Move to Stop AIDS Dance-a-Thon a Success!

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!

Check out pictures pictures from the Dance-a-Thon taken by YUGA member Rachel from Cranston East High School. Thanks to everyone who came out to a great night!



Two bands from Cranston East High School performed a song for the Dance-a-Thon.



Everyone at the Dance-a-Thon enjoyed music from DJ Tatu!

The finished pieces! Dance-a-Thon attendees helped paint four canvases to
reflect their feelings about AIDS in different communities of the world.

Mayor Cicilline came to our Dance-a-Thon! He had great things to say about YUGA, and was excited to receive a plaque of thanks from YUGA members.

Pictured above: Clare, Arisa, Livia, Angie, and Carissa.

Representatives from Edesia hosted a table at the Dance-a-Thon. Edesia is a global nonprofit that treats malnutrition and extreme hunger, located right here in Providence! To learn more, visit http://www.edesiaglobal.com/.



Dancers from PAIS performed a traditional bellydance!



PAIS dancers perform a dance they choreographed themselves!



Above, Linda and Daniel- mother and son- do a capoeira demonstration.



Emily and AliceMae had a great time at the Dance-a-Thon!



To host a Dance-a-Thon at your school or community center, contact yuga@planusa.org!

Landmark Legislation to Prevent Child Marriage is On the Move!

On December 1^st, the US Senate unanimously passed the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act- a bill to protect girls in developing countries from early marriages. Girls as young as twelve can be married in many countries, which puts them at a great disadvantage for their health, education, and well-being.

“Tens of millions of women and girls around the world have lost their dignity, independence and lives due to child marriage,” said Senator Durbin, who first introduced the bill. “Child marriage denies these women and girls of an education, economic independence and is the root cause of many of the world’s most pressing development issues – HIV/AIDS, child mortality, and abject poverty. This bill is a powerful statement of our priorities as a nation and something that will change the lives of millions in some of the world’s forgotten places.”

The legislation will require the U.S. government to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent child marriage, with the goal of eliminating the practice worldwide. The bill also seeks to promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of women and girls, and ensure that child marriage is globally recognized as a human rights violation.

UNICEF estimates that 60 million girls in developing countries now aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18. If current trends continue, this number will increase by 100 million over the next decade. This past summer, YUGA members learned about child marriage at YUGA Leadership Camp and several YUGA youth delivered 11,500 letters signed by our supporters to Congress. Now that the bill is on the brink of becoming law, we need even more support to ensure that it gets passed!

Urge your Representatives to approve the legislation. Send pictures, make a phone call, or find other creative ways to let your Representatives know that the bill should be passed. Make sure that everyone you know understands the importance of this bill, and that they should urge their Representatives to pass the bill, too! To find out who your state’s representative is, visit https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.

Click here for more information about Plan’s work and the Preventing Child Marriage Act.

You may also want to read an Op-Ed in the Washington Post from Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, about child marriage.

What in the World are YOU doing on World AIDS Day?

written by Katie Appel, DC Intern

On this December 1^st, youth all over the world will unite to show support for the global battle against HIV/AIDS. The World AIDS Campaign’s website hosts an international calendar of World AIDS Day (WAD) events, and here is a sampling of ways young people across the globe will be acting out against AIDS:

• Members of the South Asia Regional Youth Network will change 10,000 Facebook profiles to support WAD 2010 in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Iran.
• In Nairobi, Kenya, youth volunteers who teach HIV/AIDS prevention through the performing arts will host a Youth Seminar for other teens.
• Students in Bangkok will sell baked goods and merchandise and the profits will benefit a local home for disabled HIV positive children.
• In Mexico City, university students will gather to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS transmission and testing.
• Students in Canada will present the “Viral Monologues,” stories performed by youth and written by those infected with HIV/AIDS.
• Lastly, students in Providence, RI will host the YUGA Move to Stop AIDS Dance-a-thon!

