Look at a girl as the most powerful source of change for the world

The Girl Effect is a movement driven by girl champions around the globe. The Nike Foundation created the Girl Effect with critical financial and intellectual contributions by the NoVo Foundation and Nike Inc. and in collaboration with key partners such as the United Nations Foundation and the Coalition for Adolescent Girls.


The main message they are trying to convey is that people such as you and I can have a role in reducing huge world problems like hunger, HIV/AIDS, poverty, illiteracy and war just by supporting adolescent girls. Did you know that? Check out the video below if your are interested. It is so well done. It is simple, easy to comprehend, and informative.

(If the video is too small for you, do click on this link, it is way clearer! http://www.girleffect.org/question)

So what they are basically trying to tell us is:

1. Most of these young girls from developing countries are illiterate and poor.
2. They are married off at a very young age(from the video the average age seems to be 14)
3. They end up getting pregnant early (average age of 15) and IF they survive childbirth, are left to fend for themselves and their families.
4. As a result of their poor backgrounds, lack of education, many turn to selling their bodies for money.
5. They render themselves vulnerable to diseases such as HIV.

Now we all know that when a person is diagnosed with a disease (be it heart, cancer, HIV or hey even when infected by the common cold ), its not just one person who is affected. One way or another, many others around that person also somehow end up affected.

Hence, the main message from this movement is to get up, get talking/ sharing by spreading the word or get active by donating to the cause. We can be involved in

1. Helping these girls receive an education.
2. Ensuring they can avoid contracting diseases such as HIV.
3.  Enabling them to opening their minds and seeing reason to delaying marriage and having a family LATER on in life, perhaps when they are more READY for it.(Come on, 14 is a little too young, don't you think?)
4. Reiterating the importance of being healthy in order to raise a healthy family.

Be involved by:

Learning more from the website: http://www.girleffect.org/

By:

Spreading the word, check out their event guide here: http://www.girleffect.org/mobilize/share-it#ShareWebsite

Or share their videos: http://www.girleffect.org/learn/the-big-picture

Or by:

Donating: http://www.globalgiving.org/girleffect/

The clock is ticking rainbows.........toooodlesss

aren't we lucky

"Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can't buy"

Story of Stuff Project

The video below summarizes and highlights the dangers of harmful chemicals found in many common beauty products we use on a daily basis. I really think the information has been condensed perfectly and made understandable to just about anyone and everyone with an open mind. After the video, I can guarantee you will begin to check out the ingredients in the products you are using (if you care enough), just to know if you are harming your body on a daily basis!

Pretty well done ey? love it!

Can Sir? canNOTsir!

What is Cancer?

Inside our bodies, we have billions of cells. Normally, all the cells in our bodies grow and multiply at a controlled rate. When a person has cancer, it usually occurs because of an increased  rate at which normal cells in the body alter in state (become abnormal),  multiply and grow. These cells, which are no longer considered normal, may change in appearance (shape and size can become altered).

This can then result in the formation of a solid mass of cells, also known as a tumour.

(Apologies, I know the above isn't the clearest of pictures.)

How bad is the situation?

1. Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases of the 20th century
2. Twenty-seven million new cancer cases are expected by 2030
3. Between 2005 and 2015 the World Health Organization estimates that 84 million people will die-due to cancer
4. Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Singapore

Cancer arises from a combination of increased urbanization and modernization, genetics and altered socio-cultural lifestyle factors. Below is a summary of a few key risk factors linked to  increased chances of developing cancers.

Risk factors:

1. Obesity
2. Decreased physical activity
3. High consumption of food rich in fat
4. Increased alcohol consumption
5. Exposure/ingestion of cancer causing chemicals (carcinogens)
6. Delayed childbearing and breast-feeding patterns
7. Exposure to viruses such as the human papillomavirus
8. Smoking
9. Exposure to passive smoke

So rainbows, what can we do to avoid cancer!? Yessssss the opposite of the risk factors mentioned above (if only it were that easy, but hey LETS TRY!) Okay so... we can.....

1. Exercise more. Alot more. (Heyy, even I'm trying)
2. Eat LESS of the adulterated, unreal and impure fatty food and more natural, whole, green juicy foods (fruits and vege)
3. Go organic? Or at least use more organic products ( makeup,creams etc) eat organic food.
4. Stop smoking. Come onnnn try try try? It'll only benefit one in every possible way. I know it must be tough. Cause if it were easy, there wouldn't be more than 17 million people trying to quit smoking each year and only about 2.5 %  successfully quitting each year.

Hey and when you stop smoking, you have an effect on every living thing around you..... heh.. really......

Now that we know a little more about what cancer is, it's risk factors and what we can do to avoid it, we can better be aware of the little modifications we can incorporate in our daily living-to prevent getting cancer. I found a few funny images of cancer shirts online. Quite amusing, and not so serious! (Not that it isn't' a serious disease, but.. you know what I mean.)

               

Tooooooodlesssssssssssss Rainbowzzzzzzzz!