Days 17-24: A few committed people can change the world

So, I got way behind on the blog. With work at full steam, managing a side hustle, kids on weekends, cooking three meals a day, and keeping social media updated on the challenge, the blog has gotten the back burner. 

But I've been doing a lot of thinking and talking to lots of folks about the challenge and what it means. And about the impact we can make with a humble but consistent effort over time.

I have such a mix of emotions while doing this challenge. 

I have hope, I'm encouraged while seeing people respond to my appeal to take small steps to achieve change together, but I'm also despondent while realizing that there are so many millions of our global neighbors who live in this reality constantly-- not just for 30 days. 

I've faced the boredom of staying mostly home to be near my kitchen 3 times a day and avoiding going out with friends to not be around food. 

And I've faced the reality that more well-balanced food and drink represents happiness, celebration, and in general, good times, which we take for granted instead of viewing it as the immense blessing it is. 

So there's a real depression you start to feel with a lack of food, and not even the occasional glass of wine, if you enjoy partaking.  

And I know these are heavy thoughts that I'm sharing, but it's a reality that so many face on a constant basis, no celebrations, no good times, just work and survival.  

And it compels me to work harder to find new members (you!) of this effort to empower the poor and lift up the vulnerable while we multiply our generosity through sustainable efforts such as our farmlands. 

Because I know it's actually working. 

And often the feeling we get when we realize the depth and breadth of the crisis is where to begin? How could we ever solve this crisis and its terrible symptoms? 

We begin with each other.
We begin with what we have.
We work hard.
We never give up.
We find others to join us.
We grow stronger in numbers. 

And eventually, we really start to change the world and make an impact toward solving the problem.

The temptation is to say, well, this is such a big problem, only governments can solve this.

Yes, I hope governments will do something smart to make a sustainable change, but I know that at the end of the day, I trust you and me and our community of friends and like-minded souls more than I do any government. 

We alone are the agents of change. We cannot expect anyone else to do the job. Or we will wait, and wait, and wait, and then it becomes too late. 

I truly believe with all my heart that a small group of committed and passionate individuals coming together with a singular focus can truly create a ripple effect that changes the world. 

And that's what we're doing right here with this, our humble "heart chart." 

25 people coming together, overcoming indifference, resolving that anything is possible if we work together, no matter how small we might feel our individual contribution is.

By now you've probably already read about the premise of the heart-chart, but here's another way of looking at it...

🎯 GOAL: 9 girls in our She Has Hope programs need scholarships & residential care expenses covered.

🧮 COST: approx. $20,000/yr

♥️ SPONSORS: 25 people giving the $16-$40 "hearts" monthly = $9,36o/year (about $90/girl per month).

🌱 "MATCHING":
Farmlands basically serve as a matching program, multiplying your generosity to make up the remainder of the cost by covering most of their food expenses ($98/girl per month, $3.28/day).

So, are you ready to join in? 

Ready to be one of the 25 who will equal $780/mo and almost $10,000/year, multiplied even further by our farmland projects? 

Just click the heart-chart, enter the amount of the open heart you want to "sponsor" and follow the steps to sign up!

 

Tonight I dedicate this blog post to the amazingly resilient students at our schools in Nepal, India, and Uganda... these girls have overcome such overwhelming odds, but only because of the generosity of a small but committed group of givers!

 

 

And I have A LOT of meals to catch you up on... here's what I was able to cook up for $1/day the past 8 days... including some stories and thoughts along the way...

 

Thank you for following along! ♥️