Special Needs Children In A Subsistence Community

Help can come with such basics as additional nutrition. 

In some developing nations of Africa, subsistence living can barely sustain adults and children. But when one person in the family has special needs, society misses even recognizing those needs, much less being able to meet them.

Back in 2012, four parents of special needs children, plus Claudia Patka, a student volunteer, got together and formed CHILD DESTINY FOUNDATION, a nonprofit organization that would provide the missing infrastructure and facilities needed by special needs individuals, mainly in Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The idea was to provide a package of services to provide such necessary services as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, community support, and parental support and empowerment.



Alex Omondi, one of the founding parents, explains, "Due to high level of unemployment and underemployment, poverty rules these 'ghettoes', and the devastating effects are obviously evident in the living conditions of inhabitants. Here, many people struggle to meet their basic human needs, but worse off are the children with special needs and their families. They cannot afford the special attention that their children deserve."

All of the services, from physical therapy to speech therapy, and occupational therapy are provided at no cost to the families. The foundation also provides parent support groups, where families can share their experiences and feelings.

Mr. Omondi added, "This project is committed to provide free access to therapy and rehabilitation services to children with special needs, but we hope it will be a launch pad of a bigger multidimensional initiative to address the various complex challenges affecting people with special needs."

No longer alone, families are receiving the critical assistance for special needs children that they require.

Since its founding The Child Destiny Foundation has added programs, including home and community care support to help with activities of daily living, campaigns to raise awareness and provide advocacy, primary care for contagious illnesses and other communicable diseases, and programs to address HIV prevention and care. There are also programs to develop peer educators and address maternal child health needs. It's a program that keeps growing to meet the needs and it has developed a relationship with The Child Destiny Foundation in Austria, which has given them a greater supply of shared resources.

It doesn't always have to be serious; fun can be shared with other members of the community.

Thanks for information from this article from Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/alex-omondi-child-destiny-foundation-village-clinic/; this page from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Child-Destiny-Foundation-173606562835169/about/?ref=page_internal; and this page from Child Destiny Foundation: http://www.childdestinyfoundation.org/projects-and-programs.html.

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Bringing Fresh Produce To The Detroit African-American Community

Children take a hayride with staff at DBCFSN's 2-acre farm.

Bright spots can be found in just about any community, even those that have received a lot of bad press. The same is true of Detroit, where the city population has continued to decline, leaving vacant and decaying homes. It's an organization that has been bringing self-reliance, food security, and food justice to the black community.

Established in 2006, the DETROIT BLACK COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY NETWORK (DBCFSN) has been bringing opportunities for African-Americans in Detroit to participate in the food movement. Through its programs, this organization has been reducing the number of areas in which people have no access to fresh, healthy, nutritional, and culturally appropriate foods/produce. From planting gardens to developing a mini-farm, and adding a two-acre farm in a public park, the organization showcases a variety of ways to grow fruits and vegetables, in a sustainable manner, completely chemical-free.



But that's not all. Adults and children have access to educational programs run by DBCFSN. The Food Warriors program works with three city schools to provide hands-on education about various aspects of the food system. A lecture series geared to adults provides them with information about the various issues involved with the food system.

Still in the process of development is a food co-op, designed primarily to be accessed by members of the African-American community with low to moderate incomes, rather than being placed in an affluent section of the city. Like other food co-ops, it would be cooperatively owned by members of the community, who also elect nine of the board members. When it is completed, it is expected to employ twenty people.

Members of the community tour D-Town Farm.

The food co-op is to be part of a larger complex, the Detroit Food Commons, which is also being developed by DBCFSN. Included in the complex will be a kitchen incubator, which is to provide food entrepreneurs with a licensed facility and equipment for preparing food and selling it to the public. Additional features include a healthy foods cafe and a venue for meetings, lectures, films, performances, and other types of events. Grants, loans, and memberships in the co-op are expected to fund these endeavors.

Malik Yakini, one of the co-founders, at a garden site.

Thanks for information from this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/D-TownFarm-452559591479594/about/?ref=page_internal; this page on DBCFSN: https://detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/educational-youth-programs/; this page on DBCFSN: https://detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/about-us/; and the above link.

