YUGA is still a youth-led, grassroots movement. That means that you lead, you learn, and you decide what happens next.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Hello, YUGA!
YUGA is still a youth-led, grassroots movement. That means that you lead, you learn, and you decide what happens next.
Monday, September 26, 2011
YUGA's September Meeting: The Year Ahead
- book drive for a local shelter or under-resourced school
- host a book exchange at school in the cafeteria; bring in a book to share, and take one home to read!
- hold a food drive for canned goods and bring them to your local homeless shelter
- volunteer at a soup kitchen
- host a hunger banquet
- hold a drive for items needed by your local women's shelter
- join a march against domestic violence
- participate in the Move to Stop AIDS Dance-a-Thon
- join a local AIDS walk
- wear red on December 1st, World AIDS Day
- make red ribbons to sell during lunches, and donate the money to a Plan project for HIV/AIDS relief
- create a peace campaign in your school
- design and plant a peace pole for your school
- host a candlelight peace walk
- volunteer at a local service organization, like a homeless shelter or International Institute
- raise awareness of both International Women's Day (March 8) and World Water Day (March 22) by hosting a Walk for Wells
- attend Earth Fest in Boston
- host a YUGA group clean-up of a local part or street
- plant flowers outside of school
- do a review of your school's 'green' practices, and present a list of of recommendations to your principal
- have a table outside of local grocery stores and farmers markets that explain what Fair Trade is and why it is important
- have a day of silence at school in honor of those who do not have a say in their future
- recruit members of your YUGA chapter to come!
- host a youth fair, where attendees celebrate what youth are doing in the community. Invite the whole neighborhood!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
YUGA Camp Through the Eyes of Ebonee
Friday, July 29, 2011
YUGA Camp Through the Eyes of Johnnie
YUGA Camp 2011!
YUGA staff conducts the morning rounds to make sure that everyone is up and moving for breakfast bright and early at 8 am. There is so much to do that we have to start early! After everyone finishes their meals and catches up about the night before, it is time to watch a short video and write in journals about how campers are feeling. One of the most powerful videos we watched was titled “The Girl Who Silenced the UN for 5 Minutes.” Despite the time and some campers not getting enough sleep, the video caught their attention as they watched Severn Suzuki deliver a speech at the UN Earth Summit in 1992. Suzuki is a prime example of a youth who wanted to make a change as she started the Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO), a small group of children committed to learning and teaching other kids about environmental issues. Her speech was so powerful that it silenced all of our campers as well as some of the most prominent world leaders!
Another powerful workshop was the HIV positive speaker who came to speak to the campers from AIDS Care Ocean State. Tom shared his experience as the longest-living person born with HIV in Rhode Island. Tom has spent his life dealing with the struggles and stigma that are attached to being HIV positive but told the campers his inspiring story of survival and perseverance. YUGA camp is all about learning about issues such as HIV/AIDS and figuring out what we can do to help reduce our risk and help to educate others about the disease.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Hi! I'm Allegra, the summer intern for YEA!
My name is Allegra and I am the summer intern for the YEA team here at Plan! I have been a part of YUGA for the past 5 years or so and absolutely LOVE it! I attended Cranston High School East where myself and a group of friends started the YUGA chapter there our sophomore year. Through all the struggles, we were able to develop an active group at our school and it continues to grow there today! I recently finished my first year of college at Clark University in Worcester, MA and although we do not have a YUGA chapter at Clark, I became apart of groups with similar goals to YUGA such as STAND (Students Taking Action Now; Darfur) and ONE Campus Challenge, a group who raises awareness and holds events dealing with global issues such as diseases and poverty. The skills I learned from being a part of YUGA have helped me to succeed in college and be able to hold leadership positions in the new action and advocacy clubs I joined at Clark.
I have also attended the summer YUGA Leadership Camp for the past 4 years so if you have any questions about YUGA or camp, feel free to ask! I hope those of you coming to camp are getting super excited!!! Can't wait to see you there!
