To-do for College Students (and everyone else, too)

I recently contributed a post to the website GOOD.is emphasizing my personal belief in the power of taking what we've learned from the classroom (and outside the classroom, too) and applying it to the real world to create solutions for some of the most pressing social issues of today. Working at the Love Kids Orphanage is hopefully just the start of my lifelong journey to contribute to a better society in whatever way I can, with the skills I've learned along the way.

But the power in this application of knowledge doesn't just apply to the college-age population. Thirty-somethings, forty-somethings, fifty-somethings, sixty-somethings -- recall back to your younger, idealistic days and harness the youthful urgency you may have once felt toward pursuit of your own dreams. Passion and talent don't end at age 22, and neither should the pursuit of our dreams to create a better world.

Autism in Ghana

One thing I've learned after doing some research about prominent social issues in Africa is the prevalence of abandonment and mistreatment of children with autism and other disorders.

Around the world, stigma related to autism inhibits proper treatment and support for families and individuals who desperately need support services. I am certainly no expert on autism or other disorders but I do know that an injustice done to one individual is cause enough to learn and take action.

I find hope in the number of organizations sprouting up in Ghana dedicated to providing support services to families and individuals affected by autism and autism spectrum disorders. Learn more about these efforts by visiting the links here, and hopefully you will find hope too:

http://www.newhorizon-school-gh.com/
http://www.jhr.ca/blog/2011/06/autism-in-ghana-part-ii-battling-stigma-and-education-youth/
http://globalautismproject.org/index.php?id=ghana
http://www.jhr.ca/blog/2010/08/ghanas-refuge-for-autism/

Bottom line: The need exists for passionate people to advocate for those who have to jump through hurdle after hurdle to advocate for themselves on their own. Learn more, spread the message, and jump into the passionate projects going on around the world!

Happy Travels Boutique

To earn money for my trip this summer to the orphanage in Ghana, I have opened an Etsy shop! Take a look at my shop, the Happy Travels Boutique, and spread the word to family and friends!