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Bringing Hope And Services To Cherry Hill

Some of those who participated in the Prayer Walk.

Frequently, when the names of US cities are uttered, the thought can come of a vibrant and teeming city full of activities and interesting people. But when the names of some cities are mentioned, there is also the thought of urban ills, of neighborhoods deteriorating, of high numbers of killings, of addictions run rampant, of children losing hope. Visions of our cities are not just either/or, but a mixture of those views of the extremes. Such is true of the City of Baltimore.

However, let's not look at what the City is; let's look at a relatively young organization in Baltimore. Started in 2011, under the inspiration of Michael Battle Jr., RESTORING INNER CITY HOPE (RICH) was built to empower, love, and inspire, the children and families of this wonderful City of ours.



Mr. Battle is no stranger to the problems which Baltimore faces, having grown up in one of its most difficult neighborhoods, Cherry Hill. While he is aware of the difficulties and struggles that a child growing up in Baltimore faces, he also made it past those barriers through his religious beliefs, his inner strength, and dedication to transforming his community. Indeed, RICH does focus on the Cherry Hill neighborhood, starting with the first Cherry Hill Prayer Walk back in 2011. As a result of RICH working in the community, homicides and shootings have dropped in this neighborhood.

As a matter of fact, this year's Prayer Walk was held on August 12, as a combination of festival, prayer and contemplation event, health screening, and return to school support. Those who attended could find such activities as a prayer tent, podiatry exams, diabetes screening, blood pressure screening, a variety of food vendors, a moonbounce, face painting, pony rides, an appearance by the Orioles bird, Ravens players attending, various giveaways, school supplies and backpacks, even grief counseling and record expungement. This one event had a variety of services needed by the residents of the neighborhood all in one place.

The previous evening, on August 11, RICH held a pool party, the second of the summer, at the neighborhood Splash Park, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Children age 11 and under had to have chaperones with them. A DJ and free food was also provided and participants were not told what notable guests would be there. Events/activities like this bring a neighborhood together in a fun activity, lessening the animosity among people who know each other in friendship and fun.

Michael Battle Jr. (in front), with the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders in a Baltimore City Police helicopter.

Even with all of the struggles in Baltimore, those who are benefiting and participating in RICH, brought donations to City Garage this past week, enough to fill tractor trailers, which are on their way to provide relief to those who suffered the trials of Hurricane Harvey. And they did it with prayerfulness and generosity, sending the Blessing Truck to those less fortunate in Houston.

Another event earlier in the year to provide haircuts and hairstyling to help youth look and feel better.

Thanks for information from this page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/therichprogram/about/?ref=page_internal; this article on RICH: http://www.therichprogram.org/new-page/; this post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichprogram/photos/a.1889051421343999.1073741829.1730443490538127/1891301777785630/?type=3&theater; this post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichprogram/photos/a.1889051421343999.1073741829.1730443490538127/1891817884400686/?type=3&theater; this post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therichprogram/photos/a.1889051421343999.1073741829.1730443490538127/1899975566918251/?type=3&theater; and the above link.

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The Pathway Toward Healthier African-American Women

Some of the women in the program engaged in physical activity together.

It took a lifetime of observing the women in her community to realize that there was a life pattern. For Cynthia James had observed just how many African-American women lived through a cycle of abuse, obesity, poor health, and low self esteem, all leading to poor life outcomes. The question became how to overcome that struggle.



Along with Beth Oden, Ms. James developed the answer in THE EXTRAORDINARY LIVING PROJECT. Starting in Denver, a group of women were chosen to participate in a ten-week intensive course, which included fitness, nutrition, cooking and emotional healing instruction, followed by personal coaching to help maintain their progress.

The participants were divided into groups of twelve and utilized the well-recognized "Freedom Circle" approach of instruction by both a nationally recognized fitness coach, along with a certified nutritionist. Ms. James, along with a Freedom Coach, helped the women work through their emotional barriers. Through this multi-faceted approach, the idea was to empower women to help themselves, their families, and their communities. And Denver was planned as just the start.

These women participants are becoming empowered to help themselves and their families.

Ms. James explained, "We aim to put Extraordinary Living Projects in every major city in America and help African-American women free their untapped potential, and live healthier, longer, more enriched lives."