I'll be updating the blog with interesting stories or articles I find for the rest of the summer so keep a look out!
peace and love,
Allegra! :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
YUGA: A Year in Review!
-YUGA Meets US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
YUGA members Luis, Angie, and Rachel spoke with US Senators Sheldon Whitehouse about the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act. YUGA members also took action at last year’s YUGA Leadership Camp where a workshop was held about the international crisis of child marriage. Way to go YUGA members!
Above, YUGA members Luis, Angie, and Rachel stand with Plan USA's interim CEO, Audrey Bracey-Deegan and US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse at Plan USA's Warwick office.
SEPTEMBER
Cranston East High School participated in Plan UK's A Hand in my Future campaign, collecting pictures of hands with a message about the importance of youth in decision-making.
-Recycling at School Football Games
Cranston East also collected cans to recycle at their school’s football game. "Not only are we helping the environment," says Luis, "but we're also able raise money by personally bringing the cans to the recycling plant." This is a great way to fundraise, raise awareness of environmental sustainability, and have a great time, too!
OCTOBER
Corrie and Kate visited the Edesia factory in Providence, RI- the home of Plumpynut, a line of products that treat and prevent malnutrition for over 100,000 children. 195 million children are undernourished and every day 16,000 children die because of lack of food and adequate nutrition. Edesia is a great organization that dedicates their time and effort to the protection of children all around the world. Check out their website for more info about Plumpynut and other exciting things Edesia is up to at http://www.edesiallc.org/.
NOVEMBER
The Cranston East YUGA chapter decided to create a week at their school where they would raise awareness and money for poverty both locally and globally. They made 50 bagged lunches for Crossroads, a local homeless shelter in Providence, RI, and also had a bake sale where they raised about $60 to send to Crossroads as well.
Bottom: YUGA members Rachel and Kaitlyn with the cupcakes they made to benefit Crossroads.
Nadyah and Jana worked with their school principal to use some of the YUGA toolkits to help make their school a 'Green School,' an accreditation from the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE). If you want to get help with starting your own YUGA chapter visit the Plan website at www.planusa.org/youth or contact Corrie. If you are interested in starting a YUGA chapter at your school, check out this special toolkit! http://www.planusa.org/docs/yea/HowtoStart.pdf
DECEMBER
Youth from around the state danced the night away at Plan USA's 5th annual Move to Stop AIDS Dance-a-Thon! We were thrilled to raise $5,500 for Plan's HIV/AIDS programs in Zimbabwe, thanks to the hard work of YUGA youth, raffle prize money, and a generous donor who agreed to match everything raised at the Dance-a-Thon. Thanks to all those who donated, performed, and all YUGA members who helped make the Move to Stop AIDS Dance-a-Thon a HUGE success!
him.
JANUARY
-Blake Middle School Skypes with Haiti
Nearly 750 students at Blake Middle School, a school in Massachusetts who was dedicated to raising money after the Haiti earthquake, joined on a Skype call with Haitian youth and Plan staff to ask questions about their peers in Haiti. This shows that youth can connect all around the world and relate their life experiences!
FEBRUARY
Corrie, Sara, and Kirby went to the United Nations to join girls from all around the world to speak to members of the UN about women’s rights in political, economic, civil, social, and educational fields. They used their voices to urge UN members to make sure they know that girls’ rights are human rights. You go girls!
-World Water Day
Walk for Wells was developed to simulate the walk that many girls in Niger have to do everyday in order to reach clean water for drinking, bathing, washing, and cooking. You can host this walk-a-thon at your school and help to raise awareness and money to fund projects that help girls get clean water in their villages. Check out the Walk for Wells website for information on how to host our own walk-a-thon! http://walk4wells.com/
YUGA members celebrated Earth Day by getting outside and helping to better the environment in their own communities. Check out YUGA’s Top Ten Ways to Live Green here! http://yugacentral.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
MAY
May 14th was World Fair Trade Day and was a time to take a closer look at the products we buy and how the workers who have made those products are treated. It is your job to check the labels and advocate for fair trade products. Hold an event or fundraiser at your school with all Fair Trade Certified products!