So now that you know a little about what youth all over the world are doing on World AIDS Day, what will you do? Hang a poster in your school or community to spread awareness. Announce World AIDS Day through your personal social networking sites. Research how the spread of HIV/AIDS has impacted the population of one specific country. Sign up to volunteer at a local HIV/AIDS clinic or resource center. Make and pass out red ribbons to family and friends. Attend a local World AIDS Day event. Check out a documentary on HIV/AIDS from your local video store. Wear red! And don’t forget to get your friends involved because the more people that speak out against HIV/AIDS, the louder the voice will be!

Hopefully with worldwide participation and cooperation, we will one day see the end of this terrible epidemic. Until then, thank you for participating in World AIDS Day 2010, and for everything else you do to raise awareness for global issues the other 364 days of the year!

To check out the World AIDS Campaign’s international calendar visit: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/World-AIDS-Day/WAD-2010-Events-Calendar

To find an HIV/AIDS documentary title, visit http://www.planusa.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/86637#AIDS

To learn more about the YUGA Move to Stop AIDS Dance-a-thon visit: http://www.planusa.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/255078

Welcome Katie, Our New DC Intern!

Hi YUGA!

My name is Katie and I am the new Youth Engagement and Action intern in Plan USA’s Washington, DC office. I am so excited to be part of the YEA team and to learn more about all the great work your YUGA chapters are doing across the country! Now to tell you a bit about myself: I love learning about other countries and I have been lucky enough to travel to every continent except for Australia (though it’s high on my list!). I even lived in Ecuador for a year and I really enjoyed immersing myself into a new culture practicing my Spanish, and trying lots of new foods (guinea pig included!). I spent the past two years working on global education programs in DC schools, and now I’m currently studying International Development Studies in graduate school. In my free time I love to explore the city, go to baseball games (I am one of the only true Nationals fans), and I love to dance!

Just like you, I really believe that we are all global citizens and that we must do our part to help one another. I am thrilled to do whatever I can to support your YUGA chapters and to help you raise awareness for global issues in your community. Best of luck and we’ll be in touch!

Thanks so much,

Katie

Poverty Week at Cranston East

Written by Luis, Cranston East YUGA Chapter


Poverty week for us really began two weeks before the actual designated week. Two weeks ahead, we had a planning meeting where we set out our goals for CHSE Poverty Awareness Week. We all agreed that we wanted to both raise awareness and money for poverty. So we decided our game plan for the week in a way that could reach both goals. First, we decided upon making a banner to hang up in our school telling everyone about our Poverty Week. In addition, we also came up with daily meseges we would have announced on the BBC (Bolt Broadcasting Corps, East's daily announcement service).
We managed to make the 50 lunches for Crossroads, albeit we were almost stopped by some mishaps (many people forgot to bring the items they agreed to bring, or they, along with their items, just didn't show up). But, one of us ran to CVS and got the items we needed. But overall, the lunch making was extremely successful. We had over 20 people come to the meeting, which is triple the normal meeting attendees. Everyone was in high spirits and we made the 50 lunches in an organized fashion.

We also wrote some inspirational messages on notecards and put them inside the lunch bags to try and brighten the day for whoever recieved the lunch. And to top it all off, we posed in front of our Yuga Poverty Awareness Banner with the lunches like the coolcats we are B].

Oh, I can't forget our bake sale! The friday morning of that week, some of us brought in some cookies and cupcakes to give away free (in exchange for a small donation), since we're not allowed to "sell" cupcakes, since it goes against our school wellness policy. So we had to play with the terminology a bit. We set up a table in the cafeteria before homeroom to "give away the cupcakes". From there, most of us took the cupcakes on platter around the school, heckling people to donate and get a free cupcake in exchange. We raised I think about $60!

Giving Thanks

by Kerry, YEA Fall Intern

Everyone at some point in their lives has probably heard the expression “Come to the dinner table/eat your peas/finish your brussel sprouts! Don’t you know there are starving kids in the world?”