Since 2014, The Extraordinary Living Project has been a part of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI). Since CHMI actively works to reduce disparities in health care, this project was a natural choice because of its focus on urban African-American women. After the original 12 women completed the program, a second group of 12 women has also completed it. Eventually, the plan is for the program to serve 300 African-American women from the Greater Denver area.

One of the major reasons why it has been so important to develop holistic programs for African-American women.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/cynthia-james-the-extraordinary-living-project/; this article from Extraordinary Living Project: http://extraordinarylivingproject.org/chmi-commitment/; and the above link.

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Practical Science From the American Geophysical Union

The snowcatcher that helps scientist measure the amount of carbon absorbed by the oceans.

Have you ever heard of the AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION (AGU)?  Formed in 1919 from the union of two committees, the AGU, provides a scientific focus on the processes that affect everyday life. A nonprofit, despite having "American" in its name, the organization is international, with over 60,000 members from 137 countries.

Here's one of the areas that members of the AGU are tracking - the seasonal drought assessment, covering the US. When the assessment was released on July 20, it was noted that drought coverage area in the Great Plains and the Southwest had increased along with intensity. Particularly affected are eastern Montana and the Dakotas, worsened by "periods of intense heat, windy conditions, and low humidity". In addition, the same occurred in the southwest of Alaska and the largest Hawaiian island.



Members of the AGU with expertise in droughts, have been made available to explain the science of droughts and their impact during this season. Amir AghaKouchak, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC, Irvine, who is a researcher in natural hazards and environmental extremes; Julio Betancourt, Senior Scientist at the US Geological Survey, who specializes in the effect of climate variability on physical and biological systems; Benjamin Cook, a climate scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, with a focus on drought and hydroclimate; Noah Diffenbaugh, Professor and Senior Fellow at Stanford University, who researches the dynamics and impact of climate variability and change, especially extreme weather; Andreas Prein, an atmospheric scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, with expertise in drought and flood research; and Roger Pulwarty, a senior scientist at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, who focuses on climate and risk management in the US, Latin America, and the Caribbean; can provide the background information needed to explain current conditions and what the risk involves in the near future.

While a majority of the US was caught up in the excitement of a solar eclipse, visible in many parts of the country, another group of scientists took a look back to October 19, 2014, when a group of satellites was tracking the close proximity of Comet Siding Spring with the Planet Mars. However, adding to the complexity of their analysis was a major solar eruption just a few days previously.

Both the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA had devoted 10 space satellites to monitoring the comet, when the coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on Oct. 14. NASA's satellite STEREO-A was in position to photograph the side of the sun opposite to Earth, when it captured the eruption. Three Mars orbiters, along with NASA's Curiosity Rover, on the ground, were all in the right position to detect the eruption passing by.

The seasonal drought map for the US.

Even NASA's New Horizons, nearing Pluto, and Voyager-2, at the outer edge of the solar system, could detect hints of the eruption. However, they were unable to differentiate between background solar wind and the eruption. Some of the information recovered from the eruption is just now beginning to see publication.

Cosmic ray intensity before, during, and after the CME.

Thanks for information from this article from AGU: http://about.agu.org/our-history/; this article from AGU: http://news.agu.org/press-release/american-geophysical-union-experts-available-to-comment-on-science-of-drought/; this article from AGU: http://news.agu.org/press-release/tracking-a-solar-eruption-through-the-solar-system/; and the above link.

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Expertise From The Institute

Representatives from Thrive@25 project partners.

The University of Maryland has many valuable centers and institutes, which can provide research, data, and so much more, for students, experts, and professionals, both in the State and throughout the country. One of those important sectors is THE INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION & IMPLEMENTATION (The Institute), part of the School of Social Work. Among its functions is training, technical assistance, systems design, policy, finance, and evaluation, for Maryland's Children's Cabinet and its agencies, along with other States, locations, and private organizations. All of its work is in meeting the needs of children with complex behavioral challenges and their families.

Within The Institute are three divisions: The Institute of Policy & Finance, Technical Assistance & Implementation, and Research & Evaluation. For those of you who have heard of evidence-based practices, this is one of the institutes where much of the work occurs in determining what those practices are, all the way through the research process. Child welfare, juvenile justice, children's behavioral health, and care management, are some of the areas that benefit from The Institute.