JUNE
-YUGA Leadership Camp Planning
Camp planning is underway and we are very excited for this summer! Check out the YUGA Camp page on the Plan website for a look at a typical day, view pictures from past years, and read about what camp is like through the eyes of a camper! http://www.planusa.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/171646
YUGA members from a past YUGA Camp!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
World Against Child Labor Day!
What do organizations suggest we do to address the problem of child labor in hazardous conditions?
We must take a life-cycle approach when dealing with the issues of child labor. This involves a stronger focus on ensuring that education and training policies prepare children for work life so as to acheive an effective school-to-work transition. If adolescents enter the workforce, there must be adequate safety regulations in place to ensure their safety and health. There must also be a wider knowledge of the internation labor standards spread throughout the world. Laws and regulations along with proper education for children, workers, and employers must be established and put into place.
Spread awareness about this issue at your school or tell your family and friends. Many of the companies that we buy clothes, food, and other items from support child labor and have many children working in sweat shops or under other unsafe working conditions. Check the labels and buy clothing that is made in America!
YUGA also has a FULL toolkit on what you can do in your school or at home to help stop child labor and get educated about the facts.
Check it out!
http://www.planusa.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/2136
Monday, May 16, 2011
School Days
But as excited as I am for more rest and relaxation, I really do love school. I love reading about people and events in other countries, sitting with my friends in class, and that feeling I get after working hard and earning a good grade on a paper or exam. I feel really lucky that I have been given the opportunity to attend school for 18 years (!!), especially when I know so many youth across the world have not been afforded that same opportunity. Unfortunately, many children and youth face daily barriers to attending school and attaining a quality education.
Here are some obstacles that children and youth might have to overcome to get an education:
10 Common Barriers to Education:
1. Lack of money- Many parents lack the necessary fees for tuition, school books and supplies, uniforms, or food, and therefore cannot afford to send their children to school regularly.
2. Distance- In rural communities, schools are often few and far between, requiring children and youth to take long and often unsafe walks to school every day.
3. Responsibilities at home- In rural communities, children and youth often have many duties at home, which might take away from their time in the classroom. Some of these chores may include caring for younger siblings, housekeeping, and fetching water for the household.
4. Value of girls’ education- In some societies, little value is placed on a girls’ education. In these communities, girls struggle against social and familial pressures in order to attend school.
5. Child marriage- In some parts of the world, children, especially girls, marry at very young ages, often to save the family money. A young wife must often take care of her husband and household, which interferes with her ability to go to school.
6. Pregnancy- A lack of comprehensive health education, a lack of access to contraception, a societal taboo against discussing reproductive health, and the prevalence of child marriage can all contribute to early pregnancy among girls and adolescents. If a girl is pregnant or has a young child, she will not be able to regularly attend school or focus on her studies.
7. School facilities- Often schools are not properly maintained or lack adequate facilities, and therefore do not offer safe and healthy learning environments for students. Classrooms can also be hot, crowded, and lacking in materials such as desks, chalkboards, and books, which impair student learning.
8. Sanitation facilities- In addition to classrooms, students should also have access to safe and healthy bathrooms, including separate spaces for boys and girls. Children and youth also need access to clean drinking water throughout the school day, which often schools cannot provide.
9. Teacher’s Investment- In some instances, teachers are underpaid, inadequately trained, or not fully invested in providing quality education for their students. So even when students attend school, they sometimes do not receive personal attention or effective instruction.
10. Child Labor- Millions of children around the world are engaged in the labor force in order to help contribute to their family’s income. These jobs can include unpaid and paid work (though often for very low wages) in agriculture, domestic service, textiles, and other industries. Sometimes this work can be dangerous, and can require long hours. Children are sometimes also trafficked illegally within their own country or internationally. If children are working, they often do not have the energy to keep up with their studies. While working, children and youth often miss days of school, or withdraw from school all together. (For more information on the impact of child labor, make sure to check out the upcoming issue of YUGA’s E-News in June.)
