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.

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.

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.”