This June the Carroll County Health Department was awarded a $1 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the federal government. This grant was provided to fund Early Screening, Decision Making, Assessment, Referral and Treatement (e-SMART) for children and their families.

Dawn Brown, the Director of Quality Improvement and Prevention for the health department, explained, "Specifically, we will be able to develop our system to include services and supports that are family-driven and developmentally appropriate while also enhancing the skills and competencies of our early childhood work force to better serve those with complex behavioral needs." She added that the grant will "enhance and expand the early childhood system of care by implementing a model that bridges early childhood infrastructure and supports with quality care coordination and services to meet the needs of young children experiencing serious emotional disturbances and their families."

Participants at a Building Systems of Care Meeting created this word cloud when asked what words come up when they think of families and youth.

When you notice the multifaceted nature of the e-SMART program, and how it will help Carroll County serve its younger children, you realize that they will need some help with implementing this system. That's where the services provided by The Institute come in. They have the technical skills and expertise needed by this County, and so they are one of the partnering organizations assisting the Health Department. This is just one of the many functions of The Institute that show how valuable this organization really is.

Participants at a seminar by The Institute.

Thanks for information from this page from the University of Maryland School of Social Work: https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/about.cfm; and this article from the Carroll County Times:  http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/health/ph-cc-cchd-grant-behavioral-health-20170605-story.html; and the above link.

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Helping Trafficking Survivors Through Arts

Anne Pollock (L), with Mary, collecting donated art materials for the workshops.

Activists do some pretty amazing things! In New York City, a group of them, also artists, got together and formed CROSSING POINT ARTS, an organization that utilizes the arts to help those who have developed PTSD from their experiences of being trafficked here in the US. Trafficking occurs in various labor fields, prostitution, and domestic services, essentially enveloping the preyed-upon individual in a life of slavery. That individual, like many others, is seeking better opportunities than in the home country, but differs in the fact of barely subsisting in the home country.

NYC is unique in that it has a large supply of talented artists in various fields. Crossing Point brings these artists together with the trafficking survivors to help them heal from their experiences. Anne Pollock, Founding Director of this fairly new organization, explained, "These creative outlets provide therapeutic tools to manage difficult emotions and offer a bridge from the traumatized self-concept to an empowered, and stronger sense of being and thriving for survivors. In Crossing Point Arts' workshops, there is an atmosphere of exploration, group coherence, challenge, accomplishment, and fun. Perhaps, most importantly, there is the experience of externalizing the psychic energy of trauma, and reconfiguring its accompanying burden."



Crossing Point has partnered with several local organizations that help traumatized survivors, bringing their art workshop programs right to those organizations. Among them are Polaris Project in Newark, GEMS, WomanKind, EMPOWERGyn, Lifeway Network, and Sanar Institute.

Let's look at a few of the workshop programs. Groove Lounge is all about the beat, the beat of clapping, dancing, and singing calls. The music never fails to bring to the joy and restorative power of this music with a beat. The Visual Arts Workshop addresses the issue of beauty and creativity seeming to sink under the burden of trauma. It's a rediscovery of these senses through drawing, sculpture, photography, and collage. With the support of group strength, participants come to see that beauty and creativity never left, but were pushed to the side when the individual was dealing with trauma. The Recording Project gives back a voice to the participants, many of whom had previously maintained silence about their experiences, through poetry, song lyrics, or even storytelling, that are then formed into songs. The words are repeated back to them in the recordings, giving them the perspective of hearing their own voices, louder and more confident, now able to own what happened to them in a more peaceful and self-accepting way.

One of the fundraising events, which help support the work of Crossing Point.

These are just examples of the variety of workshops available. Some are created with the artistic traditions of other countries and tap into the familiarity that participants have with their own traditions.

Some of the survivor participants engaged in an instrumental music workshop.

Thanks for information from this article on Pollution Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/anne-pollack-the-art-of-freedom-bringing-the-arts-to-survivors-of-human-trafficking/; this page from Crossing Point Arts: https://www.crossingpointarts.org/our-mission; this page from Crossing Point Arts: https://www.crossingpointarts.org/recent-; and the above link.

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