Have you ever faced any of these obstacles, or do you know anyone who has? Which obstacles do you think would be most difficult to overcome? Do you think obtaining universal access to quality education for all children and youth is important? Why or why not? Can you think of any other barriers to education youth around the world face? Please be sure to e-mail your ideas to Plan at yuga@planusa.org.
As for me, next time I am nervous for an exam or tired after a long night of doing homework, I’m going to try to think about what it would be like if I had to study while facing any the barriers mentioned above. While I will no doubt enjoy my break from classes this summer, I will try to keep in mind how lucky I am to get to attend school on a regular basis. And I’m sure that when August comes around, I will be very excited to start classes once again.
Good luck finishing up the school year and happy (almost) summer!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Go Green
Get outside and celebrate! Today, let's commit to making a lifestyle change for greener living, a healthier planet, and a more sustainable environment.
While we can't all be green experts, simple steps in our everyday lives make a huge difference. Below are YUGA's Top Ten Ways to Live Green - but there are many more. Don't forget to comment below and tell us how you live green every day!
1. Ditch the water bottle.
Americans go through more than 70 million water bottles every day, and only 14% get recycled. Not only are they filling our landfills, but they require huge quantities of oil to make, transport, and dispose. And here’s the kicker: manufacturing plastic water bottles requires two times more water than the bottles will ultimately contain.
2. Go veggie.
Producing enough meat for one hamburger emits the same amount of greenhouse gas as a six-mile car ride. In the US, we eat an average of 8oz of meat every day- more than twice the amount consumed by those in developing nations. According to Environmental Defense, if every American substituted one meal with chicken for a vegetarian meal, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off the roads.
3. Stop the spam.
Do you or your family constantly get spam sent to you in the mail? Click here to have your name removed from direct mailing lists.
4. Hold the bag.
If you were to collect all of the bags you (and your family) received in a week, how many would you have? Reusable sturdy totes are inexpensive and can save a family hundreds of wasted plastic bags each year. If you're purchasing just a few things, opt to carry them out instead.
5. Take-Out Smart
Next time you call for take-out, be sure you know what not to order! If you don’t need napkins, tell them so. If every American gave up one paper napkin a day, we’d save one billion pounds of paper from going into landfills each year. If you don’t need plastic utensils, extra condiment packets, or chopsticks ask them to leave those out as well. China cuts down nearly 25 million trees each year to make chopsticks that oftentimes get thrown away unused.
6. Turn off the lights.
...and the faucet, and the engine (when it's not running). Electricity production generates more than 1.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year! Energy to power lights and appliances make up two thirds of all electricity used in the US’s residential sector. Being conscientious about turning off unused lights and appliances adds up quick- and it’s easy to do!
7. Use your dollar wisely.
Choose reusable instead of disposable. Buy items made from recycled materials, and support companies with sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Green companies are easy to find, and your dollar helps create demand for even more eco-friendly products.
8. Clean green.
Are you doing more harm than good when cleaning your house? Abrasive household cleaners do a number on the environment, and can make indoor air up to five times more polluted than the air outside! Disinfectants and other chemicals washing down our drains contaminate more than two-thirds of U.S. streams. Opt for a nontoxic cleaner, or make cleaners yourself. Click here for ideas and recipes for cost-effective, homemade cleaning supplies.
9. Take a shower
While a relaxing bath is nice once in a while, the average 8-minute shower uses less than half the amount of water; a typical bath uses 30 to 70 gallons, but an 8-minute shower uses only 17 gallons. If your family is purchasing new appliances or fixtures, make sure they're energy efficient too.
