandan friend how he deals with begging and people asking for money. He said that he typically only gives to people that he knows, and only if he is aware of the problem that is causing them to seek financial help. He also said that when anyone asks for money, it is important to listen, acknowledge their situation, comfort them and give them encouragement. If you feel led to give money, go ahead ... but don't feel pressure to give money if you don't know the person. As I was thinking about this, I remembered the woman in the picture below -- someone I met on a walk in rural Rwanda a few years ago. My first impression of this woman was amazement at the incredible bundle of beans and beanstalks that she was carrying on her head. Next I noticed her cute little baby, tightly wrapped and bound to her back -- peering around to see the white man. And then it dawned on me that this woman's hand was out and she was asking me for money! My immediate and instinctive response was to greet her and say, "Oh, you've got such a beautiful baby ... what is his name?" After engaging her in conversation and showing genuine interest in her as a person, the question of money didn’t even come up. Time and time again, I have found it to be very helpful to acknowledge people who are in need, to take the time to get to know them, and to learn about their situation before responding to their begging or requests for money.  Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
13. March 2009 15:00
The Cascadia Kiwanis Club has recently become an authorized affiliate of Cauzal Coffee, using OurCauze to raise funds for Kiwanis -- a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. To purchase Cauzal Coffee and send 33% of the purchase price to the Cascadia Kiwanis Club, click here.
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by Dan Brose
9. March 2009 14:01
You can tell a lot about a person by what they throw away. Danny is an AIDS orphan that was thrown in the garbage the day he was born. This short video is a strong and emotional call to each of us to examine what we're throwing away ... and why. Watch the video in a pop-up window.
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by Dan Brose
16. February 2009 15:05
When I lived in Rwanda I had the wonderful pleasure of receiving many guests who came to learn and advocate for the plight of the poor and suffering around the world. One such guest from Connecticut, AJ Picard, came to paint various scenes from Rwanda; using the paintings to create awareness and to raise funds for the work that we were doing. One of his incredible pieces of art, titled "Empty Cup", portrays the face of poverty, as shown through the face of a barefoot "Rwandan princess." This is what AJ says about "Empty Cup": This was the first painting I created upon returning from the breathtaking country of Rwanda. I was still reeling from a powerful first encounter with the third world. 'Empty Cup' is my portrayal of a little Rwandan princess walking barefoot through the dirt clay streets of Kigali, one of the millions of children living there in total poverty. Her tattered dress is a poignant symbol of the harsh disparity that exists between beauty and brokenness.
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by Dan Brose
27. January 2009 12:20
 I enjoyed reading the following review of Cauzal Coffee on my sister-in-law's blog: "You know how I like to start my mornings? You betcha. A nice, hot, aromatic cup of coffee. And what if me drinking this said cup of coffee helped a country like Burundi combat hunger and disease? Can I get a woo to the hoo? Even though Heaven knows I've tried, I personally cannot possibly drink enough coffee to help the entire country, so I am hoping that some of you will join in my fun and help support World Relief by buying a bag or two or 27. We ordered our coffee from the Cauzal Coffee website (awesome website, by the way) and received it quickly. To be honest, I didn't expect the coffee to taste that great because, let's face it, I am a coffee snob. To my utter surprise we L.O.V.E. the "Dancing Child" blend and I can see my coffee addiction going to dangerous levels because of it. Excellent stuff. Love in a mug. It is that good, people. So, if you're a coffee drinker, and I KNOW you are, consider skipping on over (you're skipping because of the high caffeine levels in your blood) and ordering some of this fine beverage. It's the least we can do, dontcha think?" Because every sip CAN matter. Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
25. January 2009 12:25
Cauzal Coffee partners with Compassion International in our HIV/AIDS Cauze. Since 1952, Compassion has focused on meeting the needs of children in poverty -- all the needs of the "whole" child -- emotional, physical, social, and spiritual. Compassion works in prevention of the HIV infection, treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS, and rehabilitative care for children who have been orphaned and indirectly affected by AIDS. Prevention is the only long-term effective strategy for mitigating the spread of the pandemic itself; therefore, prevention is of first importance. Treatment refers to the medical and psychosocial care given to those who are already infected by HIV. Many children in Compassion's care are not themselves infected, yet their lives and well-being are jeopardized by HIV infection within their families and communities. Therefore, Compassion's response to HIV/AIDS extends beyond prevention of new infection and treatment of the infected, to include care for those whose lives are indirectly affected by the pandemic.  Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
21. January 2009 12:14
What does it mean to be "working in the trenches to bring assistance to those living with HIV and AIDS?" In my last blog I referred to my experience in Rwanda working to fight HIV/AIDS. Most of our work with World Relief was conducted through churches, with counselors and caregivers mobilized by their churches across the country of Rwanda. It doesn't mean that I (a white foreigner) was out walking the hills to bring this care and encouragement, but that Rwandan volunteers (the true heroes) were bringing this care. Isn't this the only truly sustainable way to deal with a problem as big as AIDS? I encourage you to watch the following video that tells the story of Francoise, a volunteer mobilized by her local church to care for families living with AIDS in Rwanda. (Click here to watch the video.) Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
by Dan Brose
15. January 2009 14:33
The situation in Congo continues to be of great concern, with the United Nations recently reporting that a notorious Ugandan rebel group has killed more than 500 people and kidnapped over 400, including several over the past four days. "We are increasingly concerned about the humanitarian situation and continuing attacks by the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, on the civilian population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Oriental Province,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva. The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to Congo, Alan Doss, is calling for the return of all boys and girls fighting in the war zone. "The recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups is a war crime and a crime against humanity. This literally destroys the future of this country,” said Mr. Doss, who is also the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo. Following is a moving video on the situation in Congo: Watch the video in a pop-up window.
by Dan Brose
14. January 2009 09:16
Cauzal Coffee partners with World Vision in our Unclean Water Cauze. World Vision works with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world, and they believe strongly in addressing the problem of unclean water and poor sanitation because no other humanitarian intervention produces a more dramatic effect on life than this one. Clean water and sanitation is foundational to all aspects of development, and often the first work World Vision does in a community.
by Dan Brose
13. January 2009 07:47
Did you know that 2008 was the "International Year of Sanitation" as proclaimed by the United Nations? I'll bet that most of us missed out on this important and interesting fact. The UN's goal in making this declaration was to raise awareness about the growing problem of unclean water and poor sanitary practices. Around the world, 2.6 billion people do not have a basic human necessity -- a toilet. You can learn much more about this serious crisis by reading the UN's talking points for the International Year of Sanitation -- a very interesting document that describes how good sanitation is critically important to lift people out of poverty, ill health and early death. Here are just two facts from the document that are stunning: - On a typical day, more than half the hospital beds in Sub-Saharan Africa are occupied by patients suffering from diarrheal-related disease; most of them would not be there if they had a way to safely go to the toilet and wash their hands.
- Diarrhea is one of the biggest killers of children under five worldwide, alone accounting for 17% of deaths in this age group. More than 5,000 children die every day from diarrhea.
This hidden global scandal constitutes an affront to human dignity on a massive scale. The following video from UNICEF is compelling in its call to all of us to do something to address this issue of poor sanitation and unclean water: Watch the video in a pop-up window.Subscribe to receive the Cauzal Connections blog by Email
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