Day 9: Stand together

I'm dedicating day 9 of my challenge to these girls in the slums of Kathmandu, Nepal. I think their pose says so much. In the slums, it's kids taking care of kids as the parents are away looking for work. So they have to stick together. And to make any real difference in this world, those of us who are brave enough to stare poverty in the eye need to stick together, too. (I consider you brave just for visiting this blog and taking a look at the photos of the realities of extreme poverty). Alone, our voice is weak and ineffective. But when we stand together, our collective voice and our actions are much stronger. 

Funds raised through this blog will help children in this slum colony. We're in the process of launching a new "Children's Hope Center" here. The center will offer nutritional support and access to education that these kids would otherwise never have. It's being modeled after our Hope Centers in Hyderabad, India and Manila, Philippines. Please give any amount you can afford toward my goal to provide 20 scholarships for children of the slum colonies where we work.

I've spent some time in this colony on my visits to check up on our programs in Kathmandu. As a photographer, I love chronicling the lives of the people here through photography, to get to know them, and to better equip me to tell their stories. On my most recent visit I was able to give back by presenting some framed prints of their portraits. Most here would never have a chance to own such a valuable family keepsake. Their reactions were priceless. Shots from this series are among my favorite photographs.

I'm happy to report, that while we didn't raise as much money toward our goal today as we did on day 8, we still had some strong participation at $100. This brings us just $395 shy of our 4th scholarship! Please chip in any amount you can afford to help us rescue a 4th child!

Day 9 was ok. I'm hanging in there but at this stage it starts to sink in, options for variety are dwindling. A little bean & rice fatigue, but I'm thankful for seasonings, and have managed to keep it mixed up just enough to overcome the monotony of my limited list of ingredients. Here's what I came up with...

Breakfast. An improvised breakfast taco. The yolk of a runny fried egg is like free sauce! ▼

Lunch. Ahhh, the standard egg fried rice, you can't beat this timeless Asian classic! Add a few splashes of vinegar for a tart kick and beautiful variety in the zesty flavor! Added a few pinto beans to give the dish a little more heft. (See how you can get excited about the most simple changes when you're hungry? The things I learn to appreciate when doing this!) ▼

Dinner. Was tired and uninspired with the limited rations I had left for the day, so I just threw together a quick bean & rice tostada. It wasn't spectacular by any means, but it was enough. ▼

Thanks so much for your support and for reading this far! Your participation is encouraging me. Knowing that we've already raised enough funds to forever change the lives of 3 kids makes each of these 9 days so worth the effort!

Take Action!

1) Please consider giving toward scholarships for children of the slums. Our goal is to cover a scholarship for 20 kids to get an education this next year. Every little bit helps!

2) Please visit my unofficial sponsor, Amazon.com through this link. 7% of your purchases made through the link are given to Peace Gospel. If you're in the UK, use this link.

3) If you're compelled by my effort here, please share it with friends. One of the main goals is awareness. So if you can help with that, huge.

4) Leave me feedback. Please comment on this post, especially if you have any ideas about what I should try to cook with these ingredients I have available. I love hearing from you! It really helps!