10. Beautify the neighborhood
Get outside and beautify your entire neighborhood by planting trees, bushes, and flowers. According to Carbon Footprint Ltd, each tree planted can offset your environmental impact by ‘breathing’ in around 1 ton of CO2 over its first 50 years!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
World Water Day
The United States uses 346,000 million gallons of fresh water every day.
A girl in Niger can walk four hours to reach any.
Today is World Water Day. What are you going to do about the water crisis?
The world is on target to meet the Millennium Development Goal for water, but it doesn't mean that everyone has access to clean and safe water just yet. Many of the world's poorest countries are still without, including many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fifteen countries in the region are not on track to meet the MDG target for water, and nearly 40% of the world's population still lives without access to adequate sanitation.
Investing in safe drinking water not only sustains life, but promises a future. Every $1 invested in water and sanitation improvements returns an average of $8 in increased economic productivity and preventing health issues. Providing clean water to a community reduces the occurrence of deadly waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis, and typhoid fever.
Visit www.planusa.org/walkforwells to find out about our national walk-a-thon, Walk for Wells, and how you can help.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
It's Coming... YUGA Summer Leadership Camp!
Who: All youth ages 12-18
When: July 17-23, 2011
Where: Camp Aldersgate North Scituate, Rhode Island
At YUGA Camp, you'll meet friends from across the country and around the world who are interested in global issues like poverty, HIV and AIDS, climate change, and child exploitation.
YUGA Leadership Camp brings together a committed group of 65-100 youth for a week of interactive workshops, community building, games and outdoor activities. The week is packed with programming that will prepare youth to advocate for global issues like poverty, HIV and AIDS, climate change and child exploitation.
Apply today!
To find out more, visit www.planusa.org/yugaleadershipcamp or contact Corrie at corrie.bonham@planusa.org.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
NYC Day 1
We’re at the United Nations….hotel.
Hey, this is Sara & Kirby from Plan USA. We haven’t made it in to the United Nations yet, but we are in New York City. We arrived around noon, after a bus from Rhode Island. It is very windy in New York City and very cold compared to the other countries that are here — like Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Indonesia. Girls from Canada are also in New York City, and delegates from Finland should arrive soon. Going over the schedule tonight, cued in on the importance of our participation here. We are going to speaking to members of the United Nations, people with important roles in deciding international policy and agendas. Even though we are still in the United States, I still feel incredibly far away from home, surrounded by girls that are from all over the world. I guess it still hasn’t hit me where we are and what voice we have, but I am anticipating such an tremendousness feeling walking into the UN, wearing Plan shirts and calling ourselves girl delegates for the world.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Blake Middle School Skypes with Haiti
Click here to read Plan's Haiti Report 12 months after the disaster."Disasters have a way of uniting people across geographies and cultures, and often bring out the best in humankind. In the days following January 12, 2010, the whole world embraced Haiti with an outpouring of support... [Plan is working] with the people of Haiti to build a country that promises a better future for its children, one in which they can reach their full potential and where their rights and dignity are respected."
Monday, January 3, 2011
Child Marriage Bill Fails in the House
A 15-year old girl gets married in Pakistan. Many from the poorest families are married even younger. |
After this letter went out, hours before the original bill was voted on, an additional alert was sent to Republican representatives urging them to vote against the bill, stating that the bill may support funding for abortions. However, the bill did not contain any funding for abortions and federal funding for abortions is prohibited by law. After these two letters went out, many Senators rescinded their support of the bill.
"The action on the House floor stopping the Child Marriage bill tonight will endanger the lives of millions of women and girls around the world... Those who voted to continue this barbaric practice brought shame to Capitol Hill."
What’s next?
While the bill failed this Congress, the efforts brought support from around the globe from individuals and organizations who remain committed to addressing child marriage. (Read this article by Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu, or this article about child marriage in Zambia.)
Plan remains committed to this issue and protecting the rights of girls and boys. Child marriage is a violation of children's basic rights to a safe childhood, education, good health, and the ability to make decisions about their own lives. Feel free to comment below about your reactions, and how you'd like to take action on the issue.