Continuum: Advocacy & Educational Fieldwork
#33 - 313 Whitman Road V1V 2J4 Kelowna, BC, Canada

The incredible story of Hilde Back and Chris Mburu, showing how even small acts of kindness can touch many lives in ways entirely unforeseen, is especially time...ly for today's World Kindness Day. When she was a girl, a stranger's kindness saved Hilde Back's life by helping her to escape to Sweden from Nazi Germany where both her parents died in concentration camps. Back eventually became a teacher and, remembering her days as a Jewish girl in Germany when she was denied the opportunity to attend school under the Nazi Nuremburg Laws, she decided to pay for the education of a child who would otherwise not have a chance to go to school. The child she sponsored was Chris Mburu. Mburu grew up in a poor family in rural Kenya whose family could not afford to pay the small tuition fee required for children to continue their studies beyond elementary school. Due to his excellent grades, he was selected for participation in a Swedish sponsorship program and Hilde Back paid his way through secondary school. Mburu excelled in school and went on to earn degrees from the University of Nairobi and Harvard Law School. In order to help other talented children from poor families continue their studies at secondary school, Mburu created a foundation in 2001. With the support of the Swedish Ambassador in Kenya, Mburu was able to track down the benefactor who had transformed his life and named the foundation in her honor: The Hilde Back Education Fund. Back's small act of kindness grew in ways that she never could have imagined -- The Fund has now helped over 835 children in Kenya continue their studies and her sponsored child has gone on to become an attorney and human rights advocate for the United Nations. In 2012, Back had the opportunity to travel to Kenya with Mburu and celebrate her 90th birthday by meeting many of the children whose lives have been changed by the foundation that bears her name. To learn more about the Hilde Back Education Fund and how to support their work, visit http://hildebackeducationfund.com/ Hilde and Chris' inspiring story is told in the powerful documentary, "A Small Act" -- which is available on DVD at https://amzn.to/3l5L9D1 or can be streamed at https://amzn.to/3aKrC6e For two inspiring Mighty Girl stories that show how even a small act of kindness can bloom into something much greater, we recommend "Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed" for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/ordinary-mary) and "Plant a Kiss" for ages 3 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/plant-a-kiss) For more picture books about the importance of kindness, visit our blog post, "25 Children's Books That Teach Kids to Be Kind," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=19359 For two stories that recount escapes during WWII similar to that made by Hilde Back to Sweden, we recommend the picture book "The Whispering Town" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-whispering-town) and the Newbery Award-winning novel "Number the Stars" for ages 9 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/number-the-stars) And for more books for children and teens about girls and women who lived during the Holocaust period, visit our blog post, "50 Mighty Girl Books About The Holocaust" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11586

They become problem-solvers who think outside the box... Sketchnote by John Spencer (@Spencerideas)

World history in one image.

This connects neoliberalism to poverty, fascism, and hate (especially the last 5 minutes or so).

Join esteemed teacher Sharon Salzberg for the 10-Day Lovingkindness Challenge: Guided Meditation Practices to Help You Cultivate Love, Compassion, Joy, and Equa...nimity. For anyone looking for ways to find solid ground and greater serenity during our turbulent times, these practices are an entry point for both newcomers to meditation and lifelong practitioners. This FREE offering is now available from Sounds True. Join for FREE today http://bit.ly/lovingkindnesschallenge

It's a challenge to get this puzzle just right, but beautiful when it all fits together! Sketchnote by @woodard_julie