We Were All Children Once

How we were treated as children influenced what we grew up to be as adults. Children treated with understanding and empathy became  adults with empathy and understanding. Children who were taught love and patience grew into adults with love and understanding. I think I am making my point.

Children bought up in brutal conditions grow into brutal adults as a general rule of thumb. What can be done to prevent children being forced to become child soldiers, children being traded and sold in human trafficking that exists in so many places around the world?  All this in an age when we are building a new space program, medical science is making amazing advances, more women around the globe are attaining more rights and education is becoming a staple in countries that not too long ago had few if any classrooms. 

How can you help children or a child in dire need. Use the Internet and Google a charitable organisation near you. You can help either locally or globally through an organisation such as the ones you see on this link. 

https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/causes/children-charities?gclid=CjwKCAjwwuvWBRBZEiwALXqjwynvmoBajzNF8qYsbkorP5h9gZ-B2xiXTvA_Wjc3mrgC3jShl-A5DhoCtIcQAvD_BwE

Do your due diligence though. There are many scams out there and there are many charities that have very heavy admin charges with simply not enough funds from contributors getting through to the children that need them. By estimates, there are 45.8 million people are enslaved across the world. Global Slavery Index 2016 key findings: Total number of people enslaved globally: 45.8 million people. Enhanced methodology reveals that 10 million more people are enslaved than previously estimated – a 28% increase. Many many, of them are children.

How comfortable are you in your current life? Comfortable?  Maybe its time to forgo that planned cruise or the 2 months "in the desert" and channel that money to children who have been bought into this world and know nothing but suffering.

Just suggesting.

THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY

Oxfam says the wealth of worlds richest 1% is now equal to the other 99%. 

The richest 1% now have as much wealth as the rest of the world combined, according to Oxfam. It uses data from Credit Suisse from October 2016  for the report, which urges world leaders  and world business leaders to take action on inequality.

These 8 Men Control Half the Wealth on Earth

https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/meet-the-8-men-who-control-half-the-worlds-wealth.html

Every 10 seconds, a child dies from hunger. Poor nutrition is responsible for nearly half of all deaths in children under the age of 5—about 3 million children die each year because their bodies don't have enough of the basic nutrients they need to function and grow.

Now read this.

 http://www.businessinsider.com/outrageous-ways-the-super-rich-spend-their-money-2015-7/#they-can-fly-luxury-underwater-planes-1

0e53472aff332f4cbfd6ba0b84ae152fea652d28676fd01249

The Deaf Children of Nicaragua

INSPIRING.

Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN; Spanish: Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua) is a sign language largely spontaneously developed by deaf children in a number of schools in western Nicaragua in the 1970s and 1980s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfrFLVPNZ24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPeuHAQocdQ&feature=youtu.

The innocent souls of cruel wars: Children

They are poor and innocent souls. While running around and playing in joy in their homes, on their streets or in their backyards, they suddenly lose their lives when a bomb is dropped upon them. Those who are able to survive, on the other hand, are all too often left injured and crippled due to the debris falling upon. They end up looking at the devastated bodies of their parents, their brothers and sisters, and their friends in deep sorrow, confusion and despair.

Read more:
http://www.harakahdaily.net/index.php/article/40762-the-innocent-souls-of-cruel-wars-children

SIGN THE PETITION

Protect Children in War Zones: Tell Estonia to Join the Safe Schools Declaration

A GREAT WEBSITE SUPPORTING KIDS WORLDWIDE

http://www.kidscanmakeadifference.org/

INSPIRING KIDS TO END HUNGER AND POVERTY
IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, THEIR COUNTRY, AND THEIR WORLD.

KIDS is a program of iEARN (International Education and Resource Network), the world's largest non-profit global network.
iEARN enables teachers and youth to use the Internet and other technologies to collaborate on projects that enhance learning and make a difference in the world.

WE NEED TO SET A BETTER EXAMPLE FOR OUR KIDS

We need to set a better example for our kids - and the world

A girl holds on to a fence at a transit camp housing migrants and refugees in Slavonski Brod on Nov. 4. Canada has good record and reputation for human rights and should show leadership in such international issues as the refugee crises, columnist Farid Rohani writes.

Global Missing Children's Network

The Global Missing Children's Network is a multilingual database featuring photos of and information about missing children from around the world. It was launched in 1998 as a joint program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® and International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children®.

Photos are one of the most effective tools in the search for missing children. Rapidly distributing a child's photo can make the difference between a fast recovery and prolonged search.

CLICK HERE TO LINK TO MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Fifteen years ago a highly paid engineer in the Philippines gave up his job to live in a bamboo hut in western Thailand. He is now known as “Dada” to the 40 orphans he takes care of at Baan Dada in Huay Ma Lai, near Myanmar.

Baan means “house” in Thai and Dada is Sanskrit for “brother.” For the past three years, small volunteer groups have visited his home deep in the woods. It’s part of the Neo-Humanist Foundation and is referred to officially as Ananda Vidyadharma

Where is it?

The nearest landmark on a map is the Three Pagoda Pass, which is now a shrine commemorating an attempt by the Japanese tried to build a railway from Singapore to India.

This was the area where it was to have crossed from Thailand to Burma (now Myanmar). Baan Dada is about 45 minutes away from this in a town so small it’s not on any maps.

