Sandra's Blog

Here is an article that was recently published in SmartWoman online. It shares how I share whats in my heart through the work I do and how I got started.  Smartwoman is a great online publication that contains so much fabulous information for all woman.  Here is a link Smartwomanonline.com

Fun Food

Take a look at these, lots of creative ways to use food.  Looks like it takes an incredible amount of patience and time.

 

Make the World a Better Place

Here is a link to an article I wrote for Oprah.com where I share simply ways you can help make the world a better place.

http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/20080918_orig_betterplace

November Newsletter

A message from my heart

The Art of Licensing

Here is an article that was published in Licensing Magazine.  It talks about how I got my start in the business and have grown my Messages from the Heart line.  I really enjoyed talking with Bernadette, she was great.

Our Journey

Here is the latest newsletter from my friend Maureen, who runs Our Journey, an organization that helps children with HIV/Aids in Africa.  To learn more please click here Our Journey

Greetings from South Africa,

I can’t believe it is almost time to leave South Africa; I will be home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.  Thanks to the generous donations from you all, Our Journey has been able to implement many wonderful projects this year. Your encouraging words and support of this mission has been appreciated.   I am looking forward to sharing my story with you next year …. It is now “your” story.  Because of your generosity this year we were able to purchase 100 school uniforms and shoes.  Over 1200 blankets have been given to orphans and needy families in the Valley. Two hundred children received a warm hat. 

Now in its second year, the After School Program continues to keep growing... We are in the process of putting a new thatch roof (grass roof on our school) the old roof has many leaks and it rains on the children in the inside.  In the meantime, we are holding class in Mildred’s old chicken house; the children sit on empty soda cartons and empty beer crates.
Tomorrow we are purchasing seedlings for our After School Program community garden; all the Gogos (grandmothers) that work in the garden will be able to take vegetables home for their families.  Many of them have lost their children to AIDS and are caring for their grandchildren; there are as many as 12 orphan children in their homes. The Gogo’s have such a special place in my heart, I am the same age as most of them and I can’t for a minute imagine working as hard as they do to feed their families.  Most of them are living on just about nothing, if the children have ID’s (birth certificates) they can collect a very meager child grant.  But, sad to say most of them don’t have birth certificates and because of this they are not able to get the grants or the medical care they need.  Mildred works real hard to help them obtain birth certificates but, there are so many obstacles; it can take years before they receive them.  Last week we took a woman to town to the “Home Affairs Office” to apply for an ID, she is HIV positive and very sickly and afraid she will die before she can get her children birth certificates.

Mildred, the local Zulu woman I work directly with now has a vehicle to do home care visits and also help Our Journey implement all of its on going projects.   
Thanks to special friends of Our Journey we were awarded a grant for three scholarships to send three local Zulu ladies for an early education training course. Starting this January, every fifth week the ladies will go away and stay at the school for a week of training.  At the end of 18 months they will graduate and have a certificate in early education.  One of the ladies we are sending is our teacher for Our Journey after school program; we currently have over 100 children attending weekly. The other two local ladies are currently running preschools in their homes (mud huts) for the children and orphans in their neighborhood.  None of the teachers have had any formal training. They are so excited about going to school; they have never been far from home before.  The name of the school they will attend will make you smile, LETCEE (Little Elephant Training Centre for Early Education).

We are able to feed the children from the River Crèche (nursery school) from the squatter camp a warm meal five days a week for a year (this may be their only meal each day). 

My good friend and also a board member of Our Journey arrived last week.
It has been so much fun sharing this experience with Barbara. 
Barbara and I attended a traditional funeral this weekend; a young girl across the road from us died after childbirth and left behind a brand new baby and 4 other children, they are all orphans now, the new baby will go with a family member of the father and the other four children will be cared for by the oldest child left.  This will now be a child headed household, the oldest child is a 15 year old boy; the other children are a set of twin girls age 6 and a younger child about 4 years old.  It is hard to believe that this situation is a common occurrence here.

 The next newsletter will be in November, it will be my last one from South Africa … thank you so much for your support!!!!  God is good!!!

Much love,
Maureen

Everyday Lessons

Here is a link to an article I wrote for Oprah.com where I share a great story that reminds us that you can learn something new everyday.

http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/20080822_orig_sandralessons