A few months ago, my six-year-old cousin Ann was dawdling to the dinner table when my uncle first said those well-known words to her. Her response was less well-known and not exactly the response her parents expected. Ann asked if they could tell her the addresses of the hungry kids so she could bring them her food because it made her sad that she had food and they didn’t. The expression aimed towards encouraging children to give thanks for what they have encouraged my cousin to give up her food to give to kids she didn’t even know so that they wouldn’t be hungry.

Who knew people in the United States, let alone youths in the United States, cared about helping people or appreciating what they have? After all, we’ve only recently been surpassed by China as the world’s largest consuming nation. We have less than 5 percent of the world population and use 21 percent of the world’s energy. We spend more money per day on blue jeans than some countries spend a year on food.

The United States actually gives the most money in aid to other countries; however, in terms of percent of all the money in the US, we’re very far from first place. Sweden, Luxembourg, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands far outrank the United States in terms of aid as a percent of all funds within the country. The United States and Japan are tied at .19% of national income going towards foreign aid.

Private philanthropy accounts for about 23% of all US funds towards other countries. Private philanthropy includes foundations, corporations, voluntary organizations, and universities and colleges. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spearheaded by billionaire Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, is the most well known of these types of organizations.

The statistics and data sets and pie charts don’t mention the young philanthropists or the children like my cousin who, given the opportunity, would help out people they’d never met in a heartbeat. They appreciate everything they’ve been lucky enough to have in life and would go even further and give up what they have to help others. In the upcoming holiday season, keep children like Ann in mind, but also the children she wanted to help and who desperately need help.

YUGA Takes Shape in Maryland

Some YUGA Chapters have been able to get started quickly and easily. With the strong support of teachers and the principal, YUGA chapters can quickly come together and have a strong presence in schools. Our online issue toolkits, including the How to Start a YUGA Chapter toolkit, can help students become positive activists in their community.

Sometimes, however, students can run into obstacles to getting their group started. For sisters Nadyah and Jana, getting approval for a YUGA Chapter was a longer process than they had anticipated. "Things don't always turn out the way you want them to" says Nadyah. "I had many obstacles to face...But with the help of all the YUGA resources it was MUCH easier to get started."

She first met with her school's principal, but was asked to wait nearly two months for a response. After going through a lengthy approval process, she wasn't able to campaign for many of YUGA's issues. However, Nadyah was persistent with her school administrators and they were able to make a compromise. Nadyah's principal agreed to use some of the YUGA toolkits to help make her school a 'Green School,' an accreditation from the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE). She's also scheduling a school assembly with ACE, the Alliance for Climate Education, who we heard this summer at YUGA Leadership Camp. By focusing on YUGA's campaign for climate change, Nadyah is able to get her peers involved with environmental sustainability and make a difference in her community.

"This wasn't what I had fully hoped for it to be," says Nadyah, "but by starting a small chapter, hopefully I will be able to advocate even more."

Kudos to Nadyah and Jana, who continue to fight for their voices to be heard!

If you'd like help with getting your YUGA chapter started, visit the Plan website at www.planusa.org/youth, or contact Corrie at corrie.bonham@planusa.org.

YUGA's Themes of the Month 2010-2011

Need some ideas to keep your YUGA Chapter moving? Wondering what issues your YUGA chapter should be focusing on throughout the year? Below is a list of themes that we'll be writing about each month, centered around a national or international day of action. These themes address all five of YUGA's current campaigns: HIV/AIDS, Child Exploitation, Climate Change, Global Poverty, and Because I am a Girl. The monthly newsletter will discuss each issue in detail and is packed with information, resources, and ideas to help your YUGA chapter take action!