The nearest well known city between Baan Dada and Bangkok is Kanchanaburi (kahn chan a buu D). Even if you’ve never heard of the city itself, you’ve heard of one of its landmarks, the bridge over the River Kwai.

If you would like to help out with this wonderful story, just log into http://www.baandada.org and make a contribution.

A volunteering stint is on my bucket list for next year.

GREANWOLD'S WORLD and the GREANWOLD FOUNDATION

My dream on developing the Greanwold brand has always had one main focus. To generate revenue that will flow to the Greanwold Foundation for Kids Worldwide. As with any project, there are investors who expect a return on their investment, overheads to be covered, loans to be paid back and funds to be put aside for growth.

These taken into account, the balance of revenues will go to the foundation. The foundation will be managed by Christy Ellynby, the originator of the little character that became Greanwold. Christy lives in New Zealand and has a lifetime of experience, both work and personal with children and families. Christy will work in conjunction with a board of directors, yet to be named.

How did the idea for the foundation come about? 

Some years ago, my wife and I traveled to several third world countries. In the course of our travels, we came across a number of children living in dire poverty with little chance of an education, no medical care and an uncertain future. One small boy, I would say around the age of 10, was supporting his family by acting as an unofficial guide at the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia. His father was injured, he had several younger siblings and lived in a 3 room, thatched roof, for the lack of a better word, shack. 

He asked for $5 to act as our guide but said he had to be careful as the tourist police would take his money and throw him out of Angkor Wat complex if he was caught. We gave him $10 that we later found out was the cost of one month schooling in Cambodia. No free education there.  The average annual income is USD$950.

His English was excellent and had been learned from tourists he guided for. He could also speak some French, German, Spanish and Japanese, all learned from tourists. An amazing little guy.

This was just one incident. There were many others. 

Another introduction into the dire straights of many of the world's poorest children was through a young lady I met several years ago who worked as a volunteer at an orphanage in Thailand at the border of Myanmar at the Baan Dada orphanage.

Most of the children at the orphanage come across the border from Myanmar, either orphaned after losing their parents through the brutality of the military regime or were sent across the border because their parents could not longer afford to look after them. The orphanage relies solely on donations from individuals and the Neo Humanist Foundation.

If you are interested on knowing more, please email me. admin@greanwold.com I would be happy to provide further information.

If you would like to help getting Greanwold off the ground, please click on the Greanwold on Kickstarter image at the top of the page. You will be supporting children, far less fortunate than your own. Thanks.

Canadian Politicians (Fat Cats) Forgotten Promise to Canadian Children in poverty

TORONTO – A new report finds a lack of progress in reducing child poverty in Canada, despite a commitment from members of Parliament more than two decades ago to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000.

Released Monday, the Campaign 2000 annual report release also marks five years after the entire House of Commons voted to develop an immediate plan to end poverty for all in Canada.

 25 years ago this week, in the House of Commons, MPs agreed unanimously to try to eradicate child poverty by the year 2000. Today, there are roughly the same amount of kids living below the poverty line. ‘There’s no question we failed': MPs commitment to end poverty is 25 years old

“More children and their families live in poverty as of 2014 than they did when the House of Commons unanimously resolved to end child poverty more than 25 years ago,” read the report.

The report gathered Statistics Canada tax-filer data and found that child and family poverty has increased to 1,331,530 children in 2014 from 1,066,150 children in 1989.

While public policies such as the Canada Child Tax Benefit/ National Child Benefit Supplement and the Child Disability Benefit have made an impact to families, the report said those policies do not make a “big enough difference to dial down the child poverty rate substantially or to sustain less child poverty.”

Introduction to the Greanwold Foundation

Greanwold’s philosophy on children is; it is possible to capture a glimpse into the future when we look into their faces. The environment in which children live is shaping this world's future generations. Adults today have to ask themselves the questions - is our environment nurturing children into become caring and productive citizens?

Are we really doing enough for the children, not just in our country but in all countries?

Are there better ways to provide support and assistance particularly for those children with mental and physical handicaps for whom there are no social safety nets ? The Greanwold Foundation is being developed with a plan to provide funding to children in need around the world, regardless of class, race, colour, religion or nationality. There are many definitions of special needs. In the "well off" countries of the western world such as Canada, the United States, England or Australia, a special needs child can be autistic, physically handicapped, mentally handicapped, suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome, be a victim of sexual abuse, to name just a few.

In the Latin American countries and most of the Third World countries, you can add the horrors of malnutrition, homelessness, sexual slavery and sweat shop laboring.

Many third world children are without parents due to warfare or having been abandoned for no other reason than the parent or parents had too many children to support. The destiny of all countries and all people on the planet Earth depend on the support, care and development of children. When we attend to the physical, intellectual, and moral growth of our children, we give them the skills, values, opportunities, and confidence necessary to succeed as adults, earners, parents, citizens, and leaders.

There are many children's foundations in the world today. Some focus on offsetting the misery of poverty and hunger. Some support education, medical needs, clothing and shelter. All are doing a small part to provide help and assistance to needy children. Sadly however, there are always more needy children than there are helping hands. There is every reason to believe that many of the needy children in the poorest countries will not live through childhood.

Greanwold wants to change that. Simple.