Weekend Catchup: highlights from the week of 7/25/11

This week was ONEWeek, and I couldn't take my eyes or heart away from the ONEMoms' dispatches from Kenya.

Right now, I'm on a solo retreat in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. A little alone time to unwind and make plans for the Fall. As I look onto the river from the porch of the lovely B&B where I'm staying, I think about Kibera and Nairobi and Kisumu. My daily anxieties and worries -- which I'm on this retreat in part to think through -- have nothing to do with my family's basic needs. Healthy food, clean water, immunizations and medical care, a safe home, and an education are givens. ONEWeek reminded me of this.

It's hard to write about my response to ONEWeek without sounding patronizing or preachy. I've just gotten so much from it, and I hope you have, too. Thank you for reading along with me.

#ONEMoms: Family farms feed entire communities

The last full day of the ONEMoms journey was spent with farmers in Mukuru, where they learned about womens' vital role in feeding their communities. Read all about it:

Chookooloonks: Kenya, day five: on feed the future, and an unexpected pride

ONE.org: Peeling potatoes with Grace

What you can do

Right now, 10 million people in the Horn of Africa are desperately in need of food, clean water and basic sanitation. As the ONEMoms meet with women farmers today, please sign ONE's petition calling on world leaders to urgently provide full funding to help people in the Horn of Africa, who are suffering from the worst drought in 60 years.

* * *

I did look up momentarily from ONEWeek to post a couple of great hacks about school supplies. The first was a "Talk Amongst Yourselves" open thread about how to save money on school supplies. Tonya's comment on that post led to the second hack, which I promptly put into action myself: Start a school supply box to take long-term advantage of sales.

I wish you a wonderful, peaceful weekend. I'm thinking of you!

View of the Columbia River Gorge near Portland, Oregon

View from my coffee-drinking spot on the porch of The Mosier House, Mosier, Oregon

Comments

[Leslee]

The Los Angeles Times covered this important issue today, with heart-wrenching photos.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-africa-famine-20110804,0,6910108.story