December 2010- HIV/ AIDS

December 1: World AIDS Day

January 2011- Children in Conflict Zones

January 1: World Day of Peace

February 2011- The President’s Take on YUGA Issues
February 18: President’s Day

March 2011- Walk for Wells/ Access to Clean Water and Sanitation/ Because I Am a Girl

March 8: International Women’s Day

March 22: World Day for Water

April 2011- Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

April 22: Earth Day

May 2011- Global Poverty and Fair Trade

2nd Saturday of May - World Fair Trade Day

June 2011- Child Labor and Exploitation

June 12 - World Day Against Child Labor

Make sure that you're receiving the E-newsletter by signing up on Plan USA's homepage, or send Corrie an email to be added to the list.

Plumpynut: Funny Name, Serious Results

Last week, Kate and I visited the Edesia factory in Providence, RI- home of Plumpynut, a line of products that treat and prevent malnutrition for over 100,000 children. We met with Marie Wisecup, Communications Manager, and got a chance to tour the Edesia building to see how Plumpynut products are made. YUGA knows that access to food and adequate nutrition is a basic right according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and organizations in RI are helping to ensure that right!

While there, Kate and I learned that there are 195 million undernourished children in our world. Every day, 16,000 children die because of a lack of food and adequate nutrition. Edesia works to treat malnutrition, as well as prevent malnutrition among vulnerable children ages 6-24 months. The main ingredients are simple: peanuts, sugar, vegetable oil, and milk; but the products have a huge impact. They require no preparation or refrigeration, have a two-year shelf life, and are easy to eat. Main purchasers of Edesia’s products include UNICEF, World Food Program, Doctors Without Borders, and the Clinton Foundation.

Edesia also actively hires immigrants and refugees through the International Institute of Rhode Island. This not only provides work for newly arrived refugees, but often connects them to their homes and past. Nine years ago, Andrew Kamara, Edesia’s Supply Chain Supervisor, arrived in the United States. Having lived several years in a refugee camp in Western Africa, he now produces the types of food that he and his family once relied on.

The Edesia factory is open for tours, and is a great way to learn about nutritional assistance. If you’d like to schedule a tour of the Edesia factory for your class or YUGA Chapter, click here or visit http://www.edesiallc.org/.

Walk for Wells

Water Security in Niger
How you can help bring clean water to schools in Niger

Children everywhere should have access to an education—particularly in Niger, where only half of boys and a third of girls attend primary school. Access to water and sanitation plays a major role in their ability to get an education, especially for young girls with big responsibilities. In most families, it is a girl’s responsibility to fetch water for her family—which is often a long and difficult task. She may have to walk several miles to access clean water, forcing her to miss out on going to school. If the local school doesn’t have clean water, she’s even less likely to go. She isn’t able to get a drink, wash her hands, or use a clean restroom during the day. If she is able to get to school, she may have to leave early to get water for her family at home. Without access to water, life for students is far more difficult, especially if they’re a girl.

By providing access to clean water and sanitation, the number of girls who are absent from school can decrease by up to 37%.* The IMAGINE project (Improve the Education of Girls in Niger) seeks to increase the number of children, particularly girls, who complete primary school by addressing many of the reasons why they can’t. Plan’s 60 IMAGINE schools throughout Niger are equipped with wells, latrines, teachers’ lodgings, day-care centers, cafeterias, and a girls’ dormitory- all of which help support girls and their access to education.

Why Wells?
Streams are an unsafe source of water, often carrying waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. In sub-Saharan Africa, diarrheal disease due to a lack of safe water and sanitation is the leading killer of children under 5 years old. A bore hole, which is dug deep into the ground, provides a safer supply of water that hasn’t been exposed to disease and contamination. By making it safer and easier to get water, we’ll make it safer and easier for girls to go to school. She and her family will be healthier, more educated, and better prepared to lift themselves out of poverty. Walk for Wells, and you’ll help girls in Niger reach their dreams!

For More Information about the Walk for Wells, visit www.planusa.org/walkforwells

*CARE Action Network, September 24 2010 http://bit.ly/cE92LN